3rd Annual Pixie Nominations Honor Online Films and Animations

On the heels of an earlier than usual Oscars, the Directors Board of Broadband Motion Pixure Arts and Technologies today released nominees for its 3rd Annual Pixie Awards, which honor achievement in online and broadband motion picture production.

Formally known as the Directors Board Awards for Achievement in Broadband Motion Pixure Production, the Pixie Awards are widely considered the top award -- if not the only award -- in a burgeoning area of artistic endeavor that includes animation, film, and web site design.

"It's an enormous honor to be nominated by the Pixie Awards in one category, but to be nominated in two categories is simply over the top!" said Looney Bin Animation Studios creative director Stan Holden upon hearing the good news about his animated feature Rebel Without a Claus.

"It's the equivalent of being nominated for an Oscar!" Holden added from his offices in Orange County, Calif.

The Pixie Awards include categories for Best Web Design that Incorporates Motion and Best Original Score for an i-Feature -- a film that resides entirely on the Internet.

"Awesome! Thank you so much for the honor," said Gregg Spiridellis, designer of the satirical comedy web site Jibjab.com in Santa Monica, Calif.

In keeping with a strong international tradition, Pixie Award nominees this year include motion pictures from Belgium, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States that -- unlike the Oscars -- compete as equals. There are no "Best Foreign" categories here -- all nominees have the same chance to vie for "Best of" honors.

"It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by the Pixie Awards," said New York City-based composer Ryan Shore, nominated for the music of Cadaverous, a dark comedy from the Sci-Fi Channel. "Scoring Cadaverous was a wonderfully rewarding experience, and receiving this nomination has made it even more special."

Other award nominations include Best Actor and Best Actress in an i-Feature Film.

Acting nominees "Jay Johnston and Jennifer Elise Cox are two very talented actors" said Los Angeles-based director Chris Mancini, whose online comedy HitClown was nominated for several awards. "I am very happy that their hard work and talent has been acknowledged by the Pixie Awards."

The nominees for the 3rd Annual Pixie Awards are:

Best Actor in an i-Feature Film

Jay Johnston for HitClown
Jessie Gordon for Hyper
Alasdair Mackenzie for California Sunshine
Anthony Simcoe for Blind Date

Best Actress in an i-Feature Film

Mary Alice Smith for The Life
Jennifer Elise Cox for HitClown
Susan Vidler for California Sunshine
Brigitte Gall for Moving Day

Best Director of an i-Feature Film

Marco Ricci & Michael Canzoniero for Hyper
Chris Mancini for HitClown
Maurice Dwyer for Whoa
Michael Victor for 1465 Westerly
Matt Wheeldon for Blind Date
David Mackenzie for California Sunshine

Best Editing in an i-Feature Film

Colin Monie for California Sunshine
Nico Leunen for Dialing the Devil
Allan Wall for HitClown
Michael Victor for 1465 Westerly

Best Cinematography in an i-Feature Film

Marco Fargnoli for 1465 Westerly
Frank van den Enden for Dialing the Devil
Oliver Cheeseman for California Sunshine

Best Original Score or Song for an i-Feature Film or Animation

The song "Rebel Without A Claus," lyrics and music by Kim Olson
The song "Three Words" from Whoa, lyrics and music by Onaje Allan Gumbs and Constance James
The score for Cadaverous, Ryan Shore, Composer
The score for HitClown, Gary Stockdale, Composer

Best Web Design that Incorporates Motion

SantaFeHealingArt --
Anand Nunnally, Jill Schwarz, Jason Goodyear, Clarence Cline, Lucinda Dykes, and Michael Tincher, Designers
Jibjab -- Evan Spiridellis, Mike Jaffe and Gregg Spiridellis, Designers
The Why Files Interactives -- Sue Medaris, Tom Whittaker and Steve Ackerman, Designers

Best i-Documentary

Jackson Hole -- Todd Jones, Steve Jones, Dirk Collins and Corey Gavitt, Directors
Dear Barbra -- Chris Cassidy, Director
The Journey -- Eric Saperston, Director
Seventeen Seconds to Sophie -- Bill Cote, Director

Best Animated Pixure

Rebel Without A Claus -- Stan Holden, Max Kamita, Robert Ball, Animators
Gone Bad -- Art Matsuura, Andy Murdock, Goose Ramirez, Brittnell Anderson, Marco Bertoldo, Kelly Kleider, Animators
Nibbles -- Chris Hinton, Animator
Intelligent Life -- Jeff Spoonhower, Animator

Best Pixure

Dialing the Devil -- Toon Aerts & Ruben Goots, Producers
HitClown -- Jason Wolk and Chris Mancini, Producers
The Money Shot -- Paul Fishbein, Douglas Harms, Bryn Pryor, Producers
California Sunshine -- Gillian Berrie, Producer
Hyper -- David Boulton, Producer

"The Pixie Awards show that people can enjoy films of all types and at any time," Pixie nominee Chris Mancini said. "The Internet has been a great boon to filmmakers. More people have seen our work because of the Internet than any other medium."

The Directors Board will announce award winners in September.