The Smiling Man just took home the award for Best Post Production against very strong competition across all genres at the Connect Festival USA. We are very proud to bring this award home with us and congratulate the nominees: A Peaceful Man, Detectives of Noir Town, Frog, Little Red Riding Hood (starring Christina Ricci), Swiped, Krisha (SXSW Grand Jury and Audience Award winner and our personal favorite film of the fest), and Day One (a Project Greenlight finalist).
Our visual effects team consists of veterans in the industry spanning decades of experience, and we are grateful to them for all their efforts in helping make The Smiling Man a creepy-ass experience for audiences all over the world!
The screening was very special for me, as I am always excited to screen in a non-genre festival with an audience has no idea what they are about to experience. The Downtown Independent is also one of my favorite single-screen theatres: great seats, excellent BARCO DP4K-32B projector, 7.1 DATASAT surround, a huge 34 foot screen, and the projectionist with the propensity to keep the volume nice and loud.
It was a blast to sit in a full house and watch them squirm, scream, and laugh nervously through the tension and anxiety. I also got to enjoy some very engaging conversations with audience members and other filmmakers. We got so much love from the audience at this screening, it was such an honor. Seriously, no award beats the feeling of experiencing that.
Thanks so much to festival founder Lindsey Loon and her team for an unforgettable event! Also, thanks to Connect Festival for all but one of the photos! Man, I'm terrible at taking photos.
About Connect Festival
Share great films. Connect with great filmmakers. Make better films together.
Why Connect?
Connect Film Festival combines a short film festival and creative hub.
Founded in Australia, Connect Film Festival expands to Los Angeles in 2015.
Connect is an IMDB-listed festival granting 8 recognised awards for short film achievement. 2014 Connect films screened at Cannes and won awards in festivals in Toronto, Melbourne, Los Angeles, Houston, and Berlin.
More than anything, Connect is a filmmaker’s hub and a creative movement. An idea born in a pub and raised in an art space, Connect celebrates superb short films and encourages a vibrant filmmaker community.
Find out more on their website at http://connectfilmfestival.com/