Moondance Thanks for a Great 2015 Film Festival + Audience Favorites

by Elizabeth English on September 16, 2015

Thank you for joining us & participating in the 2015 Moondance, which featured the very best of indie films from the US and around the world, as well as our fabulously productive networking parties & events. You were entertained, encouraged and inspired at this annual world-class event, in beautiful Boulder, Colorado, USA, and helped us celebrate the 16^th annual Moondance International Film Festival!

Being fearless & bold, Moondance is a unique, one-of-a-kind and a truly international film festival where monotonous conformity is considered mediocrity, and where talent, extravagant individualism, innovation, independence and experimentation is encouraged, awarded and applauded!

And thanks again for all those many great hugs!

We definitely made a BIG Splash!

~ Elizabeth English

Moondance Founder & Executive Director

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The 2015 Moondance PHOTO ALBUM will be online soon!

Please send us up to 5 of your best Moondance 2015 photos in .jpg & labeled as to who is in the image, to: [email protected], with 2015 MIFF PIX in the subject line.

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THANKS A MILLION TO ALL THE 2015 MOONDANCERS!

FESTIVAL FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Elizabeth English
FESTIVAL EVENTS & VOLUNTEERS COORDINATOR: Meghan Laxton
FILM JURY: Elizabeth English, Bill Tremblay, Ted May, Chris Anastasiadis
FILM SCREENNGS COORDINATOR: Daniel DiBella
FILM PROJECTIONISTS: Bill Tremblay & Miguel Carson
FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHER: Daniel DiBella
ALL OUR VALUED VOLUNTEERS
ALL OUR 2015 COMPETITION ENTRANTS
SPONSORS & FRIENDS OF THE MOONDANCE
FESTIVAL WEBSITE MANAGER: Norm Strassner
FESTIVAL PRODUCER: 7seas Productions
HOTEL BOULDERADO EVENTS MANAGER: Linda Curatola
HOTEL BOULDERADO AUDIO-VISUAL MANAGER: Ezra Harmon
HOTEL BOULDERADO AUDIO-VISUAL STAFF: Kyle
DAILY CAMERA NEWSPAPER
TOM SHADYAC: ACTIVIST FILMMAKER
SHADY ACRES ENTERTAINMENT COORDINATOR: Harold Mintz

& OUR FILMMAKERS, WRITERS, COMPOSERS, AUDIENCES & SUPPORTERS OVER THE YEARS!

Tom Shadyac & Elizabeth English

We had a very welcome surprise visit from Hollywood film director Tom Shadyac (Bruce Almighty, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Patch Adams), after the screening of his feature documentary film, “I Am”. He gave a fascinating & well-attended TOMversation Q&A to an enthusiastic audience, and generously participated in the productive networking & photo ops afterwards. Tom was honored to be presented with the coveted Moondance Calypso Award by Elizabeth.

ABOUT THE MOONDANCE CALYPSO AWARD: This award is to encourage a spirit of enterprise toward improving social issues, and in saving the environment, habitats and wildlife by dedicated and creative individuals from around the world. The award is presented annually to the person who expands knowledge of our world, seeks to improve the quality of all life on the planet, and actively contributes to the betterment of humankind.

ATTENTION MOONDANCE 2015 WINNERS WHO WERE

NOT AT THE AWARDS CEREMONY:

Congratulations! If you won an award, but could not attend the event, and want to receive your Moondance Star Award, Award certificate, & a 2015 Moondance festival program, please use this option to pay only for postage to send it to you: AWARDS POSTAGE

USA ADDRESS POSTAGE: $10 • FOREIGN ADDRESS POSTAGE: $25

Order now; this offer expires on October 1, 2015!

