Last Wednesday was the February edition of IndieWorks, and our first time trying out the Stone Creek Lounge's back room. We're so grateful to them for letting us use their space but, unfortunately, it was a bit smaller than suitable for our needs. We screened 5 films instead of our usual 6, but still over 60 audience members showed up and about 12 to 15 ended up leaving because the room really capped out at 45 to 50 people. Because of this, we'll be testing out another TBA venue next month, which should fit 60 people more comfortably. We then will let our audience tell us their preference between the 2. Depending on the results, we may trim our monthly lineup to 4 films so people can confidently show up knowing they'll have a comfortable seat and view!
Anyway, aside from the room size issue, the night was lovely. The small room led to a nice intimate vibe, which led to a lot of audience interaction in the Q&A (which we love)! Everyone in attendance seemed to enjoy the films and the night as a whole.
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!
See photos from the evening (by guest photographer Grayson Davis):
The Films of the night:
Milan's First Day (Directed by Laura Fielder)
A young girl's first day at a new school.
America 1979 (Directed by Lila Yomtoob)
The Iran Hostage Crisis is in full effect, and even though Regina's parents are Iranian, she was raised to be American. When political tensions create problems for her at school, Regina's confusion about her identity causes a crisis at home.
Write With Me... (Directed by Hannah Leshaw)
A woman longs for a songwriting partner but, terrified of the vulnerability inherent in the act of creating, retreats into the safety of her mind.
Iris & Betty (Directed by Jason Hood)
Betty is Iris's new roommate. When Iris can't sleep, Betty offers to help her sleep through ASMR relaxation.
Emilia ( by FatChix Films)
Emilia is single. Scratch that: Emilia is dating Pinot Noir. Like most romantics, she wants to be swept off her feet while wearing a skirt that delicately disguises her cellulite. When she receives a call from THE guy, surprise quickly turns to panic as insecurities threaten to ruin her 'happy' before the ending.
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 system rating 8 categories of Story, Dialogue/Writing, Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Sound, Editing, and Production Value. The Silver Whiskers winner goes on to screen again at our end of year Best of Fest event in April!
The Silver Whiskers winner also receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform, and both winners received a free 2016 subscription to Bright Ideas Magazine and have the opportunity to be interviewed for our Insider Series.
For the February 2016 lineup, our winning films were:
Audience Choice Award: "America 1979"
Silver Whiskers Award: "Write With Me..."
See trailers for the winning films below:
