2009 TCIF3 Awards

To all,

First of all, I would like to thanks all the producers/directors that submitted their work to our film festival. The quality of storytelling in a short film format was amazing. The festival organizers are looking forward to screening your next project at our 2010 festival.
(The films were judged and rated before the festival began, the People's Choice Award was judged by attendees of the film festival.)

Nat
2010 TCIF3 Festival Chair
Date:TBA



The Tri-City Independent/Fan Film Festival (TCIF3) 2009 Award Winners are;

Independent Film category

1st Place
Tranquility (England)
Director:Paul Jenkinson

2nd Place
The Bug (Netherland)
Director: Marijn Smits
website: http://www.martijnsmits.com/en/page/Nieuws

3rd Place
Marooned? (USA)
Director: Ryan Nagata
website: http://www.maroonedmovie.com/


Fan Film category

1st Place
Indiana Jones and the Search for the Lost Idol (Spain)
Director: Fran Casanova
Website: www.francasanova.com

2nd Place
The Hunt for Gullam (England)
Independent Online Cinema
Director: Chris Bouchard
website: http://www.thehuntforgollum.com/

3rd Place
Makazie One (USA)
Director: “Clutch”
website: http://www.makazieone.com/

2009 TCIF3 People's Choice Awards

2009 TCIF3 People's Choice Awards
Chosen by the attendees of the Tri-City Independent/Fan Film Festival on October 17th, 2009.

Independent Film - The bug
Director: Marijn Smits
Running time: 15m
website: http://www.martijnsmits.com/en/page/Nieuws

Mia is an elderly lady, living i...s a retirement home. One day her daughter gives her a mobile phone, in case of emergencies. But a ‘bug’ in the phone turns Mia’s life into a living hell.

Director & Writer – MARIJN SMITS
Martijn is a director with a great passion for ‘fantastic’ storytelling. Imaginative themes appear in all of his short feature films. When necessary he uses all kinds of (digital) visual effects to tell his story as convincing and compelling as possible. His extensive knowledge of shooting a film with visual effects gives him complete creative freedom.
He directed numerous commercials and music videos which included vfx. Because of his experience he knows how to direct actors in a (sometimes) completely virtual shooting environment. Martijn’s strength is to visually stun the viewer and his goal is to always tell a story in the most original way possible.

FanFilm - The Hunt for Gollum

Independent Online Cinema
Director: Chris Bouchard
Running time: 38m
website: http://www.thehuntforgollum.com/

The script is adapted from elements of the appendices of The Lord of the Rings. The story follows the Heir of Isildur; the “greatest huntsman and traveller in Middle Earth” as he sets out to find the creature Gollum. The creature must be found to discover the truth about the Ring, and to protect the future Ringbearer.

Director & Exec Producer - CHRIS BOUCHARD
Chris is an upcoming film maker with a growing portfolio of independent film projects. Past short films include Disconnect, The Machine and the epic horror film project Human Residue. As a Lord of the Rings fan, he set out to make The Hunt For Gollum as a tribute to the work of JRR Tolkien and the films of Peter Jackson, but also as an experiment in low budget film-making. Aside from directing and overseeing the production, Chris is also supervising the orchestral score for The Hunt For Gollum. His past work as a composer includes the popular fan film Star Wars: Revelations, the internet phenomenon of 2005 that logged millions of downloads and worldwide press acclaim. Chris is proud to bring together many talented collaborators on this professional-quality volunteer production.

Latest Film Submissions

Indiana Jones and the Search for the Lost Idol (Spain)
Director: Fran Casanova
Running time: 20m
websitewww.francasanova.com

The story begins in Tenerife (1948) where Indiana Jones is following the trail of some spanish doubloons. The voyage continues on to Portugal where Indy meets Mr. Giovanni, an art collector, who will try to exchange the doubloons for an important treasure of his past.

Director & Writer – FRAN CASANOVA
Fran Casanova was born in Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife, Canary Island, Spain) in 1977. In 2000 he decided to go to Madrid and devote himself completely to his passion, the Cinema. There he studied in several Film Academies such as: Septima Ars, N.I.C., Metropolis C.E.,… doing courses of: Camera and Photography, Direction of Actors, Advanced Script Seminar, TV and Cinema Direction Assistant Seminar, Professional Cinema and Video Course, and Cinema Workshops.


The Urge (Canada)
Director:Chris Angus
Running time: 2m
website:http://www.atticfilms.net

We discover the horrifying truth behind the natural urges of a vampire and realize he is not that different from us.

Director & Writer – CHRIS ANGUS
Chris began dabbling with animation in 1993 as part of the commercial arts course that he was taking at that time. Becoming fascinated with the animator’s craft, he began attending workshops held by the Manitoba Society of Independent Animators (MSIA). Chris received funding from MSIA in the form of space and equipment usage and set up shop in MSIA’s studios working on his first film “the Urge” when time permitted. “The Urge” was completed in the spring of 2001. Chris is currently working on commercial contracts, as well as animating his second short film. He also teaches animation, on contract at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.


