MCF2003

MicroCineFest 2003 wraps, award winners announced.

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MCF 2003 LINE-UP OF FILMS

The 2003 edition of MicroCineFest, Baltimore’s underground film festival, took place Wednesday, October15th through Sunday, October 19th. For the seventh 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. Good weather, well attended screenings, and an eclectic selection of films made this year's MicroCineFest a great success.

Most of the festivities took place at The G-Spot, an “audio-visual playground”in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood. On Friday night The American Visionary Art Museum co-presented a sold-out special event in their sculpture barn, consisting of a perfromance by The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players along with Kurt Liebert and films, including Bridget Farr's area[code] and Robert Flanagan's rarely seen duel-projected film, BUBBLES. 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, THE STATION AGENT, courtesy of Cinema Sundays At The Charles.

For the second year in a row, MicroCineFest presented 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.

Over five days, 80 films screened, with more then a quarter represented in person by their respective filmmakers, including Luke Deikis (MOUSEACRE), james dean conklin (SPONGEY RIBS), Alexander Whitsett Pile & Kyle B. Stiff (THE UNICORN), Dave Nuttycombe & Pat Carroll (GOVERNMENT APPROVED!), Conall Pendergast (KILL THEM & EAT THEM), Charles Roxburgh (DRUID GLADIATOR CLONE), Eric Dyer (CHOPIN'S BICYCLE), Nicholas Miller (HANA, INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERSTELLAR CODE, THE 30 SECOND HARFORD COUNTRY EXPERIENCE), Robert Flanagan (BUBBLES), Mike Z (EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT), Georg Koszulinski & R.J. Rady (BLOOD OF THE BEAST), Danny Perez (I WAS A TEENAGE GANGMEMBER'S INITIATION), Simon Ennis & Josh Peace (THE BUSINESS OF SUICIDE), Damon Bishop (BUTTONS), Michael Bennett (INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERSTELLAR CODE), Sike Trike (PIPE DREAMS), Andy Bouvé & Josh Boyle (THE LAST DREAM), Hillary Kolos & Billups Allen (I'M OK YOU'RE UNDEAD, PT SHUTDOWN), Tavys Q. Ashcroft (RATED R... FOR ZOMBIES), Matt & Greg Brookins (SKUNK APE!?), and Bill Dewald (CUT LOOSE). Also seen in attendance were documentary filmmaker Kent Bye (HANDICAMP), festival alum Jason Woliner (Monkey Walken, etc.) & Todd Rohal (KNUCKLEFACE JONES and a few others), filmmaker Tom Brandau (COLD HARBOR), The AFI Silver Theater's Gabe Wardell, and many more!

MicroCineFest 2003 wrapped on Sunday, October 19, 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; MCF alum Rachel Max; anarchist/stone mason/film buff Jed Orndorff; and Cashiers Du Cinemart editor Mike White. Some of the award winners will receive prizes courtesy of MicroCineFest’s Awards Sponsors, Final Draft and Kodak. 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: ROOF SEX (PES)
Audience Choice Best Feature: GOVERNMENT APPROVED! (Travesty Films)

Special Awards -
Low-Budget Film Award: MOUSEACRE (Luke Deikis)
Low-Budget Video Award: GESTALT (Thorsten Fleisch)
Small Gauge Award: THE CREEPEES VS. ROBOT MONSTER NUMBER TWO (Scott Calonico)

Grand Jury Awards -
Best Feature: THE FLEW (Clifton Childree)
Best Short: THE BUSINESS OF SUICIDE (Simon Ennis)
Best Comedy Short: DIARY OF A FLAGGER (Barry Smith & Arman Boyles)
Best Narrative Short: I AM NOT SLEEPY (Jossie Malis)
Best Animated Short: MUSEUM OF DREAMS (Gregory Godhard)
Best Experimental Film: ANGLOBILLY FEVERSON (Rosto)
Best Experimental Video: CHOPIN'S BICYCLE (Eric Dyer)

Grand Jury Special Recognition “Way Cool” Awards -
Way Cool Feature: THE REAL OLD TESTAMENT (Curtis & Paul Hannum)
Way Cool Animation: ROOF SEX (PES)

More photos coming soon (if you took any good ones, please send us copies!)

