CouryGraph
Productions Reels in 2 Grand Festival
Awards at the 2008
Berkeley
Video & Film Festival
!
Screening
September 26, 27 and 28
Continuous
Screenings Start at - 7:30pm
Friday . 1:00pm Saturday . 1:00pm Sunday
©
2008 - Glendale Daily Planet
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Ed Sharpe Director
at CouryGraph productions, has received 2 Grand Festival
Awards for their entries The Laura Graff Hit and run -
Search for the Driver and The Legend of the Evil
Count Spatula.
The East Bay Media Center proudly presents the 17th Edition of the
Berkeley Video & Film Festival, screening in Downtown Berkeley at
Landmark’s Shattuck Cinemas. Bettering even last year's lineup,
we are impressed by the quality and diversity of topic and
entertainment presented to us this year.
These entries will screen at at The Berkeley Video & Film
Festival which will have it's public screening September 26, 27
and 28 at Landmark's California Theatre 2113 Kitteredge at Shattuck in
Downtown Berkeley California.
The exact times of Sharpe's film
screening will be:
Saturday - 1:56pm - “Laura Graff Hit & Run Accident -
Search for The Driver” - Ed Sharpe - Documentary - 0:37
Sunday - 1:27pm - “The Legend of the Evil Count Spatula” -
Ed Sharpe - Comedy - 2:32
These two films are just two very small offerings out if the many
excellent productions that will be screened.
One production that Sharpe is looking forward to viewing
is"Stop The Presses: The
American Newspaper in Peril" - Mark
Birnbaum & Manny Mendoza - 80:00 - This documentary should be
mandatory viewing for any student or persons working in
journalism today. Interviews with the publishers and editors of
the largest U.S. papers indicate the future demise of this
traditional medium. Co-Producer Manny Mendoza will answer
questions following the films screening.
The Global Premiere of “Rebel Roar: The Sound of Michael McClure”,
a short Art Documentary of the Bay Area’s reknowned Poet and
Playright, Michael McClure, produced by Kurt Hemmer and Tom Knoff of
Harper College, advances the cause of all that is Beat and Hip and
gives insight and inspiration. This is a ‘must-see’ cinematic
marvel, with America’s greatest living poet, Michael McClure.
McClure and Hemmer will answer questions following the film.
Sharpe
states : "The mix of documentaries, features, shorts, works by
young producers, experimental films and more rivals any of the
festivals I normally attend." He continued "It is unbelievable
Valpour and his group can offer this entertainment at a $13 dollar a
day pass rate!"
Being able to interact with producers, directors and cinematographers is
what makes attending a live screening like this a great event.
"We're amazed by
increase each year of the quality of the creative work shown at the festival"
said Sharpe. "We're
honored that our productions were chosen to be screened and also
to receive 2 prestigious awards."
CouryGraph Productions competed against
filmmakers from the Bay area and also those that participated
internationally.
Festival Director Mel Vapour stated:
"Over 200 submissions were received and juried this
year and the quality of this year's submissions was extremely
high and competitive for the final screenings. The screening /
jury committee feels it has selected works that reflect the
highest artistic integrity of all the submissions. "
(see the link to the list on BVFF site to see all of the
productions that will screen)
Sharpe regularly participates in Film
Festivals internationally as well as his home base of Arizona.
When he is not out directing creative dramatic works, he is
going though the same process with fact filled news reporting
for the metro Westside - 'Valley of the Sun in
Arizona.
Sharpe stated: "With all the
new growth in the west valley it presents an ever evolving
canvas for my camera to record." He continued: "The
new world-class Stadium and other sports facilities, new shopping
districts, fascinating constructions projects... it is a
newsman's heaven!"
Sharpe's first production showing Saturday at
1:56pm is “Laura Graff Hit & Run Accident - Search for The
Driver” a 37 second news - Documentary
Mel
Vapour, Director at BVFF sums it up best: "The Emmy Award
Winning, Glendale Arizona news gatherer, Ed Sharpe, is once again
on the scene for this short news spot in the heinous hit and
run accident involving local resident Laura Graff, Sharpe's daily
news-webcasts are legendary and award winning in Arizona and beyond."
