VFF11 Wrapup and Awards

We've finished our eleventh annual season of independent film from around the Valley and the world.  Attendance by filmmakers and the general public was strong during three days of screenings, with some sold out in advance, at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks.  The filmmaker reception at Decor Art Galleries in Studio City and the launch party at J.E.T. Studios in the NoHo Arts District also were well attended.

We screened a total of 34 films, including shorts and features, documentaries and fiction.  About half had some direct connection to the San Fernando Valley, such as being a location for filming.  On closing night, we presented the following awards:

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

Alumni Short – MINE (Greg Thompson)
Comedy Short – FISH! (Mark Eccleston and Damian Samuels)
Dramatic Short – GHOSTS OF SYLLABLES (Javier Grillo-Marxuach)
Girls on Film – BEYOND ESSAYS (Jules Dameron)

JURIED “10 DEGREES HOTTER” AWARDS:

Documentary – ADVENTURES IN PLYMPTOONS (Alexia Anastasio)
Feature – BAD ACTRESS (Robert Lee King)
Short – THE SECRET FRIEND (Flavio Alves)

As Tracey Adlai said, "Award or no award, every film in VFF11 was strong and stellar. Thank you to our fabulous filmmakers!"

We also want to thank our sponsors Kirin, Primax Mortgage, Video Symphony, The Sign Language Company, Decor Art Galleries, Creative Handbook, and Community Partners.  Special thanks to Councilmember Paul Krekorian and his staff, Vicki Nussbaum and the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce, and Bryan Rasmussen of the Whitefire Theatre.  And to the volunteers, alumni judges, and everyone else who helped make VFF11 a success.

Looking ahead, we will begin accepting submissions for VFF12 in January.

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By James Latham

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