BWiFF Judge David B. Grelck Asks the Question, “Why Movies?”

BWiFF 2011-2012 Judge, David B. Grelck. Photo by Brian Jarreau.

“Movies are very important to me,” I said, making one of those sweeping declarations that may in some ponderous tome be an attempt at depth.

“Why?” returned.

I opened my mouth to reply and found myself unsure. I’ve loved movies for my entire adult life. In fact since the summer of 1988 when I saw a movie more than once, more than twice, in the theater. When I managed to convince both my mother and my father that Who Framed Roger Rabbit was worthy of subsequent viewings (as well as the various products I was able to con them into purchasing for me) both at first run and all the way down to dollar theaters around closing weekends, I watched that film unfurl and I witnessed the breathtaking depth of what movie magic could be. In a film about the movies.

That was when I wanted to be ...

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BWiFF 2012 | Award Winning Official Selections

We are very pleased to announce the 2012 award-winning official selections from the 2012 Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival!  Congratulations to all of the films selected.  As the judges stated in their closing comments at the Awards Brunch this past Sunday, this year’s selections were very strong.

Thank you to all Festival Pass Holders who attended the entire event from beginning to end.  We hope to see you again next year.  Filmmakers, please keep an eye out for our 2013 Call for Entries this August.

And the winners are…

Best of Fest
A.L.F.

Best Narrative Feature
A.L.F.

Best Documentary
5 Days in Denver

Best Short Film
Things My Father Never Taught Me

Best Music Video
In Your Arms by Greg Jardin for Kina Grannis

Best Animation
Machinehead

Best of Illinois
The Last Interview

Best Actor
Alexandre Laigner for A.L.F.

Best Actress
Molly Ryman for Things I Don’t Understand

Best Supporting Actor
Hugo Dillon for Things I Don’t Understand

Best Supporting Actress
Grace Folsom for Things I Don’t Understand

Best Director
Craig Foster for Parrot

Best Screenplay
Craig Foster for Parrot

Best Sound
Lauren J. Stephens & Michael Baird for I Am Bad

Best Editing
Brian Wessel for Like A Good Neighbor

Best Special Effects Makeup
Kristin LeClair & Crystal Portillo for Other

Best Cinematography
Yohei Tateishi for Quitter

Best Production Design
Micah Gallagher for Machinehead

Best Original Music
David Rackoff for I Am Bad

Promising New Filmmaker
Brad Rosier for Currency

Audience Favorite
Things I Don’t Understand

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Chicago Reader’s Runner-Up for 2012 Best Film Festival

Best of Chicago 2012

On behalf of the festival staff and volunteers, we’re very honored to have been voted the runner-up for Best Film Festival in the Chicago Reader‘s Best of Chicago 2012!  As we enter into our third year at the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, we are pleased to present a strong program filled with incredible stories from around the world.

For example, The Hole (from South Korea) introduces us to a young man who hesitates to help a woman under attack and is haunted by his inaction to do the right thing.  A group of activists bound by a limitless empathy towards mistreated animals show courage to complete a mission they have been preparing for months in the eye-opening French film, A.L.F. (Animal Liberation Front).

This year’s festival will also feature motion pictures made closer to home, such as Andrew Morris’s Red Balls - a fully improvised mockumentary that shows the face of Chicago’s roughest and most intense underground dodgeball league.

The 2012 Blue Whiskey Indepen...

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BWiFF 2012 | SHORT FILM SELECTIONS!

See below for the complete listing of the 2012 BWiFF SHORT OFFICIAL SELECTIONS:

Being Bradford Dillman
Directed by Emma Burch

The Dance
Directed by Pardis Parker

The Diet Situation
Directed by Steve Coulter

Future.Inc
Directed by Martin Stirling

The Guy Who Lived in My Pool
Directed by Wyeth Taylor

The Hole
Directed by Joon Seong Ahn

Hourglass
Directed by Pedro Collantes

The Last Interview
Directed by Zachary Mehrbach

Like A Good Neighbor
Directed by David Lassiter

Machinehead
Directed by Micah Gallagher

Open
Directed by Tom Abray

Other
Directed by Daniel DelPurgatorio

Parrot
Directed by Craig Foster

Quitter
Directed by Garen Mirzaian

Things My Father Never Taught Me
Directed by Burleigh Smith

Time Dances On
Directed by Sophia Kruz

Webcam
Directed by Stefan Haverkamp, Jan Jaworski, Brenden Kramer & Tom Kropp

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