In front of an overflowing crowd and online audience from all over the country, Executive Director Gregory Kallenberg and Film Prize VIPs announced today the 20 finalists for the third annual Louisiana Film Prize. Each of the Top 20 films will be shown at The Louisiana Film Prize Festival Weekend (more info at: www.LAFilmPrize.com) October 10-12, 2014 in Shreveport, LA. The winner will take home a $50,000 cash grand prize, one of the world’s largest cash prizes for a short film.
“The Film Prize has claimed its place in the indie filmmaking world as one of its premiere competitions,” said Kallenberg. “We are incredibly excited about this year’s group of films and being able to show this work to our jury and the Film Prize audience.”
Aside from the one $50,000 winner, the top five Louisiana Film Prize films will receive distribution through Shorts International on iTunes and will also screen at key festivals across the country. The Film Prize will also distribute $15,000 in filmmaking grants.
October 10-12, all 20 films will be shown and the grand prize winner will be chosen based on the votes of a panel of film industry judges and the festival audience. In true Louisiana style, finalists are encouraged to heavily promote their film and enlist support from friends, family, and the public to heighten their chances of winning. The complete list of filmmakers and their films is below.
“Louisiana Film Prize Fest Weekend has become part Sundance, part Lollapalooza, part American Idol,” said Kallenberg. “As the filmmakers lobby for their vote and interact with the public, there is an atmosphere in the air that can only be described as ‘electric’.”
The Louisiana Film Prize is a competition where filmmakers must create a short film (5-15 minutes) and the production must be shot in northwest Louisiana. This year, the Film Prize netted over 100 registrations from all over the nation with 2/3 of the entries being from outside of Louisiana. The participating films utilized close to 1,000 individuals in cast and crew. Also, the participating films injected over $5 million into the area over the past 2 years (the payment of cast, crew, food, lodging and equipment).
“We are hoping to help galvanize the idea that Louisiana is a film capital, and that we’re open to helping and nurturing an indigenous filmmaking community in northwest Louisiana,” said Kallenberg. “While the Film Prize is about short film, the real goal of the Film Prize is help show filmmakers that you can create all types of film here.”
The film community in Louisiana has rapidly expanded, with more than 100 films and television shows shooting on location in the past 5 years. Recent shoots have included Salem, Olympus Has Fallen, The Iceman, The East, and Dark Places, to name a few. Shreveport-Bossier provides great locations at low cost, as well as four sound stages, full grip/electric rental facilities, local camera rentals, experienced crew, and a wide base of talent. Shreveport is also home to Moonbot Studios, who won their First Academy Award in 2012 for Best Animated Short Film with The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, and a pair of Daytime Emmy Awards in 2014 for The Scarecrow.
Visit www.lafilmprize.com to learn more information about the Louisiana Film Prize contest and festival.
Louisiana Film Prize 2014 Top 20 Films
#TheFutureIsCrowdFunded
Directed by: Mindy Bledsoe
Written by: Mindy Bledsoe and Rob Senska
Synopsis
Is the future crowd funded? Brin and Brock’s relationship is in jeopardy due to a successful crowd funded venture.
A Bird’s Nest
Written and Directed by: Christine Chen
Produced by: Christine Chen and Adam Duncan
Synopsis
A lonely young boy hides from his troubled life in his own secret hideout, until the day he befriends the girl next door.
Action Movie 3: The Sequel
Directed and Produced by: James Merrick
Written by: Matthew Frey Allen
Synopsis
In this 80s inspired epic conclusion, the apocalypse’s bare-knuckle badass, Cliff Action, and sexy bodacious babe, Nikita Phoenix, will destroy anything in their way to find the source of man-eating robots.
Addam
Written and Directed by: Alex Nystrom
Produced by: Adam Nehl, Deborah Nystrom, Zach Cook, Fay Bradley, and Chris Peterson
Synopsis
Enter the imaginative mind of Addam – an attention-deficient student who must overcome his self-inflicted distractions during his final exam in time to finish the test.
