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Columbia UniversityRECORD It’s a Wrap: Columbia Film ...Wedding, one of the top 10...
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4 C olumbia U niversity RECORD June 11, 2004 It’s a Wrap: Columbia Film Festival Winners Announced “Junebug and Hurricane,” written and directed by James Ponsoldt, garnered several awards and will screen at the Atlanta Film Festival. “Wrigley,” written and directed by Oliver Refson, was named a Faculty Select. F ilm Division students received $110,000 in awards at the 17th Annual Columbia University Film Festi- val for works that ranged from a woman’s daily struggle to care for her child and her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease (Extreme Mom) to a documen- tary in which members of a Harlem family recount the chal- lenges they have faced since Gordon Parks photographed them in 1968 for Life magazine (Family Portrait). The student-run festival, pre- sented by the Film Division of the School of the Arts, included original short films and screen- play readings. It took place from May 1-7 in New York City and then headed west to Los Angeles June 2-3. Student filmmaker Joyce Draganosky, whose film Extreme Mom swept many of the festi- val’s awards May 7, based her work on growing up in a house- hold where her mother raised her while also caring for her elderly grandmother. “It’s a movie about the circle of life, and a woman stuck in the middle of trying to care for both ends of that spectrum,” Draganosky said. “The situation is such that the child is learning activities and the grandmother is losing activities.” Extreme Mom was named a Faculty Select, one of the short films chosen by the Film Divi- sion faculty as the best of the 2004 festival. Extreme Mom also received the Guoxi Fu Best Film Award, the Lifetime Student Filmmaker Award and one of the National Board of Review Awards. In addition, prior to the festival screening, Extreme Mom received the Cinecolor Award. Adam Stehle’s Soul in a Suitcase and Keith Goldberg’s American Exquisite also won National Board of Review Awards. Another big festival winner was Patricia Riggen’s documen- tary Family Portrait, which received the New Line Cinema Award for Outstanding Achieve- ment in Filmmaking. In this moving and insightful documen- tary, Richard Fontanelle and Diana Nash—the only surviving members of the family originally photographed in 1968 by Gordon Parks—render their own family portrait as they recount the chal- lenges the family faced. Riggen, Parks and Fontanelle, who now works as a superintendent for Columbia University, recently were featured on NPR’s Tavis Smiley Show. Riggen spoke about the sad- ness surrounding the tale of the Fontanelle family, and the pur- pose of her documentary: “Right now, there are a million black kids that live in extreme poverty in this country. So what I’m hop- ing is to call some attention to that because what happened [in 1968] is still happening right now.” While film screenings com- prise the majority of the festival, screenplay readings were the focus on May 6, with students reading excerpts from their fea- ture-length scripts. Rachel Vine won the Comedy Central Award for Best Comedy Screenplay for “Miranda Duran.” Jennifer Monn won the Ezra Litwak Award for Distinction in Screen- writing for “Hinged on Stars.” After the readings, SOA alum- na Sabrina Dhawan, ’02, received the Andrew Sarris Award. Dhawan wrote Monsoon Wedding, one of the top 10 high- est-grossing foreign films of all time in the United States and the winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. At the Los Angeles screenings, SOA alum- nus Albert Berger, ’03, received the Andrew Sarris Award. Berger is affiliated with Bona Fide Pro- ductions, where he has produced critical and box-office successes, including Cold Mountain, Elec- tion and King of the Hill. The Columbia University Film Festival has earned an interna- tional reputation as a launching pad for emerging talent. Colum- bia Film Division students have won Student Academy Award Gold Medals in six of the past seven years. Films from the 2003 Columbia Festival have gone on to screen at prestigious international festi- vals including: Berlin, Cannes, New York, Palm Springs, Sun- dance and Telluride. Recent films by Film Division alumni include Laurel Canyon, written and directed by Lisa Cholo- denko, SOA’97; Identity, direct- ed by James Mangold, SOA’99; and 2004 Academy Award nomi- nee and winner of