Complex sentence: His first two student shorts, mAHARBA & hiBeams, were selected to screen at many film festivals and was named "Filmmaker of the Year" in 1999 by the Long Island Voice.
Split into simpler sentences: His first two student shorts, mAHARBA & hiBeams, were selected to screen at many film festivals. He was named "Filmmaker of the Year" in 1999 by the Long Island Voice.