2008 Winner Jeff Wadlow Directs Feature Film

DIY FILM FESTIVAL WINNER WADLOW HITS THEATERS
3/15/2008 Former DIY Film Festival winner Jeff Wadlow has his first theatrically-released film debuting this weekend.

Wadlow, who won the first short film award at the inaugural DIY Film Festival, will see his film “Never Back Down” hit theatres nationwide.

“Today is one of the days I've been working my whole life towards,” said Wadlow. “I've got to be honest, there were times, like when I was a PA on “Law and Order” and my only job was keeping the homeless people from eating off the snack table, that I doubted a day like today would ever come. But it's here -- at last!”

The film stars two-time Academy Award nominees Djimon Hounsou, who has appeared in “Blood Diamond,” “Amistad” and “Gladiator.” The initial reviews have been positive, with the Hollywood Reporter noting, “Never Back Down” is “energetic and warm-hearted enough to become a word-of-mouth hit.”

TRAILER: "NEVER BACK DOWN"

Buskers the Movie

Last year's DIY Film Festival winner, "Buskers - For Love Or Money" has put a trailer on line, as well as a list of festivals its currently screening at. Check it out here: "Buskers"

Past DIY Film Festival Winners

The DIY Film Festival is proud to talk about.. itself! We've had a lot of talented filmmakers in the past 8 years, and we want to brag about a few of them. Early winners from the festival, include Jeff Wadlow, (Tower of Babble, 2002, and Katching Kringle 2004) who won awards in two festivals, once for a comedy short, and another year for an animated short. He went on to win the Million dollar Chrysler Film Festival, and then Jeff went on to direct the feature film Cry Wolf in 2005.
2006 BEST DRAMATIC FEATURE and BEST DIRECTOR for "SELF MEDICATED" filmmaker Monty Lapica went on to release his film theatrically after winning numerous other film festivals.
2006 BEST FILM "AMAZING GRACE: JEFF BUCKLEY" went on to win numerous other film festivals, as well, the terric and moving portrait of the winger, and is awaiting release on DVD.
The 2007 Festival included recent theatrical release "Last Stop for Paul" by director Neil Mandt. "Last Stop" went on to win awards in 45 film festivals and was released theatrically this past spring. And finally, last year's Documentary feature winner "The American Drug War: the Last White Hope" went on to win numerous awards and was purchased by Showtime where it made its debut in March and is now on DVD. Congratulations to director Kevin Booth and kudos to all the filmmakers who've allowed us to get a glimpse of their careers early on! Keep up the good work!!

Last year's winner Best Film "Buskers" is showing at the upcoming Coney Island Festival on Sept 8th.

2007 DIY FILM Festival Winners

Just to recap.. for those who are new to the blog..

2007 DIY FILM FESTIVAL NAMES WINNERS

"Last Stop For Paul" Wins Best Film Award

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 12, 2007)_ The hilarious comedy "Last Stop For Paul," the tale of two cubicle-bound workers who take an inspired trip around the world with a dead friend's ashes, has been named Best Film at the 2007 DIY Film Festival, which concluded Sunday.

The film was screened as part of the 2007 DIY Convention, which took place Feb. 9-11 at the historic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

In "Last Stop For Paul," director Neil Mandt improvises a film based on the idea of a worldwide journey seeking both pleasure and to honor the memory of a departed comrade. Using local amateurs and actors he picks up along the way, Mandt crafted a hilarious film from a cast that the makers of "Babel" would envy. For his innovative use of resources and his flair for storytelling, Mandt wins the 2007 DIY Film Festival "Best Director" honors to go along with his best film award.

A special award was granted acclaimed writer/director Henry Jaglom, who was named "DIY Filmmaker of the Year" for his vast body of independent filmmaking, which includes 16 feature films. Jaglom was honored at a special Saturday evening screening of his latest film, "Hollywood Dreams," and participated in a post-screening interview with DIY Film Festival programming director Richard Martini and lead actress Tanna Frederick.

The other winners of the 2007 DIY Film Festival include:

BEST DRAMATIC FEATURE – "SHAMELOVE"
In the vein of "Fight Club," a group of friends decide on a novel way to pick up girls: staging a street mugging and then pretending to save them. But things go downhill when one of the friends falls in love with a victim...

BEST SCREENPLAY - "UNDER THE MUD"
An uproarious comedy depicting a dysfunctional family from Liverpool. Reminiscent of "Little Miss Sunshine," the story revolves around a young girl's first communion and her completely wacky family, all told in DIY fashion with residents of Liverpool as the cast.

BEST COMEDY FEATURE – "BIGGA THEN BEN"
Two Russian slackers move to London to scam their way to riches in two weeks. Thoroughly exploring the immigrant underworld of the UK, this film manages to feel like a "Borat" through the eyes of two hip Eastern Europeans.