-
 The second production, the West coast premier of
“The
Legend of the Evil Count Spatula” - a Comedy -
2:32 showing at: Sunday - 1:27pm was the team
effort of three people. Ed and Bette Sharpe
directed - produced
- edited and Ed even puts in a brief acting appearance in this film with Jenifer Reeves,
consultant
to CouryGraph Productions, assisting Bette Sharpe in the script
department.
Mel
Vapour, Director, BVFF
states:
"Sharpe
takes the literal challenge of making a common kitchen utensil into
an epic maelstrom of comedic proportions"
----------------------------------------------------------------
Ed Sharpe and CouryGraph Productions
dramatic and video news
reporting can be seen at www.glendaledailyplanet.com
In addition there are email links at the site to contact Sharpe and his
group.
To
see all the Berkeley
Video & Film Festival Official Selections and the
Program Schedule go to: http://berkeleyvideofilmfest.org/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
##
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TICKETS:
$13.@ per day.*General
Admission.
$10.@. per day.*Students.Seniors.EBMC
Members (ticket good for entire day).
*A General Admission Ticket is
good for all screenings the entire day.
Tickets for each day will be
available at Landmark's Shattuck Cinemas Box Office Festival
Weekend.
Advance Tickets:
1 Day BVFF
Festival Pass now available $13.@
advance at EBMC only
3 Day BVFF Festival Pass now
available $30.@ advance at EBMC
only
EAST BAY MEDIA CENTER-BERKELEY
VIDEO & FILM FESTIVALS
1939 Addison Street - Downtown
Berkeley's Arts District.
Phone 510.843.3699 or in person -
Mon - Fri. 10am - 5:30pm
Accepting Visa, Mastercard,
American Express.
The
2008 Grand Festival and Special Awards went to:
DISC
MAKERS REPLICATION AWARD
“Rebel Roar: The Sound of Michael McClure” - Michael McClure, Kurt
Hemmer and Tom Knoff
STOCKFOOTAGEFORFREE.COM
AWARD
Harvard - Westlake School, North Hollywood, California - Cheri Gaulke,
Video Art Teacher
FEATURES
“FIX”- Tao Ruspoli
“Malta con Huevo” and “Sabado” - Escuela de Cine de Chile -
Carlos Flores Delpino
“Black August” - TCinque, Jan Mabry, Judd Fleming and Samm Styles
“Pretty Ugly People” - Tate Taylor and Brunson Green
SHORT
FEATURES
“Now You See Me, Now You Don’t” - Attila Szasz - Hungary
“Check Brights” - Barry Levy
“Reflections” - Barry Caldwell
ARTS
“Cecil Hervi: Virtual Starry Night & 1st Love of a Borg” -
George Aguilar
“Tilt Project and Game Over” - Chiara Scarfo - Italy
“Abattoir, a cinepoem” - LaDonna M. Witmer
DOCUMENTARY
“Stop the Presses:The American Newspaper in Peril” - Mark Birnbaum
and Manny Mendoza
“The Road To Bonneville” - Brian Darwas
“Ausangate” - Andrea Heckman and Tad Fettig
“Ellsworth Kelly: Fragments” - Edgar B. Howard and Jo Carole Lauder
“Hit, Run and Score: The Oakland Banshees Story” - Kenya E. Davis
“Laura Graff Hit & Run Accident: Search for The Driver” - Ed
Sharpe
STUDENT
FILMMAKERS
“California King” - Eli Akira Kaufman
“Honor” - Flying Dork Productions and San Francisco School of
DigitalFilmmaking
EXPERIMENTAL
“Case Histories of Psychotherapy” - Tony Gault
“Corporate Art Policy” - Neil Ira Needleman
YOUNG
PRODUCERS
Harvard - Westlake School, North Hollywood, California - Cheri Gaulke,
Video Art Teacher
“Jeff Higgins: Dead Blood” - Zack Scott
“Self Portrait” - Emma Strebel
SENIOR
PRODUCERS
“Festa Del Redentore” - Richard Randell - Senior Producer -
Animation
“Murder in Moline” - John@Dillinger - Senior Producer - Animation
ETHNOGRAPHIC
“?Tienes Hambre?” - Margo Mercedes Rivera-Weiss
ANIMATION
“5 Tears” - Colin V. Barton
EDUCATIONAL
“Freedom’s Song: 100 Years of African-American Struggle and
Triumph” - Randy Rice
MUSIC
VIDEO
“Na Ono o ka Aina” - Puhipau & Joan Lander
“Salam Pax” ( Peace ) - Don Arbor and Pam McCann
COMEDY
“BOB” - Waylon Bacon
“The Legend of the Evil Count Spatula”- Ed Sharpe
SPECIAL
RECOGNITION
“The James Baldwin Anthology” - Claire Burch
The BVFF 2008, encompasses some of the best of the Independent Film
communities Features, Short Features, Student Filmmakers,
Documentaries and more; some of the Highlights of this years’ BVFF
include:
The Global Premiere of “Rebel Roar: The Sound of Michael McClure”,
a short Art Documentary of the Bay Area’s reknowned Poet and
Playright, Michael McClure, produced by Kurt Hemmer and Tom Knoff of
Harper College, advances the cause of all that is Beat and Hip and
gives insight and inspiration. This is a ‘must-see’ cinematic
marvel, with America’s greatest living poet, Michael McClure.