the 2003 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, American Splen- dor, written and directed by Shari Springer Berman, SOA’95, and Robert Pulcini, SOA’94. Among the leading 2004 Columbia Film Festival award winners: Faculty Selects: The follow- ing were chosen by Film Divi- sion faculty as Best of the 2004 Festival—Loopy, directed by Seth Michael Donsky; Extreme Mom, directed by Joyce Draganosky; American Exquis- ite, directed by Keith Goldberg; Nostradamus and Me, directed by Eilis Kirwan; Wrigley, direct- ed by Oliver Refson; Family Portrait, directed by Patricia Riggen; and God Is Good, directed by Caryn Waechter. Faculty Honors: The follow- ing were noted by Film Division faculty as Outstanding Works— The Hill, directed by Deborah Chow; Junebug and Hurricane, directed by James Ponsoldt; Groomed, directed by Joseph Raso Seibutsu; Seibutsu (Still: Life), directed by Joe Turner Lin; and then one night…, directed by Jessica Weigmann; and Orson, directed by David Pastor Vallejo. IMAX Outstanding Achieve- ment Award: Orson, directed by David Pastor Vallejo. Kim’s Video Award: Junebug and Hurricane, directed by James Ponsoldt. Arthur Krim Memorial Award: Jennifer Grausman and Daniel Weisinger. New Line Cinema Award for Best Director: Caryn Waechter for God is Good. Tribeca Entertainment Out- standing Achievement in Screenwriting Award: “Nos- tradamus and Me,” written by Eilis Kirwan. Twentieth Century Fox/ Farrelly Brothers Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Award: Groomed, directed by Joseph Raso. Windows Media Award for Outstanding Digital Film- making: American Exquisite, directed by Keith Goldberg. James Bridges Development Award: The Wannabe, directed by Althea Wasow. Hallmark Entertainment Producers Development Award: Standing in the Current, produced by Lorenzo Gaines. HBO Young Producers Development Award: Passage, produced by Xu Ke. New Line Cinema Develop- ment Award: Live at Five, directed by Averie Storck.
Transcript of Columbia UniversityRECORD It’s a Wrap: Columbia Film ...Wedding, one of the top 10...
4 C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y RECORD June 11, 2004
It’s a Wrap: Columbia Film Festival Winners Announced
“Junebug and Hurricane,” written and directed by James Ponsoldt, garnered several awards and will screen at the Atlanta Film Festival.
“Wrigley,” written and directed by Oliver Refson, was named a Faculty Select.
Film Division studentsreceived $110,000 inawards at the 17th Annual
Columbia University Film Festi-val for works that ranged from awoman’s daily struggle to carefor her child and her mother, whohas Alzheimer’s disease(Extreme Mom) to a documen-tary in which members of aHarlem family recount the chal-lenges they have faced sinceGordon Parks photographedthem in 1968 for Life magazine(Family Portrait).
The student-run festival, pre-sented by the Film Division ofthe School of the Arts, includedoriginal short films and screen-play readings. It took place fromMay 1-7 in New York City andthen headed west to Los AngelesJune 2-3.
Student filmmaker JoyceDraganosky, whose film ExtremeMom swept many of the festi-val’s awards May 7, based herwork on growing up in a house-hold where her mother raised herwhile also caring for her elderlygrandmother.
“It’s a movie about the circleof life, and a woman stuck in themiddle of trying to care for bothends of that spectrum,”Draganosky said. “The situationis such that the child is learningactivities and the grandmother islosing activities.”
Extreme Mom was named aFaculty Select, one of the shortfilms chosen by the Film Divi-sion faculty as the best of the2004 festival. Extreme Mom alsoreceived the Guoxi Fu Best FilmAward, the Lifetime StudentFilmmaker Award and one of theNational Board of ReviewAwards. In addition, prior to thefestival screening, Extreme Momreceived the Cinecolor Award.Adam Stehle’s Soul in a Suitcaseand Keith Goldberg’s AmericanExquisite also won NationalBoard of Review Awards.
Another big festival winnerwas Patricia Riggen’s documen-
tary Family Portrait, whichreceived the New Line CinemaAward for Outstanding Achieve-ment in Filmmaking. In thismoving and insightful documen-tary, Richard Fontanelle andDiana Nash—the only survivingmembers of the family originallyphotographed in 1968 by GordonParks—render their own familyportrait as they recount the chal-lenges the family faced. Riggen,Parks and Fontanelle, who nowworks as a superintendent forColumbia University, recentlywere featured on NPR’s TavisSmiley Show.
