INTERNATIONAL SHORTS LONG ON NOMINATIONS FOR 168 FILM FESTIVAL

Canadian, European and Pacific Rim Fare Wows Jury

Celebs Erik Estrada and Denise Grayson Featured

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Mar. 25, 2011) – Four films made outside the United States, representing just over 5 percent of all entries in the 9^th annual 168 Film Festival (Mar. 31–Apr. 2), claimed nearly 30 percent of all nominations announced today by Paul E. Luebbers, Executive Director of the faith-based speed short filmmaking contest.

The select shorts from Canada, the U.K., Japan and India – out of a contingent of nine international submissions from six countries — received 24 nominations out of a possible 110 given to 20 films across 21 categories by a panel of 14 judges, including producer Ralph Winter (“X-Men: Wolverine”).

The metric is best illustrated in this year’s Best Film category, whose seven nominees include two from overseas: U.K. custody drama “Child’s Play” and Bollywood thriller “Kwaish – A Desire.”

The strong foreign performance is led by returning British producer Owen Kingston’s “Child’s Play,” which received 14 nominations this year, compared to zero for his 2010 entry “Trashed.”

“Last year it was me doing the photography, which frankly, I learned never to do, ever again,” said the Londoner.  “The whole 168 process has been about finding crew members who are better than me, to do things much better than I could ever hope to.

Nominations for “Child’s Play” include Scriptural Integration or S.I. (how well the film’s luck-of-the-draw foundational verse is integrated in the story), Best Film (Kingston, Tom Cooper, Anita Wadsworth), International Film, Director (Owen Kingston, Tom Cooper), Actress (Rhianna Culverwell), Actor (Paul Lancaster), Supporting Actor (Ben Fensome), Supporting Actress (Eleanor Appleton), Screenplay, Cinematography, Editor, Sound Design, Original Score, and Production Design.

Fellow international frontrunner is India’s Sitaram Singhal with 8 nominations for mystery thriller “Khwaish – A Desire,” including Best Film, International Film, Director (Mehul Gadani), Supporting Actor (Pravin Suryavanshi), Cinematography (R. Deepak), Editor (Vikas Tiwari), Production Design (Susheel Rankawat) and Makeup (Anila Battise).

Per “168” rules, all films are 10-11 minutes long and based on a scripture with the theme for 2011, “Second Chances.”  Singhal‘s verse embodies the theme: “ Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness,” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV).

From Japan, Ian Shen’s lady bugs learn life lessons drama “To Be or Not LB” is up for Best International and Animated Film awards and Best Score (Brendan Anderson).

Finally, from Vancouver Canada, Katherine Hill and Annette Reilly’s sentimental romance “We’ll Meet Again” received nominations for Best International Film and for Best Actress (Ethel Pitchford).

Winners of the made-in-one-week, based-on-a-Bible-verse, filmmaking contest will be crowned at the conclusion of a three-day, twin-venue program at San Fernando’s Hope Theater (March 31 – Apr. 1) and the Alex Theatre Apr. 2.  Winners vie for $10,000 in cash and prizes and meetings with Hollywood elite.

On the domestic front, twelve mentions go to perennial producer/director/editor Theo Love and his wife Jessie and writing/producing team Eric Lee, Susu Keepman Lee.  Their film “Good News?” (the Atheist’s guide to the Gospel) gets mentions for Evangelista (best telling of the core of Jesus’ message), Best Film, Comedy, Director, Screenplay, Actress (Benedicte Westbye), Actor (Casey Caldwell), Supporting Actress (Annie V. Ramsey) Cinematography (Drew Maw), Editor, Sound, and Production Design (Eric Lee, Susu Keepman Lee)

Mark Blitch and Joey Williams’ homeowner knows whodunit “Breaking and Entering” is up for eleven noms including S.I. and Screenplay (Blitch, Williams), Best Film, Director and Editor (Blitch), Cinematography (Clint Loveness, Blitch), Score (Dan Martinie, Joey Williams), Production Design (Blitch, Williams), Best Actor (2 noms for dual leads and returning award nominees Adam Kitchen and Todd Terry) and Supporting Actor (Blitch).

Eleven Nominations go to cop with a conscious drama “Useless,” from the husband and wife team of Dennis & Olivia Bentivengo.  The nominations include Best S.I. for hyphenate writer-director-editor-director of photography Brandon Adams, and Evangelista, Film, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, Editor, Score (Fred Emory Smith), Makeup (Annika Ramirez) and dual Best Actor noms for Earl Boo Arnold and Kevin Sizemore.

Amnesia intensive “Breaking” by first time producers Gary Voelker and Paula Wood is up for 8 awards including S.I. (Voelker), Screenplay (Voelker), Best Film, Supporting Actress (Francine Locke), Editor and Sound (Alan Brentwood), Production Design (Jeff Spohn), and Makeup (Rachael Wagoner).

