By all accounts everyone who virtually attended the Nightstream digital film festival had a great time. It was short (really, too short) and most certainly it was sweet.
While we hope we do not have to do this type of event next year we are glad that it was a rousing success for our friends at the five collaborating film festivals: Boston Underground, Brooklyn Horror, North Bend, Overlook and Popcorn Frights.
Adam Rehmeier’s Dinner in America was announced as the winner of the Audience Award. While that is awesome and there was a slew of awards given to short films from every festival's short film block the real winners are the benifactors of the event's charitable focus.
Proceeds from the festival will be distributed to all filmmakers and artists involved, as well as to local charities and small businesses, such as the Future of Film is Female, House of Tulip, KoKo NYC, New Orleans Creative Response, New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice, North Bend Downtown Foundation, and Roar New York, in addition to local cinema support funds for the Brattle Film Foundation, the independently-owned North Bend Theatre, and the historic Savor Cinema.
The complete press release follows.
Following the end of four days of scheduled digital programming on October 11th, NIGHTSTREAM comes to a full stop today as extended on-demand programming concludes and Adam Rehmeier’s DINNER IN AMERICA is announced as the winner of the festival’s Audience Award. This comes following the over 50 accolades presented from the five festivals for their respective short blocks, which were announced following the closing night film, Quentin Dupieux’s MANDIBLES, and are listed below in full."I’m thrilled Dinner in America resonated with NIGHTSTREAM’s audience the way it did, that this film is bringing people some much needed respite from the chaos of 2020,” says Adam Rehmeier in acceptance of his award. “Thank you to all of the people who have reached out to share how deeply they’ve connected with Patty and Simon. Your words are the cure for the pandemic blues. Hats off to all five festivals for coming together to create such a beautiful monster!"In total NIGHTSTREAM saw over 15,000 tickets and badges issued, and over 35,000 films and events uniquely viewed in all fifty U.S. states. The festival, which proudly celebrated 8 World Premieres, 8 North American Premieres, and 7 U.S. Premieres, featured 166 scheduled virtual screenings and events, in addition to our selection of titles available on-demand. Proceeds from the festival will be distributed to all filmmakers and artists involved, as well as to local charities and small businesses, such as the Future of Film is Female, House of Tulip, KoKo NYC, New Orleans Creative Response, New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice, North Bend Downtown Foundation, and Roar New York, in addition to local cinema support funds for the Brattle Film Foundation, the independently-owned North Bend Theatre, and the historic Savor Cinema.NIGHTSTREAM began with the sold-out World Premiere of Hulu’s thriller RUN on opening night on October 8th, and continued until the 11th with a mix of live events, digital parties, premieres, and more, and created a game-changing social hub with our highly celebrated virtual bar, becoming the first film festival to use the technology to recreate the feeling of community lost as we pivot to digital landscapes.The festival’s live presentations of Dinner With The Masters of Horror: A Tribute to Mick Garris, where NIGHTSTREAM presented Garris with the Master of Horror Award alongside special guests John Carpenter, Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, John Landis, Ernest Dickerson, and more; and nightly Evening Rituals presented by IFC Midnight were standouts of the program, the latter of which welcomed hosts that included Elijah Wood, Barbara Crampton, and Larry Fessenden. Highlights from the full events slate included special anniversary celebrations for AMERICAN PSYCHO with Mary Harron and TALES FROM THE HOOD with Rusty Cundieff and panels on Indonesian Horror, presented by Shudder, and horror comics, presented by Midnight Pulp, as well as a featured talk with Nia DaCosta on CANDYMAN and the film industry.The full list of short film juries and the titles they awarded can be