BEST DOCUMENTARY – "THE LAST WHITE HOPE"
Director Kevin Booth exposes the people behind the so-called "War On Drugs" proposed by the Nixon administration and still operating as government policy – or is it? Featuring interviews with a former DEA agent, a conservative judge and other political leaders, Booth uncovers the lies and conspiracy theories of the drug trade.

BEST WORLD CINEMA - "JAB" (Trinidad)
A famous "Jab" dancer passes along his secrets to dancing, life, love and native cooking to a protege.

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT – "MARKETING THE MESSAGE"
An insightful and funny look at the new Christian evangelical movement through the eyes of Stephen Baldwin, punk rockers and skateboarders.
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BEST COMEDY SHORT - "SPLITTSVILLE."
A guy loses his girlfriend and goes through an unusual fantasy of what happened – a dream where all the characters are played by her.

BEST DRAMATIC SHORT – "THOMAS IN BLOOM."
Touching story of a young boy whose attempts at communication with his grandmother are stifled until he realizes she's hard of hearing.

BEST ANIMATED FILM – "TENGERS."
This clay-mation animated feature from South Africa takes a look at life and love in Johannesburg.

BEST STUDENT FILM – "PERSPECTIVES"
A fresh and unusual look at a relationship told in split screen, and sometimes in triptych, where our hero's running monologue with himself is played in variations until he gets it right.

CALL FOR ENTRIES!! SIGN UP TODAY!!!

CALL FOR ENTRIES The International Film Festival Submission System
The DIY Film Festival prefers paperless entries submitted via The International Film Festival Submission System (BrigitFest) – on the Web at Withoutabox.com. Withoutabox provides cost-saving, online entry to major film festivals throughout the U.S. and in Europe with one master entry form, allowing you and us to enter your film more quickly and with greater accuracy. This method is free and easy. Members who choose to join Withoutabox also get $5.00 off their Entry Fees, plus the advantages of Extended Deadlines and Online Press Kit submissions. Click over to Withoutabox, then follow instructions to apply online:CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Click to Enter the 8th Annual DIY Film Festival

THE DIY REPORT

The 2009 DIY MUSIC FESTIVAL will again be highlighted by a Feb. 2009 exclusive lunchtime showcase in Hollywood before some of the top music supervisors in the country and an invite-only dinner with top professionals. The luncheon will again by co-sponsored by Bug Music, North America's largest independent publishing company, home to such songwriters and catalogs as Johnny Cash, Bob Mould, Ryan Adams, Gram Parsons and Iggy Pop.

But don't let us tell you. Hear about it from last year's winners: myspace.com To enter, register online at the right.

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THE 2008 NEW ENGLAND BOOK FESTIVAL has officially launched. Dedicated to the best books of the holiday season, with a major post-holiday campaign as one of the prizes. Register on the right side of the page.

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THE 2008 LONDON BOOK FESTIVAL has issued a call for entries to its annual program honoring books worthy of further attention from the international publishing community. Details on registration on the right side of this page.

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2008 HOLLYWOOD BOOK FESTIVAL NAMES WINNERS

HOLLYWOOD (July 12, 2008) _ The 2008 Hollywood Book Festival has named Stan Lerner’s novel “Criminal” as the grand prize winner of its annual competition honoring books worthy of greater attention from the film, TV and multimedia industries.

A graphic but page-turning account of the rise to power of the world’s most calculating and dangerous man, “Criminal” is the story of Sam Noah, who will do whatever is necessary to achieve his ends.

Lerner’s saga of this mastermind of evil was honored during awards that were part of a weekend festival at The Grove at Farmers Market in Hollywood that featured author readings, live music, book publishing panels and children’s entertainment. The event was presented in conjunction with Barnes & Noble Booksellers.

Lerner’s victory earned him $1500 and a week-long stay at the Larimar St. Croix Writer’s Colony in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Other winners and honorable mentions for the 2008 Hollywood Book Festival:

GENRE-BASED:

ROMANCE:

WINNER: Insufficient Mating Material – Rowena Cherry

HONORABLE MENTION:

For The Children – Marin Thomas

SCIENCE FICTION:

WINNER: The Grandmaster – Peter Balaskas

HONORABLE MENTION:

Alpha Rising – GL Douglas

Strike at the Heart: The First Mission – Lawrence Berrie

WESTERN:

WINNER: Seven Ox Seven – Peter Ritzer

DETECTIVE:

WINNER: Black’s Beach Shuffle – Corey Lynn Fayman

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY:

WINNER:: They Poured Fire On Us From The Sky – Benson Deng, Alephonsion Deng and Benjamin Ajak with Judy Bernstein

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Jacko: His Rise and Fall – Darwin Porter

