The top three winners of Tuesday’s annual Midwest Independent Film Festival’s (MIFF) “Advertising Community Shorts Night,” out of 17 finalists, will compete for MIFF’s “Best in the Midwest Awards” Tuesday, Dec. 6 at Rocket Bar & Grill.
First prize in the Shorts contest went to “Exonerated,” a look into the lives of five people who had spent 23 years in jail for crimes they did not commit. Chicago commercial photographer Andy Goodwin directed and Patrick Duffy of Cutters’ Detroit office edited.
Second place was won by satirical “No Other Way to Say It,” about a voiceover session with an increasingly distracted VO actress, for a fictitious children’s ice cream brand conducted by two insecure agency producers.
Production company Hog Butcher’s Tim Mason wrote and directed; Hog Butcher and Optimus produced, whose EPs were Ron Lazzeretti and Lisa Masseur, respectively.
Two shorts tied for third place: Chicago-made “Gas,” and Detroit entry “Victor.” “Gas,” about thinking and talking, was written/directed by spot director Steve Delahoyde, of Delahoyde Projects, produced by Ogilvy’s Sara Martin and starring improv actors David Pasquesi and Marc Grapey.
Detroit-made “Victor,” about imagination, solitude and sometimes a blindfolded quest for happiness, was produced by Detroit production studio Yeah Haus and directed/edited by Chad Thompson, Yeah Haus’ co-founder and motion designer.
2016 Advertising Community Shorts Night was held at Landmark’s Century Cinema theatre and played to an SRO audience.
