VISIONFEST hands out IVAs for 2014!

Photo courtesy of Sergio Maranzino - Telezini.tv

DON PEYOTE high on VF14 Independent Vision Awards with 4 wins!

SAND CASTLES and NEVER land honors for their acting leads

CHASING TASTE cops editing prize for Steven Tyler

FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS triumphs in the doc category; BULLY rules the shorts

BROTHER BILLY tops list for Feature Screenwriting Competition

New York City - May 19, 2014 - VISIONFEST 14: THE OTHER FESTIVAL (VF14), closed its five-day run last night at Tribeca Cinemas, with the 2014 Independent Vision Awards (The IVAs) ceremony, which saw the film festival's opening night feature, DON PEYOTE, bookend its high energy presence, by racking up IVAs in 4 major categories, including the event's top honor, the Domani Vision Filmmaker of the Year award, which went to the film's co-writer/co-director team of Dan Fogler and Michael Canzoniero.  DON PEYOTE, which opened theatrically in New York on May 16, also picked up honors for Production, Directing, and a Jack Nance Breakthrough Performance award for its lead, Dan Fogler.  Thomas Sullivan, one of the film's four producers, was on hand to accept the 4 IVA statuettes, expressing his gratitude with kind words for the film festival, its organizing team, and fellow nominees. He accepted all of the awards on behalf of Dan Fogler and Michael Canzoniero, but when it came to the Production honor, he quipped:  "Now, this is really special because I am Thomas Sullivan, one of the producers on the film."

The dramatic feature SAND CASTLES, by Clenét Verdi-Rose, took home 2 awards, recognizing its Male Lead, Jordon Hodges, and its Cinematography (Chris Faulisi).  The Female Acting Lead prize went to Zelda Williams for her role inNEVER, which also picked up a Writing award for the film's director, Brett Allen Smith.  Rounding out the narrative features list was CHASING TASTE, which was recognized for Editing (Steven Tyler), and was described by the festival's co-director, Bruno Derlin, as the film "with the biggest heart," adding: "As one of two Chief Programmers at VF14, I love all of the films at our festival, of course, but these Chasing Taste guys came in like a raging storm of joy.  They celebrated with us every step of the way, and just as their film does, they brought smiles to everyone with whom they came in contact.  They're going to do really well in the festival circuit and beyond, I truly believe that… and deservedly so."

The Outstanding Achievement in Short Subject Filmmaking award was bestowed upon one of the festival's most talked about shorts, BULLY, by Robert Waiermair.  The film, which was represented at the event by its producer, Brenda Waiermair, and its cinematographer, Vadim Aynbinder, was a topic of conversation among those who attended its Friday night screening. "We were so impressed with all the films that were here," stated Brenda Waiermair accepting the award, "I'm shocked.  I'm sorry, I hadn't even prepared a speech."

Documentary winner, FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS, unfortunately didn't have a rep at the IVA Ceremony, but VF14 organizers accepted the award on behalf of the film's director, Tim O'Donnell.  Special Jury Prizes went to FLAWS, by sixteen year-oldGabrielle Giacomo, and the life-affirming doc, CHANGE: THE LIFEPARTICLE EFFECT, by Edwin Kimand EJ Lim.  The DVFS Visionary award went to Lukas Hassel for his short, INTO THE DARK, and the five-time nominated duo FLESH COMPUTER, by Ethan Shaftel, and THE SOUND, by Sacha Iskra, tied for Sound Design.  Rounding out the complete list are: THE WEST BEGINS AT FIFTH AVENUE (John Morgan awarded for Production Design); DREAMS OF THE LAST BUTTERFLIES (Kai Altair &Michael Pflug - Short Form Musical Score); OPEN SPACES(David Heaton & Nick Rafter - Short Form Screenwriting); and AUTHORIZED DRONE STRIKE ZONE (Chris Wasmer - Social Consciousness).  The Feature Screenwriting Competition, co-sponsored by InkTip.com, saw a triumphant win for BROTHER BILLY, by Jason Freedman & Brian Hightman, with a second place for Carey Dunn's THE MOON, THE STARS AND ALL THE PLANETS, and Murat Izmirli, coming in third with GRIMWOOD.  A complete list of this year's IVA Winners follows.

