Chauncey Crail’s JULY RISING leads Deep in the Heart Film Fest filmmaker awards following successful innovative fest
Chauncey Crail’s JULY RISING leads Waco’s Deep in the Heart Film Festival announced the award winners for the 4th edition of the film festival which concluded on Sunday following an inventive and enthusiastic virtual presentation.
The awards haul was led by Chauncey Crail’s JULY RISING (Best Narrative Feature Film), Aaron and Amanda Kopp’s LIYANA (Best Documentary Feature), and Chris Hansen’s SEVEN SHORT FILMS ABOUT (OUR) MARRIAGE (Audience Award).
This year’s edition of the popular film festival featured an ambitious lineup of themed short film programs, multiple first-time team ups with local arts organizations, and more innovations within the virtual space and filmmaker hospitality from afar.
Deep in the Heart Shorts Programmer Maverick Moore, said, “I’m really thrilled about our award-winning films this year. A wide variety of styles, techniques, and genres, all are uniquely and unforgettably excellent in their craft and effectiveness.”
Additional winners in the feature film categories were O. Corbin Salekin, who won Best Director for his film, THE DUMMY FACTOR, Michael Erger, who got the nod for Best Performance for his work in PESCADOR.
Leading the award winners in the short film categories were; Ivan Sainz-Pardo’s MINOR KEY, which took the prize for Best Short Film; Ya’Ke Smith’s BROTHER, which garnered the Best Texas Short Film award; Brian Blum’s MY DAUGHTER YOSHIKO, which won Best United States Short Film; Dekel Berenson’s ANNA, which was named Best Foreign Short Film; and Joshua DeFour’s THE 11TH ORDER, which won Best Student Short Film. Short films cited with Special Jury Awards included; CASH STASH (Directors: Martin Darondeau, Enya Baroux); FATALE COLLECTIVE: BLEED (Directors: Megan Rosati, Lola Blanc, Francesca Maldonado, Danin Jacquay, Linda Chen, Natasha Halevi); MIRACLE BABY (Director: Michelle Bossy); and MY HERO (Director: Logan Jackson). Alejandro Salcido’s THE TRAVELING HATTER was the popular choice among the Deep in the Heart film fans, winning the Audience Award in the Short Film category.
Film awards by genre in the Short Film category went to; Courtney Hope Thérond’s REHEARSAL for Best Drama Short; Aaron Pagniano’s WE GOT A MONKEY’S PAW, which took Best Comedy Short; and Michele Noble’s RECLAMATION: THE RISE AT STANDING ROCK, which was named Best Documentary Short. Eliaz Rodriguez’s COMPARTMENTALIZATION STORAGE FACILITY was named Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Short; Marc Cartwright’s WE DIE ALONE scared up the award for Best Horror/Thriller Short; Lorraine Lordan’s A CAT CALLED JAM received the award for Best Family Short; and Ryan Schorman won Best Music Video for Zach Pack’s “Panther Branch Road.”
Filmmaking craft awards were given to; JC Doler and Taylor Bracewell for Best Director – Short Film for WAR PAINT; Melissa Jackson won Best Performance – Short Film (Drama) for her role in HUNG UP; and Madeleine Coghlan won Best Performance – Short Film (Comedy) for her work in OH, SORRY. Best Cinematography – Short Film went toJames Burniston (MOTHER’S DAY), Best Editing – Short Film was given toLee Rothenflue for THE METHOD OF PLACES, and Best Screenplay – Short Film went to the writing team of Courtney Hope Thérond and Emily Claire Utley for THE DRESS YOU HAVE ON. M R Fitzgerald’s “People in a Box” was cited as the Best Unproduced Screenplay. while Michael Kearby received an Honorable Mention for his script “The Problem with Time Travel.”
This year’s Deep in the Heart Film Festival established a tone early on of enthusiastic participation in the virtual sphere with the Opening Night presentation of Chris Hansen’s romantic drama, SEVEN SHORT FILMS ABOUT (OUR) MARRIAGE. Following the film, a full slate of the film’s creatives including Hansen, the film’s stars Drez Ryan and Chynna Walker, DP Aaron Youngblood, and producer Dan Beard, took part in a fun conversation on the making of the locally shot film. That experience re-played itself over the course of the two weekends as filmmakers tuned in from around the world to participate in virtual Q&As, filmmaking panels, a game night, and the virtual awards announcement and after party.
