Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The Envelopes Please!!!


The 10th annual DIY Film Festival is proud to announce the winners of the "Best Film" and "Best Director" categories.  The Festival has become truly and international festival, and this year's winners prove that. Actor/Writer/Director Flavio Parenti's "Quantum Butterfly" is the winner of BEST FILM.  Rodolfo Novaes has been named BEST DIRECTOR for his film "Just In Time."


DIY FILM FEST WINNERS

WINNER BEST FILM - Flavio Parenti’s “QUANTUM BUTTERFLY” “Sogno Farfalle Quantiche”  (Italy)   



Flavio Parenti is an award winning actor and filmmaker.  His film Quantum Butterfly (Sogno Farfalle Quantiche) is a brilliant blending of live action footage with animation and text.  The film follows a group of young Italians during the best summer of our hero's life.  He falls in love, he breaks the heart of his girlfriend, and is devastated when she leaves him.  His friends try to console him - and the visions and images in his head are like a journey through James Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" using modern technology.  Parenti's clever technique, score, dialog and stunning visuals make this a truly unique DIY experience.  No one who watches his film can come away without feeling completely immersed in the topic, and amazed by the technique involved.  At the moment, Parenti is filming in Rome, appearing in Woody Allen's latest film (currently titled "Nero Fiddled" with Alec Baldwin, Ellen Page and Woody Allen)  We at the DIY Film Fest hope Flavio continues his passion of writing, directing and producing as well, as this film is a testament to his ability to tell a compelling story with the tools anyone can use. A tour de force of DIY filmmaking.


WINNER BEST DIRECTOR - Rodolfo Novaes for “JUST IN TIME”

Rodolfo Novaes is a writer director from Brazil studying film at the University of Westminster in the UK.  This stunning debut film, shot with the Red camera, is a clever journey of a husband who returns home to London to find his wife has been cheating on him while he was away.  He follows his wife's lover to find the man is a hired gigolo - and the gigolo doesn't realize the husband is following him.  Their ensuing encounter is both surprising and brilliant, and shows a promising career for this amazing film student.  This is his first film.


ANIMATED SHORT FILM

WINNER BEST ANIMATED FILM
Ike Ahloe’s “CLOCKED IN”
An amusing look at the adventures of a clock puncher in a computer office.

HONORABLE MENTION
Gerald Grunow’s “999.999.999”
Set in the future, brilliant animation from a German filmmaker about the power of a rose.


STUDENT FILM


WINNER BEST STUDENT FILM
Christopher Jarvis’ animated short “THE BIRD UPSTAIRS”
Winner of a number of film festivals, this Tisch school short is amazing and hilarious.

HONORABLE MENTION
Ryan Klaver’s short documentary “AMEND”  
From Taylor University, a straight forward story about a one of our nation's "Greatest Generation."



COMEDY SHORT  FILM

WINNER BEST SHORT COMEDY FILM
Nicholas Plagman’s “THE HAM SANDWICH THAT CHANGED THE WORLD”
Provocateur and comedian Nicholas Plagman's true story of how satire made it into Fox News.

HONORABLE MENTION
Derek Frey’s “BALLAD OF SANDEEP”
The comedic journey of an outsourced Indian, who turns the tables on his bosses.

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM

WINNER BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Jessica Vecchione’s “ROBERT   -   PORTRAIT OF AN ART-ER”
Amazing look into an artist who creates monuments out of stone, and lives in an alternate universe of time.

HONORABLE MENTION
Touching and moving look intothe lives of three newly blind woodworkers learning to use power tools and buzz saws by sound and feel alone.


DRAMA SHORT FILM
WINNER BEST SHORT DRAMA FILM
Daniel Watson, Rafael Cortina’s “DOUBLE TRUTH”
Powerful dramatic tale about two wayward thieves and crossing paths with a young boy on a cold day in NYC.

HONORABLE MENTION
Puppett’s “TIME SPENT”
Two friends deal with an emotionally dangerous past.

