Results from the 2024 OFF

Screenplays:

Best Short Screenplay – Slip by Lara Hill
Best Short Screenplay Honorable Mention – High Performance by Jessica Wei
Best Teleplay – A Lost Lady by Holly Swenson
Best Teleplay Honorable Mention – Yours In Murder by Anthony Rainone
Best Feature Screenplay – Waiting Games by Jeffrey R Field
Best Feature Screenplay Honorable Mention – The Candle Maker by Jeanne Schieffer

Films:

Best Feature Film – Brave the Dark directed by Damian Harris
Feature Film Honorable Mention – Two Lives in Pittsburgh directed by Brian Silverman
Best Documentary – Chasing Chasing Amy directed by Sav Rodgers
Documentary Honorable Mention – No One Asked You directed by Ruth Leitman
Best Short Film – Somewhere In Between directed by Kyle Vorbach
Short Film Honorable Mention – A Conversation in Passing directed by Matthew Segal
Best Animated Short Film – Back to Normal directed by Cecilia De Jesus
Animated Short Film Honorable Mention – Take Care directed by Kaylee Anne Hatfield
Best Nebraska Short Film – Documentary – Laboratories of Democracy: Nebraska’s Unicameral directed by Ann Hartley
Nebraska Short Film Honorable Mention – Documentary – Danger-Closed: Omaha’s Flora Apartments directed by Anna Reed
Best Nebraska Short Film – Narrative – May directed by Mike Montgomery
Nebraska Short Film Honorable Mention – Truth Detector directed by William Reliford

Audience Choice Awards:

Audience Choice Short Film – Red, White and Blue directed by Nazrin Choudhury
Audience Choice Documentary – The Body Politic directed by Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough
Audience Choice Feature Film – Brave the Dark directed by Damian Harris

Nebraska Examiner | ‘Divisible’ documentary at Omaha Film Festival spotlights ‘redlining’ impacts in Omaha

Several Omahans are featured in the project that producer says was informed by an estimated 100 interviews

OMAHA — Burned into James Freeman’s memory is the sight, 58 years ago, of an ongoing string of for-sale signs posted in front of homes along a boulevard on the north side of Nebraska’s biggest city.

James Freeman, retired educator and Omaha resident, is among locals featured in the  documentary Divisible. (Courtesy of Equity Media)

The Georgia native had just arrived in Omaha, recruited from college to be part of the first National Teachers Corps class. Freeman, who had marched alongside civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, asked the driver about all the yard signs.

He was told that Black families had purchased houses in the area and white people were moving out. 

Read the full article here.

WOWT | Omaha Film Festival prepares for 19th year

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Tuesday marks the kickoff of the 19th annual Omaha Film Festival.

98 films are being showcased this year, ranging from short films to documentaries to feature films from around the world. Included in this year’s lineup is a short film that’s been nominated for an Oscar: “Red White and Blue,” starring Brittany Snow.

Filmmakers from most of the movies will be on site at their premiere, making it a more immersive experience for audience members.

“If the filmmaker is in attendance, they’ll get up for a Q&A afterwards and you have a real opportunity to interact with that filmmaker directly after the film they just saw, and then that film maker is going to be here for the week. So you’ll see them in the hallway and you’ll see them at their after parties,” says Executive Director of the festival, Marc Longbrake.

Read the full article here.

KIOS | Tony Bonacci on Local Filmmaking and the Long Road to ‘The Headliner’

Filmmaker Tony Bonacci previously appeared on the show when his short film “The Headliner” made festival rounds in 2018. Bonacci was adamant he would turn that story into a feature alongside the short’s writer, Christine Burright, and its star, Darrick Silkman.

Several years and one pandemic later, he has. Bonacci’s feature film debut, also titled “The Headliner,” premieres at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 2 at Aksarben Cinema, part of the Omaha Film Festival’s Nebraska Spotlight program.

Read the full article here.

KETV | Omaha Film Festival announces lineup for 19th annual event

OMAHA, Neb. —

The Omaha Film Festival announced its lineup for the 19th annual event.

The festival runs from Feb. 27 through March 3.

There are multiple categories with a lot of talented faces behind them.

Narrative features:

  • Aligned by Apollo Bakopoulos
  • Brave the Dark by Damian Harris
  • Don’t Get Eaten by George and Joe Simon
  • Guacamole Yesterdays by Jordan Noel
  • The Headliner by Tony Bonacci
  • Junction by Bryan Greenberg
  • No Right Way by Chelsea Bo
  • Ramona at Midlife by Brooke Berman
  • Scrap by Vivian Kerr
  • Step Over by Lorenzo Borghini
  • Tokyo Cowboy Marc Marriott
  • Two Lives in Pittsburgh by Brian Silverman
  • Wait for Me by Keith Farrell

Read the full article here.

