The 2004 Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films & Short Film Market has announced its award winners for its August 31-September 6 event.
BEST OF FESTIVAL AWARD– $2,000 ^ “Wasp,” Andrea Arnold – United Kingdom ^ Single mum Zoe is broke and her kids are hungry. When Dave, an old flame, swings by with the offer of brief release, she has to choose between being responsible and being happy.
FUTURE FILMMAKER AWARD – $2,000 ^ Lancelot V. Naso, “The Surprise” – Germany ^ When a man rushes frantically to prepare a surprise dinner for his girlfriend, it turns out she has a few surprises of her own in store for her hapless lover.
AUDIENCE FAVORITE DOCUMENTARY SHORT
“Flowers From the Heartland,” Peter Daulton – USA (First Place)
“The Triumvirate,” Jean Strauss – USA (Runner-up)
AUDIENCE FAVORITE LIVE ACTION SHORT
“Chicken Party,” Tate Taylor – USA (First Place)
“Cut and Run,” David Harb – USA (Runner-up)
AUDIENCE FAVORITE ANIMATION SHORT
“Creature Comforts: Cats or Dogs,” Richard Goleszowski – United Kingdom (First Place)
“Catching Kringle,” Jeff Wadlow – USA (Runner-up)
KODAK AWARD FOR BEST STUDENT CINEMATOGRAPHY
The criteria for consideration of the Kodak Award for Best Student Cinematography included unique use of the camera, use of lighting or creative lighting techniques, unique looks or creative processing of the film, how well the camera is used to tell the story, and frame composition.
First Place (An invitation to attend the 2005 Cannes International Film Festival to showcase a clip of their film, presented by the Kodak Student Filmmaker Program, and $1,000 in Kodak film stock.)
Silvio Helbig (cinematographer and director), “Transport” – Germany
Production designer Udo Krammer accepted the award on the director’s behalf. The film is set in a vivid, post-apocalyptic world, where a transport worker’s insistence on following irrational orders leads him and a train driver down a very dangerous track.
Second Place ($500 in Kodak film stock)
Christian Haake (cinematographer), “Gray Zone” – Austria
SECTION AWARDS
All first place winners in these categories received a cash award of $2,000 and will be eligible to submit their films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for Oscar consideration. Second Place recipients received a $500 cash prize.
BEST Live Action UNDER 15 minutes
First Place ($2,000) – “Goodbye, Cruel World,” Vito Rocco – United Kingdom ^ A shy young boy deals with the death of an older neighbor by re-animating him and taking him out for a spin. All is well until the recently deceased corpse starts to take on a life of its own.
Second Place ($500) – “Strangers,” Guy Nattiv & Erez Tadmor – Israel
BEST Live Action over 15 minutes:
First Place ($2,000) “True Love (Once Removed),” Kevin Thomas – United Kingdom/Iceland ^ In a bleak and alien landscape defined by no particular time or place, Steven discovers his future love through an illegal time machine.
Second Place ($500) “Don’t Call Me Baby Anymore,” Olga Gambis – France
BEST Animation:
First Place ($2,000) – “Ryan,” Chris Landreth – Canada ^ An animated reflection of the mind of a great animator who’s gone off the rails, this twisted tale of ordinary madness pays tribute to a brilliant real-life animation artist.
Second Place ($500) – “RockFish,” Tim Miller – USA
BEST Documentary:
First Place ($2,000) – “Life to Live,” Maciej Adamek – Poland ^ A group of blind children experience the fruits of life through their four senses.
Second Place ($500) – “Parents of the Year,” James Scurlock – USA/Mexico
STUDENT CATEGORIES
All first place winners in these categories will receive $1,000 in Kodak film stock and will be eligible to submit their films to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for Oscar consideration. Second Place recipients receive $500 in Kodak film stock. All student filmmakers in competition are eligible for these awards.
BEST STUDENT Live Action UNDER 15 minutes:
First Place – “Marco Solo,” Adrian Bosich – Australia ^ Poor 9-year-old Marco still shares his eccentric Italian/Australian parents’ bedroom, but with the help of a vivid imagination, an obsession with Dame Edna and a warped sense of Catholicism, he creates his own personal space.
Second Place – “In the Bathroom,” Olivier Venturini – United Kingdom
BEST STUDENT Live Action over 15 minutes:
First Place – “Gray Zone,” Karl Bretchneider – Austria ^ While returning his brother Walter to a mental institute in the countryside, George thinks he has accidentally run over a child.
Second Place – “Still: Life – Seibutsu,” Joe Turner Lin – USA
BEST STUDENT Animation:
First Place – “Annie and Boo,” Johannes Weiland – Germany ^ For the first time in her life, teenager Annie runs into a real coincidence while searching for directions home. His name is “Boo,” and Boo has never met a girl before…
Second Place – “Flatlife,” Jonas Geimaert – Belgium