HONORABLE MENTION
Misha Sundukovskiy’s  “THE SUNSET”
Insightful tale about an unlikely friendship between two different cultures in San Francisco.


HONORABLE MENTION
Craig Macnaughton’s  “COME HERE GO WAY” (Canada)
Beautifully lensed examination of a love affair between someone who can and one who can't commit.


WINNER JURY PRIZE - EXPERIMENTAL FEATURE
Brian Paul Higgins “CURE FOR THE CRASH”
Masterful blending of documentary and fiction in a tale of modern day Hobos who ride the rails in a world fraught with danger and dreams.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

WINNER BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Jennifer Hitchcock’s  “Dreams Deferred: The Struggle for Peace and Justice in Israel and Palestine” 
Insightful journey into the "settlements" of Palestine from the point of view of Jewish citizens who are outraged or poetic about their country's taking other people's ancestral lands.

HONORABLE MENTION
Leo Grillo’s “THE RESCUER” 
Over 20 years in the making, this tale is about a man who found his life's calling in rescuing abandoned pets.

HONORABLE MENTION
Gary Null’s “DEATH BY MEDICINE”
A clarion call to understand the money and collusion behind Big Pharma, and the medicines that are killing those they're supposed to save.

HONORABLE MENTION
Kevin Malone’s “CHRISTY MATHEWSON DAY”
A small town, a local hero - and how this little town continues to celebrate its most famous son.


DRAMATIC FEATURE  

WINNER BEST DRAMA FEATURE
Robin North, Kelly Preeper's “DEAD SAINTS”
Two women in an insane asylum.  One sees the dark world for what it is, the other sees it as a religious journey.

HONORABLE MENTION
Rachael Yaeger’s “NO LOST CAUSE”  
A woman comes to terms with her car accident that left her in a wheelchair - its ultimately the faith and love of her friends and Church that get her to see the blessings in her life.


WORLD CINEMA

BEST WORLD CINEMA FEATURE
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - Mirel Bran’s “ONE-WAY ROUND TRIP” (Romania)
An amazing journey with a family of Roma (Gypsies) who are expelled from France, then return to try to find a way to stay.  Everyone does their best to turn them out of the country, until they find their way to Cannes.


HONORABLE MENTION
DOCUMENTARY SHORT - Mia Mullarkey’s “HALLS WITHOUT WALLS” (Ireland) 
A young Irish painter and poet struggles with his Asperger's with the help of his loved ones.


HONORABLE MENTION
DRAMA SHORT STUDENT FILM - Shahar Amit’s “JOHNNY LOST HIS GUN” (Israel)
An impoverished woman is about to evicted from her home by two Israeli soldiers, while she waits for her son who is also in the military to come home and rescue her.


HONORABLE MENTION
DRAMA SHORT- Artemis Preeshl’s “PANCHA RATNA - FIVE GEMS” (India)
A DIY Bollywood film, shot in the countryside of India by a group of young Indian filmmakers who show how it only requires a passion for story telling to tell a compelling story - no matter where it is set.


Congratulations to all the finalists and winners.  The Gala is scheduled for March 3rd at the HOLLYWOOD ROOSEVELT HOTEL in beautiful downtown Hollywood. 

The Gala is a combined evening with the Los Angeles Book Festival and the DIY Book Festival.  It's a cocktail party attended by a number of movers and shakers in the film and book industry.  We're going to screen about an hour worth of trailers and short films from this year's festival. Admittance is with a ticket only, ticket information can be obtained by sending an email to diyconvention@aol.com. Its an intimate event where filmmakers and writers get the chance to mingle and meet people in the film and publishing industries.


Congratulations to the filmmakers for their talent and hard work!!!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Finalists for the 10th Annual Film Fest


The DIY Film Fest is proud to announce this year's finalist's for the 10th annual DIY Film Festival.  Thank you all for your submissions, we had films from across the planet this year, and we're glad to be able to include links to almost all of them below, so people can see this amazing crop of films for themselves.