McClure and Hemmer will answer questions following the film.
Tao Ruspoli’s feature,“FIX”, after winning the Brooklyn
Independent Film Festivals top three awards this summer, scorches the
big screen at BVFF with a unique personal and stylistic statement of
addiction and redemption.
“FIX” is a riveting and gritty story, with a cine-verite-guerrilla-style-fine
art look, matched with superbly crafted editing and memorable uber-acting
performances. This film could inspire a new niche for cost effective
and audience friendly indie features. Ruspoli valiantly raises the bar
for the next wave of indie features with his “FIX”.
Carlos Flores Delpino, Founder and Director of the Escuela de Cine
Chile, brings two brilliant student comedic features, “Malta con
Huevo” and “Sabado” to BVFF as part of the new wave of
contemporary Chilean Cinema. Both Chilean films exhibit outstanding
acting performances, concepts and production values, as well as box
office panache.
A must see for any film students and filmmakers. Carlos will also
answer questions following each film.
Mark Birnbaum and Manny Mendoza’s “Stop The Presses: The American
Newspaper in Peril”, explores the current financial crisis in print
journalism and the threat that crisis poses to democracy. The
producers traveled to a dozen cities and conducted more than 100
interviews with reporters and editors, professors and students, media
critics, readers and non-readers to create the definitive take on the
evolving role of the American newspaper in an era of media saturation.
“The Road to Bonneville” by Brian Darwas, hot rod builder and
filmmaker on a shotgun journey with two of the most significantly
influential hot rod builders of this generation, cruise cross country
to the Bonneville Salt Flats, to witness a 175 mph run in a ‘32 Ford
flat-head powered roadster. Gearhead Nirvana!
“Ausangate” by Andrea Heckman & Tad Fettig, takes you on a
journey to the 20,800’ Ausangate, a great mountain spirit to the
Quechua people living around it and how it influences their daily
lives and rituals.
“Freedom’s Song: One Hundred Years of Struggle and Triumph” by
Randy Rice is masterfully produced and should be seen by historians,
students and champions of civil rights and equal justice.
Student Filmmaker, Eli Akira Kaufman’s “California King”, is a
tale about a mattress salesman, who employs faux science to get female
customers into bed, falls for a skeptical insomniac who knows her
science better than her heart. Kaufman won the BVFF Disc Makers award
in 2005 for his short film “Winning the Peace”.
“Black August” is the definitive George Jackson story, spawned
right here in the East Bay; hats off to TCinque,
Judd Fleming and Samm Styles, we screened the trailer 3 years ago and
now folks, here’s the feature.
“Nailed” is the latest feature by the Adrian O’Connell and Ben
Katz team delivering the penultimate surprise ending.
“Now You See Me, Now You Don’t” from Attila Szasz of Hungary,
provides a haunting story, with exquisite cinematography from one of
Hungary’s finest directors.
George Aguilar’s Second Life pursuits, challenge our precepts of how
films may be created in the future.
Ed Sharpe, The Arizona guru of Electronic News Gathering, shares two
shorts, one whacky, and one oh so real.
Brunson Green and Tate Taylor’s “Pretty Ugly People”, proves
that gastric-bypass surgery has an upside and a downside.
Barry Levy’s “Check Brights”, makes several sinister statements
that we’ve all thought about acting on.