Tranquility (England)
Director:Paul Jenkinson
Running time: 11m
website:

Victor is deeply troubled by a recurring dream and seeking solace from a therapist. As she delves deeply into his thoughts we witness the complex images and fears from his mind as we are taken on a unforgettable journey through his childhood, his marriage, and the end of the world.

Director & Writer – PAUL JENKINSON


Dreammaker (Germany)
Director:Leszek Plichta
Running time: 14m
website:http://www.dreammaker.de/

Once the Dreammaker made the most beautiful dreams for people. Now he lives solitary for only one purpose, the creation of a special dream - his dream.

Director & Writer – LESZEK PLICHTA
Leszek Plichta is a CG artist and shortfilm director. Being a passionate illustrator and games player he started his career at a young age by creating intro cinematics, backgrounds and character animation by painting pixel by pixel graphics for personal game projects. Most ended merely as prototypes and childhood dreams (back then even antialiasing was not a filter but a handcraft).
“Dreammaker” has become a big success and was screened at Festivals all over the world including US, Canada, Brazil, Italy, Germany, England, South Korea, China, Japan and many more.
This 14 min bonsai feature won several awards like the special jury honors at the prestigious SIGGRAPH in 2007. Leszeks work has been featured on TV, inside several articles, advertisements and interviews on the internet and in printed magazines worldwide. Beside personal projects he now works as a freelancer on commercials, featurefilms and a fulfilled life :)


Star Ranger 7 (USA)
Director:Marc Kimball & Michael Harnois
Running time: 21m
website:http://http://www.starranger7.com/

In the 23rd century, the Star Rangers are the formidable peace-keeping force throughout the human populated galaxy. They’ve created a “safe zone” for civilized colonies by way of a defense grid which encompasses the perimeter. When an old foe comes to town with the key to debunk the system, all hell breaks loose…

Directors – MARC KIMBALL & MICHAEL HARNOIS
Marc has been in the Film and TV business for over 20 years now. He currently is employed at The Troupe, in Windham, NH as their Senior Graphics Designer.

Mike has also been in the Film and TV business for over 20 years. He too is employed by The Troupe, only he edits and constantly looks to Marc to help spice up his work. They make a good team. commercials, featurefilms and a fulfilled life :)


Makazie One (USA)
Director:Clutch
Running time: 20m
website:http://www.makazieone.com/

Makazie One, a new short film based in the Star Wars universe set during the time period between episodes 3 and 4. An elite soldier has been sent to track down and destroy a known threat to the Empire through intense ground battles and haunting imagery of death that surround the environment. The unsuspecting enemy has no idea what he is up against when the two finally meet for an action packed surprise ending.

Director & Writer – Brent “CLUTCH” Gaubatz

2009 Tri-City Independent/Fan Film Festival Film Submissions

Capes (USA)

Director: Bryan Cohan

Running time: 15m

website: http://www.capesthemovie.com

A floating city among the clouds, miles above Earth, where inhabitants have the technology to fly with the help of enchanted capes. Atreus, our hero, is the star of a national cape ceremony, in which he will receive his cape and fly for the very first time. With much fanfare, Atreus is adorned with his new cape. He takes off into the sky, soaring through the air with agility & strength. His delight is cut short in mid-flight by a stroke of chance — a lightning bolt in a cloudless sky — and our young hero falls. He dives for miles, picking-up speed and losing control until he crashes onto the cold hard rock of Earth’s floor.

Director – BRYAN COHAN

CAPES director and producer BRYAN COHEN has many years of experience in film and television. He was post-production supervisor for the Academy Award-winning short ‘West Bank Story’ (Best Live Action Film, 2006), as well as producer for the short independent film ‘Return to Sender.’ As animator, editor, and graphics designer, Bryan has worked with Vivendi-Universal, Spike TV, MTV Networks, KRON-TV San Francisco, and Apple Computer.

Bryan is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Cinema. He is an accomplished pianist, and his love of music, the fine arts, literature and theater is his springboard for creating memorable films that bridge traditional artistic boundaries.

CAPES is Bryan’s writing & directing debut in the world of animation. Produced over three-years, Bryan worked with a talented network of artists around the globe to bring his vision to the screen. He looks forward to sharing CAPES with festival audiences, as well as creating future projects that continue to explore the imagination.

The Bug (Netherland)

Director: Marijn Smits

Running time: 15m

website: http://www.martijnsmits.com/en/page/Nieuws

Mia is an elderly lady, living is a retirement home. One day her daughter gives her a mobile phone, in case of emergencies. But a ‘bug’ in the phone turns Mia’s life into a living hell.

