2013 Charleston International Film Festival: A Week of Lasting Memories

The sixth annual Charleston International Film Festival has been acclaimed as the most successful since the festival’s debut in 2008. The 2013 festival was inaugurated on a warm Wednesday afternoon when Mayor Joseph Riley of Charleston signed a decree formalizing the week of the festival, this year and in the future, as Charleston Film Week - a monumental kick-off to the 2013 festivities.

This honor was a testament to all the years of dedicated planning and execution by Summer and Brian Peacher, as well as everyone who supported the festival and its mission to bring the power of film to the general public.  

The five-day festival concluded with the presentation of our first Lifetime Achievement Award to Bill Butler, honoring him for more than sixty years of dedicated service in Cinematography. Through the years, Butler has partnered with film icons such as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Douglas, and Tom Berenger, among many other industry greats. We were honored to have him as part of our event.
 

As they say in filmmaking “a picture’s worth a thousand words” – so please check out this year’s recap video:

Importance of Charleston International Film Festival

Throughout the festival, the magic of cinema transported us to foreign lands, brought us face-to-face with life changing decisions, tickled us with inventive animated characters, showcased the power of music, and examined the importance of family. Poverty, economic struggle, depression, and love were all exposed on the silver screen. From feature films and documentaries to animated shorts, the festival truly helped stretch our boundaries of understanding and acceptance.

Along with the wonderful list of international filmmakers and actors in attendance, we were honored to have Q&A from Chris Brigham, producer behind Argo, winner of an Academy Award for Best Picture, and Frank Abagnale, who inspired the film Catch Me If You Can.

This year’s filmmakers included a young Italian who was inspired by the aftermath of 9/11, a film professor, a woman moved by her brother’s story of overcoming mental illness, a South American director – who is now pursuing his dream in Los Angeles, and two amazing women who showed us how to find happiness in unlikely places. Each brought a story, not only through their films, but through interactions and connections made throughout the festival events. We were blessed to have such a remarkable collection of talent!

Film is a celebration of life. Though the creativity of the writers, actors, directors, and producers, we begin to see a part of ourselves on the screen. It is that emotion and pure energy which makes this week so full of passion and excitement. We would like to thank all the guests who brought their love for cinema and appreciation for the arts to our screenings. Ultimately, it is the lasting impact on the viewers that makes all the effort behind the festival worthwhile.
 

We’d like to thank all the writers, filmmakers, attendees, supporters and sponsors who made the 2013 Charleston International Film Festival a great success!

It’s my pleasure to present to you the 2013 Award Winners:

Best Film

• “A House, A Home” – Written and directed by Daniel Fickle

Jury Awards

• Best Feature: “Breaking at the Edge” – Directed by Peter Antonijevic
• Best Short: “Smile” – Written and directed by Matteo Pianezzi
• Best Documentary: “Solo La Caña” – Written and Directed by Tom Laffey

Audience Choice Awards

• Best Documentary: “AKA Doc Pomus” – Directed by Peter Miller and Will Hechter
• Best Feature: “Commencement” – Written and directed by Steve Albrezzi
• Best Short: “Love Scene” – Written and directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf
• Best Foreign Film: “Counting Happiness” – written and directed by Venetia Evripiotou
• Best Animation: “Green Acres” – Directed by James Beck

Screenplay Awards

• Screenplay Competition Winner: William Blackmon for “Isaiah’s Rest – An Edisto Ghost Story”
• First Runner-Up: Bethany Ashton Wolf for “Love Scene” 
• Second Runner-Up: Michael Kane for “Intelligent Design”

Special Honors

• Best Actress: Marin Hinkle in “Commencement”
• Best Actor: Satyam Singh in “Counting Happiness”
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Bill Butler, A.S.C.