NOMINATIONS FOR FAITH-BASED 168 FILM FESTIVAL PROCLAIM UPTICK IN FEMALE FILMMAKERS, COMEDIES

Dear 168,

The 168 Film Fest is almost here and things couldn't be better. It's definitely our best year yet! God is so very good.

The latest breaking story is that Grammy Award-winning Christian Pop Rock sensation Rebecca St. James will be a presenter at our awards show on Saturday, March 27th.

Here is the nominations press release.

Peace,

John

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT: John David Ware

NOMINATIONS FOR FAITH-BASED 168 FILM FESTIVAL
PROCLAIM UPTICK IN FEMALE FILMMAKERS, COMEDIES

On Heels of “Hurt Locker’s” Kathryn Bigelow Becoming 1st Femme to Win Oscar for Directing, 4 Out of Speed Filmmaking Fest's 7 Best Film Nominees Boast Women producers

Will Comedy Producers Get The Last Laugh at 2010 Awards Show?

SNL's Victoria Jackson and Her Daughter Act as Finalists

First-time Producer/Director Jeanette Reedy Solano Up for Best Picture for “Out of the Fire" (Team 35-Glendale, CA) Hi-res Link

Co-Producer Amber Deegan Doubles as Actress On "Bountiful" (Team 17-Hollywood, CA) Hi-res Link Download

Victoria Jackson (on right, SNL Star in the 1980s) and daughter

Aubrey Wesselin "The Journey" (Team-72-Burbank, CA)

Hi-res Link

LOS ANGELES (Mar. 19, 2010) -- Nominations (click here or here for pdf) are in for the 2010 “Hearing God” edition of the 168 Film Festival (Mar. 26-27) (http://168project.com/) -- the culmination of the contest whereby filmmakers have seven days, or 168 hours, to shoot and edit an 11-min.-or-less short film based on a randomly assigned Bible verse, it was announced by 168 Executive Director Paul E. Luebbers.

“We congratulate all our nominees and welcome the world to two full days of inspiring short films that explore ‘Hearing God,’ as a part of life's experience” said 168 executive director, Paul E. Luebbers. “We have films from Kyrgyzstan to China, from South Central LA to West Texas, truly something for everyone.”

The nominated films are as diverse as the countries they come from. Two documentaries’ exotic locations include China for Clint Loveness’ (Team 23) “Let’s Start Talking,” and Israel for Sarah Williams’ (Team 31) “Desert Ark,” the story of a man building a reputation on housing Sudanese refugees.

In what appears to be a festival first, four out of seven of this year’s Best Film nominees claim female producers (in the wake of “The Hurt Locker” director-producer Kathryn Bigelow becoming the first female ever to win the Oscar for Best Director), compared with 1 out of 6 in 2009. Like Bigelow, Solano is the sole female nominee for Best Director.

The quartet of eligible female-leadership nominations for Best Film includes Solano’s (Team 35) “Out of the Fire,” “Skip Listening” (Team 3) from producers Colleen Bennett, Christopher Shawn Shaw and Josh B. Jacobs; actioner “Just Cops,” (Team 18) produced by Jessie Love and her husband-director Theo Love; and Helen Urriola’s “The Party.”

Two of the 5 Best Comedy nominees were produced in part by females, "Sumo Joe" co-producers Jenn Gotzon, Jessie Ottolini and "Skip Listening" co-producer Colleen Bennett.

“Part of the beauty of this year is seeing the advancement of some of the women, who have grown over the years and to see them step into key roles behind the camera,” founder/president John David Ware said.

The So. Calif. nominees are the most plentiful, including those from Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale, Anaheim and Newport Beach. The most nominated film is LA veteran David Kiang's "Forsaken," (Team 81-Culver City, CA) with 13 nods including Best Pic and Director as well as multiple acting, screenplay, sound and cinematography awards. Click here for interview regarding Kiang’s brand of "media ministry" and the hurdles of 2010.

Northern Calif. “relative” newcomer, Santa Rosa's Christopher Shawn Shaw (Team 3-“Skip Listening”) has gone from never-nominated, veteran producer to second-highest honored with 12 nominations, including Best Film and Best Comedy. Winning both would be a first for a 168 comedy. The "Skip" cast is nominated for all acting awards, and includes Deaf actress Lexi Marman and Christian stand-up comics Thor Ramsey and Robert G. Lee who are up for Best Actor and supporting roles, respectively.

