With all this talk of SAW II, you’d think that there was no other news today! Well, there is, and here it is.
Screamfest LA wrapped up earlier this week with its awards ceremony at Maggiano’s at the Grove. The big winner this year was Dan Mintz’s COOKERS, which took home 4 awards including Best Picture, Best Director (Dan Mintz), Best Actress (Cyia Batten) and Best Actor (Brad Hunt).
The rest of the winners looked like this: Audience Choice Award went to THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, which was directed by David Lee Fisher. The film also brought home two SCREAMFEST honors for Best Cinematography (Christopher Duddy) and Best Special Effects (David Lee Fisher, Josiah Holmes Howison, Barbara K. Hintz). Toby Wilkins won Best Horror Short for his film STARING AT THE SUN, which was also screened at Sundance this past winter. LITTLE DEAD GIRL directed by Lee Lanier won for Best Animation, and Best Student Horror went to Eli Sasich for his film DEAD WEST. Best Makeup was awarded to Kyla Rose Tremblay for the new zombie film SEVERED. Best Editing went to Spain’s F. Javier Gutierrez for his short BRASIL, which also was pre-selected for the 2004 Oscars. Hailing from the Phillipines, SIGAW won for Best Musical Score (Jesse Lucas), which is also now being shopped around as a remake by Roy Lee (*groan*). Rounding out the film awards, ZOMBIE MOVIE won for Best Horror Comedy directed by Michael Asquith and Ben Stenbeck. In the screenplay competition, Paul J. Da Silva won took home Best Screenplay for his feature script NIGHTFALL. Lastly, and certainly not the least, Sean S. Cunningham received a Career Achievement Award for his work in producing classic horror titles such as LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and FRIDAY THE 13TH. The winners received the golden skull statues designed by Stan Winston Studios and software packages from Movie Magic, while the winning screenplay received a first look deal with Stan Winston Productions and $1,000 cash.
All in all, it sounded like a kickass time, with a celebration party for the 25th Anniversary of FRIDAY THE 13TH, special screenings of CURANDERO (executive produced by Robert Rodriguez), Dimension’s WOLF CREEK and Lion’s Gate’s 2001 MANIACS. Hopefully, one of these years I’ll get the chance to check it out myself, rather than freezing my butt off walking to college every day…