found below.BOSTON UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL: SHORT FILM JURY WINNERSBoston Underground Short Film Jury:Usama Alshaibi, Filmmaker - PROFANE, AMERICAN ARABMonica Castillo, Journalist - The New York Times, DigBostonCelia Pouzet, Programmer - The Fantasia International Film Festival, MOTELx Film FestivalBest New England Short: Darling Pet Monkey, dir. Jim McDonoughRunner-up: Life is a Burger, dir. Patrick O’BrienSpecial Jury Award: Changeling, dir. Faye JacksonRunner-up: Gacha Gacha, dir. Dave JacksonBest of Fest Short: Diabla, dir. Ashley GeorgeRunner-up: The Haunted Swordsman, dir. Kevin McTurkBROOKLYN HORROR FILM FESTIVAL: SHORT FILM JURY WINNERSBrooklyn Horror Short Film Jury:Zena Dixon, Co-Host - The Bloody Disgusting PodcastMattie Do, Filmmaker - DEAREST SISTER, THE LONG WALKMarie Zeniter, International Sales Manager - Magnolia PicturesBest Short: Killing Small Animals, dir. Marcus SvanbergBest Director: Jean-François Leblanc, for LandgravesBest Cinematography: Mateusz Klimek, for AttachmentSpecial Jury Award for Best Bad Douchebag Boyfriend: Don’t Text Back!, dir. Kaye Adelaide and Mariel SharpSpecial Jury Mention: 4x6, dir. Jamie GyngellBrooklyn Horror Home Invasion Jury:A.K. Espada - Alumni ('16, '18, '19)Robbie Lemieux - Alumni ('17, '18, '19)Nora Unkel - Alumni ('17, '19)BHFF Home Invasion WinnersBest Short: The Three Men You Meet At Night, dir. Beck KitsisBest Director: Mary Dauterman, for Unfinished BusinessBest Performance: Stella Baker, for The Three Men You Meet At NightSpecial Jury Award for Editing: Alex Trierweiler, for Shut EyeSpecial Jury Award for Sound: James Wu, for Lose ItSpecial Jury Award for Art Direction: Nicole Smith, for The Howling WindNORTH BEND FILM FESTIVAL: SHORT FILM JURY WINNERSNorth Bend Short Film Jury:Cinema Vista + Chaos InternalVivian Hua, Executive Director of Northwest Film ForumJennifer Reeder, Filmmaker - KNIVES AND SKINCameron Swanagon, Non-Theatrical and Festival Coordinator - Oscilloscope LaboratoriesSomething Strange + Transient TerritoriesAdam Baran, Producer - Emmy-nominated CIRCUS OF BOOKSMichelle Garza Cervera, Filmmaker - MEXICO BARBARO, THE ORIGINALPedro Souto, Festival Director - MOTELx Film FestivalCinema Vista + Chaos InternalBest Short: Your Last Day on Earth, dir. Marc MartinezHonorable Mention: Your Monster, dir. Caroline LindyBest Director: Kaye Adelaide and Mariel Sharp, for Don’t text back!Best Actor: Denis Lavant, for FigurantBest Actress: Alexandra Nell, for AbductionJury Mention for Best Cinematography: Joey Liew, for Eyes of EidolonJury Mention for Production Design: Erin Coates and Anna Nazzari, for Dark WaterSomething Strange + Transient TerritoriesBest Short: She-Pack, dir. Fanny OvesenHonorable mention for the astute use of genre to speak about human rights and for the amazing use of sound/music to embrace its subject matter: Snowflakes, dir. Faye JacksonBest Director: Thea Hvistendahl, for Children of SatanBest Actor: Nicolás Schujman, for In The Dark ParkBest Actress: Ruth Ramos, for DiablaSpecial mention for a brilliant ending: Diabla, dir. Ashley GeorgeBest Special effects: Thaumar Rep, for HeatBest ensemble cast: She-Pack, dir. Fanny OvesenOVERLOOK FILM FESTIVAL: SHORT FILM JURY WINNERSThe Overlook Short Film Jury:Roxanne Benjamin, Filmmaker - BODY AT BRIGHTON ROCK, SOUTHBOUNDNatalie Erika James, Filmmaker - RELICAdam Piron, Programmer - Sundance Film FestivalGrand Jury Prize: Bad Hair, dir. Oskar LehemaaSpecial Mention: Changeling, dir. Faye JacksonScariest Short Film Prize: Abracitos, dir. Tony MoralesSpecial Mention: Pulsión, dir. Pedro CasavecchiaPOPCORN FRIGHTS: SHORT FILM JURY WINNERSPopcorn Frights Short Film Jury:Brittany Allen, Actress/Producer/Composer - WHAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE, Z, The BoysAndre Gower, Actor/Director - MONSTER SQUAD, WOLFMAN’S GOT NARDSRachel Talalay, Producer/Director - FREDDY’S DEAD, TANK GIRLDavid Howard Thornton, Actor - TERRIFIER 1 & 2Maxwell Wolkin, Director of Non-Theatrical Sales - Film MovementAnimation Domination: A Night in Camp Heebie Jeebie, dir. Dylan Chase.Homegrown, 100% Pure Fresh Squeezed Florida Horror: Culpa, dir. Miguel FerrerInternational Midnighters: Swipe, dir. Niels BourgonjeMidnighters: Waffle, dir. Carlyn HudsonScariest Film Award: Abracitos, dir. Tony Morales