#OtherWorlds2016 Announces a Bantha-weight of Awards

Other Worlds Austin SciFi Film Festival wrapped up its third season yesterday by announcing the 2016 winners for its Best Feature Audience Award, Best Short Audience Award (sponsored by Film Colossus), the Mary Shelley Award, the Cthulhies awards, and the finalists for the Screenplay Contest.

Nearly 300 films were submitted to the third-year festival. A passionate and engaged audience ultimately had to choose from 15 features and 31 shorts, all Austin premieres.

The Best Feature Audience Award winner for OWA 2016 is the World Premiere of DOMAIN, written and directed by Nathaniel Atcheson. The post-apocalyptic film follows survivors of deadly virus who wait alone in self-sustaining bunkers while the threat runs its course. Able to communicate through a networked video interface, their fragile social ecosystem is shattered when, one by one, they start mysteriously

disappearing from their bunkers.

"Nathaniel Atcheson packs his tiny bunkers with so many well-developed characters and ideas that you forget it's the classic one location set-up,” says Bears Fonté, OWA Founder and Artistic Director. “He also reminds us that SciFi can explore psychological science as much as physical science, which in many ways is more thought provoking. How many people do we really need in our lives to feel part of the world? With a great script and a fantastic ensemble cast, DOMAIN deserves to play every genre festival out there. We are so overjoyed that it starts its journey here with us and that our audience saw fit to send it off with this prize.”

The Best Short Audience Award winner (sponsored by Film Colossus) is MONSTERS, written by Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman and directed by Steve Desmond. The thriller MONSTERS follows Jenn, who lives in an underground bunker, protected from the monsters that daily ravage the world—until she ventures outside…

"Steve Desmond's film builds a complete world only to pull it out from under not once, but twice, in only 12 minutes, says Fonté. “Add to that a truly standout performance from Caitlin Carmichael, a star in the making, and this is easily one of the best shorts I've seen all year. I am proud to have it represent Other Worlds Austin."

The Best Feature Audience Award 2016 winner receives a $500 cash prize. The Best Short Audience Award 2016 winner receives a $250 cash prize.

As part as its continuing effort to discover and celebrate female voices working in the genre field, Other Worlds Austin presents the second annual Mary Shelley Award for SciFi Filmmaking, awarded to the best film that furthers the involvement and representation of women in the SciFi genre. This award is sponsored by Canine Productions, producers of award winning indie shorts, music videos and documentaries.



The Mary Shelley Award winner for the most innovative and most original vision for 2016 is Erin Li, director of the short film KEPLER X-47. The dark, thought-proving film follows a woman fetched from Earth as a perfect specimen, who adjusts to her new reality in a human zoo on an alien planet. KEPLER X-47 is dedication to the mission of the award.

Nominees from this year’s programming were identified by the OWA programming team and the winner was determined by a special jury of female film industry professionals:

Anne Chaisson, Executive Director Hamptons International Film Festival

Alysia Reiner, Producer/Founder Broad Street Picture (EQUITY - Sundance Jury award winner), Actress (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, SIDEWAYS, EQUITY)

Sarah Adina Smith, writer/director BUSTER'S MAL HEART, THE MIDNIGHT SWIM

Statement from the jury: “The jury is unanimous. We award the Mary Shelley prize to Erin Li for her original vision, rigorous world-building, and creative storytelling in her impressive short film, KEPLER X-47. We look forward to seeing Erin grow as a bold new voice in the SciFi genre.”

Special Mention to ALLHALLOWTIDE, Tia Salisbury (wri/dir) for a comic take on a known genre and spectacular writing.

Special Mention to THE TRIBE, Roxy Shih (dir) for outstanding ensemble acting.

The Mary Shelley Award is named for the author of Frankenstein, the original SciFi novel – a work that examines the human condition and the positive and dangerous possibilities of science. The award grants $500 to one filmmaker (of either a short or a feature) which played the Other Worlds Austin SciFi Film Festival 2016.To qualify, the films must either:

  * Be written and/or directed by a female, or

  * Feature complex female protagonists driving the narrative and leading the action.

Well, #OtherWorlds2016 might have come to an end, but that doesn't mean that the SciFi goodness is done yet!!!

Join us this Friday (7:35pm & 10:45pm) at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar as we host the absolutely fabulous Slash The Movie!!! We'll have some really cool OWA t-shirts to give away!!! Don't miss it!!!

Neil is a lot like most high school kids. He has trouble fitting in, he feels alone, his family doesn’t get him, and he’s questioning his sexual identity. But Neil has found a new outlet to channel his explorations – erotic fan fiction. He has liberated top box office smash Vanguard, a space mercenary, from his everyday adventures and given him a new focus, that of seducing his adversaries. Neil is horrified when his secret gets out, but fellow outsider Julia admits to writing her own fan fic, and turns Neil on to the online community and the world of Comicons.

"In Clay Liford’s comedy SLASH identity is very much under the control or at least the constant revision of the creator,” says OWA Founder and Artistic Director Bears Fonte, "It’s a charming film that manages to be absolutely hilarious and completely endearing and uplifting at the same time. As well as basically being about sex. I mean how can you go wrong with that?"

In attendance will be actress Kerri Linda, Producer Jason Wehling, and Zach Carlson to MC the proceedings.

 

You can get your tix at the following link:

https://drafthouse.com/austin/show/slash