2008 Woodie Awards
"Really Big" festival spotlights Indiana filmmakers
Rachel Meacham
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: Entertainment
In its second year, the "Really Big Short Film Festival" is proving you don't have to move to Hollywood to create a great film. First held in 2006, this film festival is a way for Indiana filmmakers and actors to showcase their talents to Indianapolis audiences.
IMAX Theater director Dave Brown said, "This whole project was started when IMAX sales manager Craig Mince came to two or three of us, and we began to talk about those things we could do to use the theater to better support many different groups in Indiana."
Mince said, "This is our program that we brought to the community to help local filmmakers promote their films here at the theater."
In its first year, the festival received 58 short films from 38 Indiana filmmakers. This year, there were 32 films from 24 different amateur and professional filmmakers from all over the state.
To narrow down the films, a screening committee of five chose which films would move on to the next round. A celebrity panel then judged the films.
"These are mostly people who are in the industry, they know film and know filmmaking very well," said Tim Lofton, this year's project coordinator.
The panel included screenwriter Angelo Pizzo, Chuck Lofton, Michael Maurer, Executive Director of White River State Park Bob Whitt, actress Lisa Dawson and Steve Marra, last year's festival winner.
"We've had some great judges, we've had a good structure and some good input as to what we can do a little different to make things the best they can be," Brown said.
This year's event was held at the IMAX Theater in the Indiana State Museum. It ran as a part of the fifth annual Indiana Art Fair Friday night and all day Saturday.
Friday's event, called "The Friday Night Picture Show" by festival coordinators, allowed audiences to view this year's three top films and two honorable mentions for $5 a per person. Saturday's visitors could watch all 21 films, which were separated into four blocks, including a family- friendly block. Guests could pay $9 for each block, or $27 for an all-day pass.
IMAX Theater director Dave Brown said, "This whole project was started when IMAX sales manager Craig Mince came to two or three of us, and we began to talk about those things we could do to use the theater to better support many different groups in Indiana."
Mince said, "This is our program that we brought to the community to help local filmmakers promote their films here at the theater."
In its first year, the festival received 58 short films from 38 Indiana filmmakers. This year, there were 32 films from 24 different amateur and professional filmmakers from all over the state.
To narrow down the films, a screening committee of five chose which films would move on to the next round. A celebrity panel then judged the films.
"These are mostly people who are in the industry, they know film and know filmmaking very well," said Tim Lofton, this year's project coordinator.
The panel included screenwriter Angelo Pizzo, Chuck Lofton, Michael Maurer, Executive Director of White River State Park Bob Whitt, actress Lisa Dawson and Steve Marra, last year's festival winner.
"We've had some great judges, we've had a good structure and some good input as to what we can do a little different to make things the best they can be," Brown said.
This year's event was held at the IMAX Theater in the Indiana State Museum. It ran as a part of the fifth annual Indiana Art Fair Friday night and all day Saturday.
Friday's event, called "The Friday Night Picture Show" by festival coordinators, allowed audiences to view this year's three top films and two honorable mentions for $5 a per person. Saturday's visitors could watch all 21 films, which were separated into four blocks, including a family- friendly block. Guests could pay $9 for each block, or $27 for an all-day pass.
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