“Reflections” by Barry Caldwell, is a suspense engaging thriller
about a woman’s second sense involving events that have happened
before and things that will happen in the future. It’s not a gift.
It’s a curse!
Young Producers from Harvard-Westlake School in North Hollywood, under
the tutelage of Cheri Gaulke, grace our screen with some of the best
Young Producers in the U.S.
Zack Scott, Young Producer, Actor and Writer, scores big time, with
his “Jeff Higgins: Dead Blood” short and gives a sterling acting
performance in the “Bourne Legacy” created at East Bay Media
Center’s Summer Teen Media Camp 2008.
“Hit, Run and Score: The Oakland Banshees Story” from Kenya E.
Davis, a most unique story that continues to unfold.
“Salam Pax”(Peace) by Don Arbor and Pam McCann, is proof that a
music video, CAN have a message.
Chiara Scarfo’s self-clip films,“Tilt” and “Game Over”,
directed from her authentic ‘mental institution” studios in Genoa,
reflect a haunting ultra-personal world, only she can share. Scarfo is
convincingly becoming one of Italy’s more important renaissance
multi-media artists.
As Godard once said,“Truth can be found somewhere between the
projector and the screen”, so enjoy, seek truth, and revel in indie-cine
bliss this weekend. - Mel Vapour, Director, BVFF
The
2008 Grand Festival and Special Awards went to:
DISC
MAKERS REPLICATION AWARD
“Rebel Roar: The Sound of Michael McClure” - Michael McClure, Kurt
Hemmer and Tom Knoff
STOCKFOOTAGEFORFREE.COM
AWARD
Harvard - Westlake School, North Hollywood, California - Cheri Gaulke,
Video Art Teacher
FEATURES
“FIX”- Tao Ruspoli
“Malta con Huevo” and “Sabado” - Escuela de Cine de Chile -
Carlos Flores Delpino
“Black August” - TCinque, Jan Mabry, Judd Fleming and Samm Styles
“Pretty Ugly People” - Tate Taylor and Brunson Green
SHORT
FEATURES
“Now You See Me, Now You Don’t” - Attila Szasz - Hungary
“Check Brights” - Barry Levy
“Reflections” - Barry Caldwell
ARTS
“Cecil Hervi: Virtual Starry Night & 1st Love of a Borg” -
George Aguilar
“Tilt Project and Game Over” - Chiara Scarfo - Italy
“Abattoir, a cinepoem” - LaDonna M. Witmer
DOCUMENTARY
“Stop the Presses:The American Newspaper in Peril” - Mark Birnbaum
and Manny Mendoza
“The Road To Bonneville” - Brian Darwas
“Ausangate” - Andrea Heckman and Tad Fettig
“Ellsworth Kelly: Fragments” - Edgar B. Howard and Jo Carole Lauder
“Hit, Run and Score: The Oakland Banshees Story” - Kenya E. Davis
“Laura Graff Hit & Run Accident: Search for The Driver” - Ed
Sharpe
STUDENT
FILMMAKERS
“California King” - Eli Akira Kaufman
“Honor” - Flying Dork Productions and San Francisco School of
DigitalFilmmaking
EXPERIMENTAL
“Case Histories of Psychotherapy” - Tony Gault
“Corporate Art Policy” - Neil Ira Needleman
YOUNG
PRODUCERS
Harvard - Westlake School, North Hollywood, California - Cheri Gaulke,
Video Art Teacher
“Jeff Higgins: Dead Blood” - Zack Scott
“Self Portrait” - Emma Strebel
SENIOR
PRODUCERS
“Festa Del Redentore” - Richard Randell - Senior Producer -
Animation
“Murder in Moline” - John@Dillinger - Senior Producer - Animation
ETHNOGRAPHIC
“?Tienes Hambre?” - Margo Mercedes Rivera-Weiss
ANIMATION
“5 Tears” - Colin V. Barton
EDUCATIONAL
“Freedom’s Song: 100 Years of African-American Struggle and
Triumph” - Randy Rice
MUSIC
VIDEO
“Na Ono o ka Aina” - Puhipau & Joan Lander
“Salam Pax” ( Peace ) - Don Arbor and Pam McCann
COMEDY
“BOB” - Waylon Bacon
“The Legend of the Evil Count Spatula”- Ed Sharpe
SPECIAL
RECOGNITION
“The James Baldwin Anthology” - Claire Burch
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