MicroCineFest 2002 wraps, award winners announced.
click here for
the
MCF 2002 LINE-UP OF FILMS
The 2002 edition of MicroCineFest, Baltimore’s underground film festival,
took place Wednesday, October 30th through Sunday, November 3rd. For the sixth
year in a row, MicroCineFest has turned on audiences to off-beat, D.I.Y., psychotronic,
substream films and videos from all over the world. Despite rain and cold weather,
the festival experienced consistent good attendance, and perhaps the best audience
response in the festival's history.
Most of the festivities took place at The G-Spot, an “audio-visual playground”in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood. Halloween night took place at the Bengies Drive-In with a screening of Jack Hill's classic 1964 masterpiece SPIDER BABY, along with horror trailers, cartoons, and Three Stooges shorts. In the off-hours of the festival, participating filmmakers, judges, and staff were treated to complimentary visits to The American Visionary Art Museum, a duckpin bowling party, The American Dime Museum, and a sneak preview of the film, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES, courtesy of Cinema Sundays At The Charles.
New to MicroCineFest this year was a free program of shorts for kids, a program of music videos, and a screening of the winnng entry from the recent CAmm Slamm competition in which filmmakers were given 48 hours to shoot and edit a short video. As usual, the Animated Shorts program sold out. During the always popular Experimiscellaneous Shorts program, MicroCineFest proudly became one of the few film festivals in the world to actually project Super8 film.
Over five days, 115 films screened, with more then a third represented in person by their respective filmmakers, including Nicholas Miller (AMBITION, DISTORTION), Sleaze Steele (KANT'S GNAWSER), James W. Harris (FLESH ORGY OF THE ZOMBIE TOTEM), Monroe Bardot (THE MUMMY RETURNS AGAIN), Catherine Pancake (THE SUIT), Mark Colgrove (FRATMAN), Justin Levy (ANARCHY CARPET), Darin Zimmerman (PROMO 53-104b), Jason Woliner (PROMO 53-104b, MONKEY WALKEN, I HAVE SEEN THE FACE OF HEAVY METAL AND HIS NAME IS MIKE PORTNOY, SIMPLE RULES FOR HAPPY MOVIE FUN, STUBBORN BRITISH DRIVER IN AMERICA), james dean conklin (MONKEY WALKEN, BINGO'S DREAM, MONEY, SIMPLE RULES FOR HAPPY MOVIE FUN, TWELVE ANGRY ROBOTS), Jakob Lodwick (JACOB'S BREAKUP), Rosario Garcia-Montero (LOCKED), Robert Flanagan (LOVE & DEATH AT THE ROMP), John Krokidas (SLO-MO), Pat Bishow (HAUNTED HAPPENIN'!), Andy Schwartz & Marissa Ronca (DOG'S NEXT FRIEND), Juliette Goodwin (URBANKITCHEN), John Standiford (PLAIN ENGLISH), Jay Barba & Brian Farrelly (RETURN TO PURGATORY, THE YEAR CHRISTMAS ALMOST WASN'T), Jeffrey J. Johnson (ZENO'S GOT AN AXE AND I THINK HE'S CRAZY), Don Diego Ramirez (IN THE STREETS), Spencer Parsons (RESOLUTION), Eric Dyer (KINETIC SANDWICH, BUDY THE CARROT), Mario Escobar (SUBVESION, WHAT TO BELIEVE), Steve Cuden (LUCKY), Rachel Max (DEAD KITTY), Keenan Williams (DINO-SKELETON MONKEY CHASE), Tom Shillue (FOURWARNED: A BARBERSHOP ODYSSEY), Tim Martin (ROCK-N-ROLL), Partick Martz & Frank Siaca (NIGHTMARE!), Russ Forster (SPRINGTIME FOR EVA), David Sutton (TOOTHBRUSH), Tom Legros (JETBLAST), and CAmm Slamm winners Katrina Heiser, Liz Jones, Lisa Lunt, Michelle Strotman & Lisa Krowinski (VIBRANATOR). Also seen in attendance were writer Blaster Al Ackerman, Shattered Wig head honcho Rupert Wondolowski, MCF 2001's big award winner Alvin Ecarma (LETHAL FORCE), Sundance Filmmaker's Trophy winner Steve Yeager (DIVINE TRASH), documentary filmmaker Kent Bye (HANDICAMP), Johns Hopkins Film Festival director Jason Shahinfar, filmmaker Dan Poole (GREEN GOBLIN'S LAST STAND), and many more!