Monrovia, CA producer David Gaw's comedic conceit expose "Try Hard" (Team 83) is similarly poised to take the double crown of Best Film and Best Comedy, and he is in a three-way 10-nomination tie with veteran, (& most nominated individual with seven) Mark Blitch's (Team 9) “Got a Light” from Texas, and a first-time, Glendale, CA producer/director Jeanette Reedy Solano's (Team 35) “Out of the Fire.” Blitch and Brundige’s “Got a Light” is the third comedy vying for Best Picture.

Solano and other first-timers (ever as department head) will compete for the "Newcomer Award," designed to reward (with $1000 cash) new filmmakers, including pastor-turned-filmmaker Alberto Portillo's (Team 58-Whittier, CA) “Relentless Heart,” Josh Flynn's (Team 28-Pasadena, CA) “The Ceed” and Onggo Susilo's (Team 46) “Pesan Terkirim” (Message Sent) from Indonesia.

Six-time award-winning Anaheim, CA 168 producers Jessica and Theo Love's (Team 18) have eight nods for their desert cop drama "Just Cops." And Decatur, GA producers Helen Urriola and Jim McKinney (Team 64) also has 8 noms for his coming-of-age-too-quickly drama, (Team 64) "The Party."

Up for Best Picture are: “Forsaken” (Team 81) David Kiang; “Got a Light” (Team 9) Mark Blitch, Matt Brundige; “Just Cops” (Team 18) Theo Love, Jessie Love; “Out of the Fire” (Team 35) Jeanette Reedy Solano; “Skip Listening” (Team 3) Christopher Shawn Shaw; Josh B. Jacobs, Colleen Bennett; “The Party” (Team 64) Helen Urriola, James McKinney; and “Try Hard” (Team 83) David Gaw.

Six noms each go to Caleb Brown/Joshua M. Bott (Team 57-Santa Monica, CA) and the cast and crew of “Moya” (“mine” in Russian), with co-producer Bott nominated for Best Supporting Actor, playing a gun-wielding Russian thug, and to the Amber Deegan/Susan Shearer-helmed, filmed-on-the-CBS-Lot drama "Bountiful" (Team 17-Hollywood, CA). "Bountiful" writers Shearer, Deegan, director Eric Tozzi and Joseph Osborn are also up for Best Screenplay – Drama.

Nominee for Best Production Design (Yeva McCloskey) reps the other shooting-on-the-lot-at-CBS production, "In the Company of Sinners," Mike Cahill's graffiti-laced gangland drama (Team 43-Burbank, CA).

Geoffrey Black and Jenn Gotzon's "Sumo Joe" (Team 12-Burbank, CA) is also up for Best Comedy, vying with aforementioned teams and Texas Trio: Alan Tregoning, Brandon Carmichael, Jason Walter Vaile (Team 59- Plano, TX) for "Adoptation," the story of not-so-choosy adoptive parents. At the awards, Tregoning will receive his awards for winning the 168 Write of Passage Screenplay Competition with his script, "Regular Charlie Church."

Three nominations each go to producer/director Elena Beuca's LA production, "Connectivity" (Team 62, whose crew included A-List Steadicam operator Ron Vidor who crewed on “Jaws,” “Lethal Weapon”) and to Tim Lowry and Mike Wech's "The Journey" (Team 72-Burbank, CA), co-starring mother and daughter Victoria Jackson and Aubrey (Jackson) Wessel (aged 15), who is nominated for Best Supporting Actress in her acting debut.

Click Here for interview on the Jackson's experience as well as the intense spiritual preparation practiced by Lowry and Wech (Team 72). Of her experience, Victoria Jackson said, "I'm still coming down from the spiritual high. There was no angst or nail biting to the experience - just joy. I sort of floated into the project, not even sure if I was in it or not.”

Other notable female nominees are Suzan Brown, with Jerrold Launer for Best Original Score for “Connectivity”; Dawn Smith up with Mark Blitch for Best Cinematography “Got a Light”; and Jamie McCallister, with two Best Makeup nominations on separate films (“Forsaken” and “Moya”).

