LIKE
A (GOOD) SEQUEL SHOULD:
DANCES WITH FILMS OUTSHINES ITSELF
Indie Film Fest Wraps Up with Awards; This Year
Added Panels with
Industry Pros in Addition to a Diverse Program of Films
Dances with Films, the independent festival showcasing unknown, up-and-coming talent in features, shorts, documentaries, and music videos from around the world, wrapped its wildly successful 14th year on Thursday, June 9th with an awards ceremony at Hollywood hangout Level 3.
The festival’s roster of truly indie films shone brightly in a summer already chock full of run-of-the mill epic sequels. Crowds packed the Laemmle Sunset 5 and filmmakers filled the green carpet, despite raindrops Sunday evening.
Additionally,
this year Dances with Films surpassed its previous editions with a series
of panels and discussions with some of the most influential names in the
industry; packed audiences listened intently as pros including Jay Cohen
and Frank Wulinger (partners, The Gersh Agency),Tricia Wood (casting director
of Twilight and Red), David Gale (EVP, MTV New Media), and Oscar-winner
Russell Carpenter (cinematographer on Titanic), among many others, complemented
the low-key atmosphere of the fest with encouragement and tales of following
one’s dream in the rocky Hollywood landscape.
Just as new additions were added to the festival’s slate of programming,
new sponsors including Adobe, CAA, and SAGIndie signed on to help support
Dances with Film’s vision of independent filmmaking, thus widening
participating filmmaker’s exposure to the industry.
WINNERS of DWF 14
GRAND JURY for NARRATIVE FEATURE:
SCALENE
written by Brandon Owens and Zack Parker, directed by Zack Parker,
produced by Carlos Jimenez Flores and Zack Parker
Honorable Mention: A TIE between:
LESS
written and produced by Gabriel Diamond, Gabriel Goldstein and Zak Barnett,
directed by Gabriel Diamond, co-directed by Gabriel Goldstein and Zak
Barnett….and
THE
PILL
written and directed by J.C. Khoury, produced by J.C. Khoury and Trevor
Herrick
GRAND JURY for NARRATIVE SHORT:
WAKING
ELOISE
written by Bobby Marinelli and Emily Peck, directed by Bobby Marinelli,
produced by Chris Holcomb
Honorable Mention:
HOW
TO MAKE A DAVID LYNCH FILM
written and directed by Joe McClean, produced by Joe McClean and Sarju
Patel
