The 3rd annual MidWest WeirdFest wrapped last week at the Micon Downtown Cinema, Eau Claire Games and Arcade, and Ivy Creatives in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The festival once again provided enthusiastic audiences a cinematic smorgasbord of all things fantastic, frightening, offbeat, and just plain weird. Today, MidWest WeirdFest announces the winning films of the 2019 event.
Jason Trost introducing THE FP and FP 2: BEATS OF RAGE double feature at MidWest WeirdFest 2019 (photo by Luong Huynh)
“Midwest WeirdFest is everything you could ask for as a filmmaker,” says Jason Trost, winner of the fest's “Best Director” award for FP 2: BEATS OF RAGE, the long-awaited sequel to his cult classic THE FP. “The fest goes to great lengths to give every film and filmmaker their time to shine. Most importantly, the fest's passionate fan-base of film lovers creates a place that truly gives our best and weirdest ideas a place to call home.”
An overview of the festival's other winning films follows:
Lonnie Martin and Cindy Marie Martin THE LAST OF THE MANSON GIRLS (photo by Luong Huynh)
Director Lonnie Martin and producer/actress Cindy Marie Martin's psychedelic re-imagining of one of the darkest byways of Americana, THE LAST OF THE MANSON GIRLS, was awarded “Best Film”. While the captivating THE SECRET OF BYRON PREISS by writer/director James Renner took “Best Documentary”.
James Renner during the Q&A for his documentary THE SECRET OF BYRON PREISS (photo by Luong Huynh)
The atmospheric and chilling THE INVISIBLE MOTHER won the festival's “Best Horror Film” award. The satirical and hilarious TANGOBORN MENCLENTY from Ted Michaels was awarded “Best Sci-Fi Film”. And the side-splitting black comedy superhero spoof ZEROES (directed by Charles Smith) captured the “Independent Spirit Award”.
L to R: Jacob Gillman, Matthew Diebler (THE INVISIBLE MOTHER) and Ted Michaels (TANGOBORN MENCLENTY) on the panel at MidWest WeirdFest’s Filmmaking Master Class (photo by Luong Huynh)
Charles Smith at MidWest WeirdFest’s opening night screening of his film ZEROES (photo by Luong Huynh)
“Best Short Film” was won by the disturbingly hilarious BFF GIRLS (directed by Brian Lonano). The trippy and mesmerizing DEATH VAN (directed by Michael Enzbrunner ) was awarded “Best Animated Short”. The award for “Best Sci-Fi Short” went to the dark futuristic vision of CIVET (directed by and starring Benjamin Capps). “Best Horror Short” was won by the eerie and atmospheric GREY CANYON (Zeshaan Younus). While the P. K. Dickian cyber-thriller series SUBVERSE (directed by Joseph White) took “Best TV / WEB content”. And “Best Music Video” was awarded to the animated space opera HALF AN ORANGE - BUZZ LIGHT YEAR (directed by Michael Maloof & Andrew Spellman.)
Benjamin Capps, director and star of CIVET (photo by Luong Huynh)