Producers Dave Gaw, David Martinez, Trip Gould, Nick Ganas’ “The Butcher” cuts into contention with seven nominations including Best Film, Comedy, Screenplay (Gaw, Gould, Ganas), Director (Gaw), Supporting Actress (Monica Ganas), Cinematography (Nathaniel Smith) and Sound Design (Jonathan Neubauer)

Six nominations go to Write of Passage screenwriting competition winner, writer/producer Alan Tregoning for his loner seeking love drama” Second Glances,” including, Best Director (Chris Wiegand), Actress (Tamara Voss), Editor (Chris Wiegand), Sound Design (Chris Wiegand, Josh Spake), Score (Jordan Critz) and Makeup (Paula Corbello)

Mother daughter kitchen drama “Up There with Pie” is up for six awards including Best Actress (Lisa Livesay), Supporting Actor  (Roger Nelson), Supporting Actress (Marcia Walter), Screenplay (John Schimke), Sound Design (Jason Livesay, Nolan Livesay) and Score (Jason Livesay, Nolan Livesay)

Four nominations go to first time writer/producer Joth Riggs’ grieving husband with dark secrets drama “Push,” including Screenplay (Riggs, Matthew Eason, Scott Nave), Actress (Natalie Plant), Supporting Actor  (Brad Abrell), and Sound (Brandon Griffith)

Spilling into contention is the writing/production team for first date comedy “Cabernet” (Zack Russell, Debbie Ramamoorthy, and Jonathan Guy), up for Screenplay, S.I., Film and comedy awards

“Inspector Sanchez,“ by Alberto Portillo, Sophia Portillo, and Sergio Marcos.  Up for Best Comedy and Screenplay awards, “Sanchez”boasts C.H.I.P.S. star Erik Estrada, who’s character advises a moonlighting health inspector.   Interviewed on set, Estrada described his desire to help young Latino filmmakers and said of Portillo’s work,  “I read it (the script), it’s really cool and here I am.

Producer Susan Shearer and writer/director Joe Osborn’s film “He’s 13” did not qualify for awards, but it too had some notables involved, namely Denise Grayson, actress in the Oscar-nominated “The Social Network,” and John Goodwin, makeup artist from “Men in Black” and “CSI.”

First time 168 producers, Nathanael & Christina Matanick’s unlimited second chances comedy “The Do-Over” is up for best comedy, screenplay (Emily Catalano) and score (Daniel Jon Klaver).

Joshua Barker’s “Microphone,” about a worldly rapper softening his speech, contends for Evangelista and Best S.I. Awards.

One-sixty-eight journeyman Stephen Puffenberger’s aging church documentary “The Main Thing” is up for Best Documentary and Evangelista awards

The Best Animated Film category has two contenders.  Ian Shen’s “To Be or Not LB” is traditionally animated.   Michael Mitchell and Sarah Abel’s claymation drama “Stranded” pits a plucky pelican against a mysterious castaway.

Best Makeup is covered by artists, Rachael Wagoner, Anila Battise, Paula Corbello, Kelly Jo Kern, Rachel Ringwood and Annika Ramirez

For Best Music Video, there are two nominees Rajesh Nahar, M.D. and Samraj Gandhi’s Hip-hop Hematologist ditty, “Dr. Raj Rapper” and first time helmer Henry Wong’s “Guide Me Home.”

The Best “Making Of” Documentary nominations go to: Mark Blitch, Brandon Chandler, David Holechek Vikas Tiwari, Brandon Tyra, Garrett Williams and Charles Willis III

A new feature at the 168 Film Festival is the Write of Passage Spotlight.  These films come from select entries in the 168 Screenwriting Competition, which gives competitors a verse and a week to write a 12-page script.  The first spotlight film is Best Actor winner (2010) turned producer, Jeff Rose and Wes and Amanda Llewellyn’s love-struck suitor comedy “Clip.”   Wes is 168’s only three-time Best Film winner.   Liberation libretto “Rescued” is the other spotlight film from talented producers Ted and Karen Eachus.

According to 168 founder and president John David Ware, “The production of the first ever Write of Passage Spotlight Films is a big step towards 168 positively changing the media.  Commissioning great works of art and helping them come to life makes 168 more like a micro-studio.  Today we make shorts; tomorrow we see feature length films from our artists.”

The Saturday April 2nd 168 Film Festival evening award program includes presenters Ralph Winter , producer “X-MEN: Wolverine,” Ken Wales , producer “Amazing Grace,” “Christy”; Brian Bird, writer/producer, “Touched by an Angel”; Gary Hall , Sr. VP 20th Cent. Fox TV Post Production; Leilani Downer , writer “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”; Michael Lehmann Boddicker , Grammy-winning composer, “Flashdance”; Jeff Rose, actor “Drop Dead Diva,” “Army Wives”; Jenn Gotzon actress “Doonby”; Tracy Melchior , actress “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “CSI”; Sarah Drew , actress “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Mad Men”; Abigail Mason, Actress “Saving Sarah Cain” and John David Ware, 168 founder/director.

Visit www.168project.com for tickets ($15-40) and show times or call 818-557-8507.