New Media Film Festival

[caption id="attachment_22686" align="aligncenter" width="960"] The Dark & The Wounded – James Picard[/caption] The Dark & The Wounded directed by James Picard and Jeff Dean triumphed over 87 new media films and content, to win the Grand Prize at the 8th Annual New Media Film Festival that ran June 6 to 8, 2017.   THE WINNERS ARE: GRAND PRIZE The Dark & The Wounded (screened in Short Category) Director: James Picard, Jeff Dean Country: Canada, USA Running time: 26:24 World premiere! To go beneath the surface of our distracted reality and get to the root of what is really happening to us as individuals, society and as a species on the planet. By getting past our fears we can become more compassionate and understanding towards ourselves and others, beyond fear, there truly is freedom. BEST 3D Chrysalis Director: Ina Conradi, Mark Chavez Country: Singapore Running time: 7:03 L.A. premiere! Chrysalis is a tale of personal struggles and endurance. The film is based on an old legend about the butterfly‘s struggles to evolve. BEST ANIMATION Bosatsu – Year of the Dragon Director: Siddharth Ahluwalia Country: USA Running time: 6:13 Based on a dream and has been made with the hope of finding the Unknown. BEST APP Recontact: Istanbul Director: Eray Dinc Country: Turkey Running time: :27 L.A. premiere! In a recorded city, are you the one watching or being watched? Play the leading r BEST DIGITAL COMIC The Nothing Spirit Written by: Grace Fiorre Country: US World premiere! Her new disease caused her to lose alot of weight and for that reason the kids started to pick on her in school. She started being homeschooled, which gave her the opportunity to follower her dream and become an author. BEST DOCUMENTARY Unlocked: The World of Games, Revealed Director: Jeremy Snead Country: USA Running time: 3:00 L.A. premiere! Unlocked is a groundbreaking 8 part documentary series that provides firsthand stories by industry icons, celebrities, consumers, and field experts on the culture, technology, history, and future of the video game industry. BEST DRONE Running into air Director: Sebastian Wöber Country: Austria Running time: 3:00 L.A. premiere! Who didn’t have dreams about flying as a kid? On film it’s possible. This is me running into the air and filming cinematic landscapes on my flight over Switzerland. BEST FEATURE Non – Transferable Director: Brendan Bradley Country: Turkey, USA Running time: 84:00 World premiere! Stuck with vacation reservations in her ex-boyfriends, Amy Tyler decides if she can’t change the tickets…why not change the guy? Cast Members: Ashley Clements (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Poe Party), Shanna Malcolm (HeyYoShanna, Bob Thunder), Katie Wee (Return Of the Mac, 2 Broke Girls), Matthew Scott Montgomery (So Random!, Jane The Virgin), Amin Joseph (Baywatch, Call Me King), Sara Fletcher (Frankenstein MD, Days of our Lives), Daniel Vincent Gordh (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Hollywood Acting Studio), Joey Richter (Starkid, I Ship It), Shira Lazar (What’s Trending) BEST MOBILE/TABLET Cuba LIbre Director: Felixe de Becker and Colin Bates Country: Cuba Running time: 6:41 World premiere! Young business man journeys to Havana Cuba for work, only to find a beautiful distraction… BEST MUSIC VIDEO Inertia by Orfan Inspired by the sentiments of Werner Herzog Director: Ted Beagles Country: UK Running time: 4:34 Armed with only a harmonium, Orfan performs ‘Inertia’ in places where he shouldn’t be. Security descends. BEST NEW MEDIA My Millennial Life Director: Maureen Judge Country: Canada Running time: 2:20 US premiere! An interactive documentary follows millenials, living a reality that sees nearly half of their age group either unemployed or underemployed. Combining verité filming, interviews, video diary, text and statistics, the i-DOoc puts a human face on the quandary of finding a place in 21st century society. BEST PILOT Adventure Travel Director: Ho Kwok Man, Berry Country: Hong Kong Running time: 4:45 World premiere! An interactive game show. Participants will travel only with directions from TV producers and TV viewers. To earn money, participants have to finish challenges to earn virtual points. BEST SCRIPT Render Written by: Kirill Kiselev Country: USA World premiere! A woman who can enter the minds of artificially intelligent machines is pulled into a hidden war with a corporate government. Top 3 Script Winners receive memberships in The Hatchery, InkTip, iPitch.tv and Sell A Script:Top 3 winners – Render, Clash of the Gods, Alan BEST SHORT MATE Director: Tom Connolly Country: UK Running time: 7:30 L.A. premiere! Two nihilistic colleagues hatch a plan in a cafe, paying no attention to the stranger at their table. Their good natured victim is left with a simple choice to make, upon which his future rests. BEST SNIPLER-30 SECOND PITCH Life Interrupted Director: Steven Wishnoff Country: USA Running time: :30 World premiere! Half Hour single -camera comedy, starring several fan-favorites about a former child actor whose life and career peaked at age 10. He is about to turn 50 with nothing in life the way he thought it would or should be. BEST SRC – Socially Responsible Content Ode to Lesvos Director: Talal Derki Country: Greece Running time: 11:30 US premiere! Ode to Lesvos is the inspiring story about a small group of fishermen and old ladies from the town of Skala Sikamineas on Lesvos, who received hundreds of thousands of refugees with open arms during summer of 2016. As a result of their selfless efforts the villagers were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize BEST STEAM Adrift Director: Cath Le Couteur Country: Chile, USA and space Running time: 11:00 L.A. premiere! Exploring the mysteries and contradictions of space junk: a sometimes beautiful, but potentially destructive museum of space exploration hurtling above our heads. BEST STUDENT AEON a 3D Student film Director: Derek O’Dell Country: USA Running time: 4:00 Aeon, a long, indefinite, period — is an abstract immersive audio-visual experience. A study on the behavior of energy over a period of time. Created using experimental 2D/3D animation techniques. BEST TRAILER Dream Big: Engineering Our World Director: Greg MacGillivray Country: Space and USA Running time: 2:00 World premiere! Dream Big: Engineering Our World is narrated by Academy Award® winner Jeff Bridges, and is a first film of its kind for IMAX® and giant screen theatres that will transform how we think about engineering. BEST VIRTUAL REALITY Et Moi – 360 Director: Herman Fredlund Country: Sweden Running time: 2:59 L.A. premiere! The film is about a couple from the past dancing through memories in Berlin. The story ends in Grunau abandoned Ballroom then two urban explorers arrive. BEST WEB SERIES You are nothing Ep 3 Director: Mike Stivala, Mark Travis Country: USA Running time: 6:50 World premiere! A web series disguised as a self-help video tutorial – or perhaps, a parody of one – that uses the crumbing life of Mitch Repter as a teaching tool for a bizarre philosophy of life. SPECIAL PRESENTATION TO JERRY COPE – SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CONSERVATION AWARD PRODUCER A LOVE SONG FOR EARTH (this award was only given to one other person, Leonardo Di Caprio) Love Song to the Earth Running time: 4:15 Special Presentation (during awards ceremony) – Love Song To The Earth video featuring Paul McCartney, Sean Paul, Colbie Callait, Natasha Bedingfield, Q’orianka Kilcher and others. Directed by Trey Fanjoy, Produced by Jerry Cope. All proceeds from the Love Song project benefit Friends Of The Earth and the United Nations Foundation. Premiered with Ban Ki-mmon in Paris at UNFCCC COP21.