THE 2014 INDEPENDENT VISION AWARD WINNERS

Domani Vision Award for Emerging Talent

Dan Fogler & Michael Canzoniero DON PEYOTE

Outstanding Achievement in Production 

DON PEYOTE  (Thomas Sullivan, Luke Daniels, Carlos Velazquez, Stuart Braunstein)

Directing

Michael Canzoniero & Dan Fogler DON PEYOTE

Writing

Brett Allen Smith NEVER

Short Subject Narrative 

BULLY

The Jack Nance Breakthrough Performance Award 

Dan Fogler DON PEYOTE

Acting (Male Lead)

Jordon Hodges SAND CASTLES

Acting (Female Lead)

Zelda Williams NEVER

The Abe Schrager Award for Cinematography 

Chris Faulisi SAND CASTLES

Documentary

FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS

Editing

Steven Tyler CHASING TASTE

Production Design

John Morgan THE WEST BEGINS AT FIFTH AVENUE

DVFS Visionary Award

INTO THE DARK (Lukas Hassel)

Special Jury Prizes

Edwin Kim & EJ Lim CHANGE: THE LIFEPARTICLE EXPERIENCE (Technical Excellence Award)

Gabrielle Giacomo FLAWS (Creative/Artistic Achievement)

Short Form Score

Kai Altair & Michael Pflug DREAMS OF THE LAST BUTTERFLIES

Short Form Screenwriting 

David Heaton & Nick Rafter OPEN SPACES

Social Consciousness 

AUTHORIZED DRONE STRIKE ZONE

Sound Design 

Kevin Roache FLESH COMPUTER

Brenton Alexander Henry THE SOUND 

Feature Screenwriting Competition 

1st Place:  BROTHER BILLY by Jason Freedman & Brian Hightman

2nd Place:  THE MOON, THE STARS AND ALL THE PLANETS by Carey Dunn

3rd Place:  GRIMWOOD by Murat Izmirli

VISIONFEST announces 2014 IVA - Independent Vision Award Nominations

DON PEYOTE leads race with 9 nods; 

SAND CASTLES follows with 7

CHASING TASTE with 6 and NEVER with 5

round out feature nominees

On shorts front, FLESH COMPUTER and THE SOUND lead race with 5 nods apiece!

Documentary films up for Best Doc all share 2 nominations each.

New York City - May 15, 2014 – VISIONFEST 14: THE OTHER FESTIVAL (VF14), which runs May 14 thru May 18, 2014, at Tribeca Cinemas (corner of Laight and Varick Streets in New York City), officially announced its 2014 Independent Vision Award (The IVAs) nominations last night, following a sold out, "Opening Night Selection" screening, which saw that program’s feature presentation, DON PEYOTE, rack up 9 nominations, thus leading this year’s race.

DON PEYOTE , which opens theatrically in New York on May 16, landed nominations in all of the top categories, including Production, Directing, Writing, Editing, and Cinematography. The film’s two leads, Don Fogler (who also co-wrote and co-directed the film with Michael Canzoniero) and Kelly Hutchinson are going head to head for the festival’s Jack Nance Breakthrough Performance Award, which is traditionally bestowed upon an acting performance, which stands out among others, making it impossible to imagine the same film with a different actor in that given role.  The award, which was established in 2002, was named after the late character actor, Jack Nance (Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks ), to honor his legacy as one of the most memorable and most unique actors in independent cinema.  DON PEYOTE is also up for the festival’s top honor, the Domani Vision Award, which is named after the festival’s organizing entity, the Domani Vision Film Society, a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization, whose tag line is: "Bringing you tomorrow’s visionaries, today."

from left to right: scenes from SAND CASTLES - CHASING TASTE - NEVER

The dramatic feature SAND CASTLES, by Clenét Verdi-Rose, nabbed 7 nominations, including Production, Directing, and Cinematography.  Its two male leads, Jordon Hodges (who also co-produced the film with Chris Nickin) and Randy Spence, are duking it out for aMale Lead Acting IVA, while Saxon Trainor is up for Female Lead.  Following close behind with 6 nods, is the comedic CHASING TASTE, by Sean Gannet, which also landed many top nominations, including Production, Directing, Writing, and Editing, along with acting mentions for Lead Female, Ashley Wren Collins (who also co-produced the film) and Kirk McGee (in the running for a Jack Nance prize).  The festival’s fourth narrative feature,NEVER, by Brett Allen Smith, was singled out in 5 categories, including Production, Directing, Writing, and Editing, and is giving Zelda Willams, a chance to land an Acting Female Lead IVA.  Ms. Williams, who is the daughter of legendary actorRobin Williams, is also a very talented singer, athlete, and artist.