Director & Writer – MARIJN SMITS

Martijn is a director with a great passion for ‘fantastic’ storytelling. Imaginative themes appear in all of his short feature films. When necessary he uses all kinds of (digital) visual effects to tell his story as convincing and compelling as possible. His extensive knowledge of shooting a film with visual effects gives him complete creative freedom.

He directed numerous commercials and music videos which included vfx. Because of his experience he knows how to direct actors in a (sometimes) completely virtual shooting environment. Martijn’s strength is to visually stun the viewer and his goal is to always tell a story in the most original way possible.

The Delivery (Germany)

Director: Till Nowak

Running time:

website: www.delivery.framebox.de

In a grey, industrial and uninhabited future, an old man lovingly waters a flower, perhaps the last flower to exist. In his home, across from a factory spewing gas, noise and bad vibrations, the vision of which constantly reminds him that the world isn‘t what it was, the man caringly tends the flower because he knows it‘s his last hope. Unexpectedly, he receives a surprising package that could change the world, at least his world, and perhaps a little more. A surrealistic fable on the world to come, the portrayal of a corrupt society infested by machines, that has forgotten the human being, a future in which there is still place for hope: flowers can grow again.

Director & Writer – TILL NOWAK

...was born in 1980 and lives in Mainz, Germany. In 1999 he started his small studio “frameboX” and works as a freelancer for 3D, print and web media. During the last 8 years he has produced hundreds of projects like brochures, animations, visualizations, flash applications and other kinds of artwork. He works mainly for creative agencies as well as clients like ZDF, SCHOTT AG and others. He is now focussing on cinema and art.

Perchance to Dream (USA)

Director: Lauren Kimball

Running time: 7m

website: http://www.solaceskies.com/

After forty years of captivity, ‘Perchance To Dream’ offers a new perspective in the life of Miami Sea Aquarium’s star performer, Lolita the Killer Whale. Brutally taken from her family and home waters in Puget Sound, Washington and flown across the country to live in Miami, Florida, Lolita is expected to perform daily to an enthusiastic crowd; a crowd completely ignorant to the plight of her gentle spirit.

Director & Writer – LAUREN KIMBALL

My name is Lauren Kimball, I am 21 years old and am currenly working on a double major in both 2D and 3D animation. My primary focus is in character animation, but I also specialize in character concept design, story boarding, and 3D modeling. I am interning at Film-It Productions under director Darla Rae. My recent work includes animating the introduction to “Making Burros Fly” and doing some editing and graphics work for “Dandy Kids”, a documentary about children with Dandy Walker Syndrom.

A good portion of my free time I dedicate to my animated short, “Perchance To Dream”, a film about the Killer Whale Lolita (aka Tokitae) who lives at the Miami Sea Aquarium in Florida. Progress for my short can be read in my blog. What free time remains, I dedicate to reading books, drawing, volunteering with the local Wolf Sanctuary, and spending time with my loved ones.

Graw (USA)

Director: Joe Pettinati

Running time: 10m

website:

“A masked scavenger stealing from the victims of a horrific disaster is forced to decide between saving his bounty or his life.”

Director & Writer – JOE PETTINATI

Devoting his youth to becoming a comic book artist, award winning writer/director Joe Pettinati’s life took a sudden turn when a carefree hobby of penning television spec scripts earned him acceptance into New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts.

NYU allowed him to explore the many facets of independent filmmaking, resulting in several short films, two documentaries and many awards, including the Oliver Stone Screenwriting Award and the Carl Lerner Award for Social Significance.

Charlie Thistle (USA)

Director:Bragi Schut Jr.

Running time: 15m

website: http://www.gallantyne.com/

Charlie Thistle dreams of a better world. He dreams of a world in color, where animals speak and trees grow indoor. Unfortunately, Charlie works for the Department of Normality, where change isn’t tolerated. But there comes a time in every man’s life when he has to stand up for what he believes in, and Charlie’s day is coming!

Director & Writer – BRAGI SCHUT JR.

Bragi Schut is a working screenwriter in television and film. He is the creator of the CBS series “Threshold,” starring Carla Gugino and Charles Dutton, and has numerous screenplay credits to his name. Among those is SEASON OF THE WITCH, the winner of the Academy Award Foundation’s Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting for 2003. Dominic Sena (“Swordfish,” and “Gone In 60 Seconds”) is attached to direct.

Schut’s previous script, THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER, is currently setup at Phoenix Pictures with Brad Fischer attached to produce. He has also adapted two comic book properties, the popular graphic novel CRIMINAL MACABRE for Sony Studios, and the Marvel super-hero property SUB-MARINER for Universal.

Schut has directed one short film entitled “White Noise,” which won awards at the Boston Underground Film Festival and Houston Worldfest, and was recently accepted into the writer’s guild Showrunner Training Program.

