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RedWood Film Festival team glad to announce the list of Winner of September 2021 Edition.
BEST 1- MINUTE SHORT FILM
Film: The beginning
Directed by: José Bibian
Synopsis: The beginning of Alzheimer
BEST SHORT FILM
Film: Imitation of Life - A Machine Learning Story
Directed by: Øyvind Knustad
Synopsis: A three part Sci-Fi drama that explores the relationship between humans and technology, how people are inspired to write stories and how artificial intelligence, in contrast to humans, relate to the world.
Chapter one:
Alena has to make big life decision as her boyfriend's job situation changes. The events also have an effect on her inspiration to write.
Chapter two:
David is making a story-writing machine learning software, despite the disappointments of his adoptive father who is an unpublished writer. At the risk of further divide between them, David is trying to land an internship with the robot company GenTech.
Chapter three:
Julie and the family robot, who is about to be replaced, have their relationship tested in ways she couldn't predict.
BEST STUDENT SHORT FILM
Film: THIS IS FOR US
Directed by: Roshan hill
Synopsis: When a beautiful young wife of an alcoholic businessman gets bored and takes a lover a tragic turn of events leads her to take drastic action to cover up a trail of betrayal
BEST LGBTQ FILM
Film: Let Us Eat Cake!: Asexuality in the 21st Century
Directed by: Maddy Heller
Synopsis: A look at asexuality as told by members of the "ace community". The film discusses the asexual experience, ranging from representation to coming out to finding a community. Let Us Eat Cake is an intimate conversation that gives asexual people a platform to talk openly and honestly about their identity.
BEST WEB SERIES
Film: "FaceTime With The Rickkenbakker Family"
Directed by: Thomas Connelly
Synopsis: You can choose your friends, but not your family. Each brief episode is a humorous look at our often challenging, and sometimes annoying, relationships within our family!
BEST MUSIC VIDEO
Film: Food To Ate
Directed by: Randy J. Huling
Synopsis: This is a video for the song "Food To Ate"
off the upcoming album release "The Broke Leg EP."
The EP and the video were made while recovering from
a broken leg.
This track is old school nursery rhymes with a little modern twist.
feat. Michael "Baba" Raudenbush
Video, Illustration, Song, and Animation
by Randy J. Huling
www.randomran.com
randomran.bandcamp.com
BEST ANIMATION FILM
Film: The Penguin
Directed by: Matt Bissett-Johnson
Synopsis: There's no such thing as a free penguin.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Film: "Four Motherless Children"
Directed by: Ralph Isenberg, Joe De La Fuente
Synopsis: This film continues where the “Discovery of Santos”; the second documentary in the “El Gringo Schindler” series left off. The third movie tells the heartbreaking story of four children, all minors and citizens of the United States, forced to fend for themselves for eleven months while their mother found herself exiled in El Salvador for making a simple human error. The mother broke no immigration law but simply read an immigration form wrong. The fact that the mother had already been in the United States for seventeen years under “Temporary Protected Status” and her renewal for an additional year was already approved was completely ignored by the United States Government.
Three of the four minor children had flown with their mother to El Salvador to attend to their grandma who had suffered a serious heart-attack. Little did anyone expect that on the day of return to the United States, the three children would be forced to fly to the United States, as unescorted minors. Their mother was left behind, in total disbelief, not knowing how she was going to get back to the United States. The error made by the mother was simple and could have easily been fixed in El Salvador by the United States Government with a phone call. Instead, an odyssey that would last nearly eleven months was about to play out. The children endured living alone until they heard about the work of the “El Gringo Schindler” on television and made their way to his office on a Saturday, not knowing if the “El Gringo Schindler” would even be in his office. The children knew better than to skip school during the week when the “El Gringo Schindler” and his staff would be available to help. By some miracle, the “El Gringo Schindler” just happened to be in his office for a few minutes when the children arrived. Upon hearing the story of the children, the “El Gringo Schindler” made a pledge to the children that he would get their mom home no matter what it took. At the time, the “El Gringo Schindler” had no idea that his efforts would test every bit of knowledge he possessed about immigration and put his own personal safety in jeopardy to deliver his promise on New Year’s Day, 2016.
