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2004 Big Muddy Film Festival Awards

Experimental:

First Place:

Out of the Ether (10min)
by Kerry Laitala

The film unleashes upon an unsuspecting audience septic musings about fear in the guise of microbial menace and mayhem.

Second Place (Tie):

Maze (5min)
by Akira Tetsuka

Roaming of solitary spirit.

Zeno's Paradox (5min)
by Robert Arnold

According to Zeno of Elea, a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher (490-425 BC):

There is no motion because that which is moved must arrive at the middle of its course before it arrives at the end. And so on, infinitely.

Honorable Mentions:

Quiet Please (2min)
by Ronnie Cramer

A film document of the two minutes of silence that occurred between responses in a recent on-camera interview for a documentary about independent directors.

Meridian Days (12min)
by Trevor Fife

A poetic travelogue that stems from audio & visual material collected on a three-week cruise taken with the filmmaker's 82-year-old grandmother.

Noon/Beach/August (24min)
by Ippei Watanabe

Documentry:

First Place: (TIE)

La Promesa / The Vow (26min)
by Cheryl Hess

Set against the backdrop of St. Lazarus Day (Dec. 17th), La Promesa was filmed in Cuba over three consecutive years and tells the story of Fidel who is in the process of fulfilling a five-year vow that he has made to St. Lazarus for the health of his young son.

This is Our Slaughterhouse (23min)
by Matthew Broerman

For the ten workers of Broerman Poultry Processing, every weekend of the past twelve years has been spent slaughtering chickens. The documentary follows them, revealing their surprisingly close relationships.

Honorable Mentions:

Girl Wrestler (56min)
by Diane Zander

Tara is thirteen. She likes to go to the mall... and she wrestles boys. On her journey to the national championships, she battles critics, struggles with her father's drive for her to succeed, and fights with her own body.

A Day on the Force: Women's Professional Tackle Football (52min)
by Ronit Bezalel, Laurie Little, and Sree Nallamothu

This upbeat, humorous film chronicles the challenges and triumphs of game day, focusing on a game against the San Diego SeaCatz. Shines with heart, humor and respect for the women carving out their dreams.

Narrative:

First Place: (TIE)

The Climactic Death of Dark Ninja (12min)
by Rachel Craig and Peter Craig

A group of young filmmakers struggle to film the climax to their ninja epic.

Zamboni Man (14min)
by Seth Henrikson

The film examines the unlikely and ironic relationship between two unique characters: Walt, a Zamboni driver, and Tyler a young and graceful figure skater.

Honorable Mentions:

Maree (Tides) (14min)
by James Pellerito

An Albanian father and son flee war-torn Macedonia in search of a better future in Italy. Once in Venice, the father makes the most painful decision of his life.

Audience Choice Award:

The Climactic Death of Dark Ninja (12min)
by Rachel Craig and Peter Craig

A group of young filmmakers struggle to film the climax to their ninja epic.

Festival Volunteer's Choice Award:

Red Things (9min)
by Max Porter

A mysterious phenomenon overtakes a small town, reeking havoc with all things red. Order is restored with a single breath.

JOHN MICHAELS MEMORIAL FILM AWARD

First Place:

The Fourth World War (1hr16min)
by Richard Rowley and Jaqueline Soohen

Shot on the frontlines of struggles on five continents -- where the mainstream media cannot go -- the film is the untold story of the current global conflict. It is the story of men and women around the world who resist being annihilated in this war.

Second Place:

Scenes From an Endless War (32min)
by Norman Cowie

An experimental documentary on militarism, globalization and the "war against terrorism."

Third Place:

Talking to the Wall (57min)
by Steve Alves

A filmmaker's flight from sprawl and search for community launches a ten-year investigation into the corrosive effects of chain stores on the American economy and culture.

Honorable Mentions:

Containment: Life After Three Mile Island (1hr)
by Nick Poppy and Chris Boebel

A documentary that examines the political, environmental and emotional effects of the Three Mile Island nuclear accident on townspeople, activists and plants workers.

Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train (1hr 8min)
by Deb Ellis and Denis Mueller

The film follows the life and times of this best-selling historian/activist and his involvement in the major social movements of the 20th century.

Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War (56min)
by Robert Greenwald

This controversial film takes you behind the walls of government as CIA, Pentagon and foreign service experts speak out, many for the first time, detailing the lies, misstatements and exaggerations that served as reasons for the war.

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