We congratulate all of the artists participating in 2007, and hope to see
them again in future years.
Tansal Arnas (Somni) was born in Turkey
and quickly relocated to Manhattan. He started
making videos at the age of twelve. He is a New Yorker and an avid fan
of classical music and
classic rock. He works as a production scheduler for Blue Sky Studios.
Ryan Andrew Balas (How e-Popular is Too
e-Popular?) is currently based in New York
City. Ryan studied acting at the American Musical and Drama Academy in New
York City and
Los Angeles. He has since directed, produced and starred on the Web series “The Really Cool
Show”
at www.thereallycoolshow.com.
Scott Bateman (Oranges of Spain, Intermission I, John Hodgman) Scott produces every
frame of animation for
his 30-minute weekly series. From August 2005 to August 2006, he
produced a short animated fi lm every day for his Web
site. He has also presented his animation
to sold-out crowds at hot alt-comedy spots in New York. Visit www.batemania.com/
for
more on Scott.
Cohlie
Brocato (Go Get Eggs, Noche de Romanticisimo) is a youthful whippersnapper
renown for his penchant to enact his
unique locution of utilizing pretentious words. Cohlie
Brocato is the co-founder of Ticking Clock Productions, a production
company run by young
filmmakers dedicated to creating movies and ettering their craft.
Chris Cassidy (Painting at the Break of Day, Macheesemo)
has been a professional
photographer in New York City for the last 15 years, specializing in the music industry, boxing,
and advertising. Chris is also a filmmaker. He has directed over 20 music videos and the award-winning
MTV documentary
short, “Dear Barbra...” He is currently working on a feature length
documentary about the unique relationship
between a Brooklyn-based rock singer, Vic Thrill,
and a young Hasidic Jew, Curly Oxide, who was drawn to Vic's free-spirited
lifestyle.
Santiago Caicedo
(Puzzle Hunt, Moving Still) is a Colombian filmmaker and visual artist.
He studied Arts in Colombia, filmmaking at the
NYFA in New York and currently lives in Paris
where he did a research in digital image at the ENSAD. His personal work
often involves the
city as a character where he explores and links together basic concepts of mathematics and
narrative
forms. His short films have participated in different screenings and festivals.
Anastasia Frank (Long Island City) has happily moved to Woodside after
graduating
from Princeton in June 2006. She loves her neighborhood and is thrilled to discover an arts
community
so close to home. This is her first short but she looks forward to making many
more.
Michelle Kawka (Animal Farm) Michelle studied photography
and filmmaking at New
England School of Photography in Boston and at the School of Visual Arts in New York. She is a
regular contributor to the Queens Courier Newspaper. She is a proud native of Queens, where she
lives and works. www.michellekawka.com
Christina McKay
(A Small Corner of the World, creator and writer) A lapsed actress,
Christina's film credits include tiny roles in
I Shot Andy Warhol, American Psycho and the yet-to-be
released Pig Hunt. Christina lives in Sunnyside with her husband
Ernesto and three-year-old
son. This is her first foray into film production.
Kel O'Neill (Beg, Borrow, Steal) is a New York actor
and a writer. With major roles in both
studio and independent films, including Tony Scott's “Domino.”
His work as a filmmaker has
garnered him fellowships and funding support from several European and American cultural
foundations, including Momenta Art, the Mondriaan Foundation, and the Swiss Cultural Programme
Kosovo. He currently
resides with his wife in Brooklyn.
Todd Richmond (Rooftop) is co-founder and director of Topaz Arts. He is also a composer,
filmaker, and visual
artist. Todd has made several other dance films. Awards for his compositions
for dance include a 2006 Meet the Composer
Commissioning/USA, 2005 Individual Artist
Award from Queens Council on the Arts with funds from NY State Council on the
Arts, and an
ASCAP/Gershwin Award for music for dance and film.
Paz Tanjuaquio (Rooftop) has been creating dances in New York City since 1990. Her
work
has been commissioned and presented in New York at such venues as Performance Space 122,
Danspace Project at
St. Mark's Church, Symphony Space, Joyce SoHo Presents; and nationally
at Godt-Cleary Projects in Las Vegas, Philadelphia
Fringe Festival, and Ohio University. Recent
awards include the Dance Theater Workshop's Suitcase Fund where she
participated in the Mekong
Project's Cambodia Creative Residency 2004 and artistic research travel in Vietnam 2003.
Ernesto Vega
(A Small Corner of the World, videographer and editor) is a stay-at-home dad
and freelance video editor. The majority
of Ernesto's editing work is focused on aiding companies
to market and brand their products through the use of video.
This is his first independent film
project and hopes it is the first of many.
Arturo Vidich (Somni) is a New Yorker born and bred. He
has performed for a number of
choreographers and directors, and shown his own work, nationally and internationally. He
is
currently working as an inter-media artist and a veterinary technician.”
David Watson (Elevator Music) is an actor turned filmmaker.
He has studied film at the
New School and Brooklyn College. His film passion lies in directing and editing. Though recently
he has found himself directing music videos his real interest lies in narrative film.
