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June 5, 2005
APPY FILM FESTIVAL: 'River's Edge' Takes Top Honors in Young Filmmakers Category; Kentuckians Win Feature Category with Mockumentary 'Beneath the Mask'
by Tony Rutherford
Huntington News Network Writer
Huntington (HNN) — The film intended as only a senior Girls Scout project made it 2–0 at film festivals. "On the River's Edge," Francesca Karle's documentary concerning Huntington's homeless population on the banks of the Ohio, walked away with First Place in the Young Filmmakers category at the Appy Film Festival, Saturday, June 4, 2005.
| Appalachain Film Festival Awards Photos by Tony Rutherford |
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"On the River's Edge" premiered in March at the Keith Albee as a benefit to the Cabell–Huntington Coalition of the Homeless. The film won the student film competition at the Spring West Virginia International Festival in Charleston.
Since that time, the film has won an award at the West Virginia International Film Festival, been featured on CBS News "This Morning," and has a tentative date in the fall on "Oprah," the nation's No.1 talk show.
| After-Party at Holderby's for Appy Film-Makers Photos by Tony Rutherford |
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First–time filmmaker Ben Sledge and his partner Matt Wheeler, from Lexington, Ky., took first place in the feature division for their mockumentary, ""Beneath the Mask: Portrait of an American Ninja." Produced on a minuscule budget in and around Lexington, Ky., the story of a loser who wants to be a ninja had its world premiere at The Kentucky Theatre, Lexington, with half the proceeds donated to Habitat for Humanity.
"Rookie Bookie" tells the story of a man who falls in with a corrupt group of doctors and a hospital administrator, took second place award for feature films. Written, produced and directed by Kris and Natalie Boyatt of Collierville, Tenn., "Rookie Bookie" has been selected for the Tupelo Film Festival.
Veteran character actor Dennis Burkley won third place in the feature category for his "Repetition," a film that blends "American Idol" with "Fame" in a hopeful and heartbreaking story of students in a Los Angeles acting class. The film has cameo appearances by F. Murray Abraham, Robert Englund, Mark Hamill and Brian Kerwin.
The festival drew a record number of entries in the short film category with 13 being shown in competition. Huntington native Kim Spurlock's eerie "Buoi Chieu" (Afternoon) claimed second place, while "The Empty Building," which chronicles a group of people regressing to work their way past traumatic events, won the top prize.
"Monster Road," a documentary on the clay–mation creations of Bruce Bickford used in Frank Zappa's concert films of the 70s, won second place in the Documentary category.
A master's thesis production by Jean Andrews of Ohio University captured first place among documentaries. "So Here I Am. An Eyewitness Account of the Beginning of the Wayne National Forest in Appalachian Ohio as told by Ora E. Anderson" relates the experiences of Anderson, a former journalist, lobbyist, conservation leader and bank association professional.
From an entry field of 50, two screenplays took home Appys. "Averell and the Riders of the North Wind," a Civil War story by West Virginia's Nick Korolev won the top prize, while "The Treasure of Turtle Island" by John David and "Stolen" by Brad Campbell (last year's winner) placed second and third respectively.
Sponsored by the Huntington Regional Film Commission and the Huntington Convention and Visitor's Bureau, the banquet and awards ceremony was hosted by Brooke Baldwin, co–anchor of WOWK's "13 News This Morning" and "13 News at Noon."
Baldwin told the audience of enthusiastic filmmakers, community members and Hollywood insiders that the 2006 fest will be held starting June 1.
The winners receive cash prizes and sculptured "Appy" apples which were created by Blenko Glass.
Guest artists for the 2005 event included independent producer Anne Marie Gillen, Academy Award winner Ray McKinnon, veteran character actor Dennis Burkley, and director/producer/novelist Esther Luttrell.
