Slamdance awards

The Slamdance Film Festival announced its winners tonight in 10 categories at the Slamdance Sparky Award ceremonies at Snow Park Lodge in Deer Valley.

"Over the years the Park City Slamdance screenings have become a place for the industry to discover new talent," says Slamdance director Peter Baxter. "Salt Lake City has become increasingly important from a public perspective. This year we expanded into the Madstone Theatres to double our Salt Lake offerings."

The "Sparkies" were followed by a party featuring celebrity DJ’s D:Fuse, Money Mark, DJ Me DJ You, and DJ Knucklz. D:Fuse will appear at Slamdance as part of his People:2 Tour. Also featured at the party is a screening of “The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time” – a short film collection by Radiohead presented in partnership with HiQi Media.

For the first time, the 2004 Slamdance Jury is separated into a Documentary section and a Narrative section. Documentary Jury members include: Robert Koehler (Variety film critic); Lucia Small (Slamdance 2002 Jury Prize Winner for documentary and Best Editing) and Penelope Spheeris (director, THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION); Narrative Jury members include: Charles Lyons (filmmaker, journalist); Francine McDougall (director, SUGAR AND SPICE); Anthony Russo (director, WELCOME TO COLLINWOOD); Frederick Forrestier (LE BOULET) and Gabe Wardell, Programmer, AFI Silver Theatre and Slamdance Head Projectionist.

The documentary jury expresses its disappointment that FACTOR 8: THE ARKANSAS PRISON BLOOD SCANDAL did not screen publicly due to a court imposed injunction forbidding Slamdance from screening the film.

In recognizing that this investigation at the Arkansas Prison Blood Scandal and its subsequent cover-up deserves an audience, we the jury urge the filmmakers to resolve their legal dispute so that this story can be shown to the American public.

The winners are as follows: The Slamdance 2004 Narrative Feature and Short Film Competition are sponsored by Kodak.

The 2004 Slamdance Film Festival Awards are as follows:

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Best Narrative Feature Sponsored By Panasonic HOMEWORK (USA, 77 min., Narrative, 2003) WORLD PREMIERE A 16-year-old ballet dancer explores her sexual and emotional world in unexpected ways when she encounters predicaments above and beyond her controlled environment. Directed by Kevin Asher Green.

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Best Documentary Feature Sponsored by Alpha Cine Prize-$2,500 lab service credit from Alpha Cine MONSTER ROAD (USA, 80 min., Documentary, 2003) WORLD PREMIERE This film explores the life and work of visionary clay and line animator Bruce Bickford. Best known for the dark and magical clay animations he created for musician Frank Zappa in the 1970s, Bickford's films have achieved cult status worldwide, even though very little of his 40 year body of work has been released to the public. Directed by Brett Ingram. www.brighteyepictures.com

Grand Jury Sparky Award for Best Short Sponsored by Kino Flo “Freestyle” (documentary) (USA, 26:22 min., Documentary, 2003) A look at a new competitive dog sport called “Musical Canine Freestyle” or dancing with dogs and its colorful practitioners of all ages who hope to take it all the way to the Olympics. Directed by Elena Elmoznino.

“Crabwalk” (narrative) ” (USA, 17 min., Narrative, 2003) A 26-year-old unemployed college grad, still living at home, is given a final $20 allowance by his parents. His first day of trying to be a grown-up is a series of bittersweet and darkly comical mishaps. Directed by Jeremy Saulnier.

Grand Jury Honor for Best Ensemble Cast GOLDFISH GAMES (Belguim, 105 min., Narrative, 2002) US PREMIERE In this modern day fable about an extended family that comes together at a castle in the French Ardennes, man becomes a sum of his secrets, his past and his moral decisions. Directed by Jan Lauwers. www.needcompany.org

Jury Honor for Excellence in Writing NIGHTINGALE IN A MUSIC BOX (USA, 96 min., Narrative, 2002) In the future there is a technology that can control people’s memories. Two women confront it in this sci-fi drama that examines the question: “How easily can our mind be taken away from us?” Directed by Hurt McDermott.

Audience Sparky Award for Best Film Sponsored by Maryland Film Office BIG CITY DICK (USA, 129 min., Documentary, 2003) WORLD PREMIERE This captivating journey into the world of a savant street musician and his lifelong struggle to become a successful recording artist. His celebrity obsessions range from Jeff Bridges to Johnny Mathis and then The Stone Temple Pilots discover his music... Directed by Scott Milam, Ken Harder, Todd Pottinger. www.bigcitydick.com

The festival would like to recognize the highest scoring Narrative Feature with the audience: MEMRON (USA, 76 min., Narrative, 2002) WORLD PREMIERE An improvisational comedic romp through the ruins of corporate fraud. Memron was once the greatest company on earth. Now their top executives rule the prison yard golf course. Directed by Nancy Hower). www.memron.com

Audience Sparky Award for Best Short Sponsored by Iron Mountain Film & Sound Archives “Tackle Box” (USA, 10.5 min., Narrative, 2003) When an elderly woman with a passion for fishing passes away there are strange and lingering effects on the Low country waters where she and her husband spent many happy hours. Directed by Matthew Mebane. www.tackleboxthemovie.com

Spirit of Slamdance Sparky Award Sponsored by Tarantula Azul Tequila “The Virile Man” A tragically closeted man enlists the help of a phone psychic to rationalize his actions. Directed by David Zellner

Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography Sponsored by Kodak Prize-$5,000 gift certificate for Kodak film GRAVEYARD ALIVE: A ZOMBIE NURSE IN LOVE (Canada, 80 min., Narrative, 2003) US PREMIERE A modern feminist B-Horror zombie flick about a lonely nurse who turns into a sex kitten after being bitten by a zombie. Directed by Elza Kephart www.bastardamber.com

Sparky Award for Global Anarchy Winner Sponsored by X-Mission “Western State #3” Western State #3 profiles the artwork of Canadian genius, Geoff Mcfetridge. Directed by Slowtron

Sponsors include Tarantula Tequila, Dos Equis, Brewvies and media partners X96, SLC Weekly, and SLUG Magazine.

BEST SCREENPLAY (Awarded to the winner of the Slamdance 2004 Screenplay competition. Prizes total $3,500 from Slamdance.

SCREENPLAY WINNERS: The Slamdance Film Festival Screenplay Winners were previously announced.

The top three awards went to:

Sparky Award for Best Screenplay Sponsored by the WGA 1st Prize: Song of Silence (Drama) by Miranda Kwok

2nd Prize: The Parachute Factory (Urban Story) by Tanya Steele

3rd Prize: Wizard of Genoa (Period Epic) by Gary L. Miner

Sparky Award for Best SlamFi Screenplay Sponsored by Xeolux “Toy Robots” (short) Daniel Kwak

Anarchy: “Western State #3” directed by Slowtron

Spirit of Slamdance: David Zellner director of “The Virile Man”

Slamdance 2001 Screenplay competition winner THE WOODSMAN was produced last year and acquired for distribution by New Market at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Screenplay Competition Director John Stoddard said, “THE WOODSMAN is a perfect example of the success of the support and opportunities provided by Slamdance to give new writers a boost into the industry.”

Earlier in the week BRUCE HAACK: KING OF TECHNO, a competition feature was purchased by 7th Art Releasing for distribution.

Winners were awarded their "Sparkies" (bronze statuettes shaped like sitting dogs) at the Closing Night Award Ceremony.