elisabeth ness

IndieWorks - July Recap

Tuesday was our July edition of IndieWorks. We screened 4 films and had over 50 people in house! All four dealt with grief and overcoming loss. The styles and genres varied, but all were compelling and extremely well done. Some thoughtful discussions were had. We, unfortunately, had patrons in the bar in back that were a bit noisier than usual at times. But, overall, the night was a big success!

We'd just like to say thank you to everyone who came out to support the filmmakers and spend the evening with us & them. We do hope all enjoyed the films and the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and film enthusiasts. We know some connections were made! 

We hope you'll join us again for our August screening on the 14th -  featuring a fun lineup of thrillers, scifi, and animation.

See photos from the evening:

The Films of the night:

En Route (Directed by Pamela Harris, Written by Pamela Harris & Kathryn Rhoads, Produced by Elisabeth Ness)
Two estranged sisters must face each other for the first time in a year -- on the 6-minute ride to their deceased brother's memorial.  

Tyrannosaurus Death! (Written & Directed by Adam Volerich)
A whimsical romp through suburban melancholy told through split timelines. We follow Russell, a traumatized loner who poetically narrates us through the past and present as he commits a life-altering faux pas and tries to bounce back from it. 

Rockaway Moon (Written & Directed by Charlotte Purser)
After the loss of her husband, a young mother refuses to leave the house. One morning, her sister coaxes her out for a daylong adventure in their childhood neighborhood, Rockaway, Queens. Memories arise around every corner as they make their way to the beach. 

We Were Kids (Written & Directed by Adam Taylor)
Unwelcome circumstances compel an equally unwelcome reunion for two long estranged brothers. 

Watch our Q&A Recap. *Please know there are some film spoilers - feel free to look for an opportunity to catch the films at a festival or computer screen near you & then come back to watch!

The awards go to...

At the end of the evening, we announced our winning filmmakers for both Audience Choice Award & Silver Whiskers Award. The Audience Choice Award is voted upon by all those in attendance, and the Silver Whiskers Award is judged by the CongestedCat Team based on a rating system of 8 categories:   StoryDialogue/WritingDirectionActingCinematographySoundEditing, and Production Value, along with a nuanced discussion focused on inclusion and originalityThe Silver Whiskers winner goes on to screen again at our end of year Best of Fest screening next April. 

The Silver Whiskers winner also receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform and 50% off 4MileCircus' post-production audio cleaning service for a future project. 

For the July 2018 lineup, our winning films were:
    Audience Choice Award:  "Tyrannosaurus Death!"
    Silver Whiskers Award:  "We Were Kids" 

Join us next month for our August edition on the 14th!

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IndieWorks: September (Web Series) Screening Recap

Last Tuesday was the September edition of IndieWorks, and our annual Web Series special! We screened 6 episodes of locally made web series and had over 50 people in house! Web Series Month is always extra special because we find the creators and actors tend to already know each other, so there are even more supportive & collaborative vibes in the crowd throughout the night. Some wonderful conversations came out of the lineup, and we can't wait to see more episodes of everything we screened!

We'd just like to say thank you to everyone who came out to support the filmmakers and spend the evening with us & them. We do hope you enjoyed all the films and the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and film enthusiasts, and we hope some connections were made! AND we hope you'll join us again for our Halloween Special on October 25th. 

The Series of the night:

Six Windows (Ep. 1 - Lucy) (Directed by Brandon Taylor)
"Six Windows" peeks into the lives of people, as they face the unique ambience and drama of living in New York City. Each episode focuses on a moment in time for a single soul, a snapshot of their life. 

Pair of Normals (Pilot - WWYD?) (Created by Jason Hood)
Betty is an overworked college student plagued by high expectations, cramming in the library for finals. After a horrifying revelation, she asks herself the age-old question, What Would Yeezus Do?.

Blank My Life (Ep. 10 - Ending) (Created by Alex Spieth)
Susan and Ryan go on a date, just in time for the holidays.

Redheads Anonymous (Ep. 4) (Created by Elisabeth Ness/Directed by Daniel Seth)
To win a Redhead Scholarship, Molly and her three ginger pals must find out: what does it mean to be a redhead?

Working On It (Created by Marzy Hart)
"Working on It", follows four couples as they wait in the therapist's office to begin their session.

Growing Down (Created by Jessica Henderson/Directed by Jeff Davis)
Three NYC women try to navigate their 20s and all the problems presented by attempting to make something happen.

Watch our Q&A Recap. *Please know that all series are available online - feel free to watch them on a computer screen near you & then come back to see what the creators have to say!

The awards go to...

At the end of the evening, we announced our winning filmmakers for bothAudience Choice Award & Silver Whiskers Award. The Audience Choice Award is voted upon by all those in attendance, and the Silver Whiskers Award is judged by the CongestedCat Team based on a system rating 8 categories of StoryDialogue/WritingDirectionActingCinematography,  SoundEditing, and Production Value. (In the case of Web Series Month, we watch & score the full season of each series.) The Silver Whiskers winner goes on to screen again at our end of year Best of Fest screening next April. 

The Silver Whiskers winner also receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform and a free Social Media audit ($200 value) from4MileCircus. And both winners received a free 2016 subscription to Bright Ideas Magazine.

For the September 2016 lineup, our winning films were:
    Audience Choice Award:  "Six Windows"
    Silver Whiskers Award:  "Blank My Life"

Watch both winners below:

Join us next month for our Halloween Special on October 25th!