R.R.E.E.L., Inc. Newsletter

Redwood Region Entertainment and Education Liaisons, Inc.

May 2012 

Issue No. 5

 45th Humboldt Film Festival

 

"Better than Sundance!", announced judge John Coda, BMI award winning ("That's So Raven" theme song) musical composer for film and television, to the large audience gathered for closing night's Best of the Fest Award Night at the 45th Humboldt Film Festival. Known as the oldest student-run international independent short film festival in the world, the festival concluded its week-long event, themed "The Power of Film", at Humboldt State University, on April 21.

 

Though we are known for our beautiful locations, we are also on the map for our international Film Fest.  This month's newsletter announces the winners, judges and highlights the little known sport that went big this superbowl: "slacking." 

 

Enjoy!

Cassandra Hesseltine 

Del Norte and Humboldt County's  

Film Commissioner

 

 

 

 Top honors went to...
 
Best in Animation--
Another Dress, Another Button by Lyn Elliot ofthe USA "a stop-motion animation exploring the plight of the sparebuttons: carefully saved, but never used." 

 

Honorable mention went to The Quiet Life, by USA's Timothy Hittle, a clay-mation film 10 years in themaking.

 

Best in Experimental--
The Olympian by GeraldPesta, USA, inter-cutting an 1894 Edison film of Eugene Sandow with a 1996video of Dorian Yates, offering insight into the evolution of body-building and the motion picture art form over 102 years."

 

Best in Documentary--
USA's Chithra Jeyaram's Mijo "an evocative portrayal of a mother and a child's intimate relationship in the midst of life-altering medical events".

 

Honorable mention: local filmmaker Owen Roth for his documentary "about the growing slack line community in Humboldt County", titled Humboldt Slackers. (The sport was a YouTube sensation after Madonna featured professional slackliner "Slacker Andy" Lewis--founding member of Humboldt Slackers and Valedictorian ofHumboldt State's 2008 graduating class--doing gymnastic stunts on a slackline during her Super Bowl performance.)

 

Madonna Super Bowl 46 Halftime Show Tightrope - Slackliner
Madonna Super Bowl 46 Halftime Show Tightrope - Slackliner
 
Best in Narrative--
Queen directed by USA's Adam Rose: the story of Nikki Holiday, masterfully acted by Ryan Eggold--whoalso wrote, directed, and produced another finalist in the narrative category--a drag queen cabaret star, who "looks to fill the void in her life. ..after her plans to start a family fall apart". 

 

Honorable mention went to German entry Ab Morgen by Raphael Wallner and Stefan Elsenbruch about a critically ill man who receives the kidney of a living donor and now "fights the circumstances of being responsible for the donor's death".
 
Best of Fest--
Austrian Peter Bruenner's film In Our Hands, about  "a train ride from L.A. to San Diego. . .each passenger has a different story, but they are all headed for the same abruptend."

 

 

The Judges
 

Along with Mr. Coda, , the event was judged by Directors Guild of America Award winning director/producer Tasha Oldham. Ms.Oldham is known for her Emmy Nominated documentary film The SmithFamily. Both judges described the films as "outstanding" and theoverall event experience as one not to be missed. "Humboldt is garnering some of the best talent from around the world", stated Ms. Oldham.

                                             
Past judges of the film fest include, Alexander Payne (director of the Academy Award nominated movie The Descendents), and Marcia Lucas (1978 Best Film Editing Oscar winner for Star Wars: Episode IV--A New Hope.)

 

 

 


Humboldt Film Fest

 

The festival is held every spring and submissions are taken beginning September.
 
Visit www.humboldtfilmfest.org for complete information.  
In This Issue
About Humboldt
Websites
1385 8th Street, Suite F
Arcata, California 95521
707.825.7600 office
707.502.0018 cell
Email:

Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterfilmDELNORTE
Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterfilmHUMBOLDT


Check out our new websites for filmDELNORTE and filmHUMBOLDT!  We are excited to showoff our majestic redwoods, unique beaches, and charming towns.  Of course, we are continuing to update our photo gallery so check back with us or contact us if you don't see something you think we might have.