Angel of Joy
Written and Directed by: Andrew Bryan
Produced by: Todd Campbell
Synopsis
Alice, a single mother, begins her own investigation after receiving a mysterious phone call from her six-year-old daughter, Joy, who has been missing for several months.
Based on Rosenthal
Directed by: Stephen Kinigopoulos
Produced by: Sam Cespedes, Ryan Mac, Meg Dudley
Synopsis
Jerry, a young boy touched by the supernatural, attempts to help his terminally ill grandmother find some peace and comfort during her last days.
Flashbacks
Directed by: Anthony Kung
Synopsis
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Laundromat
Written and Directed by: Alejandra Valera
Produced by: Christopher Barrett and Alejandra Valera
Synopsis
A man, woman and child meet weekly to do their laundry, and find themselves making a connection in a life that is fleeting and brief.
Lovable
Written and Directed by: Zac Taylor & Erica Silverman
Produced by: Rita Silverman and Harry Klein
Synopsis
Are they flaws if I’m in love with them?
Mother’s Day
Directed by: James Nimmers
Written by: David Vaught
Produced by: Rafael “D.G.” Santiago, III
Synopsis
A dysfunctional mother and son struggle with unstable memories and the curse of an urge to resist the desires of the past. A delusional mindset helps Clyde to cover up all the wrong he has done.
Nothing at All
Written and Directed by: Bryan C. Conely
Produced by: Tricia Woodgett
Synopsis
When Anthony, a strong, handsome business owner begins, a loving relationship with a beautiful, smart, professional woman, he begins to question everything about himself.
Rendez-vous
Written, Directed, and Produced by: Dorothy Kristin Hanna
Synopsis
Based on a true story in 1912, Paris, Rendez-vous takes you directly to the creativity of Isadora Duncan’s heart, soul, and mind as she performs her historically unforgettable dance for the Italian poet, Gabriele D’Annunzio.
Scotch on the Rocks
Directed by: Eric Gibson
Written by: Jonathon Kudabeck
Produced by: Eric Gibson, Jonathon Kudabeck, and Patrick O’ Brien
Synopsis
Longtime friends Patrick and Zac struggle with tough decisions after Patrick’s story idea makes Zac a famed screenwriter. Fed up, Patrick takes action to claim the life that’s rightfully his.
Snip
Written and Directed by: Eric Rippetoe
Synopsis
Parker decides that a vasectomy will help fix his life and recruits the help from an old friend to satisfy the doctor’s odd requests.
Tattered Gumbo
Directed by: Christopher A. Raines
Written by: Duane P. Craig
Produced by: Candace McGowen and Christopher A. Raines
Synopsis
A torn woman is advised by a new friend to hire a hit man to take out her abusive husband.
The American Dream
Directed by: Jason Barry
Written by: Jason Barry, Glenn Barry, and Rebecca Schuster
Synopsis
A man struggles as his seemingly idyllic life falls apart one layer at a time. Betrayal, heartbreak and revenge permeate this story as a good man loses his possessions and possibly his soul.
The Cutoff
Directed by: Brennan Robideaux and Thomas Edmund Zabkowski
Written by: Thomas Edmund Zabkowski
Produced by: Brennan Robideaux, Thomas Edmund Zabkowski, and Chris Haney
Synopsis
Frank Herbert, a man who after serving 18 years on a wrongful conviction, has his case overturned by his daughter, Samantha. The two struggle to rebuild their lives in Pre and Post Katrina, New Orleans while fighting for state compensation for Frank’s time in prison.
The Ninth
Directed by: Corey Hammett and J.C. Doler
Produced by: Trevor Norred
Synopsis
A worn artist ponders the subject of his next piece.
The Out and Outs
Directed by: Travis Champagne
Produced by: James Crawford, Amy Acosta, Chase Mowen, and Travis Champagne
Synopsis
An actor travels to Northwest Louisiana in the 1950s and falls in love with a local girl. What follows is a wild ride of a fictitious love story set in the real world.
True Heroes
Directed by: Chris Ganucheau
Produced by: Meg Dudley
Synopsis
A small boy brings to life epic battles and adventure using only his imagination and his friends to escape everyday life.