from left to right: scenes from FLESH COMPUTER - THE SOUND

On the short subject front, FLESH COMPUTER, by Ethan Shaftel, and THE SOUND, by Sacha Iskra, led the race with 5 nominations apiece.  Coincidentally, both films are up for Outstanding Short and both filmmakers are vying for the top honor, the Domani Vision Award, with the latter film also mentioned for a top acting award for its Male Lead, Joe Lewis.  Other shorts vying for acting honors are: Open Spaces (Darius Homayoun), Today’s The Day (Daniel Campos), Into The Dark (Lukas Hassel), What Cheer? (Richard Kind), Moustache (Christina Harding), andKiller Kart (Christine Rodriguez).  VF14 co-director, Bruno Derlin stated:  "I’ve yet to remember a year with so many wonderful shorts offering so many great performances.  The shorts this year are so good, that we couldn’t even limit our nominees to five in that category and ultimately went with seven candidates."  The short, FLAWS, which is the creation of sixteen year-old Gabrielle Giacomo, marks the first time a filmmaker under eighteen lands multiple IVA nominations, with two nods.  

In the Documentary race, all three of the nominated films ( CHANGE: THE LIFE PARTICLE EXPERIENCE, FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS, and HOME COURT) are up for two awards apiece. 

A complete list of this year’s IVA Nominees follows:

THE 2014 INDEPENDENT VISION AWARD NOMINATIONS

Domani Vision Award for Emerging Talent 
Dan Fogler & Michael Canzoniero DON PEYOTE 
Zina Brown DREAMS OF THE LAST BUTTERFLIES 
Ethan Shaftel FLESH COMPUTER 
Sacha Iskra THE SOUND 
Daniel Campos TODAY’S THE DAY 

Outstanding Achievement in Production 
CHASING TASTE (Ashley Wren Collins, Sean Gannet, Maitely Weismann) 
DON PEYOTE  (Thomas Sullivan, Luke Daniels, Carlos Velazquez, Stuart Braunstein) 
NEVER (Cherie Saultier, Andrew Schmidt) 
SAND CASTLES (Jordon Hodges, Chris Nickin) 
THE WEST BEGINS AT FIFTH AVENUE (Claire Beckman) 

Directing 
Robert Waiermaier BULLY 
Sean Gannet CHASING TASTE 
Michael Canzoniero & Dan Fogler DON PEYOTE 
Brett Allen Smith NEVER 
Clenét Verdi-Rose SAND CASTLES 

Writing 
Lori Fischer CHASING TASTE 
Dan Fogler & Michael Canzoniero DON PEYOTE  
Daniel Stine GRAPE 
Brett Allen Smith NEVER 
Kryssa Schemmerling & Donald Gray THE WEST BEGINS AT FIFTH AVENUE 

Short Subject Narrative 
BULLY 
FLESH COMPUTER 
GRAPE 
OPEN SPACES 
THE SOUND 
TODAY’S THE DAY 
WHAT CHEER? 

The Jack Nance Breakthrough Performance Award 
Kirk McGee CHASING TASTE 
Dan Fogler DON PEYOTE 
Kelly Hutchinson DON PEYOTE 
Darius Homayoun OPEN SPACES 
Daniel Campos TODAY’S THE DAY 

Acting (Male Lead) 
Lukas Hassel INTO THE DARK 
Jordon Hodges SAND CASTLES 
Randy Spence SAND CASTLES 
Joe Lewis THE SOUND 
Richard Kind WHAT CHEER? 

Acting (Female Lead) 
Ashley Wren Collins CHASING TASTE 
Christina Harding MOUSTACHE 
Christine Rodriguez KILLER KART 
Zelda Williams NEVER 
Saxon Trainor SAND CASTLES 

The Abe Schrager Award for Cinematography 
Vadim Aynbinder BULLY 
John Inwood DON PEYOTE 
Andrew Ellmaker FIRST PRIZE 
Tim Kang GHOST LIGHT 
Chris Faulisi SAND CASTLES 

Documentary 
CHANGE: THE LIFEPARTICLE EFFECT 
FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS 
HOME COURT 

Editing 
Dylan Marshall CHANGE: THE LIFEPARTICLE EFFECT 
Steven Tyler CHASING TASTE 
Dan Bush DON PEYOTE 
Monica Alba & Ben Teitelbaum HOME COURT 
Bradley Maurer NEVER 

