The Southwest Indiana Film Festival (SWIFF) started out the month of October with a successful turn-out of over 250 people throughout the day last Saturday.
SWIFF is only in its 3rd year and had various entries from local filmmakers here in the Midwest and other parts of the country, and even international. Daniel Ahrens of Frankfurt, Germany entered a 3minute 3D animated short titled Shell, which is his first film he directed and wrote. Ahrens has done professional work for major companies such as Fiat, Disney, and more. At SWIFF Ahrens won the Best Short award for Shell.
The entire list of winners includes:
Best Feature: Margo
Feature Runner-up: Not Welcome
Best Short: Shell
Short Runner-up: Misread
Best Director: Matthew Packman for Margo
Best Screenplay: Marc Sloboda for Not Welcome
Best Cinematography: After Shock
Best Actress: Lauren Schaubert as Libby in Margo
Best Actor: Richard Short as Terry in Not Welcome
Best Editing: When I Wake
The Mystery Award was Best Documentary: Not Pictured
Executive Producer and Actor,Roger Welp, won Best Feature Runner-Up for the film titled Not Welcome, the film also won the Best Actor, Best Screenplay, and Audience Choice awards.
Welp is a Huntingburg native and expresses the significance of coming back to Dubois County and being honored with the SWIFF awards.
Welp currently works in Chicago and has experience with other film projects. His message to future filmmakers is to network and use social media distribution to get creative work noticed as today the parameters of accessing an audience has enhanced with different media vehicles.
Aspiring filmmaker Hannah Rydberg of Jasper won the Best Editing award for When I Wake. Rydberg is a senior at Jasper High School and talks about her experience and growth throughout her participation with SWIFF.
Rydberg plans to go to Milwaukee University for Film and Marketing and she looks forward to continue in the film industry to make an impact with her future films.
SWIFF Board Member, Peter Marshall, stated that the Dubois County Film Commission looks forward to expanding their scope in getting more variety with film submissions and contribute to the culture and art growth into Dubois County. Also SWIFF Board Member, Nick Stevens, elaborates on the success of this year and how they intent to continue the great momentum as they received over 50 film entries this year.
For more information on Southwest Indiana Film Festival navigate to their website at www.filmduboiscounty.com and like them on Facebook.