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[caption id="attachment_22472" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Non-Transferable[/caption] The 8th New Media Film Festival will take place June 6, 7, 8, 2017 at The Landmark Theater, in Los Angeles, California and features 29 World Premieres, 11 US Premieres and 21 L.A. Premieres. There will be (87) new media films and content from 34 countries and outer space will be shown. World Premiere and features movies on the lineup include: Non-Transferable (Wed, June 7th) Director: Brendan Bradley Cast Members: Ashley Clements (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Poe Party) Shanna Malcolm (HeyYoShanna, Bob Thunder) Katie Wee (Return Of the Mac, 2 Broke Girls) Matthew Scott Montgomery (So Random!, Jane The Virgin) Amin Joseph (Baywatch, Call Me King) Sara Fletcher (Frankenstein MD, Days of our Lives) Daniel Vincent Gordh (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Hollywood Acting Studio) Joey Richter (Starkid, I Ship It) Shira Lazar (What’s Trending) A feature full-length film with Q&A. Flatline (Thurs, June 8th) Director: Jon Schnitzer Experience the other side. The only place in the world to experience Flatline is at New Media Film Festival June 8th during festival hours in the main hall of The Landmark. Free with Festival Badge and any Thursday screening ticket. This VR film was pitched and funded at New Media Film Festival 2016. Julian McCrea of Portal Experiences was a speaker on our Tech Panel. Not in competition. You Are Nothing (Tues, June 6th) Directors: Mike Stivala, Mark Travis A web series disguised as a self-help video tutorial – or perhaps, a parody of one – that uses the crumbing life of Mitch Repter as a teaching tool for a bizarre philosophy of life. Love Song to the Earth ~ Special Presentation Video (during awards ceremony Thurs, June 8th) Featuring Paul McCartney, Sean Paul, Colbie Callait, Natasha Bedingfield, Q’orianka Kilcher and others. Directed by Trey Fanjoy, Produced by Jeffy Cope. All proceeds from the Love Song project benefit Friends of the Earth and the United Nations Foundation. Premiered with Ban Ki-mon in Paris at UNFCCC COP 21. Riley the Web Series (Wed, June 7th) Director: Jeffrey Scott Basham Riley is an original comedy series about a former teen pop star. Now in her thirties, she’s struggling to overcome a publicly humiliating downfall and subsequent nervous breakdown. But, it’s the power of friendship and the quirky characters she meets along the way that just might get her through… Emmy® Award Winner Joe Hernandez-Kolski as Gavin and filmmakers are scheduled to attend. SGCH – Morgan’s Story (Tues, June 6th) Director: Stefan Wernik This film features the true story of Morgan, who with the help of SGCH rose above a troubled upbringing. Natasha BeaumontI Inception | All Saints | Little Fish is scheduled to attend. Say Hello (Wed, June 7th) Director: Brooke Elliott Say Hello is a comedic reunion of two childhood acquaintances whose lives become entangled. Sidetracked (Tues, June 6th) Director: E.D. Brown Follows the tribulations of a group of thirty something, whose lives are not going to plan. Adrienne Wilkinson Yes Raze | Star Trek: Renegades| Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is scheduled to attend. Dream Big: Engineering Our World (Tues, June 6th) Director: Greg MacGillivray Dream Big: Engineering Our World is narrated by Academy Award® winner Jeff Bridges, and is a first film of its kind for IMAX® and giant screen theatres that will transform how we think about engineering.

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