Lazarus Taxon (Spain)

Director:Denis Rovira

Running time: 15m

website:http://www.lazarustaxon.com/

A short-film half way between horror and Sci-Fi. The feared consequences of global warming are at their peak when one man crosses the New Sea trying to save his daughter from the clutches of death. A tale about going beyond the limits of the human race and the survival of the species.

Director & Writer – DENIS ROVIRA

Writer/director Denis Rovira was born in Spain (1976) and studiedm Audiovisual Communication at U.A.B. and film directing at U.C.L.A. Author of awarded and well-known short-films in the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation (EFFFF), such as “LAZARUS TAXON” (www.lazarustaxon.com) and “ANGEL” (www.denisrovira.com).

The Hunt for Gullam (England)

Independent Online Cinema

Director: Chris Bouchard

Running time: 38m

website: http://www.thehuntforgollum.com/

The script is adapted from elements of the appendices of The Lord of the Rings. The story follows the Heir of Isildur; the “greatest huntsman and traveller in Middle Earth” as he sets out to find the creature Gollum. The creature must be found to discover the truth about the Ring, and to protect the future Ringbearer.

Director & Exec Producer - CHRIS BOUCHARD

Chris is an upcoming film maker with a growing portfolio of independent film projects. Past short films include Disconnect, The Machine and the epic horror film project Human Residue. As a Lord of the Rings fan, he set out to make The Hunt For Gollum as a tribute to the work of JRR Tolkien and the films of Peter Jackson, but also as an experiment in low budget film-making. Aside from directing and overseeing the production, Chris is also supervising the orchestral score for The Hunt For Gollum. His past work as a composer includes the popular fan film Star Wars: Revelations, the internet phenomenon of 2005 that logged millions of downloads and worldwide press acclaim. Chris is proud to bring together many talented collaborators on this professional-quality volunteer production.

The Death in Charge (USA)

Deviant Pictures

Director: Devi Snively

Running time: 15m

website: http://www.deathincharge.com/

In the tradition of E.C. Horror Comics, this cautionary tale examines life through the eyes of Death who gets derailed when an impatient single Mom carelessly mistakes the scythe-carrying cloaked one for her tardy babysitter and leaves Death to care for her precocious 9-year-old daughter.

Whitney teaches Death about life’s many marvels through violent video games, macaroni and cheese and the magic of Sea Munkees. But when Whitney reveals some dark tendencies of her own, it’s up to Death to lighten things up before returning to the grim duties that lie in wait ...

Director - DEVI SNIVELY

Devi has worked professionally as a ballerina, Spanish translator, hair model, book editor, video game writer, documentary filmmaker, newspaper columnist and video editor. She’s been decidedly unprofessional in several other careers. When she’s not making her own, Devi teaches a course on horror films at the University of Notre Dame.

Four Corners (USA)

Director: Douglas Mueller

Running time: 11m

website: http://douglasmueller.net/fourcorners/index

The crossroad of life is revealed to a cyclist when he encounters an unexplained traffic light.

Director: DOUGLAS MUELLER

Douglas Mueller is an artist and filmmaker. He earned his B.A. studying film at California State University Monterey Bay. In school, he developed The BBC; 2002, a documentary which won local awards for regional pertinence. His graduating capstone was Crazy Flakes a short film which screened at the Antelope Valley Independent Film Festival in 2003.

In 2005 Douglas completed Four Corners, a film he directed and co-produced. The film screened around the United States, including Newport Beach Film Festival, Sidewalk Film Festival and the Science Fiction Short Film Festival, at the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in Seattle, WA., where it took second place. Early 2006 Douglas co-founded a media production company, Gulf Coast Premier Media, LLC., specializing in regional commercial production.

In 2007 he also began producing short web-films for Chamber Music Monterey Bay. Recently Mueller was Production Designer for the feature film The Truth and Co-Producer of the feature film Prairie Love- both in post-production.

Douglas Mueller continues to develop scripts for feature films. He’s also completing production on a few short documentary film about Kristallnaght.

The Day the Robots Woke Up (England)

Director: Ed Hartwell

Running time: 8m

website:http://www.edhartwell.co.uk/robots/

The story takes place in a retro-futuristic view of London where tin robots are commonly seen working with man. After a comet hits the earth all technology mysteriously stops working. London is plunged into the dark ages. With no machines, no robots, no electricity, not even working cars, the people flee the city in search of a place unaffected by the mysterious comet. London is left empty and quiet for many years until today, when the old tin robots suddenly wake up!

Director & Exec Producer - ED HARTWELL

Ed Hartwell has been making short films from the age of 12. He is now 26 and lives and works in London making shorts, music videos and TV projects involving puppets and animation. Since its premier in February last year, “Bus Kong” has had 14 screenings internationally and won 3 awards. More films and info can be seen at www.edhartwell.co.uk

Marooned? (USA)

Director: Ryan Nagata

Running time: 14m

website: http://www.maroonedmovie.com/

A middle-aged science fiction nerd role-plays as his favorite space hero out in the desert when he hits his head and becomes convinced he is a space hero for real. When he starts to suspect his role-playing buddy of being an enemy alien, what started as a ridiculous fantasy game becomes a matter of life and death.

