Editor

The 14th annual Slamdance Film Festival has announced 15 film and screenplay prize winners in three categories who will share more than $200,000 in cash and prizes, plus, for one winner, guaranteed production of a feature film. The just-concluded Festival in Park City, Utah, received over 3,500 submissions from 25 countries for less than 100 programming slots.

There are three competitive divisions at Slamdance: Grand Jury, Audience and Writer Awards, in addition to a Special Award given by Kodak. The Grand Jury Narrative Feature and Documentary Feature Award winners will be screened at the IFC Center in New York City in February. Feature competition is limited to first-time filmmakers working with production budgets of $1 million or less.

Additionally, Slamdance, Angel Baby Entertainment and Maverick Films will produce a feature film based on the year's prize-winning entry culled from the Slamdance Horror Screenplay Competition. Besides having their screenplay guaranteed to be made into a feature motion picture, the winning writer will receive an upfront payment of $10,000 against 5% of the film's budget, plus net profits participation on the movie and payments for any sequels made of the motion picture. Production of the completed script will occur during the ensuing months, with the intent of having the film's World Premiere during the follow year's Slamdance Film Festival.

Thus far, the Slamdance film "Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer" has been acquired for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment. It is expected that at least four other 2008 Slamdance films will also be acquired soon.

"We are incredibly pleased with the results of this year's Festival," said Peter Baxter, the President and Co-Founder of Slamdance. "We judge whatever success we may have, however, by the accomplishments of our filmmakers. Our stated goal of premiering new films by first-time writers and directors working within the creative confines of limited budgets remains intact, even as we dramatically grow each year, but it's all in support of our filmmakers. Shepherding bright new talent is the main reason for our existence, and we could not be happier that many of our filmmaker's efforts are paying off."

The winners of the Grand Jury Awards are as follows:

Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature
Prize: $15,000 Credit at Filmworksfx
LP3 Pictures Grip, Electric, and Studio Package ($15,000 value)
$3,500 Credit on legal services from Pierce Law Group, LLP
Winner: "The New Year Parade" directed by Tom Quinn

Special Jury Honorable Mention for Narrative Feature
"How To Be" directed by Oliver Irving

Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature
Prize: Panasonic HVX200 Camera
$10,000 Credit Filmworksfx
$3,500 Credit on legal services from Pierce Law Group, LLP
$500 Credit from Discmakers
Winner: "Song Sung Blue" directed by Greg Kohs

Special Jury Honorable Mention for Documentary Feature
Winner: "My Mother¹s Garden" directed by Cynthia Lester

Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short
Prize: $2,500 Credit at Filmworks/FX
Winner: "Blood Will Tell" directed by Andrew McPhillips

Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Short
Prize: $2,500 Credit at Filmworks/FX
Winner: "The Ladies" directed by C.A. Voros

Grand Jury Award for Best Experimental Short
Prize: $2,500 Credit at Filmworks/FX
Winner: "Doxology" directed by Michael Langan

Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Short
Prize: $2,500 Credit at Filmworks/FX
Winner: “Son” directed by Daniel Mulloy

Special Jury Honorable Mention for Narrative Short
Winner: “4960” directed by Wing-Yee Wu

The winners of the Audience Awards are as follows:

Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
Prize: $4,000 Credit from Filmworksfx
Winner: "The Project" directed by Ryan Piotrowicz

Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature
Prize: $4,000 Credit from Filmworksfx
Winner: "Song Sung Blue" directed by Greg Kohs

Global Audience Award for Best Anarchy Film
Prize: $2,500 Credit from Filmworksfx
Winner: "Rock Garden" directed by Gloria Kim

Spirit of Slamdance Award*
Prize: Jagermeister Gift Basket
Winner: "Woman in Burka" directed by Jonathan Lisecki
*Awarded by the 2008 filmmakers, for exhibiting passion and talent as a filmmaker, commitment to the independent community, and enthusiastically embracing all Slamdance has to offer.

The winners of the Writer Awards are as follows:

Award for Best Feature Length Screenplay
Prize: $7,000 cash
Winner: "The Wonder Girls" by Anthony Meindl

Award for Best Short Screenplay
Prize: $500.00 cash
Winner: "Easy Pickins'" by Will Hartman

Award for Best Teleplay
Prize: $5,000 cash
Winner: "Stage Six Pandemic" by Barbara Marshall

Award for Best Horror Competition Screenplay
Prize: $10,000 cash prize and a production deal with Angel Baby Entertainment & Maverick Films
Winner: "The Punished" by Tony Mosher

Creative Excellence Award for the Horror Screenplay Competition
Prize: $1,000 cash
Winner: "Child in the Dark" by Damian Lahey & Ian Ogden

Special Award:

Kodak Vision Award for Best Cinematography
Prize: $10,000 worth of Kodak film (16mm or 35mm)
This is the 11th year Kodak is sponsoring the Kodak Vision Award at Slamdance
Winner: "Portage" cinematography by Sascha Drews & Ezra Krybus


Slamdance 2008 Awards are sponsored by Kodak, Panasonic, LP3 Pictures, Filmworksfx, Pierce Law Group, LLP, Discmakers, Digital Film Central, Alpha Cine, and Angel Baby Entertainment. Closing Awards and Reception sponsored by The vidShadow Network.

Founded in 2006, The vidShadow Network is one of the Internet's fastest growing video-sharing networks, specializing in premium content and original programming while offering revenue sharing opportunities in advertising, business, technology and entertainment. The user-friendly and family oriented site offers advanced technologies ensuring easy and safe video uploading and profiling. VidShadow is publicly traded and headquartered in Orange County, CA. For more information, please visit www.vidshadow.com.

Celebrating its 14th year, Slamdance continues to be the pre-eminent film festival whose sole mission is to nurture, support and showcase truly independent works, having established a unique reputation for premiering new films by first-time writers and directors working within the creative confines of limited budgets.