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Arlington,
Virginia -- The First Ever GI Film Festival, which was
held on Memorial Day weekend 2007 at the Ronald Reagan
Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.,
today announced its inaugural award-winning films:
Founder's
Choice Award -- PATRIOT ACT, Directed by Jeffrey Ross:
Inspired by the passing of U.S.O. perennial Bob Hope, Friars
Club roast-master Jeffrey Ross takes comedian Drew Carey up
on an invitation to join the U.S.O. in their ongoing mission
- delivering punch-lines on the front lines.
Best
Feature Documentary -- SPEED AND ANGELS, Directed by
Peyton Wislon, Produced by Francesco Chierici:
Speed and Angels is the true life story
about two navy officers, Meagan and Jay, as they chase their
life-long dreams to become fighter pilots. It follows
them during the most dangerous parts of their training and
as they go to war, where the realities of being a fighter
pilot test their limits.
Best
Narrative Feature -- DIVERGENCE, Co-Directed by Patrick
Donnelly and Meg Sudlik:
A
wounded soldier returns from Iraq having lost faith in the
war. He finds solace with a beautiful and mysterious
women in a wintry seaside town. Knowing he could be
sent back, they make a decision that will impact the rest of
their lives.
Best
Documentary Short -- SHAKEY'S HILL, Directed by Norman
Lloyd:
In
1970, one cameraman follows a battalion of American soldiers
into the Cambodian jungle. His footage and interviews
capture the taking of a substantial weapons/supplies cache
used by the North Vietnamese Army during the Vietnam War.
This operation was considered one of the most
successful missions of American forces during the war.
Best
Narrative Short -- OLD GLORY, Directed by James McEachin:
Old
Glory is a 22-minute film short for the soldier, veteran and
patriot in us all. James McEachin customarily salutes
America with another dose of extraordinary patriotism in his
directorial debut.
"We
were absolutely amazed by the quality of film submissions
we received in our first year," said GI Film Festival
President Brandon Millett. "All of our
filmmakers deserve a tremendous amount of credit for
honoring our men and women in uniform with their creative
work."
Overall,
the GI Film Festival featured 22 film screenings, 2 panel
discussions, 2 VIP receptions, and special appearances by
actors Gary Sinise, R. Lee Ermey, James McEachin, and Dale
Dye; directors Ron Maxwell, John Dahl and Jonathan Flora; musicians Pat
Boone, Michael Peterson, Valor, and Angela Lashley; executive
producers Lou and Scott Reda; comedian Jeffrey Ross;
fitness guru Billy Blanks; publisher Dr. Ted Baehr, and
General and Mrs. Richard B. Myers. The festival
earned press coverage from Fox News, WUSA-9, WRC-4, The
Pentagon Channel, The Associated Press, The
Washington Post, The Washington Times, and a
number of other media outlets.
"There
is no doubt given the enthusiastic response we
received this year that we struck a chord with the GI
Film Festival," continued Millett. "We
look forward to building on our successes next year and in
the years to come."
The
GI Film Festival was sponsored by:
Tri-West, Accenture, Fortune Brands, SAIC, Aria
Trattoria, WUSA-9, WMAL, The History Channel, Military.com,
The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Vietnam
Veterans of America, among other organizations.
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