Drama, Intrigue, Comedy & Cocktails . . .

The inaugural HypeFest film & video festival was a smash hit! HypeFest presented short films (50 minutes or less), commercials, music videos, and promos for its premiere 2-day event that took place in Hollywood, California July 25-27, 2003. HypeFest is all about the Hype, which is the excitement and opportunity generated by showcasing great work.

Some of the most compelling imagery and storytelling can be seen in today's commercials, short films, promos, and music videos. Providing a bridge between content creators in the independent and commercial communities, HypeFest offers a platform for filmmakers to promote their work to the commercial industry.

The weekend-long event concluded with an awards show and live performance by the band Camper Van Beethoven. All award winners received a signature HypeFest trophy, as well as Showbiz Budgeting Software provided by Media Services.

HypeFest 2003 Award Winners

Style Council Award: "The Hit Song" (music video) directed by Ruben Fleischer.
The Style Council Award recognizes a project for its unique style and visual panache. Ruben was given a stylish pair of limited edition Vans and a Fila shirt, courtesy of Conveyor, as well as a gift certificate and selection of products from retail beauty chain Sephora and a CustomFlix DVD publishing package.

D.I.Y. Award: Transit (short film) by Rebecca Faerstein
The D.I.Y. Award is presented to a compelling project created on a limited budget. In addition to a CustomFlix DVD publishing package, Rebecca received a two-week camera rental package from Moviola.

HypeFest Honorees:
The "Best Pick-Up Line" Award: Short on Sugar (short film) by Joseph Anaya,
The "Obsessive Collector" Award: "Sean Connery" (commercial) by Chandler Kauffman
The "How to Hide a Body" Award: White Bitch Down (short film) by Jon Hill,
The "You Won't See This on MTV" Award: "Boyz Up" (short film/music video) by Max Kucar
The "Art That Moves" Award: "Microsoft Windays Expedition" (promo) by K. Petrovic, K. Matouina and R. Grgic.

Screenplay Competition

HypeFest is pleased to announce the results of the HypeFest Screenplay Competition. Thanks to everyone who entered! The winner was announced at the HypeFest Awards Show, July 27, 2003. Prizes for the Screenplay Competition provided by The Writers Store.

First Place Winner:

The Death of Salvador Dali by Delaney Bishop
delaneyword@earthlink.net
Salvador Dali seeks the help of Sigmund Freud in order to go mad, thereby becoming a better artist. Interrupted by lovers, enemies, and nightmares, Freud nearly goes mad himself before the session ends.

Second Place Winner:

Mile One Eleven by Charles Valenza
chaztv@yahoo.com
A Palestinian terrorist's suicide mission — to bomb a New York City commuter train as part of a larger sinister plot — is compromised by a free-spirited American woman.

Semi-Finalists (in alphabetical order by writer):

Nelson: Rock and Roll Detectives by Jay Barba and Brian Farrelly
liebography@yahoo.com
Those glam-metal icons of yesteryear, Matthew and Gunnar Nelson, are hard-rockin' identical twin private eyes who, despite a complete lack of detective skills, are the top crime fighters in the entertainment business. When they're hired to investigate a string of mysterious deaths on popular rap/metal group ADD's national tour, Nelson are drawn into the deadly world of intrigue, idiocy, and excess surrounding the music industry and life on the road.

Nailed for Murder by Alpha Blair; story by Victor Nawrocki and Alpha Blair
alphablair@yahoo.com
Beautiful, successful, and married to a younger man. There was only one flaw in Olivia's life . . . she was wearing Roxanne's NAIL POLISH . . .

Under the Overpass by Marc Gariss
gariss@silverfuel.com
A crippled man dreams of running.

Lloyd or the Ring by Derrick G. Gray
derrick.g.gray@verizon.com
Two days before his wedding, Freddy Graham soars from being a nobody to becoming the world's most wanted after he boosts an unstaffed limousine to track the cab that pulled off with his fiancés wedding ring. Car theft turns into hijack when Freddy realize that United Nations' Secretary Lloyd Kineme is still in the limo.

The Package by Brad Spencer
spncr4hyr@aol.com
A brotherly team of "Keystone cons" enlist the help of their gone straight friend to help bury a mysterious package. The twenty-five thousand dollar payoff may not be enough when they discover what's in the package.

Soul Searcher by Brad Spencer
spncr4hyr@aol.com
A handsome, yet mysterious, man enters the life of a desperate bartender on her worst day yet. But, her luck might be changing as he seemingly holds the key to freeing her from her days of working for an abusive boss!