Today, The Midwest Independent Film Festival announced their nominees for The Best of the Midwest Awards Celebration, which recognizes the premier films and filmmakers featured throughout the 2017 season at the Midwest Independent Film Festival.
The BMA nominees
Best Music Video:
HOT SHIT, directed by Andre Muir for Towkio
LSD, directed by Sam Bailey for Jamilia Woods
PULASKI AT NIGHT, directed by Natalie Morales for Andrew Bird
SHAME, directed by Ashley Rockwood for Jess Godwin
SPECIAL MOMENT, directed by Max Moore for Post Animal
Best Short Film:
MIRIAM IS GOING TO MARS, directed by Michael Lippert
RAP SKOOL, directed by Nnamdi Ngwe
REKINDLED, directed by Erin Brown Thomas
STARVING ARTISTS, directed by Jeff Hadick
TANYA, directed by Monica Raymund
Best Actress
Amanda Drinkall, THE VIEW FROM TALL
Amy Pietz, HALFWAY
Ann Sonneville, MIRIAM IS GOING TO MARS
Fawzia Mirza, SIGNATURE MOVE
Kiah McKirnan, TANYA
Best Actor
Eamonn Walker, TANYA
Michael Patrick Thornton, THE VIEW FROM TALL
Nnambi Ngwe, RAP SKOOL
Patrick Blanton, PRONOUNS
Tim Lyons, GENTLE DAN
Best Editing
Benjamin May, THE LEGEND OF SWEE PEA
Felix Piniero, SIGNATURE MOVE
Jesse Roesler, FREEDOM RIDE
Michael Paulucci, PRONOUNS
Savannah Cannistraro, THE GOOD WORK
Best Cinematography
Austin Rink, MIRIAM IS GOING TO MARS
Christopher Rejano, SIGNATURE MOVE
Joel & Jesse Edwards, DUST TO DUST
Stephanie Dufford, THE VIEW FROM TALL
Tari Segal, TANYA
Best Animated Film
SENATAUR, directed by Alec Pinkston
DIE FLUCHT, directed by Carter Boyce
WHERE IT FLOODS, directed by Joel Benjamin
LINGUA ABSENTIA, directed by Kate Raney and Jeremy Bessoff
OPEN CARRY, USA, directed by Ron Fleischer
Best Screenplay
Ben Caird, HALFWAY
Caitlin Parrish, THE VIEW FROM TALL
Haroula Rose, LOST AND FOUND
Terrence Thompson, DRIVE SLOW
Tim Mason, DEJA VU
Best Director
Erica Weiss and Caitlin Parrish, THE VIEW FROM TALL
Jennifer Reeder, SIGNATURE MOVE
Michael Lippert, MIRIAM IS GOING TO MARS
Monica Raymund, TANYA
Samantha Bailey, BROWN GIRLS
Best Feature Film
DAVE MADE A MAZE, directed by Bill Watterson
HALFWAY, directed by Ben Caird
SIGNATURE MOVE, directed by Jennifer Reeder
THE LEGEND OF SWEE PEA, directed by Benjamin May
THE VIEW FROM TALL, directed by Erica Weiss and Caitlin Parris
This year’s celebration will take place at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark Street in Chicago. Tickets will be available soon. Voting ends at 12:00pm on Monday, November 27th. Winners are determined by their screening committee vote and the public vote. You can vote by clicking here.
VML new hires
VML announced two senior level hires in its Chicago office.
Veteran producer Melissa Barany has joined VML as Executive Producer. She will be tasked with managing production for the Chicago office while reporting to Tyler Smith, head of production, North America. Barany leaves EnergyBBDO, where she served as Executive Producer for six years, overseeing integrated global production for multiple SC Johnson brands.
Hilary Burns also joins VML Chicago as Group Director, Client Engagement and will report to chief client officer Chuck Searle. For Burns, this follows three years at SapientRazorfish, where she served as director of client services and was responsible for the agency’s Wrigley, Kraft Heinz, Mondelez, Bayer Healthcare and Panera Bread accounts.
Huge Detroit welcomes Raupp as new ECD
Huge Detroit hired Dwayne Raupp joins Huge Detroit as its new Executive Creative Director, the agency announced yesterday.
Raupp spent a year at GTB, where he co-lead the agency’s invention design studio, Kinetic Optimism Studio, as Senior Vice President.
Prior, he served as Co-Chief Creative Officer at Enlighten, leading its experience design group and then became managing director for Perficient Digital when Perficient acquired Enlighten.
Agency Spy reports that he will report to Huge Detroit Managing Director, Ranae Heuer and Global Executive Experience Director, Derek Fridman.
Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com or follow him on Twitter @colincostello10.