Director Gary Giver breaks it down live on Loveland Beacon Talks

By Chuck Gibson

LOVELAND, OH (August 15, 2024) – The Inaugural Loveland Shorts Film Festival (LSFF) came to a close with a celebration of the winners Sunday, August 4th.

Following two days of celebrating film shorts with six separate screening sessions (three each day) featuring 52 different films across eight categories, the event celebrated the award winners on Sunday. Before we list the winners and nominees in each of the eight separate categories, it is worth noting there were no losers. By all accounts the festival was a success. Whether you talked to the filmmakers who participated, the filmgoers who attended, or even the organizers and volunteers who made it happen, they offered high praise for how well the festival was organized, the attendance, and the quality of films screened.

Brandon Keeton is a filmmaker whose film “Calls” was screened during the “Fright Night Friday” screening session. He has attended many film festivals and was in the audience for multiple screening sessions Friday and Saturday at this inaugural Loveland Shorts Film Festival.

“Do you know how many times I go to a film festival and it’s me watching my own (stuff) and that’s it,” said Keeton. “I’m really excited. You got things seen by an audience who had never seen this before. The audience will react to something…getting a live audience reaction to your film helps the filmmaker on their next project. You guys are doing a hell of a job here.”

Keeton said that to Gary Giver, LSFF founder and director. He emphasized the impact of the audience and, as a filmmaker, being able to sit back and watch the audience reaction.

“To watch the audience’s reaction is gold. If you don’t have that, then your next project doesn’t improve.” – Brandon Keeton, Filmmaker

Gary Giver visited on Loveland Beacon Talks: “That’s A Wrap” with some final words about the 2024 Inaugural Loveland Shorts Film Festival.

CLICK ON THE VIDEO LINK BELOW TO LISTEN IN

(NOTE: Run time is approximately 31:30 minutes)

HERE IS A LIST OF THE LSFF AWARD WINNERS:

• Best of the Fest: Winner “Grey” – Glen Berkenkamp
• Sweetheart of the Fest: Winner “A Walk” – Varvara Aleshkevich
• Best of the Region: Winner “Goldie” – Billy Miossi
• Best Horror: Winner “Bedbugs Ate My Dreams” – David Lemmink
• Best Documentary: Winner “Persons Set Apart” – Gabe Schmidt
• Best Animation: Winner “Buffy and the Balloon” – John Maslowski
• Best First-Time Filmmaker: Winner “ Beyond Silence” -J.P. Susantio
• Best High School Film: Winner “A Familiar Sound” – Hayden Melvin, Sycamore H.S.

The film festival included several workshops during Friday and Saturday including:

Elevating Cinema: Drones for filmmaking, Special Effects Make-up, and Filmmaking 101. Each workshop held backstage in the theater was filled to capacity with filmmakers and filmgoers equally enthused to learn more about filmmaking.

Here are some comments from filmmakers and filmgoers who participated in, or attended the Inaugural Loveland Shorts Film Fest:

Milford H.S. student Chloe Call had her film “Barrier” selected for screening and was in attendance to experience the audience reaction:

“My heart was beating very fast,” Call said. Watching her favorite part and hoping the audience liked it was a special moment for her. “I was definitely aware of all the people watching, but it was really cool to share something because I’ve never done anything like this before. It was definitely a positive experience for me.”

Neal and Lynn Oury were in attendance for several screenings and loved the experience as moviegoers. (Neal currently serves on Loveland City Council) :

“This is great,” said Lynn. “All the films we’ve seen have been good.”

They both noted a particularly “quirky” film…

“Apple Cider Vinegar was quirky,” Neal said. “I liked it a lot.”

The Oury’s weren’t the only familiar faces from Loveland enjoying the film festival as moviegoers. Local artist Deirdre Dyson was on hand for the screenings all weekend.

“Stupendous!,” said Dyson. “This is a great use of the theater. Excellent.”

Logan Keller, “No Running in the Halls” is studying filmmaking locally at the University of Cincinnati and is inspired by filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan a well-known filmmaking duo.

“I want to make what I want to make and not just be doing what other people want,” said Keller. “I really want my vision, my story to be out there for people. It was exhilarating to see my film screened. The entire thing was insanely fun as it was stressful; it was extremely stressful, but it was extremely fun. I wouldn’t do anything differently. I loved the way it went, how we worked together and the overall feeling we all saw in the film. Love it.”

Ryan Oblong, “The Art of Deception”, is a first-time filmmaker focused on a career in marketing with plans to keep filmmaking as a hobby. He began the process of writing knowing he wanted to make a film about art but admits he doesn’t know anything about art and had no real reason to write about it.

“It was more based on observations I have about the current media landscape we exist in right now,” said Oblong. “I’m always writing whatever one I feel like I have the capability, resources and people around me, I’m all for making another film. It is fun to feel the audience reaction to it. I think the emotional beats I wanted to hit; I think the audience felt and they reacted to it. It’s cool to see the audience get to see my work.”

That’s just a small sample of the reaction by filmmakers and filmgoers alike who clearly enjoyed this Inaugural Loveland Shorts Film Fest.

You can find more on the LSFF Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/lovelandfilmfest

Or online at: www.lovelandfilmfest.org (You can find links to some, or clips of some of the films screened during the festival.)

Click here for previous story and photo gallery: https://lovelandbeacon.com/scenes-from-the-inaugural-loveland-shorts-film-fest/