Both Brandon Riley, Dave Grumme of "Rising Waters" (Team 44, Sugarland, TX) and writer Keith Wilcox (Team 42-Newport Beach, CA) of "Through My Sister's Eyes” were nominated for the Scriptural Integration Award, which measures how artfully the writers have woven the foundational verse into the story.

For the LA TIMES Article 3-1-10: click here

Click here for details on all finalist films including interviews from selected filmmakers, including:

1. Co-Stars: Victoria Jackson (SNL, 1980s) and daughter Aubrey Wessel (Team 72, Burbank, CA), 2. Getting the Most From 168: Repeat Producers and why do they keep entering (Team 72, Burbank, CA & 81, Culver City, CA), 3. Deaf Actors Hearing God (Team 3-Santa Rosa, CA) 4. Newlywed Producers in Jerusalem (Team 31, a documentary), 5. Awards Categories,

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The 8th annual 168 Film Festival is at the Hope Theatre in San Fernando, Calif (Mar. 26) and at Glendale’s Alex Theatre (Mar. 27). Tickets to the screenings and/or awards show ($15-27, All Fest $40, $50 VIP) can be purchased online at http://168project.com or http://alextheatre.org or by calling the 168 at 818-557-8507 or the Alex at 818-243-ALEX.

For 168 Film Festival Awards show promo from 2009 click here

Screenings are: Fri. Mar. 26 and Sat. Mar. 27, 10:00AM–9:00PM. The awards ceremony (appx. 1 hr. long) immediately follows Sat. screenings. Parental discretion suggested for children under 12 due to mature themes. For the March 26-27th screening schedule: (click here). For pdf version: click here.

The field of 23 finalist films out of 65 submissions (all of which will be screened on Friday or Saturday) boasts 15 dramas, five comedies, one thriller and two documentaries. All finalist films were rated by a ten-member jury that includes "X-Men" producer Ralph Winter and other behind-the-scenes luminaries. In 8 years, over 450 films have been made specifically for the 168 competition.

The prize package is $18,000 in cash and prizes. Sponsors include: AJA Video, Regent University, Sony, Roush Media, Kino Flo, Inc., TubeMogul, ARRI Lighting, Video Symphony, Final Draft, and Boris Effects. EIKI projectors will provide the pictures and Edirol/Roland will provide festival playback. 
A total of 70 films, will unspool at the festival and contend for audience awards given out both nights, Fri. at the Hope Theatre, 214 Maclay Ave. San Fernando, CA 91340, and Sat. at the Alex Theatre, 216 N Brand Blvd. Glendale, CA 91203. Both theaters boast a 40-foot screen. Mature Themes – Parental Guidance suggested for kids under 12.

Presenters for this year’s splashy, two-day, split venue 168 Film Festival, starting Mar. 26 in San Fernando, Calif. and finishing Mar. 27 at Glendale’s Alex Theatre, where jury awards are bestowed after the evening screening, include Howard Kazanjian, producer “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” Ken Wales, producer “Amazing Grace,” Michael Lehmann Boddicker, Grammy winning composer, John Shepherd, producer “The Stoning of Soraya M,” Jerry Jameson, director "JAG," "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," John Tinker, writer/producer "Judging Amy," "The Practice," Gary Hall, Sr. VP 20th Cent. Fox TV Post Production, Leilani Downer, writer "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Tracy Melchior, actress "The Bold and the Beautiful,” "CSI," Sarah Drew, actress "Grey's Anatomy," "Glee" and "Mad Men,” and Tenley Molzahn, actress “The Bachelor,” and Rebecca St. James, Grammy Award-winning Christian pop rock singer.

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168's 1st StoryLab with Derrick Warfel

168 Film Project Update: 31 teams from 6 states, USA, Kenya, England and Israel. See website for next StoryLab on Oct. 2nd.

Write of Passage Screenwriting Competition now open: Deadline Oct. 18th, 2009

Friday nite was the 1st StoryLab with Derrick Warfel, Grad of Princeton, Dallas Theological Seminary and USC Filmschool. Derrick is a real wealth of information, due to this and his extensive study of screenwriting and his personal foray into Indie Filmmaking. StoryLab is designed to help writers and directors improve their craft.