Alexander Whitsett Pile & Kile B. Stiff (THE UNICORN), and Luke Deikis (MOUSEACRE).
Georg Koszulinski (BLOOD OF THE BEAST) and Danny Perez (I WAS A TEENAGE GANGMEMBER'S INITIATION).
CAmm Slamm winners Will Tordella, Bill Dewald, and Brinton Jaecks (CUT LOOSE).

Duckpin Bowling Party: Mike White, Mike Faloon, Heidi Herman, Nick Kujawa, Eric Dyer.
Eric Dyer (CHOPIN'S BICYCYLE) and an expectant Heidi Herman.
Suzan Al-Doghachi & Robert Flanagan (BUBBLES).

Lam Ung & Tavys Ashcroft (RATED R... FOR ZOMBIES) get bowling tips from MCF staffer Katie Brennan.
Team Toronto - BUSINESS OF SUICIDE cast and crew compare Duckpins to Toronto's bowling.
Nikc Miller and Michael Bennett (INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERSTELLAR CODE) talk to BUSINESS OF SUICIDE cast member, Dan Corbett.

Juror Jay Edwards samples the best bowling alley pizza in Baltimore.
Charles Roxburgh (DRUID GLADIATOR CLONE)
Nikc Miller & kneeling Michael Bennett (INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERSTELLAR CODE) with Sike Trike's Justin Levy, Scott Opirhory, Rich "Silent Hawk" McCormick,, Dan "U.S. Romance" Jansen, kneeling Kevin Coelho and Laura Webster (PIPE DREAMS).

Toronto's Conall Pendergast (KILL THEM & EAT THEM)
Nikc Miller (HANA) and Eric Dyer (CHOPIN'S BICYCLE).
The Couch Of Judgement: jurors Rachel Max, Mike White, Jay Edwards, and Nick Kujawa.

Filmmaker Tom Brandau (right, COLD HARBOR) presents MCF fest director Skizz Cyzyk (left) with a poster for Sally Cruikshank's QUASI AT THE QUACKADERO (one of Skizz's all-time favorite short films).
Outside the American Dime Museum: Tavys Ashcroft and Lam Ung (RATED R... FOR ZOMBIES); Simon Ennis, Jason "Sloppy Boggins" Holder, Dan Corbett, Meghan Marie McClenaghan, and Josh Peace (BUSINESS OF SUICIDE).

Kurt Liebert and...

The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players perform for...
...a sold-out crowd at the American Visionary Art Museum.

TFSP fans were greeted by AVAM's Teddy Brack and Theresa Segreti.
Mike White, Eric Dyer, Jay Edwards and Mike Faloon, with FiFi at AVAM.
Josh Peace & Simon Ennis (BUSINESS OF SUICIDE) and Damon Bishop (BUTTONS).

Pat Carroll and Dave Nuttycombe of Travesty Films (GOVERNMENT APPROVED!)
Andy Bouvé & Josh Boyle (THE LAST DREAM)
Your welcoming committee: Lisa Tropea, MCF co-director Jen Talbert, and Scott Wallace Brown.

Courtney Koestler, Todd Rohal, and Kent Bye sample the art on display at The G-Spot.
Hillary Kolos & Billups Allen (I'M OK YOU'RE UNDEAD and PT SHUTDOWN); plus Tavys Ashcroft (RATED R... FOR ZOMBIES) sandwiched between the Brookins Bros., Greg & Matt (SKUNK APE!?).

Todd Rohal, Monroe Bardot, and Mike Z (EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT).

james dean conklin (SPONGEY RIBS) and Jason Woliner.
Alex Roper, R.J. Rady (BLOOD OF THE BEAST), and juror Jed Orndorff.
Jurors Jed Orndorff, Nick Kujawa, Kristen Anchor, Jay Edwards, and Mike White.