Production Design 
David Dibble, Tom Dibble, Beverlee Dibble ADONIS 
Stuart Braunstein DON PEYOTE 
Nathalie Ruiz FLESH COMPUTER 
Patrick Levy GHOST LIGHT 
John Morgan THE WEST BEGINS AT FIFTH AVENUE 

DVFS Visionary Award 
DREAMS OF THE LAST BUTTERFLIES (Zina Brown) 
FLAWS (Gabrielle Giacomo) 
INTO THE DARK (Lukas Hassel) 
THE SOUND (Sacha Iskra) 
TODAY’S THE DAY (Daniel Campos) 

Short Form Score 
Bill Brown AMONG THE INNOCENT 
Kai Altair & Michael Pflug DREAMS OF THE LAST BUTTERFLIES 
Daniele Carretta FLESH COMPUTER 
Gary Dworetsky GRAPE 
Dan Redfeld MOUSTACHE 

Short Form Screenwriting 
David Dibble ADONIS 
Joshua Smooha COOTIE CONTAGION 
Kevin McMullin FIRST PRIZE 
Todd Slawby THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES 
David Heaton & Nick Rafter OPEN SPACES 
Judith Kenny WAKE 

Social Consciousness 
AUTHORIZED DRONE STRIKE ZONE 
DREAMS OF THE LAST BUTTERFLIES 
FLAWS 
FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS 
KAWOMERA: PLANT, PRAY, PARTNER FOR PEACE 
LAST STOP IN SANTA ROSA 

Sound Design 
Ben Wong AMONG THE INNOCENT 
Kevin Roache FLESH COMPUTER 
Ryan Michael Wilson GHOST LIGHT 
Dave Salierno INTO THE DARK 
Todd Maki SAND CASTLES 
Brenton Alexander Henry THE SOUND

VISIONFEST TICKETS ON THE MOVE!

Visionfest 14 tickets are currently on sale... The event, which kicks off May 14th with the U.S. Premiere of the off-the-wall comedy, DON PEYOTE, starring Dan Fogler, Josh Duhamel, Jay Baruchel, and a host of celebrity cameos, is currently considering plans to expand the opening night screening to a second screening room within the Tribeca Cinemas venue, as tickets are moving quickly and buzz around the film is gaining momentum.

The film, which will be making its theatrical debut in New York just days later, marks the return of Dan Fogler to VISIONFEST, as he appears in the lead role, as well as at the helm, in the role of co-writer and co-director with Michael Canzoniero.  Their earlier collaborative effort, THE MARCONI BROS., which was later retitled WEDDING BROS., kicked off the film festival with a sold out screening back in 2008, when it also won 2 of the festival's IVAs (Independent Vision Awards) for Production Designer, Cassandra Boyd, and for Overall Production.

(from left to right: Danny DeVito - Richard Kind - Zelda Williams)

The festival, which runs May 14 thru May 18 at Tribeca Cinemas, in New York City, celebrates its 14th annual run this year with a very eclectic line-up, which, in addition to the various celebrities that can be spotted in DON PEYOTE, also includes films featuring Danny DeVito, Richard Kind (A SERIOUS MAN, ARGO, and TV's SPIN CITY), and the feature acting debut of Zelda Williams (daughter of Robin Williams), just to name a few. As always, we try to offer a little something for everyone, and while media folks hunt for celebrities at all types of events, the primary focus of this film festival remains on the multitude of talented artists whose works are being showcased, regardless of their celebrity status. It's nice to recognize the faces up on the screen, but it's magical when we discover new ones, both onscreen and beyond. 

FOR LINE-UP & TICKETS CLICK HERE!!!

SOCIETY IS SUPPORTED BY 3 PEOPLE LIKE THIS PODCAST and NEW STONE AGE!

The Society has 2 new sponsors!  3 PEOPLE LIKE THIS PODCAST has agreed to offer its social media outlets as a means to promote the upcoming edition of VISIONFEST.  The podcast, which launched in the latter part of 2013, has a solid Facebook presence, with over 16,000 unique likes, and a staggering Twitter following, considering the short time that has passed since its inception, with over 6,000 people tweeting and many more signing up on a daily basis.  Check out episode at:

www.3peoplelikethis.com

The second sponsor, NEW STONE AGE PODCAST, is providing this year's step and repeat to showcase its new alliance with Visionfest, and its host, comedian TJ Stone, is slated to be on hand at VF14 to chat with participating filmmakers and bring their stories to life via the festival's Facebook Page, as well as the actual new podcast, which is set to launch in June.

  

GETTING SOCIAL AND IN YOUR FACE... BOOK!

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