324. Christopher Ninness “The Kids are Still Here”

Christopher Ninness brought the documentary  short comedy “The Kids are Still Here” to the Film Invasion Los Angeles in 2021 and took home the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film – Documentary.  This amazing documentary investigates “nodding syndrome,” a rare, regional, severe seizure disorder affecting children.  I’m proud to say that “The Kids are Still Here” is in Season 6 of the Discover Indie Film TV Series on Amazon Prime Video!

I think you will agree with me that Christopher is an impressive individual.  Anyone who chooses to spend their free time devoted to humans in need is the kind of human that the world needs, and in greater quantities.

Christopher worked directly with WEND Africa on this film.  WEND Africa (Women Empowerment Network Design) is a nonprofit that provides opportunities for  employment, education & empowerment to war-affected mothers in Northern Uganda.  Learn more at wendafrica.com

To see more of Christopher’s work, visit cgninness.com

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Source: Discover Film

2022 Awards

Grand Jury Awards

Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – The Young Dictator
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Party Dream
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Strangers to Peace
Best Feature Film – Drama – Ragged Heart
Best Feature Film – Horror – All Eyes
Best Featurette – Comedy – Two Anxious Bisexuals
Best Featurette – Documentary – Inside the Beauty Bubble
Best Featurette – Drama – 30 Meetings / 30 Days
Best Featurette – Horror – Delivery
Best Featurette – SciFi – Fieldtrip
Best Short Film – Animation – Bird’s Eye View
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – June
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Space Junk
Best Short Film – Comedy – The Perfect First Date
Best Short Film – Dance – Guest
Best Short Film – Documentary – Never Again Para Nadie
Best Short Film – Drama – After (A Love Story)
Best Short Film – Horror – Somnium
Best Short Film – SciFi – See You On The Other Side
Best Short Film – Dance – Guest
Best Music Video – Guru$$
Best Web Series – True Reviews
Best Director – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Evan McNary
Best Director – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Duane Andersen
Best Director – Short Film – June – Dwayne Cameron
Best Lead Actress – Feature Film – Dawning – Kim Ellis
Best Lead Actress – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Emily Goss
Best Lead Actress – Short Film – Essentially Amy – Stacy Chu
Best Lead Actress – Short Film – The Housesitters – Erin Pineda
Best Lead Actress – Short Film – See You On The Other Side – Grace Marlow
Best Lead Actor – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Eddie Craddock
Best Lead Actor – Featurette – Laurentiu Ciucur – Fieldtrip
Best Lead Actor – Short Film – After (A Love Story) – Glenn Stanton
Best Lead Actor – Short Film – The Housesitters – Matt McConkey
Best Supporting Actress – Feature Film – The Young Dictator – Flavia Giurgiu
Best Supporting Actress – Featurette – Delivery – Jessie Gill
Best Supporting Actress – Short Film – Ghosted – Natasha Loring
Best Supporting Actor – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Joshua Mikel
Best Supporting Actor – Featurette – Two Weeks to 29 – Luis Cherubini
Best Supporting Actor – Short Film – The Perfect First Date – Thomas Hobson
Best Performance by a Cast – Feature Film – Ragged Heart
Best Performance by a Cast – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days
Best Performance by a Cast – Short Film – After (A Love Story)
Best Screenplay – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Evan McNary & Debrah McNary
Best Screenplay – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Duane Andersen
Best Screenplay – Short Film – After (A Love Story) – Alyssa Thordarson
Best Cinematography – Feature Film – Ragged Heart – Josh Fritts
Best Cinematography – Featurette – 30 Meetings / 30 Days – Bianca Cline
Best Cinematography – Short Film – See You On The Other Side – The Summers Brothers
Best Screenplay – Feature (Unproduced) – Time Piece – Stephen Inniss
Best Screenplay – Short (Unproduced) – These Bones Can Dance – Lauren Brown
Best Screenplay – Pilot/Web Series (Unproduced) – Deliver Me – Olivia Webb

Filmmakers Awards

Outstanding Short Film – Animation – Experience the World – The Train
Outstanding Director – Animation – Bird’s Eye View – Matthew B.W. Sheehan
Outstanding Screenplay – Animation – Experience the World – The Train – Brad Pike
Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – amser / time
Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Animals You Want To Eat
Outstanding Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Stories
Outstanding Director – Arthouse/Experimental – amser / time – Deborah Light
Outstanding Screenplay – Arthouse/Experimental – Space Junk – Adam Peltier
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Arthouse/Experimental – Dress Up – Sara Chia-Jewell
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Arthouse/Experimental – Space Junk
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Dick Control
Outstanding Short Film – Comedy – Church Camp
Outstanding Director – Comedy – Church Camp – Andrew Bourne
Outstanding Screenplay – Comedy – White Now Please – Kyle Lau
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Comedy – Moxie – Rocky Shay
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Comedy – Dick Control
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Essentially Amy
Outstanding Short Film – Drama – Ghosted
Outstanding Director – Drama – Ghosted
Outstanding Director – Drama – Essentially Amy
Outstanding Director – Drama – The Phoenix
Outstanding Screenplay – Drama – Ghosted – Rob Mor
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Drama – After (A Love Story) – Alyssa Thordarson
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Drama – Essentially Amy
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Watcher
Outstanding Short Film – Horror – Mamu
Outstanding Director – Horror – Mamu – Michael Skanes
Outstanding Screenplay – Horror – Watcher – Alan “Poe” Sanchez
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Horror – Watcher – Soren McVay
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Horror – Somnium
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Above the Branches
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – Super Dilemma
Outstanding Short Film – SciFi – When You Became Us
Outstanding Director – SciFi – See You On The Other Side – The Summers Brothers
Outstanding Director – SciFi – When You Became Us – Nicholas Geisler
Outstanding Screenplay – SciFi – See You On The Other Side – The Summers Brothers
Outstanding Performance, Individual – SciFi – When You Became Us – Jack Vincenty
Outstanding Performance, Cast – SciFi – When You Became Us
Outstanding Short Film – Web Series – Grey Area
Outstanding Director – Web Series – True Reviews – Neal Cornell
Outstanding Screenplay – Web Series – Grey Area – Asaad Salleh
Outstanding Performance, Individual – Web Series – Grey Area – Sarah Stouffer
Outstanding Performance, Cast – Web Series – True Reviews

