2011 MOONDANCE POST-FEST BLOG & AUDIENCE FAVORITES ANNOUNCEMENT!

2011 MOONDANCE POST-FEST BLOG & AUDIENCE FAVORITES ANNOUNCEMENT!

The 12th annual Moondance International Film Festival, also known as “The American Cannes”, took place in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, on the lovely and historic University of Colorado campus, and in downtown Boulder’s most popular restaurants, on September 16, 17, & 18, 2011, with original indie film screenings, professional writing and filmmaking workshops, private consultations with the pros, celebrity Q & A sessions, popular networking cocktail parties, and a gala awards ceremony & reception. Talented filmmakers, writers and composers, as well as enthusiastic audiences, attended from the US and from around the world!

• Read feature screenplay winner Eilis Mernagh’s fun & insightful article, titled “Winning Big at Moondance – Eilis Mernagh’s Festival Diary” at the IFTN (Irish Film & Television Network) online about her experiences during Moondance: http://www.iftn.ie/news/act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4284279&tpl=archnews&force=1

A GREAT BIG “THANK YOU!” TO ALL OUR 2011 VOLUNTEERS & STAFF!

The success of the 2011 Moondance event absolutely could not have happened without the 3 days and evenings of dedicated work of these truly fabulous staff, volunteers and friends of Moondance: Mark Schweisow, Festival Events Director & Screenings Coordinator; Kandice Martellaro, hard-working Volunteers Coordinator; Jody Handerson, Screenings Coordinator Assistant;  Susan Harvey, Awards Coordinator; Ted Harvey, Security; plus Prema Rose, Cheryl Michel, Miguel Carson (who was always available for one & all, as needed), Cedric Peebles, Kevin Lundeen, James Quon, Richard & Helen Love, JoAnn LaBella (who deserves a huge thanks, she worked so hard), Debbie LaBella, Eric Schwarz, Rev. Julie Mercer and Craig Lambert.

And many, many thanks to our long-time, diligent webster for keeping the Moondance website user-friendly and always up-to-date, Stephanie Vidergar.

Much appreciation to Paula Zimmerman, our tireless festival videographer! More info on the 2011 Moondance video, now in post-production, when it’s ready!

A big thanks also goes out to Candace Kearns Read, our favorite Moondance workshops presenter & consultant!

2011 MOONDANCE AUDIENCE FAVORITES ANNOUNCED!

AUDIENCE FAVORITE FEATURE FILM:

“SIBERIA, MONAMOUR”, Slava Ross, director (Russia)

AUDIENCE FAVORITE FEATURE DOCUMENTARY:

“JOURNEY ON THE WILD COAST”, Greg Chaney, director (USA)

AUDIENCE FAVORITE FEATURE FILM FOR KIDS:

“SHENEY DEGALIM”  (Two Flags), Lior Molcho, director (Israel)

AUDIENCE FAVORITE SHORT FILM:

“PRAIRIE SONATA”, Deborah LeVine, director (USA)

AUDIENCE FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO:

“I WANNA BE A PIRATE”, Ed Waters, director (USA)

AUDIENCE FAVORITE ANIMATION:

“THE DUST MACHINE”, Damon Mohl, director (Colorado)

Scroll on down for lots more festival news & info:

INKTIP.COM OPPORTUNITY FOR 2011 MOONDANCE WINNERS!

Inktip.com, a long-time sponsor, annually offers Moondance feature screenplay winners a free listing on their popular website! This is a very valuable opportunity to have your winning screenplay listed on a great site where top agents and producers regularly search for their next projects to represent, option and/or produce! We will send InkTip our 2011 list of feature screenplay winners, and they will contact you right away with this fantastic free offer!

REQUEST FOR 2011 MOONDANCE FESTIVAL PHOTOS

Special, urgent request to all Moondancers who attended the 2011 festival: Please send us several of your favorite photos from your days at the film festival! To help identify people in the photos, please remember to add the names and/or some description to the digital pix titles, rather than just long numbers. We will add the best photos to the 2011 Moondance website photo album, and to the next festival blog! Please do it now! E-mail them as .jpg attachments to: moondancefestival@gmail.com, with MIFF PHOTOS in the subject line.