Director & Writer - RYAN NAGATA

My name is Ryan Nagata. I’m a director in Los Angeles. I graduated from USC film school. I’ve directed film, television, and web videos.

Booth Girls (USA)

Director: Adam Mallinger

Running time: 11m

website: http://www.YouTube.com/BoothGirls

BOOTH GIRLS follows bright-eyed Emily during her first day of work as a booth girl at a comic convention. Throughout the day, Emily is faced with crazed fans, leering weirdoes, power mad staff, and a cast of colorful spokesmodels, all with their own unique take on working the convention floor.

Director & Writer – ADAM MALLINGER

Writer/Director Adam Mallinger was inspired to make movies after the first viewing of Superman: The Movie at age four. This life long comic book geek – proud owner of a complete 22-year run of Superman comics – is a graduate of Denison University and currently works in Los Angeles as a script-reader.

Dungeon & Dragon Inc. The Quest for the +5 Stapler (USA)

Director: J Hanna

Running time: 9m

website: http://www.YouTube.com/ nonefilmproductions

Dungeon & Dragon Inc. The Quest for the +5 Stapler chronicles one young man’s tale of his quest for a stapler strong enough to staple any paper…and his co-workers’ misadventures along the way.

Director & Producer – J HANNA

J. Hanna attended film school at Hofstra University in New York and moved to LA to work in film and television, aspiring to one day become a writer/director. He has since worked on such films as Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the recent Star Trek movie. He’s having a lot of fun and is working on developing his feature scripts. In the meantime check out J’s shorts on you tube at youtube.com/nonefilmproduction

2009 Tri-City Independent/Fan Film Festival

The 2009 Tri-City Independent/Fan Film Festival

The Tri-City INDEPENDENT FAN FILM FESTIVAL will spotlight short films made by fans on limited budgets but unlimited imagination.

Date: October 17th, 2009
Location: Tri-Cities WA

First Call - June 1st, 2009
Final Deadline - September 10th, 2009

Awards
-Best Fan Film Award-To be the best of the best "Best Fan Film" award your production must be longer than 10 minutes, and shorter than 60 minutes. Entries can be animated, live action film, or a mix of both.

-Best Fan Film Short-To qualify in this category your short video must be in the range of 10 seconds to 10 minutes. Anything longer must be entered into the "Best Fan Film Award".

-Best Fan Trailer-This is an award for the best editing wizardry in creating a fan trailer.

-TCIF3 People's Choice-This is an award given by the festival attendee's.

Festival Entry Fee: $20.00 (US)

Film Formats: DVD, Mini-DV or CD with broadcast quality Divx, mpeg2, or mp4 file(s)

Where to send my Fan Film for selection

Send your film(s), Bio, short film description, entry fee and contact info to me at:

TC Independent/Fan Film Festival
2201 Rouchelle Lane
West Richland WA 99353

For more information, e-mail the Film Festival Chairman nt.saenz@gmail.com

Tri-City Independent/Fan Film Festival 2008 Awards

The 2008 Tri-City Independent/Fan Film Festival Award Winners

Best Short Film

Ascension
Vickie Gest

Australia

Best Short Film - Effects
Iron Bird

Chris Richards-Scully

Australia

Best Animation Film

The Baseball Card Shop
Kelly Kennedy

USA

Best Animation Film - CGI
Final Journey
Lars Zimmermann

Germany

Best Fan Film
Dark Resurrection Pt 1
Angelo Licata

Italy

People's Choice
The Dead Detective
Andy Wolf

USA

I would like to thank all the film producer's/directors for submitting their films. And the priviledge to show their films at our film festival.

TCIF3 Last Film Submissions

Breathe (USA)
Chuck Peters
Short Film
11:00 minutes

Film Synopsis:
A STORY OF LOVE AND LOSS
INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF J. BENJAMIN JONES

Breathe is about being lost in a moment. How love can be so strong it creates a despair even stronger. Liam (TRAVIS GRAY) live in this very world. He doesn’t know what he’s lost but he misses it. He has a pair of wedding rings as his only clue, but he can’t remember who she was. His only anchor, his salvation, lies directly across from him in the mirror’s reflection; Anne (EMILY NASH-GRAY). She fights to find what is missing, her only clue an old book with empty pages. In it she’ll find the answers they seek...but will it save them?

