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A message from SOFF programmer Jeff Howard:<\/h3>\n
Every year it’s a challenge for me when I look at the votes from the juries and figure out which films are getting awards.\u00a0 Invariably I see see some omissions that I cannot abide.\u00a0 Sometimes it’s that coincidence that a film comes in second place many times, not getting an award.\u00a0 Sometimes it’s the theatrical experience; most of the juries watch these films at home.\u00a0 I watch them all at home and<\/strong> then watch them a second time on the big screen with an audience.<\/p>\n How to fix the problem?\u00a0 I do not want to be a programmer that lobbies jury members to choose change their votes.\u00a0 Instead we invented the Programmer’s Prize.\u00a0 I get to give this prize to any films that slipped through the cracks.<\/p>\n For SOFF 2019, the two films that I have to step in and give awards to are Brolga and Man Under Table.\u00a0 I think Brolga<\/strong> is beautiful in every way; storytelling, directing, cinematography, editing, everything.\u00a0 Everything about this short film from Australia is wonderful.\u00a0 It had to win an award.\u00a0 Man Under Table<\/strong> is a film that I have a difficult time describing, because it is an absurdist, deconstructionist film that manages to maintain its vision perfectly at feature length.\u00a0 It might be the most realistic film ever made about screenwriting and indie filmmaking, including the fact that when you are at a bar the people around you might be cut out of cardboard.<\/p>\n This year was really tough. There were several comedic shorts that were simply hilarious. In fact, there were so many that we just don’t have awards for all of them.\u00a0 My apologies to the filmmakers of First Person, Friends Roman, Overshared, Rallentando!, and Shoot ’em Dead.\u00a0 You made great comedy and I doubt anyone realizes that might be the most difficult thing to do on film.<\/p>\n Source: SOFF<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Programmer’s Prize Outstanding Films:\u00a0 Brolga,\u00a0 Man Under Table A message from SOFF programmer Jeff Howard: Every year it’s a challenge for me when I look at the votes from the juries and figure out which films are getting awards.\u00a0 Invariably I see see some omissions that I cannot abide.\u00a0 Sometimes it’s that coincidence that a … <\/p>\n