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Alexander Whitsett Pile & Kile B. Stiff (THE UNICORN), and Luke Deikis (MOUSEACRE).	Georg Koszulinski (BLOOD OF THE BEAST) and Danny Perez (I WAS A TEENAGE GANGMEMBER'S INITIATION).	CAmm Slamm winners Will Tordella, Bill Dewald, and Brinton Jaecks (CUT LOOSE).
Duckpin Bowling Party: Mike White, Mike Faloon, Heidi Herman, Nick Kujawa, Eric Dyer.	Eric Dyer (CHOPIN'S BICYCYLE) and an expectant Heidi Herman.	Suzan Al-Doghachi & Robert Flanagan (BUBBLES).
Lam Ung & Tavys Ashcroft (RATED R... FOR ZOMBIES) get bowling tips from MCF staffer Katie Brennan.	Team Toronto - BUSINESS OF SUICIDE cast and crew compare Duckpins to Toronto's bowling.	Nikc Miller and Michael Bennett (INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERSTELLAR CODE) talk to BUSINESS OF SUICIDE cast member, Dan Corbett.
Juror Jay Edwards samples the best bowling alley pizza in Baltimore.	Charles Roxburgh (DRUID GLADIATOR CLONE)	Nikc Miller & kneeling Michael Bennett (INTRODUCTION TO THE INTERSTELLAR CODE) with Sike Trike's Justin Levy, Scott Opirhory, Rich "Silent Hawk" McCormick,, Dan "U.S. Romance" Jansen, kneeling Kevin Coelho and Laura Webster (PIPE DREAMS).
Toronto's Conall Pendergast (KILL THEM & EAT THEM)	Nikc Miller (HANA) and Eric Dyer (CHOPIN'S BICYCLE).	The Couch Of Judgement: jurors Rachel Max, Mike White, Jay Edwards, and Nick Kujawa.
Filmmaker Tom Brandau (right, COLD HARBOR) presents MCF fest director Skizz Cyzyk (left) with a poster for Sally Cruikshank's QUASI AT THE QUACKADERO (one of Skizz's all-time favorite short films).	Outside the American Dime Museum: Tavys Ashcroft and Lam Ung (RATED R... FOR ZOMBIES); Simon Ennis, Jason "Sloppy Boggins" Holder, Dan Corbett, Meghan Marie McClenaghan, and Josh Peace (BUSINESS OF SUICIDE).	Kurt Liebert and... The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players perform for... ...a sold-out crowd at the American Visionary Art Museum.
TFSP fans were greeted by AVAM's Teddy Brack and Theresa Segreti.	Mike White, Eric Dyer, Jay Edwards and Mike Faloon, with FiFi at AVAM.	Josh Peace & Simon Ennis (BUSINESS OF SUICIDE) and Damon Bishop (BUTTONS).
Pat Carroll and Dave Nuttycombe of Travesty Films (GOVERNMENT APPROVED!)	Andy Bouvé & Josh Boyle (THE LAST DREAM)	Your welcoming committee: Lisa Tropea, MCF co-director Jen Talbert, and Scott Wallace Brown.
Courtney Koestler, Todd Rohal, and Kent Bye sample the art on display at The G-Spot.	Hillary Kolos & Billups Allen (I'M OK YOU'RE UNDEAD and PT SHUTDOWN); plus Tavys Ashcroft (RATED R... FOR ZOMBIES) sandwiched between the Brookins Bros., Greg & Matt (SKUNK APE!?).	Todd Rohal, Monroe Bardot, and Mike Z (EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT).
james dean conklin (SPONGEY RIBS) and Jason Woliner.	Alex Roper, R.J. Rady (BLOOD OF THE BEAST), and juror Jed Orndorff.	Jurors Jed Orndorff, Nick Kujawa, Kristen Anchor, Jay Edwards, and Mike White.