Film maker bio: Chuck Peters - Director Chuck has been involved with film every since he graduated from Eastern Oregon Unversity where he first met Emily and Travis. While working on his first featurette, Four Days, he finally met his hedro-film mate Jonathan Griffith. Their combined passion for well thought out, exciting and deep cinema keeps them working together...along with their penchant love for Turk & Cran sandwiches.Along with directing, Chuck also wrote, edited, and helped produced Breathe as well as directing the cinematography and operating his Canon XL-2 affectionately named 'Goose'.

Jonathan Griffith - Producer Jonathan Griffith graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 2000 after playing drums for seminal Northwest alt-folk-funk-metal band The Dry Season. He wrote briefly for various videogame web sites including IGN and Nintendojo. After spending the last few years learning small business administration, he has moved moved back to his home town of La Grande, Oregon to pursue independant film production and to raise his son Owen with the support of his loving wife Keri.



The Dead Detective (USA)
Andy Wolf
Short Film
20:00 minutes

Film Synopsis:
Solving a murder is rough. Solving your own is rougher. Join the stiff dic on this hilarious adventure with a long list of suspects who have no problem literally, and gladly, stabbing Martin in the back.

Film maker bio:
Andy Wolf is a southern California native, where he performs his comedy songs in clubs around town as well as sings in two a cappella vocal jazz groups, Swing Shift and In Transit. A Northwestern University graduate, he is a writer, producer, and an actor, having most recently appeared on the pilot of "Dirt" as Courteney Cox’s photographer. He was the Production Manager and an actor in "Battlestar Galactica: The Second Coming" with Richard Hatch. He produced and acted in the indie feature "Dreammaker" which has won awards at every film festival it’s appeared at, and the film noir spoof "The Dead Detective" which he also co-wrote. An accomplished puppeteer, he can currently be seen on the pre-school program "KooKooRiKoo" as Doobie, a Hebrew-speaking bear, and at the Skirball Cultural Center, at the Noah’s Ark exhibit.



Bus Pirates (USA)
David Lindsey
Short Film
34:00 minutes

Film Synopsis:
Dan’s day goes from weird to bad when the city bus he’s on is taken over by marauding Bus Pirates! Along with an alluring blond passenger, Christy, Dan must join Capt. Bonnier’s crew as they set out across the interstate in an adventure of swashbuckling, singing, treasure-hunting… uh, adventure!

Film maker bio:
Dave Lindsay first achieved national recognition and fame with his short musical, "Rattlesnake Jake," which took top prize for Best Music Video at the 2005 Bluegrass Independent Film Festival in Kentucky. Teaching the power of love, the triumph of good over evil, and questionable Native American stereotypes, "Jake" has touched audiences wherever it has screened. Except for that one reservation. Awwwkward….

James Plaxton met Dave his first year of college at UC Santa Barbara where the two collaborated on short film such as "Like Mike-ael Jackson," "What’s Luck Got to do With It?" and the above-mentioned, racially tense, "Rattlesnake Jake". In addition to enjoying dark chocolate and long walks on the beach, James is known as the masterful two-word concept pitcher who gave birth to "Bus Pirates" and "Bakersfield Ninjas". Or maybe it was me who thought of "Bakersfield Ninjas". Only history will tell (or the guy who writes the "About the Filmmakers" bios).

Ben Soper heard about James from his friend Dave. Dave had talked James up a lot, and frankly, Ben had gotten pretty jealous. Ever since Dave had left their home town of Palo Alto, CA for UCSB everything was James this and James that. Nothing’s changed, but now Ben swallows his jealousy out of professionalism and the hope that he’ll one day find justice through a "About the Filmmakers" blurb. When Ben isn’t co-directing with his brother he likes baking and going on three-day Disneyland binges.

Tyler Soper first met Ben several seconds before they were simultaneously ejected into this world by their mother (the previous 9 months had been occupied by awkward eye-contact avoidance and quiet humming). Tyler went on to write and direct various projects with his twin, including "Bus Pirates" and "Bakersfield Ninjas". When he’s not on his cell phone he enjoys casting multiple cute girls for the same role, inevitably unfolding in classic sit-com style hilarity.



Man vs Woman (USA)
Juan Carlos Vargas
Short Film
14:00 minutes

Film Synopsis:
A science-fiction action film about an explosive duel between four desperate scavengers -- a man, a woman, a cloned velociraptor and a heavily armed robot -- fighting for survival on a desolate dry planet.

Film maker bio:
Juan Carlos Vargas is a professional CGI character animator and visual effects artist. He is a graduate of the Cinema/Television Production Department at the University of Southern California, and his ambition has always been to write and direct films. In fact, his foray into the world of visual effects was motivated by the idea that later on he himself could create visual effects and animation for his own films at a fraction of the cost.
He has co-created numerous music videos, commercials, and promotional videos. His visual effects portfolio includes work as lead character animator, on-set supervisor and pre-production consultant; both as an independent contractor and for companies such as OCS/Freeze Frame/Pixel Magic, Parrot Communications, Davis Entertainment, Brookwell/McNamara Entertainment, Seven Islands Productions, Area 51, and Saban Entertainment/Fox Family. He has worked on projects such as "Good Luck Chuck", "Rush Hour 3", "300", "Next", "The Guardian", "Deck the Halls", "Click", "Scary Movie 4", "The Pink Panther", "Fantastic Four", "Herbie, Fully Loaded", "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", "Daredevil", "Looney Tunes, Back in Action", "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen", "S.W.A.T", "X-Men" and many others.



