Vail Film Festival Announces 2014 Winners
Vail, CO (PRWEB) April 03, 2014 -- The 2014 11th Annual Vail Film Festival (http://www.vailfilmfestival.com) announced the official award recipients for this year's festival, which was held March 27-30, in Vail, CO. The Festival showcased 30 films, drawn from submissions from across the globe. In addition to the films, filmmaker networking events and parties were held at The Four Seasons Resort Vail, which served as the host hotel for the 2014 Festival.
“The 11th annual Vail Film Festival was an extraordinary success. We are thankful to the filmmakers, patrons, volunteers, staff, and sponsors for their generous support. We especially want to recognize our signature sponsors, the Town of Vail, The Four Seasons, Stella Artois, and Audi,” said Scott Cross, Vail Film Festival co-director. “We are tremendously proud of this year’s film program, which received rave reviews from attending guests and filmmakers. We'd like to congratulate this year's award winners and all of our 2014 filmmakers for their outstanding achievements.”
The 2014 Vail Film Festival Jurors recognized outstanding films in the following categories:
Best Feature Film – “Before I Disappear,” directed and written by Shawn Christensen. Based on the 2013 Academy Award® winning short film "Curfew." At the lowest point of his life, Richie gets a call from his estranged sister, asking him to look after his eleven-year old niece, Sophia, for a few hours. Starring: Shawn Christensen, Fatima Ptacek, Emmy Rossum, Ron Perlman, Paul Wesley
Best Documentary – “The Case Against 8,” directed by Ben Cotner and Ryan White. A behind-the-scenes look inside the historic case to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage. Five years in the making, this is the story of the first federal marriage equality lawsuit taken to the U.S. Supreme Court. Starring: Kris Perry, Sandy Stier, Jeff Zarrillo, Paul Katami, Ted Olson, David Boies, Chad Griffin
Best Short Film – “Fool’s Day,” directed by Cody Blue Snider and written by Cody Blue Snider and Shane Snider. A 4th grade class pulls an innocent, April Fool's prank on their teacher...that accidentally kills her. Panicked and convinced they will go to prison, the blood splattered classmates try to cover up the murder and dispose of the body before their D.A.R.E. officer shows up for his weekly lesson. Starring: Mitchell Jarvis, Justin Absatz, Phyllis Bowen.
The 2014 Audience Award was presented to “UNA VIDA: A Fable of Music and the Mind”, directed by Richie Adams and written by Richie Adams and Nicolas Bazan. Based on the book by Dr. Nicolas Bazan, the film tells the story of renowned neuroscientist, Dr. Alvaro Cruz, and his encounter with an African-American Jazz singer, Una Vida, performing on the streets of New Orleans’ French Quarter. Dr. Cruz soon discovers that Una Vida is suffering from Alzheimer’s, the disease that has been his life’s work. Cruz risks everything to unravel the mystery of Una Vida’s past through the disappearing genius of her music…before her music stops.
The 2014 Vail Film Festival is made possible by signature sponsors Town of Vail, Four Seasons, Stella Artois, and Audi. Festival sponsors also include Archaea Mass, SAG Indie, Comcast, LensRentals.com, Colorado Office of Film, Media & Television,Vail Daily, AMT, Dollar, Slifer Smith & Frampton, Vail Racquet Club, Sitzmark Lodge, Simba Run, Lionshead Inn, Vail Mountain Haus, Holiday Inn, Vail Marriott, Manor Vail Lodge, Salem Baking, and Colorado Mountain Express.
About Vail Film Festival
The Vail Film Festival is produced by the Colorado Film Institute, a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization dedicated to fostering independent cinema. The Colorado Film Institute's primary initiatives are to promote the art of film by providing a screening platform for aspiring filmmakers and by providing a gathering place for film enthusiasts. Additionally, the Colorado Film Institute fosters new filmmakers by providing education, industry expertise, and industry access. The Institute is also actively involved in charity programs. Past charity partners include Bono’s Product Red, Angel Light Films, Red Cross, and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The Colorado Film Institute is proud to stage the Vail Film Festival, a four-day event that enlightens and entertains thousands of film festival attendees and offers a creative outlet to the film world's newest storytellers and innovators. In 2012, The Colorado Film Institute partnered with Los Cabos Arte y Cultura, a Mexico-based nonprofit, to launch the Cabos Film Festival. Now in it’s third year, the Cabos Film Festival takes place in Cabo, Mexico every November and is fast becoming one of the most prominent film festivals in Latin America.
Megen Musegades, Colorado Film Institute, +1 (719) 293-0867, [email protected]
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