This news could not have come on a more needed day.
BEAT AROUND THE BUSH won Best Short at the 12th Broad Humor Film Festival in Venice, California!
I think it can now be an official fact that whenever I am unable to attend a festival, we win an award. Basically, I should never travel and we’ll do really well!
Thank you to the festival for giving our film the recognition! And to all the below winners, congrats!
“Beat Around the Bush” is an official selection at the 10th Annual Broad Humour Film Festival
After the HollyShorts, and Atlanta Underground screenings in August, BEAT AROUND THE BUSH is heading back to Los Angeles once again and will be screening in Venice Beach as part of the 10th Broad Humour Film Festival.
The Broad Humour Film Festival runs August 31st-September 3rd, 2017 and is a place where funny broads hang out with funny broads. Our lead actress Brenda Matthews will definitely be in attendance, and it’s possible I will be as well!
BEAT AROUND THE BUSH screening info:
Date: TBA
Time: TBA
Where: Venice, CA
The Broad Humour Film Festival was named one of the 5 “coolest” women’s film festivals in the world by Moviemaker Magazine in 2016. I look forward to being a part of such a fantastic organization. www.broadhumor.com
“Beat Around the Bush” is officially selected at the HollyShorts Film Festival
The next two months have some exciting screenings in store for BEAT AROUND THE BUSH. The film that just keeps going!
HollyShorts is an Academy Awards® Qualifying Festival and they have selected us to screen alongside some other fantastic films. The festival runs August 10th-19th, 2017 in Los Angeles at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood.
BEAT AROUND THE BUSH screening info:
Date: August 15th, 2017
Time: 2:30pm
Where: TCL Chinese 6 Theatres
6801 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA, United States
“HollyShorts Film Festival is devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe, advancing the careers of filmmakers through screenings, networking events, and various panel and forums. The HollyShorts Film festival showcases the top short films produced 40- minutes or less. Categories include Short Animation, Short Live Action, Short Documentary, Music Video, Webisode, Commercials, Youth Film and Digital Microbudget.” www.hollyshorts.com
Two stellar actors I’ve had the pleasure to work with in the last couple of years are nominated for Leo Awards for our collaborations.
Brenda Matthews as UNA trying to figure out the “Sqweel” in BEAT AROUND THE BUSH. Matthews, 2017 Leos Nominee for Best Performance by a Female in a Short Drama
Brenda Matthews and I met shortly after she stepped off the motorcycle she had been riding for 6 weeks. She was going to miss the audition and then in the 11th our of my distress that we would never find out UNA for BEAT AROUND THE BUSH, I heard her voice outside the casting room. Since the I refer to her with exclamation as Brenda F*cking Matthews and that suits her just fine.
Brenda Matthews in the heartbreaking scene of BEAT AROUND THE BUSH
Congratulations on your nomination for Best Performance by a Female in a Short Drama for BEAT AROUND THE BUSH! The short is coming to the small screen near you on The Movie Network. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep in touch @BATBthemovie
Devon Ferguson, 2017 Leos Nominee for Best Performance by a Male in a Web Series
Devon Ferguson, co-star of YOUNG & RECKLESS, has picked up a nomination for Best Performance by a Male in a Web Series for our series! Devon co-created YOUNG & RECKLESS with writer, Andrea Shawcross, and the two of them let me come on board to direct, produce, and edit! Congrats Devon and the whole team! He was specifically nominated for the fourth episode in the first season, “Cupcakes” which you can watch at www.ynrtheseries.com
Doron Bell (left) and Devon Ferguson (right) having a good laugh in between tackles on YOUNG & RECKLESS.
Not wanting to jinx my current good fortune, I have refrained from posting too much about anything about what has been going on. However, the news is public now (5 days ago actually but I was busy work/playing at the Squamish Music Festival – yes, I did see Eminem!), so I can at least mention a couple of well-timed events.
#1 – In January and March I attended two different segments of the Women in the Director’s Chair (WIDC) program run by Creative Women Workshops. Both workshops really kicked off 2014 in high gear and had me really focussing on WHAT’S NEXT for me as a director. The new news you ask? The BC Arts Council came through with a Professional Development Grant in the sum of just over $5,000. Which covers tuition, flights, boarding, per diems, honorariums for mentors to well…continue mentoring me.
#2 – While having a lunch with two of my grade 8 teachers* a couple weeks back, I found out that I was going to receive the Harold Greenberg Fund’s Short-to-Features Award which includes a $32,000 production grant for Beat the Bush, (formerly titled, Cougars Cruising), and an additional $7,500 towards the development of a feature film of the same concept. So you can expect a new saucy short from me in 2014, which will tour the festival circuit in 2015 (fingers crossed).
#3 – Harold Greenberg Fund requires and experienced Executive Producer to oversee their funded projects. Thanks to an introduction by a venerable actor who participated at the WIDC workshop in January, Shawn Williamson, President of Brightlight Pictures, has enthusiastically come on board. SNAP!!
There are a few more opportunities that have been thrown my way, but I will post about them once they actually happen as for the three above awesome things, there have been a half dozen or more that didn’t quite line up. But there will be a half dozen more awesome to report in the coming month(s) I’m sure.
I am so stoked. Yes. I. Am.
*This is an important detail because they taught classes in Dance and Video which are two things I actively do everyday.
Brianne Nord-Stewart 