Jason Goes Shopping (USA)
Sean Dillin
Fan Film
3:56 minutes


Film Synopsis:
Jason Voorhees goes shopping....

Film maker bio:
Comedian/Filmmaker Sean Dillin can be found at the comedyspot. About The Comedy Spot Comedy Club - Nationally known comedians as seen on Comedy Central, Leno, Letterman, HBO, Showtime and more frequent this popular comedy club chain! Discounts for Ladies, College Students, Open-Mic Night and more! On-going Stand-Up Comedy Classes available! Old Town Scottsdale.
http://www.funnyordie.com/thecomedyspot



Batman - Terror of the Monk (Australia)
Russell & Janet Devlin
Fan Film
25:00 minutes

Film Synopsis:
"Terror of the Monk" depicts the origin of "The Batman" and his first encounter with a supervillian, the undead Monk from Transylvania. Closely based on stories appearing in 1939 Detective Comics issues 31, 32 & 33, it depicts the first use of the Batarang & Batgyro and has Batman’s first love interest. It stars Adrian Sherlock (from web series "Damon Dark") as The Batman, with SF writer/performer George Ivanoff as the Monk and Sarah Breen (star of independent SF thriller "Purge" )as Dala.

Film maker bio:
Black Maria Productions
This is an Australian unit specialising in adaptions of classic SF & comic book stories, both live action & animated. "The Batman-Terror of the Monk" is our most recent production and is intended as a 70th Anniversary tribute to the famed Superhero.



Thirty Second Doom (USA)
Gary Hughes
Fan Film
20:00 minutes

Film Synopsis:
At General Applied Sciences, a leading government contractor, the race is on to develop an alternative method of personal transportation in order to ease demand on dwindling oil reserves. With time and funding in short supply, two of GAS Lab’s top scientists submit experimental projects.
When a tragic accident takes Dr. Xavier out of the running, aerodynamic expert Steve Bennett unveils his amazing prototype; a cutting-edge, rocket-powered flying suit! The sudden appearance of a mysterious, masked figure, with designs on Bennett’s invention, sets the stage for fast paced adventure.

Film maker bio:
Gary Hughes (Producer, Director, Co-Writer, Editor, Effects Technician, Actor)- Gary is a first-time amateur filmmaker, heavily influenced by vintage science fiction and classic serials. In addition to the aforementioned contributions, he also built the replica flying suit, ray guns and full size "water heater" serial robot costume. And yes, he performed all his own stunts!

Ruben Contreras (Co-Director, Camera Operator, Actor)- Ruben is currently a film student attending San Francisco State University. He has been involved in several short film projects.

William James Hughes (Screenwriter, Effects Assistant, Actor)- Bill holds a PhD in Political Science and is currently a Professor at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon. Along with brother Gary, he developed the screenplay for, Thirty Second Doom.



Dark Resurrection Pt 1 (Italy)
Angelo Licata
LOI Lords of Illusions
61:00 minutes

Film Synopsis:
An ancient prophecy leads the powerful Jedi Master Sorran to start an obsessive quest for Eron, a legendary place able to give infinite knowledge to the one who will open its seal.
www.darkresurrection.com/

Film maker bio:
Angelo Licata, creator of guerrestellari.net, is the writer of the script, the director and the editor of Dark Resurrection. He also worked on the photography and on most of the visual effects, creating some new ones by himself. Moreover, he had supervised all the steps of the post-production, included the sounding and the soundtrack. This is his first movie.



Glow (Romania)
Sergiu Lupse
Short Film
14:00 minutes

Film Synopsis:
L601 lives in a utopian society who recycles unprintable books. Everyone works in the LIBRARY in shifts. When L601 finds out that he can see images inside the white pages he begins to build his own reality. Inside his dreams, strange memories come out of the depths of his mind, memories buried for a good reason.

Film maker bio:
Sergiu Lupse is a filmmaker from Romania. He graduated Film and Photography and has a Masters Degree in Experimental Film. He received the award for young filmmakers in 2006. In 2007 he got a scholarship from CIANT in Prague on motion capture and stereoscopy. In 2008 he was selected for an Artslink Artist Residency in the United States.
His portfolio include: a product catalog for Vichy, various TV commercials, ads and promos for television, 12 short films, 6 of them - screened at festivals in Europe and US. In his films he uses visual stimuli in the form of colors or sound and music to pinpoint or accelerate emotions and feelings that the character might be experiencing.
In 2004 he founded HOLLOW CUBE FILMS, an independent production house and Visual FX studio in Romania. He is producing his first feature film and is currently working on the screenplay for a sci-fi pilot. When he’s not making films or writing screenplays he enjoy watching movies, sci-fi books, computer games, old punk music or a night out with friends. Currently resides in Sibiu, Romania.