The House of Many Faces – Konstantina Dimitra Mahlia

Crossing Hoffa – A Teamster’s Story – Steven Harper

The Misadventures of a Roving Cartoonist – Tom Gill/Tim Lasiuta

Little Miss Smarty Pants – Suzanne Koupoulis

Running From Coyote – Danalee Buhler

Love is a Four-Letter Word – Robert X. Leeds

UNPUBLISHED:

WINNER: The Willow Falls Christmas Train – William Trombello

HONORABLE MENTION:

Legends of a King – Damian St. Clair

The Pink Dolphin – Laura Ambler and Mary Duncan

GENERAL FICTION:

WINNER: Criminal – Stan Lerner

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

The Maximum Contribution – Rick Robinson

Stolen Boy – Michael Mehas

God Bless Mr. Devil – Andrew Davis

The Rose of York: Fall from Grace – Sandra Worth

Kastle Law – Chris Copeland

The Street Life Series: Is It Passion or Revenge? Kevin M. Weeks

Temple of the Two Jaguars – Edward Curry

Spa Deadly – Louise Gaylord

First, There Is A River – Kathy Steffen

The Happy Soul Industry – Steffan Postaer

We The People – B.L. Hyde

The Badger Game – Norman Shabel

The Street Sweeper – David Riviera, Jr.

Death in Advertising – Stephen Hawley Martin

The Woman Pope – Nelson Clark

GENERAL NON-FICTION

WINNER: When The Mob Ran Vegas – Steve Fischer

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Jesus Goes To Hollywood – William Bramley

Unlocking The Mystery of Skin Color – Thienna Ho

Las Vegas Weddings – Susan Marg

Twisted Confessions – Charles E. Skoller

CHILDREN’S

WINNER: Archibald’s Swiss Cheese Mountain – Sylvia Lieberman/Jeremy Wendell

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Stanley The Elephant – Stan Lerner

Monty The Traveling Cat – B.J. Moesner/Kevin Scott Collier

Mama, Are We There Yet? Rose Saposnek

Kendra Kandlestar and the Door To Unger – Lee Edward Fodi

There’s A Kid Under My Bed – Lisa Funari-Willever/Lon. A. Levin

Why The Dog Chases The Cat and the Cat Chases The Dog – K.L. Vaniko

Circus Fever – Alva Sachs/Patricia Krebs

Melinda: A Mostly Magnificent Moose – Daniel Burch Fiddler

Emerita – Cindy Mauro Reisenauer

The Great Willow – Michael Starr

Born To Dance – Katherine Reynolds

The Wiggle Jiggle Book – Kathy Patalsky

WeeBeasts, Book One: Origins – Micah Linton

TEENAGE

WINNER: Surfer Girl - Penelope Dyan

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Who’s Your Daddy? Lynda Sandoval

Parallel Worlds, Paraworld Zero – Matthew Peterson

Across Time: Mystery of the Great Sphinx – Dr. O.J. Harp III

The Great Book of the Universe – Colette Francis Ashton

COMICS:

WINNER: The 7th Order – Donald Hudec

HOW-TO:

WINNER: Fortune & Freedom: The Entrepreneur’s Guide To Success – Jim Hirshfield

HONORABLE MENTION:

Blood Moon’s Guide To Gay and Lesbian Films – Danforth Prince

WILD CARD:

WINNER:: The Passion of Maryam – Loren Woodson

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Across Time: Mystery of the Great Sphinx – Dr. OJ Harp III

Voices Under Berlin – Mark Hooker

Alpha Rising – G.L. Douglas

The Passion of Maryam – Loren Woodson

Run Toward The Sun – Anton Haardt

The Digger’s Rest – K. Patrick Malone

Dealing With Divas: Shelley Anderson

AUDIO/SPOKEN WORD

WINNER: Your Final Diet – Abby Aronowitz

THE 2008 DIY BOOK FESTIVAL has issued the call for entries to its seventh annual competition honoring the best of independent and self-published work. Full details below and registration on the right side of this page.

THE 2008 HOLLYWOOD BOOK FESTIVAL will be held on Saturday, July 12 at the Grove at Farmers Market, one of the top dining, shopping and entertainment destinations in the heart of Hollywood. The event is presented in conjunction with Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Over 30,000 attendees are expected for the event, which spotlights books worthy of further attention from the film, TV and gaming community. Details at hollywoodbookfestival.com

DIY FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING HEAD RICHARD MARTINI has posted his "Tibetan Refugee" film online in its entirety. The film is debuting on YouTube in five ten-minute sections, detailing the torture of journey of monks and children who were forced to flee Tibet a few years ago. "The film is available at Netflix and other sites, but I just felt for those who have an interest in hearing from the Tibetans themselves what kind of damage the Chinese are doing, they'd be able to check it out for free." The video is online at youtube.com

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