CineVegas Film Festival 2004 announced their Jury Award, which goes to Andrew Wagner’s “THE TALENT GIVEN US”. Larry Golin’s “CROSS BRONX” was awarded the Audience Award and John Harkrider’s “MITCHELLVILLE” received the jury’s Honorable Mention.
“THE TALENT GIVEN US” is the story of Judy and Allen who fill in the small moments in their common place marriage as best they can. When they run into two former teachers of their son Andrew, they learn of a job opportunity for him. Unfortunately, Andrew is distant in location and in family relations. Suddenly realizing she must embark on a quest to repair that, Judy takes Allen on a cross-country trip to see Andrew and work things out… After they rope in their two unmarried daughters, the family is forced to come together for better or worse, The film written, directed and produced by Andrew Wagner, stars Judy Wagner, Allen Wagner, Emily Wagner, Maggie Wagner, Judy Dixon and Billy Wirth.
“CROSS BRONX” puts a contemporary urban twist on the classic coming of age story by following four lifelong friends who move from Westchester to an inner city Bronx neighborhood, where they make a hilarious, romantic, and sometimes dangerous transition into adulthood. Ike Green is a high school wrestler who worries that he has become a burden to his mom and dad, whose ad agency has hit the skids. He is surrounded by a close-knit group of friends: Vivo, a chubby faced wiseass who, in an effort to prove himself to his overbearing father, gets in over his head with some nefarious mobsters; Jimmy Schiek, a womanizer and front-man for the group who dreams of making it to the big leagues; and Rob-O a brooding artist who is abandoned by his father and looks after his self destructive mother. Written and directed by Larry Golin, the film stars Max Greenfield, Badge Dale, Jerry Ferrara, Nashawn Kearse, Dania Ramirez and Barry Primus.
“MITCHELLVILLE” is the story of Gabriel Williamson, a 32 year old Wall Street lawyer with a secret past that he hides behind a mythical personal history. Every night, he dreams of a place called Mitchellville, a town in South Carolina that has suffered a horrible wrong that Gabriel, in his dream, attempts to right. Now up for partner, Gabriel is asked to undergo a routine psychiatric evaluation, during which he describes Mitchellville and, in doing so, reveals the truth about his own past. The film is written and directed by John Harkrider who also stars along with Herb Lovelle, Michael Voyer, Anna Lodej Pergola, Wendell Pierce and Keith Davis.
