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Movies with Meaning
The Angelus Awards' Monika Moreno Speaks Out
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| Monika Moreno with 2001 Angelus Award winners Shane Savanapridi (left) and Greg Marcks (right). |
With hundreds of film festivals to choose from and more springing up each year, students with a completed project-and desire to have it screened by an audience of industry professionals-have a lot of work ahead of them. Figuring out the best place to show your film can be a long and arduous process; the existence of The Angelus Awards Student Film Festival makes the decision a bit easier.
With a students-only policy, tremendous track record, and tens of thousands of dollars up for grabs, the Angelus Awards is a great first step in the door to Hollywood. Recently MM spoke with Angelus Awards Director Monika Moreno about why students make better moviemakers and the triumph of the human spirit.
Jennifer Wood (MM): How did the idea for The Angelus Awards first originate?
Monika Moreno (MORENO): Leaders in the entertainment industry and Family Theater Productions tossed around the concept for the Angelus Awards for a while. They were concerned that a forum did not exist for young filmmakers to showcase works that dealt with the human journey and the triumph of the human spirit. How could we recognize and encourage talented young filmmakers brought up in a post-Tarantino and Ezsterhaus world? So we created a film competition that would focus on college-level filmmakers-filmmakers that weren't necessarily as interested in making the next Dumb and Dumber as they were in creating something that would speak to the soul.
MM: Your mission statement says that "The Angelus Awards recognize and showcase student films which explore the complexity of the human condition with creativity and respect." Specifically, what kinds of films are you looking for? What moves you and the rest of the Angelus staff?
MORENO: It's always amazing to see the wide variety in genre and subject matter among the entries, whether they are live action, documentary or animation. We leave the interpretation up to the filmmakers and are always blown away by the results. To give you an idea of what has excited the judges in the past: our top prize, the Patrick Peyton Award, has gone to a film about three black soldiers returning from WWII as heroes only to be treated as sub-human at home in the South. The same award went to a coming-of-age film about a 12-year old girl dealing with freckles-and the following year to a film about the last "lector," who read stories to Cuban cigar rollers before radio retired him.
Our documentary category often finds personal family portraits pitted against equally stirring but hard-hitting cultural or political issue-oriented fare. Other awards have gone to heartwarming comedies, holocaust dramas and computer animation. Basically, if the film/documentary/animation is well made and tells a story that stirs hearts and provokes thoughts-without relying on senseless violence, sex or profanity-we want to see it.
MM: The Patrick Peyton Excellence in Filmmaking Award winner receives a very generous $10,000. What do you hope the selected moviemaker will achieve with this prize?
MORENO: We look at our grand prize as an investment-an investment in the filmmaker that we are certain will make a positive mark in the industry. Our inaugural year, Loyola Marymount University student Tony Bui won the Production Design award for Yellow Lotus. His award money went toward the completion of his phenomenal effort, Three Seasons, which went on to capture the Sundance Jury Prize. We were thrilled to help out in, albeit a small, but mighty way. We also want everyone to know how committed and serious we are to the fledgling filmmaker, and are willing to put action to our words.
MM: What are some of your other success stories?
MORENO: In our inaugural year, the first Patrick Peyton Award winner, Patricia Cardoso for The Water Carrier, was the celebrated 2002 Sundance Audience Award winner for Real Women Have Curves. Last year's Angelus Audience Impact Award winner, Sabrina Dhawan (Saanjh, As Night Falls) went on to pen the acclaimed Monsoon Wedding. Last year's Patrick Peyton winner, Greg Marcks, is now slated to begin production on 11:14 with Hilary Swank.
MM: As students are your targeted source of film material, in what ways do you work with educational institutions to let people know about your event?
MORENO: Each spring, we launch a small mailing campaign to around 100 film schools in the nation, as well as Canada. We supply the schools with posters, call for entries and our Website info. We make an effort to reach the film schools personally, but must also rely on the Web and any student portal we can find to spread the word. We personally contact and invite the deans and directors of the "honored" schools to all our events, and work with them to publicize the success. Ultimately, I like to devote as much energy to that small film program in Hoboken as we would to one of the majors.
MM: New film education programs are opening up across the country, making students often at a loss in determining which schools offer the best programs. What are some of the lesser-known schools you've seen emerging that are worth investigating?
MORENO: Over the years, we've found that stellar work comes from just about anywhere. We've awarded international and national winners alike, and although a preponderance of films do come from LA and New York, we have seen star-caliber work emerge from smaller, lesser-known programs nationwide. Also, we've seen an increase in Canadian entries-from Vancouver to Toronto-and there's much talent to be had. Here in the US, Florida State, North Carolina School of the Arts and schools in Texas, Virginia, Utah, etc. have all been in the top 10 recently.
MM: Just as important as the moviemakers who showcase their work at a festival are the sponsors who make it all happen. Who are some of your sponsors and how have they helped your efforts?
MORENO: From the beginning, Mole-Richardson Lighting Company sponsored the Production Design Award ($1,500) and is always faithful in providing the winners and finalists with cinematic lighting needs, gift certificates, etc. Final Draft provides our winners with screenwriting software and there's a slew of industry sponsors that love what we are doing and have offered prizes.
This year, two new significant sponsors came on board: FujiFilm will sponsor the Audience Impact Award ($2,800 plus film stock) and a new production company, Priddy Good Productions, helmed by Edward Priddy, has agreed to create the Angelus Triumph Award ($5,000), which will honor the student film that reflects the most outstanding "redemptive" theme. Production and industry-affiliated companies such as these are really the backbone of Angelus. It is mutually encouraging to us and to the students to find them.
MM: How are the Angelus Awards different from a traditional film festival?
MORENO: Our theme sets us apart: awarding films that might reflect spirituality, dignity, redemption, tolerance or equality. That is our emphasis-and Hollywood seems to get it. From our honorary Chairs (Jim Caviezel, Lynn Redgrave, Martin Sheen) to our Honorary Committee (Penny Marshall, Anjelica Huston, Christopher Reeve, Lawrence Kasdan, Ivan Reitman), we aren't just interested in excellence in filmmaking-we're interested in compelling stories of our common human journey that also exemplify excellence in filmmaking.
MM: I know the deadline for this year's event has passed, but how can people learn more about your event?
MORENO: Visit www.angelus.org or email us with an address and we will send a 2003 call for entry form when they are available. Email: info@angelus.org. Potential sponsors can reach me at monika@angelus.org.
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- Comment by akirou on 3/14/08 at 9:07 pm
murit!
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