Charlotte Film Festival

Award Nominees Announced

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:16:22 +0000

We are pleased to officially announce the 2012 CFF Award Nominees. This year, the festival will hand out 10 juror-chosen awards at the Festival’s Awards Presentation on Monday, March 5th. The event starts at 7 PM, and takes place at Epicentre Theaters in uptown Charlotte. Tickets are $15 and include admission to the feature-length fiction film “A Box For Rob” that will immediately follow the presentation.

The film up for most awards, this year, is the short “Ghost of Old Highways” with four nominations. The film, which is based on a song by the artist Ben Lovett, was shot almost entirely in North Carolina, atop Black Balsam Knob in the Pisgah National Forest near Asheville.

Another film from North Carolina (Durham), the documentary short “One Night in Kernersville” is up for three awards. The film, a raw and vibrantly-shot masterpiece, is set in the legendary recording studios of Mitch Easter, and follows bass player John Brown as he lives the dream of his life: making a big band Jazz recording.

Also with three nomination is the psychological mystery, “Beneath” about a woman pleading for her husband to return after she has an extra-marital affair.

Other films with multiple nominations include the feature-length films “Inuk“, “Regretting Fish“, and “Restive“; and the short films “Contra el Mar“, “Made By Me“, and “Unemployment”

For a complete listing of each film in the category they were nominated, as well as a list of the 2012 CFF Award Jurors, click here.

Courtney Bent

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:02:32 +0000

Courtney Bent is an award winning photographer and filmmaker whose work has taken her from Masaii Camps in East Africa to Death Row in the United States. In 1996 Courtney founded a photography workshop for individuals with cerebral palsy and other disabilities, which became the subject of the eight time Audience Award winning documentary Shooting Beauty, which was also the winner of the 2010 Best Documentary Award from the Charlotte Film Festival. Courtney produced and shot Shooting Beauty, which is currently touring the country as part of an outreach campaign using the story of the film to promote tolerance, diversity and disability awareness. On her breaks from Shooting Beauty, Courtney also the produced the award-winning documentary, Divining Mom, which was immediately hailed by Variety as “an impressive non-fiction debut”. Courtney has been the recipient of over 30 awards and grants for her work including grants from the Woman in Film Foundation, the LEF Foundation and the Fledgling Fund. When not taking pictures and producing documentary films, Courtney is teaching photography workshops throughout the U.S., using her 20 years of teaching experience to work with and encourage new photographers of all ages and abilities.

Courtney lives in New Hampshire with her husband (and director of Shooting Beauty), two children and one cat.

Mark Barroso

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:01:21 +0000

Mark Barroso is an Emmy award-winning journalist, soundman and filmmaker living in Chapel Hill, NC. He regularly freelances for television networks and field producer for various documentaries currently in production. His film, “A Puppet Intervention”, was shown at the Charlotte Film Festival last year and in festivals world-wide.

Website: ForkintheRoadFilms.com

Chris Brown

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:59:39 +0000

Chris Brown, a San Francisco writer/director, has been making movies all his life. His latest feature, Fanny, Annie & Danny, a 2010 CFF award winner for BEST ENSEMBLE and BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, went on to win 16 other awards internationally. Hailed as “An indie masterpiece” by THE HUFFINGTON POST, Fanny, Annie & Danny was recently named a “Critics’ Pick” by THE NEW YORK TIMES.

Brown’s previous films include Daughters (“Something as genuinely unpretentious as Chris Brown’s debut feature seems an anomaly.” – VARIETY), Scared New World (“Solidly in the tradition of pioneer indie pics like Cassavetes’ ‘Shadows.’” – VARIETY), Battleship Contempkin (“Gorgeous…you should check this film out if at all possible.” – FILM THREAT), Lost Cat (“Defies categorization…hilarious.” – SF CHRONICLE), Office Furniture and the 2011 Emmy award-winning documentary,The Next Frontier.

By night, Chris is a singer/songwriter whose music has been heard on NPR, ABC and HBO. His debut album, Now That You’re Fed was voted “One of the Top 10 albums of 2006″ by a dozen music critics.

Chris Ordal

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:58:31 +0000

Chris Ordal is an award-winning writer/director. Born in Sioux Falls, SD, he studied film at the University of Kansas where he shot his first film. Ordal’s debut feature, EARTHWORK, which he wrote/produced/directed, starred Academy Award Nominee John Hawkes. EARTHWORK went on to play in more then 50 film festivals in the US alone, winning more than 20 Best Feature Film Awards, multiple Audience Awards, multiple Best Director Awards and won the Audience Award and a Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Opening Title Sequence Design at the 2010 SXSW Film Festival. EARTHWORK was picked up by Shadow Distribution and released theatrically in 25 markets in the US. The LA Times called EARTHWORK “A flawless gem” and the film received “2 Thumbs Up” from Ebert Presents At the Movies and incredible reviews in The Village Voice, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and more.

