FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
A big congratulations to all of the 2007 Abbot Award® winners! Trying to pick the best of the festival for curated and Audience Choice awards is no easy feat, considering the excellence this year in selections to choose from. We wish all the filmmakers the best in 2007.
Local Maverick Abbot Award® – TONY BILL
Oscar® winner Tony Bill (Best Picture, “The Sting,” 1973) received the Local Maverick Spotlight Abbot Award (named after Venice, CA founding father, Abbot Kinney) from the inaugural recipient, actor and Venice local Chris Mulkey in front of a packed house at the Electric Lodge at the festival’s closing ceremonies on Sunday. A celebrated constituent of the Venice art community, Tony is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America Hall of Fame, and is known for his work as director, producer and actor.
He joined previous Local Maverick Award-winners Roger Corman, Stacy Peralta and the aforementioned Mulkey. “Nothing pleases me more than being dubbed a maverick – I like to think I still am,” said Bill on receiving his Abbot Award. “When I first came to Venice 30 years ago, there was no one to be seen on the boardwalk – it was completely empty, which shows you how much Venice has changed.” (Photo Left to Right: Festival founders Gary Ellenberg and AJ Peralta, award winner Tony Bill, festival founder Ruby dela Casas)
Most Excellent Feature – THE RAT THING 
The Most Excellent Feature Abbot Award went to THE RAT THING (www.TheRatThing.com) directed by native New Yorker and 20-year Venice resident, Kevin Keresey who also wrote and stars in the film along side Michael McGee, also of Venice (by way of St. Paul, MN). The pair play two down and out friends living in Venice, CA who hatch a wild “get rich quick” scheme involving one of them being bitten by a rat in a major supermarket in hopes of winning an outrageously huge settlement. What transpires is a perfect example of “the best laid plans of mice and men” going astray in one comic turn after another until finally, depravity gives way to humanity. (Photo: Director Kevin Keresey)
Audience Choice Feature – CAKE: A WEDDING COMEDY
The Audience Choice Abbot Award for feature film went to the World Premiere of CAKE: A WEDDING COMEDY by actor, producer, director and writer Will Wallace, a native of Austin, TX who resides in Beverly Hills. (Photo: Director Will Wallace)
Most Excellent Short – A BETTER LIFE
The Most Excellent Abbot Award went to writer/director Luis Fernandez Reneo of Studio City for his touching film based on the true story of three siblings crossing the U.S. border from Mexico entitled A BETTER LIFE. (Photo Left to Right: Producer Alex Bovicelli, Writer/Director Luis Fernandez Reneo, Executive Producer Louie Fazzari).
Most Excellent Documentary Feature – BEHIND THE MASK
Another World Premiere film won Most Excellent Feature Documentary honors – BEHIND THE MASK by Shannon Keith, an animal rights attorney and filmmaker of North Hollywood, for her film highlighting the true stories and gripping undercover video of animal liberations. (Photo: Director Shannon Keith)
Most Excellent Documentary Short – DOWNWINDERS: THE PEOPLE OF PAROWAN
The Most Excellent Short Documentary Abbot went to the World Premiere film DOWNWINDERS: THE PEOPLE OF PAROWAN by Jake White of Larchmont Village. The film takes an intimate look at the effects of nuclear weapons testing in many southern Utah towns. White was inspired to make the film after discovering the circumstances surrounding his father’s death at age 53 in his hometown of North Platte, NE. (Photo: Director Jake White and his wife)
Audience Choice Short – AVAILABLE MEN
In the short film category, the Audience Choice Abbot Award went to AVAILABLE MEN by David Dean Bottrell a native of Louisa, KY who lives in West Hollywood and is known for his reoccurring role as the creepy “Lincoln Meyer” on BOSTON LEGAL. (Photo Left to Right: Director David Dean Bottrell and Festival Founder Ruby dela Casas)
Audience Choice Music Video – The Libra Project’s BRIDGE
The Audience Choice Abbot Award for music video went to Silver Lake directors Jethro Rothe-Kushel and James Naish for BRIDGE, the debut single by up-and-coming LA hip hop collective THE LIBRA PROJECT, which made its World Premiere at the OVFF. (Photo: The Libra Project members)
VIDEOS
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