The Gala is scheduled for March 3rd here in LA, the results (Best Film in each category) will be announced then, but meanwhile, here's the full list of Finalists for this year's festival.  Everyone will be getting either an Honorable Mention or a Best Film award. We will be showing clips, trailers and some shorts during the Gala, and we'll be in touch to make sure we have the most up to date trailers.  





DIY FILM FEST 10th Annual FINALISTS  

ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Gerald Grunow’s “999.999.999”

Ike Ahloe’s “CLOCKED IN”

Christopher Jarvis’ “THE BIRD UPSTAIRS”
(Student Film)

COMEDY SHORT  FILM


Derek Frey’s “BALLADOF SANDEEP”

DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM



Ryan Claver’s “AMEND” 
(Student Film)

DRAMA SHORT FILM

Daniel Watson,Rafael Cortina’s “DOUBLE TRUTH”

Puppet’s “TIME SPENT”

Misha Sunovkoskiy’s  “THESUNSET”

Craig Macnaughton’s  “COME HEREGO WAY” (Canada)

Rodolfo Novaes’ “JUSTIN TIME”
(Student Film)

NARRATIVE/DOCUMENTARY

Brian Paul Higgins “CURE FOR THE CRASH”

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE


Leo Grillo’s “THE RESCUER”  



DRAMATIC FEATURE  


Rachael Yaeger’s “NO LOST CAUSE”  

Robin North, Kelly Preeper's “DEAD SAINTS”

WORLD CINEMA

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - Mirel Bran’s “ONE-WAY ROUND TRIP”(Romania)

DOCUMENTARY SHORT - Mia Mullarkey’s “HALLS WITHOUT WALLS” (Ireland)   

DRAMA SHORTSTUDENT FILM - Shahar Amit’s “JOHNNY LOST HIS GUN” (Israel)

DRAMA SHORT- Artemis Preeshi’s “PANCHA RATNA - FIVE GEMS” (India)

Congratulations to the filmmakers for their talent and hard work!!!

Friday, February 10, 2012

DIY FILM FEST GALA MARCH 3RD

Along with our sister events, the DIY Book Festival and the Los Angeles Book Festival, we're announcing our gala of celebrating the best in DIY Filmmaking will be held in Los Angeles on March 3rd.

Last Year's DIY Fest winners Cody Blue Snider and Jesse Griffith at the Gala


We're sending out individual notifications to filmmakers to let them know that they're finalists for the best picture in their category, and we look forward to seeing all of you at the event if you can make it.

And congrats to all you filmmakers for finishing your film - it's not easy to finish a movie, and there's many film festivals out there - so we appreciate your thinking of us.


Details about the Gala to follow!  (Time, place, etc).

Here are links to the DIY Book Festival and the Los Angeles Book Festival.

2011-2012 Los Angeles Book Festival
The Los Angeles Book Festival celebrates the best of world publishing in the world entertainment capital.
When: March 3, 2012
Where: Los Angeles, CA. United States.
Visit Website
The 2011-2012 DIY Book Festival
The 10th annual DIY Book Festival honors the best of independent and self-published books. Part of the 11th annual DIY Convention: Do it Yourself in Film, Music & Books.
When: March 3, 2012
Where: Los Angeles, CA. United States.
Visit Website

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Youtube announces film fest

With Ridley Scott no less.  Grand prize is $$$ to make a film. http://www.youtube.com/user/yourfilmfestival



"This is Your Film Festival. You have until March 31st to submit a short, story-driven video. There's no entry fee. It can be any format - short film, web-series episode, TV pilot - and any genre. In June, audiences around the world will vote, sending 10 deserving storytellers to open the 2012 Venice Film Festival where a Grand Prize Winner will be be rewarded with a $500,000 grant to create a new work, produced by Ridley Scott and his world class team."


I recommend you guys all check into this!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Congrats to the 2012 Sundance Winners!