2023 48hr Film Challenge

Our 48 Hour Film Challenge screening was a hit with representatives from all nineteen films in attendance. Of those nineteen, we had sixteen films in competition. All our teams were treated to swag bags sponsored by our local Fox/CW team. Special swag items were also provided by Dot Cards, Soaring Wings Vineyard and Virgin Mary Pistol Grip. Over $3000 in cash and prizes were awarded through the night! An additional special shout out goes to Studiodaze in Benson for handing out an award package to our Best Use of Location category! Congrats to all of our teams and thank you to our volunteers that helped run the evening. Final shoutout to our home theatre, Aksarben Cinema. Thank you to the staff and team there for supporting local film!


The 48hr Film Challenge Film Screening and Awards Presentation will be held on Thursday, September 14th at 6:30pm at the Aksarben Cinema.

Admission is only $10 so come out and cheer on your favorite film! (no advance or online ticket sales. Tickets sold at the door a half hour prior to show)

After the screenings we’re looking forward to a Q&A session with each of the filmmakers to hear their trials and tribulations during their 48 hours of filmmaking!

After the Q&A we’ll give out awards in both the student and non-student categories to the following:
Best Film
1st Runner Up
2nd Runner Up
Best Cinematography
Most Creative Use of Required Prop
Most Creative Use of Required Line of Dialogue

A special award for the Best Use of Location will be presented by StudioDaze studio in Benson

Thursday’s screening order:
student films
The Chase of Aila Graham directed by Mica Apel & Bryton Bower – thriller
Pat-A-Cake directed by Lyvni & Myo – thriller

non-student films
Forking Treasure directed by Mark Graves – comedy
Better directed by John Gutowski – drama
EarthBound directed by Curtis Clark – thriller
In Spirit directed by Brandon Fiscus – drama
Donut Sit Down directed by Daniel L. Wolff – comedy
Full Circle directed by Faustus McGreeves – drama
The Glass Earth directed by Richard Reese – thriller
Annoying, Don’t Answer directed by Paul Baker – comedy
Birthday Wish directed by Emily Balkovic – drama
Last Namaste on Earth directed by Mason Shumaker – thriller
Privatize Private Eyes directed by Lauren Abell & MJ Peters – comedy
Special Doughlivery directed by Caden Bye & Jesse Eastman – thriller
Court Ordered directed by Paul Christian Glenn – drama
The Rye Field Catcher directed by Bethany DeCarolis – comedy
Late Night Trip directed by Tomas Sanchez-Sandoval – comedy
Russian Donette directed by Bishop Brown – drama

Looking forward to seeing everyone!
#OFF202348


Ladies and Gentlemen, start your cameras! The Omaha Film Festival is hosting a 48 Hour Film Challenge to spark creativity and collaboration among local creatives. Participants will be given 48 hours to write, shoot, edit, and deliver a film under 5 minutes in length (including credits).
The 48 Hour Challenge will commence on Friday, September 1st at 7:00pm on Facebook Live on the Omaha Film Festival’s Facebook page.
Announcements for the rules will be made starting at 7:00pm and genres for qualifying teams will be drawn shortly thereafter!
Films will be due back before Sunday, September 3rd at 7:00pm. Final delivery to be an H.264 file sent to omahafilmfestival@gmail.com via a password protected (downloadable) Vimeo link, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
All films will be screened at the Aksarben Cinema on Thursday, September 14th.
Filmmakers can register for the 48hr Challenge at
https://forms.omahafilmfestival.org/…/2023-48hr-film…
Entry form and fee deadline is Friday, September 1st at 6:00pm
Pre-registration is $60 per team or $40 for high school teams. The name used to register is the name we’ll call when picking the genres. Only one registration form per team required. To register complete this form and make your payment at the link below:
Open category payment link:
https://tinyurl.com/2023OFF48
High school student link:
https://tinyurl.com/2023OFF48s
Or hit us up on Venmo @omahafilmfestival
Here’s how it works:
Start putting your team together now. Actors, writers, filmmakers … get ready. For participating teams, fill out the online registration form and send your entry fee to be qualified and be watching on Facebook live as we announce the following required challenges:

