Short films about nuclear disaster survivors and dueling guitar players entertain at GradyFest
The red carpet was rolled out and freshly popped popcorn greeted a crowd of about 100 at Tate Theater on May 8 for GradyFest, a showcase of the best video works created by mass media arts and digital broadcast journalism majors during the 2013-14 academic year.
Nineteen student productions ranging from documentaries to news reports to narrative films were screened at the annual event.
Winning the Turner Best of Festival Award was “Nuclear,” a short film about two survivors of a nuclear attack navigating post-apocalyptic life in a bunker.
Just shy of ten minutes in length, the film was directed by Teague Dean and produced by Chelsea Clark.
Dean and Clark each also took home Raines Plambeck Doggone Dawgged Future Filmmaker Awards, a legacy of the 2012 Grady alumna by the same name. In addition, Clark took home the award for Best Assistant Director.
New this year, the Dole 'Slip on a Banana' Comedy Award was presented to director Louis Galanti (ABJ '14) and producer Devyn Trottier for “Guitar Battle.”
Along with recognition, winners received cash prizes, industry equipment, computer software and swag.
Turner Entertainment served as the main sponsor of GradyFest. Additional sponsors included Aperture Rent, Barbizon, Brixx, Beechwood Cinemas, Ciné, Dole, Dynamite Clothing, Entertainment Partners, Final Draft, Focal Press, Fuzzy's, Hershel's Famous 34, Juice Up, Lens Rentals, Maltby Group at Wells Fargo Advisors, The National and PC&E.
Congratulations to festival student director Kara Maltby (ABJ '14) on a job well done and to the complete list of winners below:
• Best of 3210: “Average” directed by Brad Gerke and produced by Beau Ward
• Best Animation: “Blueland” by Helena Zhang
• Best News Package: “Ballroom Dance: A Spin on Fitness” produced by Erin Breanne Noah
• Best Documentary: “Behind Daktronics” directed by Daniel Dunnam (ABJ '14)
• Best Sound Design: “Fish 'N' Chip” directed by Shannon Smith and produced by Maggie Uhler (ABJ '14)
• Best Editor: Kara Maltby
• Best Screenwriter: Will Means (ABJ '14)
• Best Assistant Director: Chelsea Clark
• Best Director of Photography: Caroline Freeman (ABJ '14)
• Jack of All Trades: Ben Walters (ABJ '14) and Nathan Walters (ABJ '14)
• Best Producer: Emily Owart
• Best Director: Barry Ervin (ABJ '14)
• Dole 'Slip on a Banana' Comedy Award: “Guitar Battle” directed by Louis Galanti and produced by Devyn Trottier
• Honorary Recognition: Maggie Uhler
• Turner Best of Festival: “Nuclear” directed by Teague Dean and produced by Chelsea Clark
• Raines Plambeck Doggone Dawgged Award: Chelsea Clark and Teague Dean
• Dean's Horizon: “Undateable” directed by Caroline Freeman and produced by Andrea Beltran (ABJ '14)
Author: Stephanie Moreno, s.moreno@uga.edu
Contact: Kara Maltby, karajm@uga.edu