Other Venice Film Festival

The Other Venice Film Festival’s Abbot Awards® Announced!

by Naomi Wiggins

With a huge crowd and a sense of nervous anticipation permeating the building, the 4th Annual The Other Venice Film Festival came to an impressive and tearful close Sunday light with the festive and celebratory Abbot Awards® ceremony.

Beginning the end was the staged reading of Riding the Pine, a screenplay by Gary Ellenberg, festival producer and coordinator. Giving the festival their support, Camryn Manheim, Steven Weber, Chris Mulkey, Paul Johannson, Will Wallace, Ben Parnillo, Sean Fenton, Zachary Kinter and other noted actors ran through the script before an audience in the upstairs theater of the Electric Lodge. Upon completion of the strengths and weaknesses of the Riding the Pine script. Here’s to hoping writer Gary Ellenberg has thick skin!

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Following the reading was a cocktail hour during which the anxious filmmakers began to arrive. The Modeens took to the stage to dazzle with their musical innovation but the shiny trophies glistening persistently on the side of the stage
continuously reminded the crowd of the award ceremony to come.

Before diving into the awards, previous Local Maverick Spotlight Award winner Chris Mulkey stepped up to the mic to deliver this year’s Local Maverick Award. After a brief introduction, Tony Bill came to the stage, followed closely by his two young daughters. This Oscar®-winning Hollywood Maverick (producer of 1973’s The Sting) gave a hearty thank you to the town that had long given him inspiration and graciously accepted his award.

As Bill took his seat, Festival Producer AJ Petrala took over the microphone and the awards began.

Winning far Best Short was A Better Life. Executive Producer Louie Fazzari, Writer/Director Luis Fernandez Reneo and Producer Alex Bovicelli accepted the award with loud shouts and humble tears. Executive Producer Louie Fazzari choked up, professing how honored and happy he was to simply be able to make this poignant and meaningful short.

Best Short Audience Choice went to Available Men. Writer/Director David Dean Bottrell didn’t make the ceremony but caught up with IFA afterwards. This marked the 13th festival award for Available Men, a successful run by any standard.

The award for Best Documentary Short went to Downwinders: The People of Parowan. Director Jake White took the Issue of nuclear weapons testing to the courts. With the money he received from the government, White then made a documentary (chronicling the lasting and fatal ramifications of nuclear testing on the town of Parowan in Southern Utah.

Best Documentary Feature went to Behind the Mask. Director Shannon Keith came to the stage and made an impassioned plea for the awareness of the sensitive issue around which her Film revolves – animal rights.

A story of star-crossed love and the hullaballu surrounding big weddings, Cake: A Wadding Comedy proved to be an audience favorite on Sunday night, winning for Best Feature Audience Choice. Writer/Director Will Wallace accepted the award, an infectious grin splashed across his face.

Writer/Director Kevin Keresey had passed on several offers for his screenplay The Rat Thing, choosing instead to make the movie himself, to make the movie he wanted to make. It seems sticking to your gut can pay off for The Rat Thing won for Best Feature overall.

The final award of the night, Best Music Video Audience Choice, The Libra Project – Bridge. An excited and eclectic group, The Libra Project poured onto the stage with passion, gratitude and joy quipping that it pays to have all your friends come and vote for you.

Thus ended the 4th annual The Other Venice Film Festival. IFA extends a hearty congratulations to all the winning filmmakers and other entries. Good luck in all your future endeavors!