So how was the show?

It was fun, and exhausting for me (Rick) personally. I've been making preparations for the show since January but the work doesn't end for me until I make the last announcement at the end of the night. Well, technically it never really ends since I now have to start thinking about next year. Some of the filmmakers were there and it was nice to finally meet and speak to some of the people who I have been in contact with only through email.

We had another packed house but unfortunately we started to lose some people at the end. Some people told me they had to leave because they had an early day with Mom the next day. The show ended at around 2AM. (note to self : get a weekend that doesn't have a holiday, and finish earlier)

Who won?

Well, hopefully everbody wins when someone new gets to see your film. I can't tell you how many people talked to me during the show about how they saw something at the fest that they wouldn't normally go out and find on their own. Everyone who was there enjoyed the show and appreciated the variety in the films that were screened. So in my opinion I think everybody won. The filmmaker gets to show their film to an audience and the audience gets to see a film (and also in our case live performances by a sketch comedy team and two live bands) that they probably would not have found elsewhere. Some of the films can only be found online!

But I know what you're asking. Who went home with a prize?

The Audience Choice award went to "Couch Fu"

Erik Childress choose two winners this year for two seperate awards.

The eFilmCritic.com award went to "Cushion".

The Hollywood Bitchslap Award to "Requiem For A Ring".

Image Union selected 4 films at the show this year to air later this year on WTTW channel 11 in Chicago. They chose...

"Carla Cope" , "The Yearbook" , "Winner Take Steve", & "Phudi Mart".

Additionally Erik Childress and ChicagoFilm.com have posted their features online.

Erik's reviews on all the films can be found here...

http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=1471

The ChicagoFilm.com Go Shorty Awards can be found here...

http://www.chicagofilm.com/vol002/_reviews/goshorty.asp