2011 MOONDANCE FESTIVAL AWARDS WANTED?

Couldn’t attend the awards ceremony & reception?

Do you want your star award and certificate sent to you?

Final date to request awards sent is: October 15, 2011

Please go now to: http://www.acteva.com/go/moondance2011

GET YOUR MOONDANCE 2011 LAURELS:

To get your Moondance 2011 winner, finalist, semi-finalist, selected film, and/or audience favorite laurels image for promoting your project, go to: http://moondancefilmfestival.com/06_other.laurels.html

2011 MOONDANCE  POSTERS AND TOTE BAGS AVAILABLE!

For a limited time only, 2011 Moondance posters and mermaid logo tote bags are now available at: http://www.acteva.com/go/moondance2011

MOONDANCE 2012 CALL-FOR-ENTRIES!

The 2012 Moondance early-bird call-for-entries will open for submissions on December 1, 2011.  We look forward to receiving your next film, screenplay, film score, TV script, stageplay, radio show, music video, and  more! See the 2012 Moondance submission categories: http://www.moondancefilmfestival.com/03_submission.categories.html

2011 MOONDANCERS WRITE US!

• “It was such an honor to meet you and be part of your festival! I had a great time and met amazing people and watched riveting films!”~ Miglena Sandmeier, Bulagria & Atlanta, GA, film PR representative, award-winning “Dilli”

• “We had a great time at the festival, and it was so great to meet you!  Thank you so much for your support of our script, and we want you to know that we will continue to support Moondance and your efforts.  It really was a wonderful experience, and your support has encouraged us and motivated us. As a novice, my gut reaction to winning an award is that this is the END of the process, but what I’m quickly learning, is that it’s only the very beginning of this particular process. Thank you, again, for believing in us.” ~ Echo and Myrton Running Wolf, award winners, with Jasheika James & Crystal English, for their feature screenplay, “Black Warrior of Pyramid Lake”

• “Thank you once again for selecting “Spirit of the Everglades”. I appreciate your kind remarks and belief in this screenplay. Moondance is a wonderful film festival and to receive the Calypso award from such an amazing person as Elizabeth English is such an honor to me. It gives me the courage to keep pushing to get this feature screenplay out into the world for all to enjoy.” ~ Michael Bavota, Calypso Award winner

• “Thank you for the completely enjoyable time Sandy and I had at the festival. It was wonderful meeting you, as well as the new friends we spoke with that share this passion for excellence.” ~ John Fanta, semi-finalist,  music for a film score

• “Thank you for your help in improving my “The Song and the Land” screenplay during your First Impressions, Titles & Loglines workshop last Friday. I also found Candace Kearns Read’s How to Get an Agent workshop Saturday morning extremely helpful and interesting. I am now ready to improve the script and, yes, begin to market it. The Moondance Film Festival has been a great springboard for this next step. Thank you.” ~ Anne Campbell

• “I just wanted to thank you for putting on a fantastic film festival and allowing me, along with so many others, to experience it. I’d also like to thank you for all your help in the Titles & Loglines workshop, I really appreciate your critiques, and know that because of taking your class I’m already better off than I was before I walked in. On behalf of the cast and crew of The Drama, I’d like to express my gratitude to you for picking our pilot as the winner for two very special awards; it means a lot to me and to the people who invested their time into making the final product.” ~ Matt Grodsky, with Joe Flowers, co-director, Dolphin Awards for best TV  pilot script & best filmed TV pilot winner

• “I just wanted to say Thank You for supporting and including my work in the 2011 Festival!  Also Thank You for the award!  It really meant a lot to me to have my work included in the festival. It was great to talk to some of the audience members afterwards.” ~ Damon Mohl, winner, best animation, “The Dust Machine”

• “I was impressed by the quality of the films and flattered to be included in that group of very talented folks. I hope you like our new song, I’d Be Lyin’, a demo that we’ll be shopping very soon.” ~ Ed Waters, composer, “I Wanna Be a Pirate” & co-director with David Berrey, winning music video.

