Buzzkill and Director Garner Awards

Buzzkill, written and directed by English teacher Steven Kampmann, was honored with two awards at this year’s Big Easy International Film Festival, including Jury Award for Best Director and Jury Award for Best Comedy Feature. Billed as “a dark comedy,” the plot centers on a struggling British writer, Ray Wyatt, who acquires fame in an unusual way when a notorious serial murderer, the Karaoke Killer, steals his car and the newest draft of his script.

The third annual festival – which strives to promote independent cinema, the Louisiana filmmaking industry and the city’s post-Katrina revival – took place November 13-15 at the Theatres at Canal Place in downtown New Orleans. It was the last event to occur at the historic theater prior to extensive renovations.

Unlike previous years, the 2009 festival, which attracted a record number of submissions as well
as record attendance, presented several feature-length films in addition to a wide array of short
comedies, dramas, thrillers and documentaries. The eclectic line-up, which included 48 films
from around the world, showcased 42 short films and six features, highlighting new voices as well
as the talents of veterans like Brooke Adams, Tony Shalhoub and Jim Beaver. Nearly half of
the filmmakers represented at this year’s event, including several Louisiana residents, were in
attendance and offered lively Q&A sessions following the screenings.

Presented by the co-directors of the Beverly Hills Shorts Festival and sponsored by Sony Creative Software, Louisiana Economic Development, the New Orleans Office of Film & Video, Writers Boot Camp, Acme Oyster House, and Scene, the Big Easy International Film Festival offered an opportunity for cinephiles to support independent filmmakers and experience stories to which they might not otherwise have had access. For more information, log on to www.bigeasyfilmfestivals.com

Posted 11/20/2009

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