The “El Gringo Schindler” began a daring rescue trip to El Salvador a few days before New Year’s Day. The story of the rescue leaves most people who learn of it speechless. Few people have the knowledge and courage to endure what the “El Gringo Schindler” went through. The trip would prove to be one hundred times harder than the first rescue trip he made in May of 2015; to rescue Alexis Marroquin and reunite him with his family in the United States. The second trip found the “El Gringo Schindler” cutoff from most of the government offices of both El Salvador and the United States because of the holidays. The “El Gringo Schindler” was dealing with staff that refused to make simple decisions; despite the fact that he found himself trapped in a gang infested area. What ended up being a “James Bond” type action on New Year’s Day enabled the “El Gringo Schindler” to reunite mother and children. The movie gives detailed glimpses into the events of that day without telling exactly what happened. The actual events remain highly classified. In the end, the excitement of the reunion provides proof positive that the work of the "El Gringo Schindler" is justified and truly an act of humanity.
The movie will run approximately 53 minutes in length and is a departure from the previous “El Gringo Schindler” series documentary style movies. This movie is filmed with reenactments and actual footage whenever possible. The use of “voice over” is also introduced into the film. Nearly ninety percent of reenactments are filmed by the actual participants. While appearing to be a drama movie; the film is a true documentary that will run for approximately 43 minutes. The film was made in both the United States and El Salvador. “a RALPH ISENBERG PRODUCTION” is pleased to announce the fourth movie in the “El Gringo Schindler” is already in production. The movie is entitled “The Bread-maker and the Police Woman / La máquina y la Mujer de la Policía. Plans call for the release of this film before the end of the year. Two other movies in the series are also being planned at this time.
BEST COMEDY FILM
Film: Routine
Directed by: Russ Emanuel
Synopsis: During a mysterious pandemic, Cassie’s quarantine life has turned into a routine, day in and day out. Nothing new seems to happen, until she realizes she’s out of coffee. And she’s determined to get her cup of joe, even if she must face the horrors of the outside world. Because “she’d kill for a cup of coffee.”
In this part-animated live action short, anything goes.
BEST DRAMA FILM
Film: Athame
Directed by: Dimitrios Karas
Synopsis: Anna suffers from severe memory loss due to complications of her pregnancy. Her sister, Eva, has moved into Anna's apartment to look after her. Tensions rise between them as Anna grows weary of her condition and develops behaviors that may put her baby at risk
BEST EXPERIMENT FILM
Film: Cornered
Directed by: Raquel Salvatella de Prada
Synopsis: Part sculpture, part light installation and video animation, Cornered is an immersive visual experience that represents the motivation and struggles of migrants leaving their home country and making an attempt, most often failed, to cross the border from Morocco to the Spanish cities of Melilla and Ceuta, the only European cities on Africa’s mainland.
BEST HORROR FILM
Film: Loyal?
Directed by: Felicia Rivers
Synopsis: This a movie is filled with suspense , drama and mystery. We follow Donna J through one of the worst days of her life... Possible her last....
BEST ROMANTIC FILM
Film: Her & Him
Directed by: Julian Morales
Synopsis: A complicated Woman has an affair with a naive Younger Man to escape her loneliness.
BEST SCI-FI FILM
Film: Lemon Tea
Directed by: Maurizio Venturiero
Synopsis: While a man is preparing a cup of tea, an anchor breaks the news of the alien invasion.
BEST FILM ABOUT COVID-19
Film: Dear Quarantine
Directed by: Tuğba Yiğitcan
Synopsis: The film is about a woman living alone in Istanbul and her special journey within herself during the Covid-19 pandemic that surrounded the world in 2020.
Tuğba faces the pandemic unexpectedly, like everyone else, and the curfew which is linked to it. Normally, loneliness was an option or a situation she actually longed for, because of her busy career. Now, it has become inevitable. If you were to ask Tuğba, she is sure what she would do if she found herself to be alone. In reality, she is shattered once she really is alone.
Everything has turned inside out.
Maybe this is the first time she has had the opportunity to listen to herself. The longer the lock down lasts, the longer the listening state turns into a process. While the pieces coming out of her form the whole that defends and creates Tuğba, now these, as a crowd, try to destroy each other.
The more she sees herself and who she is, the more the parts of her soul touch each other. She tries to find out which part she really is. Which part gives her peace and whether she actually has what makes her happy inside herself or if that is, in fact, outside. As she works, she sees how everything that lightens her soul, weighs heavily upon her and how the emotions that keep her alive are secretly trying to trip her. Once the system is broken Tuğba watches the reconstruction of the parts, although it is painful.
In the end, Tuğba, who has no choice but to confront herself, discovers that there is a way to reconcile herself and that being happy is not that complicated.
She really has to want to be happy.
