Official 2012 Call for Entries! As we begin our third year, we’re very excited to announce that for the first time we will now be accepting submissions through Withoutabox!  This opportunity was made possible by the support of our local community and the generous donations made at the CNGM 2012 Insider this past Saturday, November 12.  From all of us at the festival, we’d like to thank you for all of your help in obtaining our goal.

Attention Local Filmmakers! Please take note of our newest submission category: Illinois Film.  This new category (which also features a discounted submission fee) was developed for works produced in the state of Illinois or made by an Illinois filmmaker.  Films submitted in this category may be of any length, style or genre.  Films selected in this category will be eligible for the Best of Illinois Award (as well as other awards).  If you have any questions regarding this new category, feel free to contact our programming department.

Check out the Q&A video above with Conrad Jackson and Parker Croft of Falling Overnight.  Also, please continue to support our festival year round by attending and participating in our monthly Blue Whiskey Cinema (BWC) series.  Click “BWC” on the menu above or visit BlueWhiskeyCinema.com for screening dates, times and other information.

Congratulations to all the award winners for their incredible work and incredible films!  In addition, thank you to all who attended the festival this year!  Keep an eye out for our 2012 Call for Entries this August.

And the winners are…

Best of Fest
Falling Overnight

Audience Favorite
The Wanteds

Best Narrative Feature
Falling Overnight

Best Documentary
The Wanteds

Best Short Film
Bathing and the Single Girl

Best Music Video
Sadness is a Blessing

Best Experimental
Ghost

Best Animation
The Eagleman Stag

Best Director
Kyle Smith for Turkey Bowl

Best Screenplay
David Dusa, Mike Sens, Raphaelle Maes and Louise Moliere for Fleurs du mal (Flowers of Evil)

Best Actor
Parker Croft for Falling Overnight

Best Actress
Sarah Lassez for The Dead Inside

Best Supporting Actor
Tom DiMenna for Turkey Bowl

Best Supporting Actress
Kerry Bishe for Turkey Bowl

Best Editing
Yannick Coutheron and Nicholas Houver for Fleurs du mal (Flowers of Evil)

Best Sound
Gypsy Sound for Absentia

Best Cinematography
Jean-Phillippe Gossart for Odd Shoe

Best Production Design
Shannon Hourigan for The Dead Inside

Best Original Music
Rob Lane for Odd Shoe

CNGM Pictures and the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival are proud to present Dennis Florine & the Messengers at the 2011 Opening Night Celebration!  Just this past Saturday, Florine released his new album O’ World, What a Beautiful Tragedy at The Cubby Bear in Chicago.

Born and raised in Palatine, Illinois, Dennis Florine has been touring the world for the past six years.  Florine has shared the stage with Fred Shafer and the LoCash Cowboys, and has had the privilege of working with Grammy winning engineer Rico Lumpkin (Outkast, Monica) and producer Nathan Yaccino (Hanson, Soundgarden).  Performing at music venues and universities across the nation, Dennis crossed the big lake in 2005 and 2007 to tour eight European countries.  This year, Dennis will return to France to perform in the 2011 Fontenay-le-Comte International Music Festival (the sister city of Palatine), upon the request of the Mayor of Palatine.

Dennis has created a unique, hybrid genre of pop by splicing spoken word into his songs, lacing poetic truth into his already catchy melodies.  As he stomps his foot and pumps passion into every strum, the audience comes alive with his contagious energy. O’ World, What a Beautiful Tragedy marks Florine’s debut full-length album, which was recorded at Robert Lang Studios in Seattle, Washington back in November.

Dennis Florine & the Messengers will be performing on Tuesday, July 19 at 7:00 PM, along with the festival’s music video official selections.  The opening night concert will be free admission, courtesy of CNGM Pictures and Theatre Nebula.  Follow the show’s production process right here at BWiFF.com.

The Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival is proud to announce our closing night special presentation will be the Malcolm Venville-directed feature, Henry’s Crime.  After serving three years in prison for a bank robbery he did not commit, an amiable but aimless man decides to rob the bank for real. His plan involves infiltrating a local theatre company, but his scheme gets complicated when he falls for the company’s lead actress.  The film stars Keanu Reeves, James Caan and Vera Farmiga.

Henry’s Crime will be playing on Saturday, July 23 at 9:30 PM.  As a special presentation, the film will be screening out-of-competition, courtesy of ICAP Media.  For tickets and passes to this year’s festival, visit the Cutting Hall Box Office.