  1. We will announce a LINE OF DIALOGUE that will have to be in every film.
  2. We will announce a PROP that must be used in the film.
  3. We will randomly draw GENRES from a hat for each team that your film must adhere to.
    There’s no age limit on the filmmakers!
    After the screenings we will be announcing the winners for both the student and open categories for:
    Most Creative Use of Required Prop
    Most Creative Use of Required Line of Dialogue
    Best Cinematography
    Best Film
    THE RULES
  • Entry Fee must be paid at least one hour before the launch.
  • Each entry must be a separate submission – you must include registration form and payment for each submission.
  • Challenge Launch will commence at 7:00pm on Friday, September 1, virtually on the OFF Facebook page.
  • You must complete all of the mandatory challenges (genre, line of dialogue, prop).
  • All submissions must be an H.264 file sent to omahafilmfestival@gmail.com via a password protected (downloadable) Vimeo link, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. The FILM INFORMATION FORM must also be emailed.
  • Submissions must be received by 7:00pm on Sunday, September 3.
  • All films that are not in English must have English language subtitles.
  • Only submissions with completed REGISTRATION FORM, FILM INFORMATION FORM, and paid entry fees will be accepted.
  • Films must be no longer than 5 minutes in length (including credits).
  • To be eligible, the film cannot have a public screening locally prior to the Film Challenge Screening date. We ask that your film not be viewable in its entirety online on sites like YouTube, Vimeo, or Facebook before the Film Challenge Screening. Trailers or clips from the film are acceptable.
  • Releases for locations, music, and talent must be obtained by the submitting filmmaker. The Omaha Film Festival is not liable for copyright infringement or unauthorized use.

Results from the 2023 OFF

Screenplays:

Best Short Screenplay – The Judge’s Portrait by Doug Sasse
Best Short Screenplay Honorable Mention – Please Stand By by David Michael Sutera
Best Teleplay – Betty Lee Is Missing by Allyson Morgan
Best Teleplay Honorable Mention – Faithful Intentions by Chris Poore
Best Feature Screenplay – Remote by Anthony Rainone
Best Feature Screenplay Honorable Mention – The Ushers by Mike Swift

Films:

Best Feature Film – La Corriente (Ibiza Blue) by Jesus Lloveras
Feature Film Honorable Mention – Asfalt (Asphalt) by Charlotte Madsen
Best Documentary – Path of the Panther by Eric Bendick
Documentary Honorable Mention – WHAAM! BLAM! Roy Lichtenstein and the Art of Appropriation by James L. Hussey
Best Short Film – Skin & Bone by Eli Powers
Short Film Honorable Mention – Santa, Maybe? By Donovan Cheff McCarty
Best Animated Short Film – Yellowstone 88 by Song of Fire by Jerry van de Beek, Betsy De Fries
Animated Short Film Honorable Mention – Regular Rabbit by Eoin Duffy
Best Nebraska Short Film – Documentary – High Plains Wild by Mariah Lundgren
Nebraska Short Film Honorable Mention – Documentary – Affordable Housing Crisis Omaha by Margaux Towne
Best Nebraska Short Film – Narrative – reTribution by Nathan E Hewitt, Brandon Ross
Nebraska Short Film Honorable Mention – Narrative – Good Show by Mike Ehrhart

Audience Choice Awards:

Audience Choice Short Film – High Plains Wild by Mariah Lundgren
Audience Choice Documentary – Path of the Panther by Eric Bendick
Audience Choice Feature Film – Double Down South by Tom Schulman

2022 48hr Film Challenge

Congratulations to ALL 13 teams for making amazing films and thank you to everyone that came out tonight to cheer them on!

Student Category
Congratulations to the two competing High School teams!
Tale Fromunda directed by Asa Neville
Big Trouble and Bottom Boys directed by Garrett Tighe Riley

Open Category
Best Cinematography
Honorable Mention – Good Afternoon directed by Aaron Nix & Emma Brand
Runner-up – Oasis directed by Paul Christian Glenn
Winner – Dial M For Munster directed by Maverick Knox

Best use of Prop: Cheese
Honorable Mention – Hikikomori directed by Kevin Mohr
Runner-up – Cold Days directed by John Gutowski
Winner – Ms. Trust directed by Alicia Lopez

Best Dialogue “Are those my only two options”
Honorable Mention – Last Ride directed by Maleeque Parker, Harkera Hardy, Julian D. Jackson
Honorable Mention – Hikikomori directed by Kevin Mohr
Runner-up – Cold Days directed by John Gutowski
Winner – Detective 51 directed by Richard Reese

Best Film
Honorable Mention – Dial M For Munster directed by Maverick Knox
Runner-up – Oasis directed by Paul Christian Glenn
Winner – Detective 51 directed by Richard Reese