BEST DIRECTOR
Award goes to: Kevin Ruiz
Film: Bruce Wayne Begins
Directed by: Kevin Ruiz
Synopsis: We all know the story of Batman, but this is the story of how Bruce Wayne becomes the charming playboy he is today.
BEST PRODUCER
Award goes to: Donna Whitmore-Sexton/John R Sexton
Film: Yard Sale - Final Cut A ver 4
Directed by: Andrew Huggins/Donna Whitmore-Sexton
Synopsis: Shoppers unexpectedly fall in love with items at a yard sale and express their excitement in unusual ways.
YARD SALE – is “A chorus of life’s memories for sale”.
In the 1800's "romage sales" began in US shipyards to sell unclaimed cargo. Over time, "romage sales" became "rummage sales" and eventually "yard Sales".
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER
Award goes to: Eddie, Rui Simões, Luís Damas
Film: What I want to say, Burn! *
Directed by: Luís Damas
Synopsis: What I see, Is Poetry recited with the Body.
BEST SCREENWRITER
Award goes to: JW Richardson
Film: Beautiful Sunshine Script
Directed by: JW Richardson
Synopsis:.....
BEST ACTOR - MALE
Award goes to: Aniez Atlas
Film: ... And He Found Me...
Directed by: Aniez Atlas
Synopsis: Looks are deceiving as what's on the outside doesn't seem to match what's on the inside...or does it?
BEST ACTRESS - FEMALE
Award goes to: Jillian Vitko
Film: HoneyDough
Directed by: Jillian Vitko
Synopsis: Dark comedy meets rom-com about a woman who, while spending the evening alone, decides to bake up a date for Valentine's Day.
BEST SCREENPLAY
Award goes to: Lawrence Whitener
Film: A GOOD EXAMPLE
Directed by: Lawrence Whitener
Synopsis: When a white high school coach is "told" to adopt his non-white abused homeless athlete, he must overcome his own child abuse fears. Both heal each other's scars as they build a winning team for the first time in their school's history. Based on a "True-American" story.
BEST CONCEPT
Film: Somebody That I Used to Know
Writer by: Robert Leo Cox
Synopsis: MICHAEL and STEVE have been together for fifteen years, and some of their life has not been smooth. Michael’s co-worker and friend SAM has had his eye on Michael for some time and enlists the help of his friends TYLER, DARREN and JEREMY to find a way to break the pair up. Using the pretext of a high profile case at the law firm they both work at, Sam convinces Michael that Steve, an accountant, is not a suitable partner to be seen with, while Jeremy, Darren and Tyler tease and insult Steve about being a social embarrassment. When Michael takes the side of Sam and his friends, Steve decides he’s had enough and leaves. Michael demands that Steve move everything of his out of the house. Steve begins to build a new life for himself, and when Michael demands some of their DVD collection back, sends Jeremy and Tyler to get them, changes his number so Steve can’t call him, begins a relationship with Sam, and purposely ignores him when they accidentally meet, he knows the relationship is beyond repair.
Steve is writing his first script and by chance meets ALEX, the personal assistant of MR. DiNARDI, a producer. Alex helps Steve with his script, and presents it to Mr. DiNardi, who decides to film it. Success with the script boosts Steve’s confidence in himself, and over the course of a few months, both Alex and Steve begin to develop feelings for each other but won’t admit them to the other person.
Darren, one of the three friends of Sam begins to have second thoughts about how Steve was treated. When Darren and Steve accidently meet at a bar, the others take that as a sign of betrayal and ostracize him from the group, going so far as ruining his career and taking his home and car. Left with nothing, Darren kills himself and leaves a letter for Steve to put on social media. The letter causes an uproar and Tyler and Jeremy lose their positions. Angry, Sam blames Steve, fires Michael and goes to the partners in the law firm, and casts all the blame on Michael, saving his own skin.
The film is finished, and at the premiere, Michael tells Steve that his wants him back, and kisses him. Alex sees that and flees the theater, upset. Steve tells Michael that it’s over and has him escorted off the property. Steve finds Alex and they finally express the feelings they have held in for so long.
BEST PLOT
Film: Ruse
Writer by: Deric Olsen
Synopsis: After learning of a huge cash reward for proof of the Loch Ness monster, three tourists plan to fake a sighting of the legendary beast when they discover there’s much more to the myth than they ever knew.
JURY SPECIAL SECTION
Film: Smoking Kills
Directed by: Steven LUCHEL
Synopsis: One morning after Karl, Julia's husband, leaves for work, she lets herself be tempted by a last cigarette ... But smoking Kills.
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