Sundance 2012: 'Beasts Of The Southern Wild' Wins Top Honors

Sundance 2012 Winner
By SANDY COHEN   01/29/12 07:02 AM ET   AP
PARK CITY, Utah -- A mythical film starring an 8-year-old girl and a documentary about the war on drugs took top honors at the Sundance Film Festival.
"Beasts of the Southern Wild" won the grand jury prize in the U.S. dramatic competition, and "The House I Live In" won the same honor in the U.S. documentary category Saturday at the independent film festival's awards ceremony.
Directed and co-written by 29-year-old first-time filmmaker Benh Zeitlin, "Beasts of the Southern Wild" follows a girl named Hushpuppy who lives with her father in the southern Delta. The film also won the cinematography prize.
Zeitlin said he was grateful to the Sundance Institute and labs, where he worked on the film for more than three years.
"This project was such a runt, this sort of messy-hair, dirty, wild child, and we just have been taken care of and just eased along until we were ready to stand up on our own," he said in an interview after the ceremony. "It's just great that it happened here. This is the right place for the world to meet the film."
Zeitlin described his spunky young star, Quvenzhane Wallis, as "the biggest person I know." She said she is ready to be a movie star, but first will be going back to third grade.
Fox Searchlight acquired the film earlier this week.
Eugene Jarecki's documentary "The House I Live In" examines the social, human and financial costs of the war on drugs. The filmmaker won the same award in 2005 for his documentary "Why We Fight."
As he accepted his award, Jarecki called the war on drugs "tragically immoral, heartbreakingly wrong and misguided."
"If we're going to reform things in this country, putting people in jail for nonviolent crime, in many cases for life without parole, for possession of a drug, for sentences longer than is now given for murder in this country, must end," he said.
Kirby Dick's documentary about rape in the military, "The Invisible War," won the audience award, as did Ben Lewin's heartfelt drama "The Surrogate," which stars John Hawkes as a paralyzed 38-year-old man who hires a sex surrogate, played by Helen Hunt, to help him lose his virginity. Fox Searchlight acquired that film, too.
"I don't think most people have ever seen this sort of story before," Lewin said after the ceremony. "I think it was very new and unexpected... From the experiences I've had seeing it with an audience, it seems to be a real emotional ride."
"The Surrogate" also won a special jury prize for its ensemble cast.
World cinema jury prizes went to the documentary "The Law in These Parts," about Israel's legal system in occupied Palestinian territories, and the drama "Violeta Went to Heaven," about Chilean musician Violeta Parra.
The audience favorites in world cinema were the documentary "Searching for Sugar Man," which also won a special jury award, and the drama "Valley of the Saints," which also claimed the Alfred P. Sloan film prize. A second winner of the Sloan Award, which recognizes films with science as a theme or a scientist as a major character, was "Robot and Frank." The film, which premiered at Sundance, stars Frank Langella as a retired jewel thief who befriends the caretaker robot his children have given him, eventually bringing the robot along on his illegal outings.
Other winners:
_ U.S. drama directing award: Ava DuVernay, "Middle of Nowhere."
_ U.S. documentary directing award: Lauren Greenfield, "The Queen of Versailles."
_ World cinema drama directing award: Mads Matthiesen, "Teddy Bear."
_ World cinema documentary directing award: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi, "5 Broken Cameras."
_ U.S. drama screenwriting award: Derek Connolly, "Safety Not Guaranteed."
_ World cinema screenwriting award: Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutierrez, Pedro Peirano, Sebastian Sepulveda, "Young & Wild."
_ U.S. documentary editing award: Enat Sidi, "Detropia."
_ World cinema editing award: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky, "Indie Game: The Movie."
_ U.S. documentary cinematography award: Jeff Orlowski, "Chasing Ice."
_ World cinema drama cinematography award: David Raedeker, "My Brother the Devil."
_ World cinema documentary cinematography award: Lars Skree, "Putin's Kiss."
_ U.S. drama special jury prize for producing: Andrea Sperling and Jonathan Schwartz, "Smashed" and "Nobody Walks."
_ U.S. documentary special jury prizes: "Love Free or Die," "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry."
_ World cinema drama special jury prize: "Can."
_ Short film audience award: "The Debutante Hunters."
_ Best of NEXT audience award: "Sleepwalk With Me."
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