AWARDS ANNOUNCED FOR 2013 STANLEY FILM FESTIVAL

- Eli Roth Receives Inaugural Visionary Award -
- Frank Khalfoun’s MANIAC and Ryan Spindell’s THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM Win Audience Awards -
- Colorado Film School’s PEAK OF TERROR Wins Stanley Dean’s Cup Jury Award -

The Stanley Film Festival (SFF), presented by NBC Universal’s Chiller, announced the Audience Award winners and the Stanley Dean’s Cup Award winner for the 2013 Festival at the Horror Brunch and Bloody Mary Awards Ceremony. The Stanley Film Festival ran from Thursday, May 2 to Sunday, May 5 in Estes Park, Colo.
 
“Every one of our filmmakers that presented their work deserves recognition for their artistic ability and passion for the genre,” says Festival Director Jenny Bloom. “From Eli Roth’s genuine enthusiasm and support of the Festival, to the impressive work from student filmmakers competing in the Stanley Dean’s Cup, our first year embodied our hopes and exceeded our expectations.”

The inaugural Visionary Award was awarded to actor, director, writer and producer Eli Roth for his contribution to independent horror cinema. Roth accepted his engraved Stanley Film Festival axe prior to the closing night screening of AFTERSHOCK.

“The Stanley Film Festival is set in a beautiful and haunted hotel – it’s a must for any horror fan,” says Roth. “I’ve been traveling the world going to genre festivals since CABIN FEVER and this was one if the most fun, creative and cool events I've ever been a part of. May it run long enough for me to haunt it.”
 
The Audience Award for Feature Film went to MANIAC, directed by Frank Khalfoun. The Audience Award for Short Film went to THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM, written and directed by Ryan Spindell.

"It's a great thrill to discover what our unique event's very first audiences are responding to when they flock to our varied selection of frightful features and inventive short films," says Programming Director Landon Zakheim. "We are lucky to have had such an enthusiastic crowd and look forward to programming more scary stories for them in the future."

The Stanley Dean’s Cup showcased seven films created by students from the Art Institute of Colorado, Colorado Film School and University of Colorado Denver. The jury was comprised of Britta Erickson, Festival Director of the Starz Denver Film Festival, Sara Risher, former President of New Line Cinema and Donald Zuckerman, Colorado Film Commissioner. A $5,000 cash prize, funded by the Festival, was awarded to the Colorado Film School’s PEAK OF TERROR. The award was established to encourage local student filmmakers to pursue their creative ambitions while offering the financial means to help fund the winning school’s educational programs. Following the awards presentation, Risher and Zuckerman offered PEAK OF TERROR a production deal for a feature length film and Erickson invited the film to screen at the Starz Denver Film Festival in the fall.

"The jury chose PEAK OF TERROR - a classic horror film directed by Colorado Film School's John McSween - for its outstanding production values, superb action and creepy animatronics. McSween and his crew clearly showed a mastery of the genre," says Erickson.
 
Celebrating the best in independent horror cinema, SFF showcased a full slate of features, shorts, panels, student competitions and special events – with Festival headquarters set at The Stanley Hotel. The haunted landmark opened in 1909 and was the inspiration for Stephen King’s Overlook Hotel in THE SHINING. In addition to the Stanley Dean’s Cup, the 2013 Festival screened 24 features and 22 shorts representing more than 15 countries.
 
The 2014 Stanley Film Festival dates will be announced at a later time.
 
Awards were given out in the following categories:

Audience Award for Feature Film
Winner: MANIAC directed by Frank Khalfoun
Synopsis: Elijah Wood shines in this remake of the horror classic about a psychotic stalker with a habit of scalping his objects of desire. Reimagined in mostly point-of-view shots, this revolutionary horror hit from Cannes is part camp, part art and all fear.
 
Audience Award for Short Film
Winner: THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM directed by Ryan Spindell
Synopsis: In the candy-colored world of 1950s suburbia, a reluctant young housewife suspects that the friendly neighborhood dentist is hiding a horrible secret. Is it just the anesthesia at work, or is there something more sinister hiding below the surface?
 
Stanley Dean’s Cup Award
Winner: PEAK OF TERROR directed by John McSween, Colorado Film School
Synopsis: When a Monster terrorizes a small town a woman must confront her past to protect the people she loves.
 
To keep up to date with the Stanley Film Festival, visit stanleyfilmfest.com, “Like” SFF on Facebook (Facebook.com/StanleyFilmFest), “Follow” SFF on Twitter and Instagram (@StanleyFilmFest) and join the conversation using the hashtag #YeahItsCreepy.
 
2013 Stanley Film Festival Sponsors:
PRESENTING: Chiller; ASSOCIATE: Stella Artois; HOST VENUES: The Stanley Hotel, Reel Mountain Theater; GOVERNMENT: Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media, Town of Estes Park, Visit Estes Park; MEDIA: 5280 Magazine, Boulder Daily Camera, Boulder Weekly, Denver Post, Indiewire, Yelp.com, COMMUNITY: Art Institute of Colorado, Colorado Film School, Denver Film Society, Estes Valley Library, Estes Park Shuttle, University of Colorado Denver, FESTIVAL FRIEND: Beanitos, Grit., Hi-Ball, Indyink, Stack Wines, Trinity Absinthe, Zerosun Pictures.