Riggen spoke about the sad-ness surrounding the tale of theFontanelle family, and the pur-
pose of her documentary: “Rightnow, there are a million blackkids that live in extreme povertyin this country. So what I’m hop-ing is to call some attention tothat because what happened [in1968] is still happening rightnow.”
While film screenings com-prise the majority of the festival,screenplay readings were thefocus on May 6, with studentsreading excerpts from their fea-ture-length scripts. Rachel Vinewon the Comedy Central Awardfor Best Comedy Screenplay for“Miranda Duran.” JenniferMonn won the Ezra LitwakAward for Distinction in Screen-writing for “Hinged on Stars.”
After the readings, SOA alum-na Sabrina Dhawan, ’02,received the Andrew SarrisAward. Dhawan wrote MonsoonWedding, one of the top 10 high-est-grossing foreign films of alltime in the United States and thewinner of the Golden Lion at theVenice Film Festival. At the LosAngeles screenings, SOA alum-nus Albert Berger, ’03, receivedthe Andrew Sarris Award. Bergeris affiliated with Bona Fide Pro-ductions, where he has producedcritical and box-office successes,including Cold Mountain, Elec-tion and King of the Hill.
The Columbia University FilmFestival has earned an interna-tional reputation as a launchingpad for emerging talent. Colum-bia Film Division students havewon Student Academy AwardGold Medals in six of the pastseven years.
Films from the 2003 ColumbiaFestival have gone on to screenat prestigious international festi-vals including: Berlin, Cannes,New York, Palm Springs, Sun-dance and Telluride. Recentfilms by Film Division alumniinclude Laurel Canyon, writtenand directed by Lisa Cholo-denko, SOA’97; Identity, direct-ed by James Mangold, SOA’99;and 2004 Academy Award nomi-nee and winner of the 2003Grand Jury Prize at the SundanceFilm Festival, American Splen-dor, written and directed byShari Springer Berman, SOA’95,and Robert Pulcini, SOA’94.
Among the leading 2004Columbia Film Festival awardwinners:
Faculty Selects: The follow-ing were chosen by Film Divi-sion faculty as Best of the 2004Festival—Loopy, directed bySeth Michael Donsky; ExtremeMom, directed by JoyceDraganosky; American Exquis-ite, directed by Keith Goldberg;Nostradamus and Me, directedby Eilis Kirwan; Wrigley, direct-ed by Oliver Refson; Family
Portrait, directed by PatriciaRiggen; and God Is Good,directed by Caryn Waechter.
Faculty Honors: The follow-ing were noted by Film Divisionfaculty as Outstanding Works—The Hill, directed by DeborahChow; Junebug and Hurricane,directed by James Ponsoldt;Groomed, directed by JosephRaso Seibutsu; Seibutsu (Still:Life), directed by Joe TurnerLin; and then one night…,directed by Jessica Weigmann;and Orson, directed by DavidPastor Vallejo.
IMAX Outstanding Achieve-ment Award: Orson, directed byDavid Pastor Vallejo.
Kim’s Video Award: Junebugand Hurricane, directed byJames Ponsoldt.
Arthur Krim MemorialAward: Jennifer Grausman andDaniel Weisinger.
New Line Cinema Award forBest Director: Caryn Waechterfor God is Good.
Tribeca Entertainment Out-standing Achievement inScreenwriting Award: “Nos-tradamus and Me,” written byEilis Kirwan.
Twentieth Century Fox/Farrelly Brothers OutstandingAchievement in ComedyAward: Groomed, directed byJoseph Raso.
Windows Media Award forOutstanding Digital Film-making: American Exquisite,directed by Keith Goldberg.
James Bridges DevelopmentAward: The Wannabe, directedby Althea Wasow.
Hallmark EntertainmentProducers DevelopmentAward: Standing in the Current,produced by Lorenzo Gaines.
HBO Young ProducersDevelopment Award: Passage,produced by Xu Ke.
New Line Cinema Develop-ment Award: Live at Five,directed by Averie Storck.