• Listing of 2015 Moondance film & film score winners, finalists & semi-finalists HERE

• Listing of 2015 Moondance written works winners, finalists & semi-finalists HERE

• Laurels for 2015 Moondance winners, finalists & semi-finalists HERE

2015 AUDIENCE FAVORITE FILMS ANNOUNCED!

• SHORT NARRATIVE FILMS:

SANDBOY

LAMBING SEASON

RED EARTH CALLING

• FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILMS:

BECOMING BULLETPROOF

CIRCUS WITHOUT BORDERS

MUSIC VIDEO:

INDIGO GRAY: THE PASSAGE

ANIMATION:

THE DIVER

• Audience Favorite winners: You can download a

2015 Moondance Audience Favorite Laurel HERE!

FILMMAKERS: Moondance International Film Festival is now an IMDb Qualifying Festival, granting all eligible film submissions (via Withoutabox), a fast-tracked title page on IMDb.com!

MOONDANCERS WRITE US!

• “Volunteering for your Moondance festival this year was a real treat! Thank you for the wonderful opportunity you provide all these creative minds.” ~ Katy Palmer

• “Thank you very much for holding that Festival and to stand by those values you promote with it. It is with people like you that we make the world a better place to live. Sur ce, je vous dis à bientôt!” ~ Simon-Gabriel Auger, Composer

• “We are so happy, excited, and mostly so grateful to you for hearing us and considering our request… And also for going above and beyond in helping us promote the film and its “second coming”!!! You are wonderful. That’s really great news, and we really feel like the trip is worth it.” ~ Neeti Fidurko, director, “Who Would Jesus Date?”

• “Thank you again for your incredible support of our short dance film, Red Earth Calling. We thoroughly enjoyed being part of the 2015 Moondance International Film Festival. You featured an interesting mix of high-quality works and provided a lovely forum for conversation and exchange. Receiving two awards from the festival proved a wonderful end to our stay in Boulder.” ~ Jillian Harris

• “Congratulations on another successful Moondance Festival. My bag was packed and I was ready to attend, but nature being unpredictable, my beautiful daughter didn’t deliver her baby boy until September 9th. Nothing short of a first grandchild, though, could have kept me away! Next year, I plan on being there, early.” ~ Janice MacDonald, 2015 winner for “The Sock Opera” musical screenplay

MOONDANCE RECOMMENDS:

• MISSION OF MERMAIDS •

Ship’s figurehead, By Jan Reichard

What you can do every day to make a difference:

• Refuse single-use plastics. When you can, don’t accept plastic bags in supermarkets, shops or local markets, or at least re-use them. There are many practical, small cloth bags that you can now carry in your purse and unfold very easily to hold your purchases. Instead of plastic bottles for your juice, soft drinks or water, try to carry around a reusable bottle. There are plenty of attractive options.

• Be selective with your fish. There is plenty of information available about what species are endangered, which ones are enduring unnecessarily painful deaths (such as sharks for shark fin soup), and what fishing practices have a lethal impact on the ecosystem of the oceans (such as trawling). And there are restaurants, shops that are making sure that what they serve or provide as catch is done with more attention to the conservation of the ocean and its creatures. Read up this information and on the suppliers of your food. Consume with care. Don’t purchase coral or wild-caught fish for your home aquarium.

• Walk, bike, run. Find alternative means of transportation. Or alternate the days that you use the car. Your body will appreciate the effort as much as the environment. The extra carbon dioxide contributes to ocean acidification and global warming, which is a major threat to coral and the many creatures of the ocean.

Photo by Atmo, www.wildquest.com

• Follow the 7 C’s of ocean conservation: Commit to making a real difference, Conserve in your home, Consume consciously, Communicate your interest and concerns, Challenge yourself daily, Connect to your community, Celebrate our beautiful and life-giving seas & oceans.

SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:

“One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide (French author, 1947 Nobel Prize for literature)

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“When one door closes, another one opens. But we often look so long upon the closed door, that we do not see the one which has opened.” ~ Helen Keller

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“Apathy can only be overcome by enthusiasm, and enthusiasm can only be aroused by two things: first, an ideal which takes the imagination by storm, and second, a definite, viable plan for carrying that ideal into practice.”   ~Arnold Toynbee