Dances with Films (DWF), the Los Angeles-based indie film festival that celebrates “who you DON’T know,” released Friday its list of filmmakers entering this year’s DWF’winner’s circle.’ Presented by actor Esai Morales, and festival directors Leslee Scallon and Michael Trent, DWF commended filmmakers in the following categories:
Feature Competition
-Grand Jury Prize – FRAY (Director/Writer – Geoff Ryan, Producer – Jodi Redmond)
-Honorable Mention – SMALL CREATURES (Director/Writer/Producer – Martin Wallace)
-Audience Award – DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR (Director – Iris Almaraz w/Guest Director Gustavo Ramos, Writers – Iris Almaraz & Gustavo Ramos, Producer – Joey Mendez)
Documentary Competition
-Audience Award – THE EXQUISITE CORPSE PROJECT (Director – Ben Popik, Writers – Chioke Nassor, Joel Clark, Adam Conover, Dave Segal, Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Producers – Margaret Laney & Ben Popik)
Fusion Short
-Audience Award – HI, LILLIAN (Director – Mike Lemcke, Writers – Mike Lemcke & Grant Lyon, Producer – Grant Lyon)
Fusion Feature
-Audience Award – SHOWBOYS (Director -Johnny Soto, Writers – Johnny Soto & Jeff Garner, Producer – Diana Vu)
Short Competition
-Grand Jury Prize – CRESCENDO (Director/Writer/Produer – Alonso Alvarez Barreda)
-Honorable Mention – A DAY IN THE LIFE OF YOUR CATS (Director/Producer – Jeffrey Williams, Writer/Producer – Dan Greenberger)
-Audience Award – TEN DOLLAR COVER (Director – Bubba Carr, Writers – Bubba Carr & LC Crowley & Grayson Hunter, Producers – LC Crowley & Michelle Keller
For its 2nd year, DWF gives an Industry Choice Award (ICA) to a filmmaker juried by this years’ industry luminaries Mark Ordesky (LORD OF THE RINGS Exec. Producer/Amber Ent.), Steven Wegner (THE BLIND SIDE/Alcon Ent.), Mike Macari (THE RING I & II, Macari/Edelstein) and Tracy Bing(MARCH OF THE PENGUINS, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK):
ICA Award
-INTO THE WAKE (Director – John Mossman, Writers/Producers -Tim Miller & John Mossman)
-CRESCENDO (Director/Writer/Produer – Alonso Alvarez Barreda)
For its 6th year, Canon sponsor’s DWF’s 2 Minute, 2 Step Short Film Challenge which brings 6 filmmmaking teams together as they are given just 4 hours to shoot and edit a two minute film:
2 Minute, 2 Step Short Film Challenge
-CRIME IN A BOX by Jeff Lorch and Jason Weissbrod