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The Day That Showcased
Michigan’s Best Shorts
By Robert Joseph Butler (Filmmaker) • Photos Provided by Karen Palka
The Blue Water Film Festival was held at the McMorran Place in Port Huron, MI on October 10th, 2009. Targeting filmmakers from Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario, the festival selected 19 films out of 70 entries. The line-up was comprised of features, shorts, animated shorts, and documentaries. With the quality of selections, presentation of the festival, VIP party, award ceremony, and audience turn out, this first year festival seemed like a seasoned pro.
It was the shorts that stood out more then the features, and the award ceremony proved it. The first place prize winners were all short films. Top awards went to Chuck Grady’s earnest and inspiring The Point, former Sarnia, now LA resident Susan Cohen’s harrowing film about one woman’s struggle with breast cancer titled Open Your Eyes, and The Lawson Chronicles. The Audience Award went to Freezer Geezers, an amusing 80 min documentary about the oldest hockey players in the world directed by Dearborn residents Denn Pietro and Denver Rochon. The crowd also praised Chris Lepley’s office satire First Day and Mike Allore’s visually unromantic The Next Step.
Each of the nineteen films earned applause and spoke to the audience in one way or another. Many have already moved onto screen in the Michigan Film circuit. Alas, The Blue Water Film Festival was truly a memorable day. Talented Michigan and Sarnia filmmakers joined together from diverse backgrounds, styles, and genres that showcased enormous creativity, heart, and provocation. They can’t wait for year number two!
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Monday, February 06, 2012
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