Ordal currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife.

John Coffey

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:57:23 +0000

John Coffey: International Touring credits include “42nd Street” (Moscow, Russia), North American Tours of “Evita” (2009) and “3 Mo’ Divas” (2006-2010)—both as Assistant Conductor. Nationally served “The Full Monty” as Music Director for NETworks. Off-Broadway experience includes “Naked Boys Singing,” “Danny & Sylvia” and “The Danny Kaye Musical.” Assistant Conductor for “Into The Woods” in Portland, Maine (2010) and “Nine” in Brugge, Belgium (2009)—both with the Intermezzo Music Festival. Concert pianist with various orchestras and legendary artists such as Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein. Authored four musicals of his own including “We Are The People Too.” Worked as an arts administrator and served on NCTC’s board. Originated the role of “Oscar” in the historic Moscow production of “42nd Street.”

*Master’s in Piano Performance from Juilliard

Jeff Hartman

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:56:06 +0000

Jeff Hartman: Award-winning actor/music director. ASU alumnus—Advertising/Theater/Music. 20 years teaching/touring professionally. 19 years private study. Published author in 1992. BMI artist with dozens of album credits. Touring credits include Walt Disney World, Charlotte Bobcats Arena, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Billing with Arrested Development, Steely Dan, Michael McDonald, Natalie, Georgia Satellites, Allman Bros. Band. Screen credits include TNT’s “Andersonville,” “The Rage: Carrie II,” “Pendulum Swings” (Composer and Actor). Numerous small screen/commercial credits. Stage credits include 2010 “Outstanding Special Technical Effect” Metrolina Theatre Association Award, 2006 “Best Actor” North Carolina Theatre Conference, 1998 “Best Supporting Performance” & “Best Ensemble” NCTC, 1996 “Best Vocal Performance” NCTC.

Website: jshartman.com *Endorsed by Digitech

Andres Sanz

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:54:23 +0000

Andres Sanz studied Fine Arts at the Complutense University of Madrid and received an MFA in Filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute. In 2002 Sanz founded the film company La Piscina in New York City and produced his short film “Bedford”, about a man in search of his shadow. The film wound up winning thirty international awards and it was selected for the blockbuster Art exhibition “La Sombra” (Shadows) at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid. For his latest short film, “Flat Love”, Sanz collaborated with Isabella Rossellini and it has been recognized with over 100 festival selections and 40 international awards, including the “Best Short Film” at the 2010 CFF.

Website: enlapiscina.blogspot.com

Dan Honeycutt

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:44:42 +0000

Dan Honeycutt is a TV producer, director and freelance videographer. He attended Carolina School of Broadcasting early on, then devoted 25 years to his passion of architecture. Dan is the producer of the award winning TV program Screen Time, now in its 5^th season. The show’s focus is to promote the Charlotte Film Community by spotlighting talented local writers, producers, directors and actors. In addition to the CFC, he is also a member of the Charlotte Film Community Roundtable.

Marc Meyers

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:43:30 +0000

His most recent feature “Harvest” is a New York Times Critics’ Pick. Stephen Holden writes, “meticulously written and exquisitely acted… astonishing… ‘Harvest’ shows the truth of life as it is lived.” It stars Oscar nominees Robert Loggia and Barbara Barrie, Tony Winner Victoria Clark, Arye Gross, and rising star Jack Carpenter, with original music by Grammy & Tony Winner Duncan Sheik. HARVEST was released theatrically in 2011, and is now available on home video and Showtime. Among other honors, HARVEST won Best Screenplay and Best Actor for Robert Loggia at the 2010 Charlotte Film Festival.

Marc also wrote & directed APPROACHING UNION SQUARE, broadcast on Sundance Channel. Variety wrote, “thought-provoking … touches with skilled insight,” and “reps a fine calling card for a clear, even voice.” Following its International Premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival, The Montreal Gazette called APPROACHING UNION SQUARE a “startlingly accomplished debut.” Among other honors, it won Best Feature at the 2006 Charlotte Film Festival.

Marc also directs commercials & music videos. As well, he was part of the team behind the 9/11-themed documentary WITNESSING, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and aired on MSNBC.

Marc is an alumnus of various theater collectives in New York including the Ensemble Studio Theatre and The Cherry Lane Theatre. He is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College. Marc and his wife, Producer Jody Girgenti, are partners in their Ibid Filmworks and based in NYC.

Websites: ibidfilmworks.com and raisingHARVEST.com