2009 chashama Film Festival Winners

Best Picture

Topi (Arjun Rihan)

Best BU10K

What Will I Be? (Shabnam Rezai)

Best Short Documentary

A Day in the Life of a Street Sweeper (Steven Flor)

Best Short

The Farm(Romaine Moreton)

Best Underground

Echoes (Cara Mumford)

Best Feature

Goodbye Victoria (Diran Lyons)

Best Documentary

Maria y el Nuevo Mundo (George Walker Torres)

Best Actress

Dirty Step Upstage (Amber Moelter)

Best Actor

On a Clear Day (Nelson Vasquez)

Best Director

Across the Waves (Randy Rice)

Best Screenplay

Topi (Arjun Rihan)

Best Cinematography

Kumbh Mela: Walking with the Nagas (Julienne Rathore)

Best Story

The Silent Partner: HIV in Marriage (Nathan Golon)

Best Music Video

City of Noise (Mitch Barany)

Best Soundtrack

Detox (Jon Conner)

Best Ensemble

One Hit Wonder (Gil O'Brien)

cFF Spirit Award

Ein Weites Feld (Expansive Grounds) (Gerburg Rohde-Dahl)

cFF Inspiration Award

Strike Dice! Betting on My Father (Natalie Picoe)

cFF09 Environmentally Conscious Award

Voyage of the Vezo (Giovanni Paolo Autran)

cFF09 Outlook for the Future Award

Virtual JFK (Koji Masutani)

Audience Award: Best Feature Length

Marathon Beirut, For the Love of Lebanon (Deborah Harse)

Audience Award: Best Foreign

Tumaco Pacifico (Samuel Cordoba)

Audience Award: Best Short

Baby Dino (Adam Pray)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:

Claudia Chung

chashama Film Festival

Claudia@chafilmfest.com

P) 917-656-0326

Acclaimed Art Organization chashama Announces 2009 Film Festival Theme Festivals Of The Worlds

chashama Adds New Awards Category: The Ten Thousand Dollar Budget Film

(New York, NY) The provocative arts organization, chashama is continuing its dedication to the advancement of art and film with its second annual film festival held in New York City. Themed Festival of the Worlds explores global expression through film making while setting the stage for audiences and filmmakers to cultivate the unknown in various cultures and countries.

“ With the state of the economy and international relations, we have transgressed from last year’s theme Films That Other Festivals Are Afraid to Show. This year we are presenting Films We Need to See, said Rick Kariolic, creator and director, chashama Film Festival. “ We are also very proud to present this year a new award for films made under ten thousand dollars or less. Recognizing artists are struggling more than ever, chashama film festival strives to be a vehicle and medium for them.

chashama film festival has become a platform for a spectrum of political, cultural and philosophical ideologies since its short inception. Presented in an environment designed to foster creative and intellectual expansion, the festival is honing the talents of many filmmakers. At last year’s festival, we screened 54 films out of 200+ submissions and reached an audience of approximately 500. The festival spanned three days, and included films from Egypt, Switzerland, Greece and the United States. Directors flew in from around the globe to be a part of our festival, and we were honored to give out 15 Victor Awards, 2 of which were audience selections and the rest awarded by deliberation of a panel of 5 judges.

The chashama Film Festival will take place from October 22, 2009 to October 26, 2009 at the flagship chashama theater space, located at 217 East 42nd Street, and other theatres to be announced. The complete screening/venue schedule will be listed at www.chafilmfest.com on August 21, 2009.

International artist and filmmaker Kariolic serves as the Director of chashama Film Festival and the panel of festival judges consists of noted filmmakers and guest artists. To learn more about chashama Film Festival and for clips and images, please visit www.chafilmfest.com.