MARIETTA - Two local residents won awards in last weekend's Colony Film Festival at the Mid-Ohio Valley Players theater in Marietta.
Andy Hall of Marietta won for Best Animated Film, "The Stone," as director-animator-producer.
In the category Best Local Film, "Hare Tactics: When Free Speech Goes Too Far" won. Aaron Dunbar of Lowell is the writer, animator, editor of the film.
Other winners in the seventh annual film festival were Best Short Film , "A Girl Named Penney," Aaron Steiner, director-producer, from Regent University, Virginia Beach, Va.; Best Feature Film, "More Than Chance," Debra Johanyak, writer-director of Mogadore, Ohio; Best Student Film, "Bama And Fred," Brian Gerber, director, and Courtney Jackson, producer, from Regent University; and Best of Fest, "Spring Forward," Zach Yokum, director, and Nathan Stump, producer, from Regent University.
Michael Molinaro of Vienna, coordinator of the Colony Film Festival, said the Marietta film festival had great presenters and keynote speakers this year. The guests wanted to help local filmmakers and area residents seeking to enter the filmmaking industry, he said.
On Saturday morning, award-winning special effects producer Brad Kalinoski offered a two-hour workshop on "Post-Production Editing." He started out shooting commercials in Huntington before moving to Los Angeles with his wife.
Kalinoski has held positions with companies like George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic and Rainmaker Animation and Visual Effects. He now works with LOOK FX and his past credits include "The King's Speech," "Speed Racer," "Evan Almighty" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest."
Saturday evening featured a screening of the Emmy-winning 1991 documentary "The Dancing Outlaw," followed by a keynote address from the filmmaker, Morgantown resident Jacob Young.
Molinaro said more local filmmakers were involved in the film festival this year. He expects the event to continue to grow.
Hunt Brawley, development director for the Colony Theatre on Putnam Street in Marietta, said the film festival generated $300-$400 for the restoration of the Colony Theater.
Brawley said the festival is designed to showcase the work of local filmmakers and encourage others in the community to get involved.
"It was a great event for filmmakers," Brawley said. "I liked the featured speakers," he said, noting the special effects expertise provided by Kalinoski and the documentary work of Young.