• “Thank you so much for the fun festival, and you executed it with a flair!  I enjoyed my time there and enjoyed meeting some wonderful people! I will certainly pass the word that it is one worth applying to and attending.” ~ Dawn Young, USA, winner music video “Who I Am”

• “Again, many thanks to Moondance for my Atlantis Award…my writer friend and winner, Eilis Mernagh, (winner, feature screenplay, “Star On the Run”, title changed at MIFF workshop to “Searching For Summer”) collected it for me, and I am thrilled to have it! Wish I could have been there…I do hope that such a prestigious win will raise some interest from producers. Well done on a very worthwhile and fabulous festival! ~ Carolin Farrell, Ireland, winner, “Pixer Knows”, feature screenplay for kids

• “Back from Boulder and apart from the ongoing jet lag, I have only positive things to say about Moondance. I had a great time, and the time and money spent getting there was well worth it. I’ve written a full report on the trip for the Irish Film and Television Network. Boulder is a really friendly place. Everyone I met made me feel so welcome, and the festival participants were a fantastic bunch. I want to particularly thank Moondance festival director Elizabeth English for putting on such a great festival. And obviously for giving me a cool award!” ~ Eilis Mernagh, Ireland, winner, “Star on the Run/ Searching For Summer” feature screenplay

• “Our whole family enjoyed the matinee line-up at Old Main Sunday. It was a wonderful time, and fun to be on CU’s beautiful campus, thanks.” ~ Charlotte & Ben Zink, (www.zinkmetalart.com fabricators of the Moondance star awards)

• “I just wanted you to know how very pleased I am to have been given an honor for my short story, “The Funeral,” as all awards received from the prestigious Moondance International Film Festival are important honors, indeed. ~ Lorna Kanter

• “I must tell you, we are just proud of winning two Moondance awards (best foreign feature film, and best foreign film score), and particularly, the significant statement of the GAIA award makes “Meherjaan” very special. I wish you the best success and warm greetings for your entire team.” ~Ashique Mostafa, executive producer, Bangladesh

• “Sheri Mann Stewart also commented on Moondance International Film Festival’s Facebook link.  Sheri wrote: “I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there tonight to accept the award on behalf of The Way of Justice in which I play Martha. I hope you all enjoyed it!”

• “I want to thank you again for the wonderful festival and for the honor of participating and winning.” Lior Molcho, director, Shney Degalim  (Two Flags), Israel

• “I am totally honored by you guys – you have no idea. I will be there in spirit in the town that I love so much.” ~ Cyndi Lenz, director, winner best documentary film, “The Garbage of Jupiter Beach”, 2011 Calypso Award for environmental activism

READ ABOUT ALL THE MOONDANCE AWARDS CATEGORIES HERE: http://www.moondancefilmfestival.com/02_festival.awards.html

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY:

“I admired the movement of the water, so graceful, elegant, nimble, simply parting its way around the obstacle, the rock, and moving on. Two completely opposite states, rock and water. And yet, together….they create a third, ineffable, yet highly desirable, condition. What is it? Fluid solidity. That’s what we need to keep moving through a world full of obstacles, and to stay grounded when things get in our way.” ~ Dominique Browning, Slow Love blog

“And this our life, exempt from public haunt,

Finds tongues in trees, books in running brooks,

Sermons in stones, and good in everything.

(William Shakespeare)

“One of the best things about paintings is their silence –which prompts reflection and random reverie.” ~ Mark Stevens, author

Knowing others is intelligence;

knowing yourself is true wisdom.

Mastering others is strength;

mastering yourself is true power.

(Lao-Tzu, 5th century BCE)

“Loving involves commitment. Love is a conversion to humanity—a willingness to participate with others in the healing of a broken world and broken lives.” ~ Isabel Carter Heyward, feminist theologian

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