Ray Harryhausen Presents: The Pit and the Pendulum (Canada)
Marc Lougee
Short Film
07:04 minutes

Film Synopsis:
This newly-created adaptation of the classic Edgar Allan Poe story embraces the same retro technology used on Tim Burton’s "Corpse Bride": good, old-fashioned, stop-motion puppets. The result is a gorgeous-looking, spooky short film, presented by special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen.


Film maker bio:
Marc Lougee has over 20 years’ experience directing animation and visual effects on television series, pilots, music videos and commercials. Recent work includes MTV’s "Celebrity Deathmatch" (original animated series broadcast, 52 episodes x 22 minutes), CBC’s "What It’s Like Being Alone" (Episodic Director & series Creative Producer), and the BBC’s "Ace Lightning" television series (Director of Animation).
Currently, Lougee is Director of Animation on the live action/CGI series co-production "Dinosapien’ for BBC /Discovery. "Dinosapien" is slated to air in May/ June, 2007.
Not wasting any time with sleeping, Marc continues to develop new projects with producer Susan Ma, including an animated series pilot for mobile technologies with writer John May. Several short-format projects are in development, as well as a feature-length stop-motion animation film.



Razor Sharp (USA)
Marcus Perry
Short Film
25:00 minutes

Film Synopsis:
Impenetrable fortresses, SWAT trained security forces, the occasional piece of malfunctioning gear; it’s all in a day’s work for corporate thief Veronica Sharpe. But business turns anything but usual when she’s hired by her underworld boss Rory Dex to steal an exotic codebreaker from a high-security skyscraper. After rallying with her mentor, a grizzled Russian named Karloff Bryce, a plan to breach the tower’s defenses is born. However, the one contingency Veronica could never anticipate is the strain the job will place on her morality and skill once she’s confronted with the dark reality of the codebreaker itself.

Set in a near-future world where corporations strangle the globe, RAZOR SHARP blends a surprising amount of humor with pulse-pounding action to create an experience that is truly criminal to miss.

Film maker bio:
When he’s not busy being an unemployed screenwriter, Marcus pursues his passion for directing. An Undergraduate of The University of Southern California Cinema-Television Production Program, Razor Sharp is his directorial debut. A Texas native, Marcus spent his teenage years in Washington D.C. before moving to California where he currently resides.
Marcus is represented as a screenwriter and director by Brian Spink and Jake Weiner at Benderspink Entertainment (323) 904-1800.



The Blue Man (Canada)
Grahaeme Cowie
Animation
5:47 minutes

Film Synopsis:
Metropolis is besieged by robots, kidnapping Lois Lane and blowing up Clark Kent in the process.

Film maker bio:
Grahaeme Cowie, writer, director and animator of The Blue Man, studied art at the University of Alberta. He graduated in 2000 with a BFA in painting. In 2005, Grahaeme moved to Japan to fulfill a 2-year teaching contract. While in Japan, Grahaeme co-founded the Let’s Film Festival, a festival for 5-minute films designed to unite the ESL community with their Japanese hosts. For the second annual Let’s Film Festival, Grahaeme submitted The Blue Man, winning the audience-voted Best Film award. The Blue Man was his first animated film. This fall he will be attending the Vancouver Film School as part of the classical animation program.




A Tale of Two Galaxies (UK)
Rob Owens
Fan Film
30:00 minutes

Film Synopsis:
Twelve weeks after ‘Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country’. The USS Hood is sent to a freshly demilitarised Klingon border, to investigate a gaseous anomaly. They are attacked by an unknown enemy and pulled into another galaxy, where they must find a way home and ultimately prevent a galactic invasion!

Film maker bio:
Straitjacket Productions
A Tale of Two Galaxies is the first feature from Straitjacket Productions, comprising of three young professionals from the UK. Philip Davis, Jim Rathbone and Rob Owens, after years of friendship got together to make a film in early 2007. With three degrees in different media between them, they felt they had what it took to make an entertaining movie on a small budget for their portfolios.



The Creator (Australia)
Paul Mayze
Short Film
10:00 minutes

Film Synopsis:
It’s 1000 years in the future. A corporation has devised a procedure that has the ability to liberate the human race...or possibly doom it for eternity. The fate of the humanity lies in the hands of a single human being.

Film maker bio:
Paul Mayze works as a TV producer on lifestyle and travel shows in Australia. The Cteator is his first short film.