Samuel Z. P. Thomas, Deep in the Heart Film Festival’s Artistic Director, said, “Shifting to a virtual festival presented a slew of new challenges, but our volunteer staff always approached it with the goal of making this online festival feel as personal as possible. With the engagement that we had on Facebook, Instagram, and our streaming platform, we are thrilled about the connections made between our filmmakers and our community.”
To strengthen the sense of community among Waco’s arts, cultural, and social organizations, the film festival partnered with and co-presented screenings with those organizations, including; Waco Immigrants Alliance, Waco Pride Network, and The Waco Cultural Arts Foundation. Adding to the film festival experience beyond the screenings and Q&As for film fans, Deep in the Heart FF added a virtual Red Carpet on Opening Night, virtual script readings, filmmaker panels, and an interactive movie scavenger hunt to find “Easter eggs” to the film schedule. Taking its role as the city’s film ambassador to the next level, the film festival also created special filmmaker swag bags to deliver Waco (via products and gifts from local businesses and organizations) to the front door of the people that, in any other year, would be able to discover and enjoy the city personally.
For more information on the Deep in the Heart Film Festival, please go to: https://www.deepintheheartff.com/.
2020 Deep in the Heart Film Festival Filmmaker Award Winners
Feature Film Awards
Best Feature Film
JULY RISING
Director: Chauncey Crail
Best Director – Feature Film
O. Corbin Salekin (THE DUMMY FACTOR)
Best Performance – Feature Film
Michael Erger (PESCADOR)
Best Documentary – Feature Film
LIYANA
Directors: Aaron and Amanda Kopp
Audience Award – feature Film
SEVEN SHORT FILMS ABOUT (OUR) MARRIAGE
Director: Chris Hansen
Short Film Awards
Best Short Film
MINOR KEY
Director: Ivan Sainz-Pardo
Best Texas Short Film
BROTHER
Director: Ya’Ke Smith
Best United States Short Film
MY DAUGHTER YOSHIKO
Director: Brian Blum
Best Foreign Short Film
ANNA
Director: Dekel Berenson
Best Student Short Film
THE 11TH ORDER
Director: Joshua DeFour
Special Jury Award – Short Films
CASH STASH (Directors: Martin Darondeau, Enya Baroux)
FATALE COLLECTIVE: BLEED (Directors: Megan Rosati, Lola Blanc, Francesca Maldonado, Danin Jacquay, Linda Chen, Natasha Halevi)
MIRACLE BABY (Director: Michelle Bossy)
MY HERO (Director: Logan Jackson)
Audience Award – Short Film
THE TRAVELING HATTER
Director: Alejandro Salcido
Short Film Awards by Genre
Best Drama Short
REHEARSAL
Director: Courtney Hope Thérond
Best Comedy Short
WE GOT A MONKEY’S PAW
Director: Aaron Pagniano
Best Documentary Short
RECLAMATION: THE RISE AT STANDING ROCK
Director: Michele Noble
Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Short
COMPARTMENTALIZATION STORAGE FACILITY
Director: Eliaz Rodriguez
Best Horror/Thriller Short
WE DIE ALONE
Director: Marc Cartwright
Best Family Short
A CAT CALLED JAM
Director: Lorraine Lordan
Best Music Video
“Panther Branch Road”
Artist: Zach Pack
Director: Ryan Schorman
Short Film Craft Awards
Best Director – Short Film
JC Doler and Taylor Bracewell (WAR PAINT)
Best Performance – Short Film (Drama)
Melissa Jackson (HUNG UP)
Best Performance – Short Film (Comedy)
Madeleine Coghlan (OH, SORRY)
Best Cinematography – Short Film
James Burniston (MOTHER’S DAY)
Best Editing – Short Film
Lee Rothenflue (THE METHOD OF PLACES)
Best Screenplay – Short Film
Courtney Hope Thérond and Emily Claire Utley (THE DRESS YOU HAVE ON)
Best Unproduced Screenplay – First Place
“People in a Box” (Writer: M R Fitzgerald)
Best Unproduced Screenplay – Honorable Mention
“The Problem with Time Travel” (Writer: Michael Kearby)
Chauncey Crail’s JULY RISING leads Deep in the Heart Film Fest filmmaker awards following successful innovative fest