Audience Awards

Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Your Heart is a Dark and Rotten Place
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Frank Bey: All My Dues Are Paid
Best Feature Film – Documentary – Motherland
Best Feature Film – Drama – Ragged Heart
Best Feature Film – Horror – Dawning
Best Featurette – Documentary – Surviving Remote Learning
Best Featurette – Drama – Two Weeks to 29
Best Music Video – The Summer Set – “Back Together” – Gregory JM Kasunich, Director
Best Short Film – Animation – Fatherhood
Best Short Film – Arthouse/Experimental – Dress Up
Best Short Film – Comedy – White Now Please
Best Short Film – Drama – The Phoenix
Best Short Film – Horror – Magic Box
Best Short Film – SciFi – Orbital Christmas
Best Short Film – Dance – Guest
Best Web Series – True Reviews

Programmer’s Prize

Exceptionally Unique Filmmaking – After Sunset, Dawn Arrives, Motherland, Price of Love, The Care Giver, The Poet, The Rewind

Prize Definitions/Explanations

Grand Jury Awards – determined by the festival’s official selection committee.
Audience Awards – determined by highly scientific instruments placed throughout the theater to determine audience satisfaction.
Filmmakers Awards – given only to short films, these are determined by a panel of filmmakers whose films have been Official Selections previous years.
Programmer’s Prize – given to film(s) that festival programmer Jeff Howard cannot bear to see go without an award. These films are generally off the beaten path and break conventions of format and genre.

Source: SOFF

323. 4Qs with Sarah Cugini & Brandon C. Lay

What are the 4Qs?  (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out.

Sarah Cugini & Brandon C. Lay have collaborated on multiple films, all under Brandon’s Living Proof Pictures Brand.  Their feature film, “Bitter Taste of Ginger,” which Brandon wrote & directed, Sarah was the lead actor in, and both produced with collaborators Marcy Repp and Joshua Faturos, came to the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2021 and took home two Grand Jury Awards, Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental and Best Actress in a Lead Role  for Sarah!   Their short film “Cueball” played at Film Invasion Los Angeles in June of 2022 along with “Bitter Taste of Ginger,” making it the rare film to play both SOFF and FILA.  Also, Sarah is the first and so far only actor to take hime the Grand Jury Award for Best Lead Role in both festivals!

After their DIF interview, of course I had them answer the 4Qs above together.

To learn more about this team and learn where you can watch their films, visit Livingproofpictures.com. & @living.proof.pictures on Instagram.

You can also hit Sarah’s wonderful Instagram at @sarah_bear912

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Source: Discover Film

322. Brandon C. Lay & Sarah Cugini “Bitter Taste of Ginger”

Brandon C. Lay wrote and directed the feature film “Bitter Taste of Ginger,” which lead actor Sarah Cugini absolutely threw onto her shoulders and brought to life.  These two also co-produced the film with collaborators Marcy Repp and Joshua Faturos. “Bitter Taste of Ginger” came to the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2021 and took home two Grand Jury Prize Awards, Best Feature Film – Arthouse/Experimental and Best Actress in a Lead Role  for Sarah!   These two frequent collaborators represent the best in indie film; innovative, rule-breaking, and original.

You can add to this introduction that their short film “Cueball” played at Film Invasion Los Angeles in June of 2022 along with “Bitter Taste of Ginger,” making that the rare film

You can follow Ashley at @misterashley on Instagram

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Source: Discover Film

321. 4Qs with Karina Wolfe

What are the 4Qs?  (1) Three favorite films. (2) An underrated film. (3) An overrated film. (4) A lesser-known film people should seek out.

Writer, director, actor, and dancer Karina Wolfe created the short film “Lou,” doing everything you can imagine for this comedy including creating a human-sized cat costume!  “Lou” played at the Sherman Oaks Film Festival in 2021 and took home the Audience Award for Short Film – Comedy.  I’m proud to say that you can catch “Other” in Season 7 of the Discover Indie Film TV Series on Amazon Prime Video!

Karina came by for a DIF interview and of course I had her answer the 4Qs above.  based on her answers, I think she is someone whose taste I can completely trust!  Great list!

You can follow Karina on Instagram at @karinalovewolfe

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Source: Discover Film