Congratulations to the 13 teams that turned their films in!
The screenings is on Friday, November 11th at 6:30pm at the
Brownell-Talbot High School Swanson Auditorium.
Admission is $10

Screening order
Student Category films (10 minutes)
The PI directed by Ashley Hankel, Reed Swartzbaugh, & Mica Apel – drama
Big Trouble and Bottom Boys directed by Garrett Tighe Riley – comedy
Tale Fromunda directed by Asa Neville – drama

Open Category films (44 miniutes)
Last Ride directed by Harkera Hardy – thriller
Good Afternoon directed by Aaron Nix & Emma Brand – drama
Cold Days directed by John Gutowski – drama
Cut! directed by Jesse Eastman & Caden Bye – comedy
Ms. Trust directed by Alicia Lopez – thriller
Fall Away directed by Tim J Barr – drama
Oasis directed by Paul Christian Glenn – drama
Hikikomori directed by Kevin Mohr – thriller
Dial M For Munster directed by Maverick Knox – thriller
Detective 51 directed by Richard Reese – comedy
Q&A session with the filmmakers to follow the screening then Awards announcements


Best of luck to all of the 48hr Film Challenge teams!
Required Prop: Cheese
Required Line of Dialogue: “Are those my only two options”
Assigned genres: Comedy, Drama, Thriller

#OFF202248


Ladies and Gentlemen, start your cameras! The Omaha Film Festival is hosting a 48 Hour VIRTUAL Film Challenge to spark creativity and collaboration among local creatives.

Facebook Event page.

Participants will be given 48 hours to write, shoot, edit, and deliver a film under 5 minutes in length.

The 48 Hour Challenge will commence on Friday, October 28th at 7:00pm on Facebook Live on the Omaha Film Festival’s Facebook page. Announcements for the rules will be made starting at 7:00pm and genres for qualifying teams will be drawn shortly thereafter!

Films will be due back before Sunday, October 30th at 7:00pm. Final delivery should be an H.264 file sent to omahafilmfestival@gmail.com via a password protected (downloadable) Vimeo link, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.

All films will be screened at the Brownell Talbot High School Theatre on Friday, November 11th.

Filmmaker registration form.

Entry form and fee deadline is Friday, October 28th at 6:00pm (one hour before launch)

Pre-registration is $55 per team or $35 for high school teams. The name used to register is the name we’ll call when picking the genres. Only one registration form per team required. To register complete this form and make your payment at the link below:

Open category payment link here
High school student link here
Or hit us up on Venmo @omahafilmfestival

Here’s how it works:
Safety first! All teams must observe the current standards for safety during the pandemic. Art is important but keeping our local artistic community healthy and safe is always our number one priority!

Start putting your team together now. Actors, writers, filmmakers … get ready. For participating teams, fill out the online registration form and send your entry fee to be qualified and be watching on Facebook live as we announce the following required challenges:

1. We will announce a LINE OF DIALOGUE that will have to be in every film.
2. We will announce a PROP that must be used in the film.
3. We will randomly draw GENRES from a hat for each team that your film must adhere to.

There’s no age limit on the filmmakers!

After the screenings we will be announcing the winners for both the student and open categories for:
Most Creative Use of Required Prop
Most Creative Use of Required Line of Dialogue
Best Cinematography
Best Film

THE RULES
– Entry Fee must be paid at least one hour before the launch.
– Each entry must be a separate submission – you must include registration form and payment for each submission.
– Challenge Launch will commence at 7:00pm on Friday, October 28, virtually on the OFF Facebook page.
– You must complete all of the mandatory challenges (genre, line of dialogue, prop).
– All submissions must be an H.264 file sent to omahafilmfestival@gmail.com via a password protected (downloadable) Vimeo link, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. The FILM INFORMATION FORM must also be emailed.
– Submissions must be received by 7:00pm on Sunday, October 30.
– All films that are not in English must have English language subtitles.
– Only submissions with completed REGISTRATION FORM, FILM INFORMATION FORM, and paid entry fees will be accepted.
– Films must be no longer than 5 minutes in length (including credits).
– To be eligible, the film cannot have a public screening locally prior to the Film Challenge Screening date. We ask that your film not be viewable in its entirety online on sites like YouTube, Vimeo, or Facebook before the Film Challenge Screening. Trailers or clips from the film are acceptable.
– Releases for locations, music, and talent must be obtained by the submitting filmmaker. The Omaha Film Festival is not liable for copyright infringement or unauthorized use.

#OFF202048