MicroCineFest 2002 wrapped on Sunday, November 3, with an informal awards ceremony. Festival director, Skizz Cyzyk, announced the Audience Choice Awards. The rest of the awards were announced by this year’s jury, consisting of: CAmm Coordinator Kristen Anchor; MCF award winning filmmaker Jay Edwards; Go Metric! editor/Dizzy Records president Mike Faloon; writer and film buff Nick Kujawa; anarchist/stone mason/film buff Jed Orndorff; and Cashiers Du Cinemart editor Mike White. Some of the award winners will receive screenwriting software prizes courtesy of MicroCineFest’s Awards Sponsor, Final Draft. The jury was given free reign to award any film, filmmaker or category they deemed worthy. The awards are as follows:
Audience Choice Awards -
Audience Choice Best Short First Place: FITS & STARTS (Vince Di Meglio
& Tim Rasmussen)
Audience Choice Best Short Second Place: SLO-MO (John Krokidas)
Audience Choice Best Feature First Place: ROCK-N-ROLL (Tim Martin)
Audience Choice Best Feature Second Place: LUCKY (Steve Cuden)
Special Awards -
Low-Budget Film Award: SATAN’S PSYCHO GHOUL (Conall Pendergast)
Low-Budget Video Award: PEEP SHOW (Debbie Bruce & Natalie Repp)
Small Gauge Award: COMPOSITION IN RED & YELLOW (Roger Beebe)
Grand Jury Awards -
Best Feature Film: JESUS CHRIST VAMPIRE HUNTER (Lee Demarbre)
Best Feature Video: LUCKY (Steve Cuden)
Best Short Comedy Film: TIMMY’S WISH (Tom Ballatore, Patrick Cannon
& Amit Itelman)
Best Short Comedy Video: ALIAS: THE LOST EPISODE (Kyle Rankin & Efram
Potelle)
Best Short Narrative Film: THE PROVIDER (Matt Smith)
Best Short Narrative Video: HOLE IN THE WALL (Stephen Kurowski)
Best Documentary Film: ARMOR OF GOD (Jim Haverkamp & Brett Ingram)
Best Documentary Video: RICHART (Venessa Renwick & Dawn Smallman)
Best Mockumentary: FOURWARNED: A BARBERSHOP ODYSSEY (Tom Shillue &
Ross Babbit)
Best Animated Film: PLAIN ENGLISH (John Standiford)
Best Animated Video: BIRDBEAT (FUGUE) (Geoff Adams)
Best Experimental Film: HAUTNAH (SKINFLICK) (Thorsten Fleisch)
Best Experimental Video: KINETIC SANDWICH (Eric Dyer)
Best Music Video: MY GIRLFRIEND’S DEAD (Luke S. Goljan, Esq.)
Grand Jury Special Recognition “Way Cool” Awards -
Best Puppetry: IL SPAGHETTI OCCIDENTALLI (Jeff "JEFFU" Warmouth)
Best Western: A VISIT FROM THE INCUBUS (Anna Biller)
Best Detournement: THE YEAR CHRISTMAS ALMOST WASN’T (Jay Barba &
Brian Farrelly)
Best Sci-Fi: ROBOT BASTARD! (Rob Schrab)
Best Single Scene: “More Steak-Ums!” from DEADGUY (Jason Moran)
Best Use of Found Footage: SPRINGTIME FOR EVA (Russ Forster)
Special Jury Citation: ICARUS OF PITTSBURGH (Kirk Hostetter & Evan
Mather)
Links to festival press:
Read Chris Kaltenbach's Baltimore Sun article about MicroCineFest 2002.
Read
the City Paper article about MCF 2002 filmmaker, Eric Dyer (KINETIC SANDWICH,
BUDY THE CARROT).
More photos coming soon (if you took any, please send us copies!)