Derrick's film was called "The Fall of Night," but he is astutely re-marketing it to react to market conditions. See www.fallofnight.com. He is a wealth of knowledge and a true benefit to the 168 Filmmakers, who get to take his A-Z one-day crash course in filmmaking for free in February! (see schedule www.168project.com). StoryLab is sponsored by the Peter Glenville Foundation.

Here are some quotes from attendees:

"...an eye-opening experience. It (shows) how Directors and Writers should approach filmmaking, whether they are experienced professionals or just getting their feet wet." -Ed Shin

"My only problem was that I couldn't take notes fast enough! UCLA would charge $500 for a class like this!" - Erik Jacobson

"Thanks for putting on the Story Lab last night. I thought it was amazing!" -Luanne Mohr

"... an excellent example of positive criticism! It is a safe place to learn how to improve your craft! I am honored that our film was chosen to be critiqued and I look forward to growing from the experience!" -Amber Deegan

"We're looking forward to having our film deconstructed. It can only help us in our quest to become better filmmakers. Thanks John, Karen and Derrick for all you do for us to make us better at our craft." -Susan Shearer

Why is StoryLab so good? The structure was a huge reason. Derrick started with just enough basic theory to give a refresher for the experienced folks and enough to to whet the beginners appetite for more.

Then we watched "The Test." This film has good and bad, strengths and weaknesses as you might imagine in a made-in-a-week movie. We took an interview scene where the hero is interviewing for a Harvard grant and compared it to a scene in "Flashdance," where the main character Alex, a welder by day and exotic dancer by night, whose dream is to someday be accepted at an illustrious school of dance (played by Jennifer Beals).

She goes to apply for a spot at the ballet conservancy. She rides up on a bicycle. The camera looks down on her as she stares up at the massive edifice of conservancy building. She navigates a gauntlet of revolving doors and impersonal legs and arms and torsos of the dancers, all unconcerned with her and unwilling even to straighten up as she asks for directions to the office.

As she enters the office, there are 3 girls in line to apply for the school. They all look like ballerinas and have their hair worn up. Alex's hair is free flowing and the girls whisper about her as she enters. The secretary repeats instructions to the applicants in an impersonal monotone and the camera reveals the applicant's ballet shoes in sharp contrast to Alex' welder's boots. In the end, Beals runs out and disappears into the crowd on her bicycle past a sign that says END, ONE WAY (comma added for effect).

It's a study in good choices that were made by writer and director, no doubt agonized over for weeks. From the background actors to the camera angles and shot selection, all of these choices converge to make the stakes higher, the odds more stacked against the heroine.

Please make sure to RSVP for the next StoryLab. Seating is limited to the first 25 RSVPs.

The other scene from "The Test" was the one where the hero is tempted to cheat on his college ACT test. We compared this to a scene in "Slumdog Millionaire," where the hero is tempted to cheat by using the answer provided to him by the corrupt game show host. He writes the answer in the steam on the mirror in the bathroom.

If you would like to participate in the exercise, get the films: "Best of 168" for 2009, "Flashdance" and "Rudy." The "Rudy" scene is the one in which the hero breaks into the football stadium he so desperately wants to play in. He later intrudes on Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian for a forced "interview" with the coach to further his dream.

Your homework is to take and rewrite the scenes mentioned in "The Test" and bring them to the next StoryLab on October 2nd. You are encouraged to meet with friends (wherever you are) to discuss these films and how to improve your storytelling.

Appointments and the power of Story

I'm really happy for Josh and Rebekah Weigel and the "Stained" crew who continue to score high marks. Most recently they were invited to screen at the San Antonio Christian Film Fest Jan 8-10. It is very rewarding to see 168ers doing so well.

"Stained" has a subtle Christian message and it definitely makes you think. Jenn Gotzon recently showed it on a speaking engagement for pregnant teens. And 3 of them tearfully received Jesus as their savior. Wow!

There is a need for all types of films in the marketplace. If all the films were overtly evangelistic, it would get pretty boring. Parables are designed to lead one to the truth and that is exactly what jesus used to speak to large crowds.

Evangelistic films must be done exceedingly well, but so often they are heavy handed and schlocky.

I want to have an Evangelista Award for the best film of this type. What do you think of that idea?

Kudos to 168 veteran director Keith Ray Putman, who's film "DOUBLE." screens at HDFEST in Los Angeles December 6th. The film stars familiar face Avery Clyde (Temp for All Seasons, etc).