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Chlotrudis 4th Annual Short Film Festival Part 1
By Daniel Berman, TheWorldJournal.com

Well folks, the nominations are set and ready for this years balloting for the best short film of 2003. On Tuesday February 16th, 2004 at the Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, Massachusetts held the prestigious sold-out festival.

The Chlotrudis Society for independent film assembles the way the event works it nominates their favorite short films through a nominating committee. The requirement is to see 25 eligible films in order to nominate. The Chlotrudis Society Film Committee screened over 130 films this year of possible candidates.

The huge selection of independent shorts included Cruz Angeles "The Show" made a substantial and brilliant showing. "Wet Dreams and False Images", "Blue Snow" and the wonderfully done "Dental Farmer" also gets top honor in being one of the nominees for best short film. You can say it is like the Academy Awards of short films and to see who will walk away with the best short film honor. Plus be sure to see the other categories, the films that are being nominated, and my own personal predictions as well.

The Committee is fully dedicated to recognizing the very best in independent filmmaking has to offer. The 2004 Buried Treasure Award that the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film created for those films that got overlooked and fully deserves another view.

Also, on Sunday March 28th preparations are being made for one of the biggest evenings of the year at The Brattle Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts at 5pm. The 10th annual awards ceremony will be certainly a gala evening so please come and attend. Without any further ado here are the film selections.

The Nominees for Best Short Film are:

Beat Box Philly by Warren Bass and Liz Goldberg
Blue Snow by Zion Rubin
Bun-Bun by Katie Fleischer
Career Suicide by Dan Huber and Alex Kang
Dental Farmer by Ellen Brodsky and Dunya Alwan
In-Sight by Asitha Ameresekere
Robot Rumpus by Jason Dunn
The Show by Cruz Angeles
Tomato Love by Joey Kan
Two by Two by Emily Susanne Dodge
Unearthed by Christina Spangler
Wet Dreams and False Images by Jesse Epstein
Woman by Signe Baumane

My Top Three Selections for Best Short Film are:

1. Blue Snow
2. The Show
3. Dental Farmer

Best Movie:

28 Days Later
American Splendor
Lija 4-Ever
Lost In Translation
Spellbound
The Station Agent
The Triplets of Belleville

Chlotrudis Pick: Lost In Translation
Dan's Pick: American Splendor

Best Director:

Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini for American Splendor
Danny Doyle for 28 Days Later
Sophia Coppola for Lost In Translation
Claire Denis for Friday Night
David Gordon Green for All The Real Girls
Lukas Moodysson for Lija 4-Ever
Lynne Ramsay for Morvern Callar

Choltrudis Pick: Claire Denis for Friday Night
Dan's Pick: Sophia Coppola for Lost In Translation

Best Actress:

Oksana Okinshina for Lija 4-Ever
Keisha Castle-Hughes for Whale Rider
Zooey Deschanel for All the Real Girls
Scarlett Johansson for Lost In Translation
Frances McDormand for Laurel Canyon
Samantha Morton for Morvern Callar
Sarah Polley for My Life Without Me
Charlotte Rampling for Swimming Pool

Chlotrudis Pick: Keisha Castle-Hughes for Whale Rider
Dan's Pick: Scarlett Johansson for Lost In Translation

Best Actor:

Javier Bardem for The Dancer Upstairs
Bruce Campbell for Bubba Ho-Tep
Peter Dinklage for The Station Agent
Paul Giamatti for American Splendor
Phillip Seymour Hoffman for Owning Mahowny
Bill Murray for Lost In Translation
Campbell Scott for Secret Lives of Dentists

Chlotrudis Pick: Paul Giamatti for American Splendor
Dan's Pick: Peter Dinklage for The Station Agent

Best Supporting Actress:

Patricia Clarkson for Pieces of April
Patricia Clarkson for The Station Agent
Hope Davis for American Splendor
Olympia Dukakis for The Event
Anna Kendrick for Camp
Miranda Richardson for Spider
Ludivine Sagnier for Swimming Pool
Paprika Steen for Open Hearts

Chlotrudis Pick: Patricia Clarkson for Pieces of April
Dan's Pick: Patricia Clarkson for The Station Agent

Best Supporting Actor:

Artyom Bogucharsky for Lilja 4-Ever
Bobby Cannavale for The Station Agent
Ossie Davis for Bubba Ho-Tep
Seth Green for Party Monster
Jack Kehler for Love Liza
Mark Ruffalo for My Life Without Me
Peter Sarsgaard for Shattered Glass

Chlotrudis Pick: Peter Sarsgaard for Shattered Glass
Dan's Pick: Bobby Cannavale for The Station Agent

Best Original Screenplay:

28 Days Later
All The Real Girls
Lost In Translation
Love Liza
The Man Without a Past
The Station Agent

Chlotrudis Pick: 28 Days Later
Dan's Pick: The Station Agent

Best Adapted Screenplay:

American Splendor
Bubba Ho-Tep
Marion Bridge
Movern Callar
Safety of Objects
The Secret Lives of Dentists
Shattered Glass
Whale Rider

Chlotrudis Pick: American Splendor
Dan's Pick: The Secret Lives of Dentists

Best Cinematography:

21 Grams
28 Days Later
All The Real Girls
Friday Night
Lost In Translation
Northfork
Russian Ark
Winged Migration

Chlotrudis Pick: 21 Grams
Dan's Pick: Winged Migration

Best Cast:

The Event
Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: All Out Monster Attack!
The Lawless Heart
Marion Bridge
Open Hearts
The Station Agent
Take Care of My Cat

Chlotrudis Pick: Open Hearts
Dan's Pick: The Station Agent

Best Documentary:

Capturing The Friedmans
Lost in La Mancha
O.T. Our Town
Spellbound
Winged Migration

Chlotrudis Pick: Winged Migration
Dan's Pick: Capturing The Friedmans

Buried Treasure:

Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary
Love & Diane
Marion Bridge
Melvin Goes to Dinner
Ten

Chlotrudis Pick: Love & Diane
Dan's Pick: Melvin Goes to Dinner

Daniel Berman's Top Independent Film Awards of 2003

1. American Splendor
2. The Station Agent
3. Cinemania
4. Whale Rider
5. Swimming Pool
6. Thirteen
7. Elephant
8. Bus 174
9. Winged Migration
10. The Fog of War: The Eleven Lessons of Robert S. McNamara

Feel free to checkout their website at http://www.chlotrudis.org for further information about the 10th annual awards ceremony and other film events.

© February 23, 2004