The judges have admirably performed in naming some 20 films and filmmakers they deem worthy of competing for the “2014 Best of the Midwest” showcased by the Midwest Independent Film Festival this past year.
Now it’s up to you to vote for the winners. The “Best” in nine categories will be honored at the awards gala Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Underground.
The winners of November’s MWFF’s “Ad Community Shorts Night” also appear among the “Best” competitors: Odd Machine’s first place “The Scumbag Barbers of Rotterdam,” Detroit director Oksana Mirzoyan’s second place “140 Drams” and the Minneapolis Olson team’s third place “Hoppy Hour.”
The film that apparently most impressed the judges was Collin Schiffli’s “Animals,” leading with seven nominations out of nine categories. Billy Federighi’s “Adventures in the Sin Bin” follows with six nods. Joe Swanberg’s “Happy Christmas” has four places on the list, including one for “Best Feature.”
And the nominees are:
Best Music Video
Shadow, directed by Ryan O’Hara Theisen
Unbreakable Pocket Comb, directed by Justin Reid Tvedt
Am I Awake, directed by Paul Swiatek
Best Short Film
The Scumbag Barbers of Rotterdam, directed by Seth Henrikson
Hoppy Hour, directed by Tyrna O’Hara Theisen
140 Drams, directed by Oksana Mirzoyan
The Alphabet Conspiracy, directed by Chris Anderson
Apartment Guy, created by Bill Boehler
Offsides, directed by Titania Holliman
Bad Ambulance, directed by Daniel Klein
Ree, directed by Juan Camilo Moore
Best Editing
Amanda Griffin, Animals
Adam Pillon, 140 Drams
Craig Lewandowski, Adventures in the Sin Bin
Mike Turner, Hoppy Hour
Bill Kersey, The Starfish Throwers
Best Actress
Katie Oellerich, The Cold and the Quiet
Alana Grelyak, MagiCATastrophe
Sayjal Joshi, The Mayor’s Aide
Ilyssa Fradin, Animals
Best Cinematography
Chris Vinopal, The Cold and the Quiet
Ben Derico, Ree
Jeffrey Bloom, The Wake
Pete Biagi, Bad Ambulance
Jesse Roesler, The Starfish Throwers
Seth Henrikson, The Scumbag Barbers of Rotterdam
Best Screenplay
Christopher Storer, Adventures in the Sin Bin
David Dastmalchian, Animals
Oksana Mirzoyan, 140 Drams
Bill Boehler, Apartment Guy
Jim Kozyra and Chris Petlak, The Jamz
Todd Sklar and Alex Rennie, Awful Nice
Best Actor
Alex Rennie, Awful Nice
Joe Swanberg, Happy Christmas
David Dastmalchian, Animals
Chance Bone, Adventures in the Sin Bin
Bill Boehler, Apartment Guy
Kris Flanagan, MagiCATastrophe
Malcom Banks, Offsides
Best Director
Oksana Mirzoyan, 140 Drams
Joe Swanberg, Happy Christmas
Billy Federighi, Adventures in the Sin Bin
Colleen Griffen Chappelle, The Cold and the Quiet
Todd Sklar, Awful Nice
Collin Schiffli, Animals
David Boone Wilson and AJ Schnack, We Always Lie to Strangers
Jesse Roesler, The Starfish Throwers
Best Feature
Adventures in the Sin Bin, directed by Billy Federighi
Awful Nice, directed by Todd Sklar
The Cold and the Quiet, directed by Colleen Griffen
We Always Lie to Strangers, directed by David Boone Wilson and A.J. Schnack
Animals, directed by Collin Schiffli
The Starfish Throwers, directed by Jesse Roesler
Happy Christmas, directed by Joe Swanberg
Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Nov. 24.
Tickets are $50 and may be purchased here.