 Slease Steele (KANT'S GNAWSER), Monroe Bardot (THE MUMMY RETURNS AGAIN) and James W. Harris (FLESH ORGY OF THE ZOMBIE TOTEM). |
 Catherine Pancake (THE SUIT) and writer Blaster Al Ackerman. |
 Nicholas Miller (AMBITION) and Slease Steele (KANT'S GNAWSER). |
 MicroCineFest's Halloween at The Bengies Drive-In w/SPIDER BABY (reels 3, 4 & 5). |
 Justin Levy (ANARCHY CARPET), Jakob Lodwick (JACOB'S BREAKUP), Mark Colgrove (FRATMAN), Jason Woliner, Darin Zimmerman & james dean conklin (MONKEY WALKEN, PROMO 53-104b) |
 John Krokidas (SLO-MO) and Robert Flanagan (LOVE & DEATH AT THE ROMP) |
 At the Duckpin Bowling Party: Judges Jay Edwards, Mike White (in back), Mike Faloon, and Nick Kujawa. |
 At the Duckpin Bowling Party: Eric Dyer & Heidi Herman |
 At the Duckpin Bowling Party |
 At the Duckpin Bowling Party: MCF co-director Jen Talbert, judge Jed Orndorff, MCF staffer Scott Wallace Brown, and Steve Cuden (LUCKY). |
 At the Duckpin Bowling Party: in front - Jason Woliner (PROMO 53-104b), Suzan Al-Doghachi & Robert Flanagan (LOVE & DEATH AT THE ROMP), in back - Gabe Wardell and Rachel Max. |
 At the Duckpin Bowling Party: Gabe Wardell, the newly appointed Festival Producer for AFI/Discovery Channel's Silver Docs Film Festival, supplied the pie, while Rachel Max (DEAD KITTY) supplied the hot stuff. |
 Pat Bishow (HAUNTED HAPPENIN'!) |
 Andy Schwartz & Marissa Ronca (DOG'S NEXT FRIEND), Juliette Goodwin (URBANKITCHEN), and Jason Woliner (I HAVE SEEN THE FACE OF HEAVY METAL...). |
 james dean conklin (BINGO'S DREAM, MONEY, 12 ANGRY ROBOTS), Brian Farrelly & Jay Barba (RETURN TO PURGATORY, THE YEAR CHRISTMAS ALMOST WASN'T), Jeffrey J. Johnson (ZENO'S GOT AN AXE AND I THINK HE'S CRAZY), and John Standiford (PLAIN ENGLISH). |
 Nicholas Miller (DISTORTION), Don Diego Ramirez (IN THE STREETS), Spencer Parsons (RESOLUTION), Mario Escobar (SUBVERSION, WHAT TO BELIEVE), and Eric Dyer (KINETIC SANDWICH) |
 Eric Dyer (BUDY THE CARROT and KINETIC SANDWICH), Rachel Max (DEAD KITTY), and Keenan Williams (DINO-SKELETON MONKEY CHASE). |
 Tom Shillue (FOURWARNED) |
 ROCK-N-ROLL: Hilton Carter, Rody Ros, Greg Orsi, Frederick Sauter, and director Tim Martin. |
 Frank Siaca & Patrick Martz (NIGHTMARE!) and David Sutton (TOOTHBRUSH). |
 Scott Perry & Tom Legros (JETBLAST). |
 Outside the american Dime Museum: Frank Siaca & Patrick Martz (NIGHTMARE!), MCF staffer Scott Wallace Brown, Justin Davis, MCF staffer Katie Brennan, Rosario Garcia-Montero (LOCKED), judge Mike Faloon, Robert Flanagan & Suzan Al-Doghachi (LOVE & DEATH AT THE ROMP), and judge Mike White. |
 CAmm Slamm winners Tepid Fish Productions (Lisa Lunt, Michelle Stotman, Lisa Krowinski, Katrina Heiser, Liz Jones) discuss their debut project, VIBRANATOR. |
 The Jury: Jed Orndorff, Mike White, Jay Edwards, Kristen Anchor, Nick Kujawa. (Mike Faloon not shown). |
 Pat Bishow (HAUNTED HAPPENIN'!) |
 Steve Cuden (LUCKY) |
 Tom Shillue (FOURWARNED: A BARBERSHOP ODYSSEY) |
 Russ Forster (SPRINGTIME FOR EVA) and Juliette Goodwin (URBANKITCHEN) |
 Rosario Garcia-Montero (LOCKED), and MCF 2001 award winner Alvin Ecarma (LETHAL FORCE). |
 In the G-Spot lobby: MCF intern Nick Muntean, Maryland Film Festival's Dan Krovich, MCF co-director Jen Talbert. |
 John Standiford (PLAIN ENGLISH) and Spencer Parsons (RESOLUTION). |
 Jeffrey J. Johnson (ZENO'S GOT AN AXE AND I THINK HE'S CRAZY), Monroe Bardot (THE MUMMY RETURNS AGAIN) and Tom Warner (Man About Town). |
 Keenan Williams (DINO-SKELETON MONKEY CHASE) |
 Mike White, Nick Muntean, Jed Orndorff, Dan Krovich, and Jen Talbert. |
 Marissa Ronca (DOG'S NEXT FRIEND) and Eric Dyer (BUDY THE CARROT and KINETIC SANDWICH). |