Reedy Reels honors top films

Using a new judging format, Piedmont Natural Gas Presents Reedy Reels: The Greenville Film Festival has announced its 2024 winners.

Best Animation Film: Finalists 

• Thirsty for Potion by Olivia Martin
• Roll the Dice by Paige Dayton
• The Amazing Balancing Mouse by Amelie Davis
• Winner – Burn Out by Lee Ricks

Best Documentary Film: Finalists

• How to Break a World Record by Andrew Oliver and Dan Johnson
• Nature’s Wisdom Thru Native Eyes by David Weintraub
• Southern Prison Culture by Jaquial Durham
• Winner – Prisoner by Choice: The Frankie San Story by Daniel Fisher.

Best College Film: Finalists

• Chocolate Thunder by Mahalia Latortua-Pigett
• Two Sisters and the Fairy Stone by Mary McKinley
• Winner – Slobopoly by Yinghui Li

Best Comedy Film: Finalists

• Ms. Rossi 2: Ms. Ross Takes the Cake by Pat Battastini
• 4Sight by Ted Kendrick
• Winner – Wicked Image by Caitlin Scherer

Best High School Student Film: Finalists

• Beside Myself by Elizabeth Townsend
• My Friend David by Alexandra Carson
• Winner – Rideshare by Shaw Shurley

Best Short Film: Finalists

• Don’t be Disposed by Rhodes Farrell
• Grasping Gravestones by Adam Mortenson
• C’est La Vie by Collins White
• Don’t Get Close by Susannah Donnan
• Morendo by Kyle Cyr
• Shore by Tammy Mattox
• The Sight of Angels by Pasquale Esposito
• Winner – KEEP by Lewis Rose

Best Southeast Regional Film: Finalists

• Keep on Chooglin’ by Caleb Eells
• The Encounter by Shaun Rogers
• The Sight of Angels by Pasquale Esposito
• Winner – A.B. by Eugene Rocco Utley

Best Upstate South Carolina Film Finalist

• Clean Sweep by Brittney Brackett
• I’m Hopeful Because I Speak by William Renken
• Warn Thin by Chad Gross
• Winner – Honey, Hush! Honey by Joe Lining

People’s Choice Winner

• Ms. Rossi 2: Ms. Ross Takes the Cake by Pat Battastini

Reedy Reels Film of Distinction Winner

• How to Break a World Record by Andrew Oliver and Dan Johnson

For 2024, Reedy Reels implemented a new judging process. The first part consisted of judges (each is a film enthusiast) that reviewed blocks of film entries, rated them, and provided comments. Multiple judges watched each
film. This allowed organizers to determine the films included in the festival as well as the finalists for each category.

The second part used a new panel, who were more experts in the film industry. These judges viewed all the finalists for specific categories, and then ranked them, and provided comments. Multiple judges rated each category. From that, winners were picked.

Expert judges panel included Destiny Macon of Hush Girl Productions, whose short film Talk Black is now streaming on HBO & Max; Evan Crooke, CEO of Osiris Entertainment, a film distribution company which has acquired more than 250 films, and had built an account base in the hundreds, and soon thousands, on a nationwide level; Mary Sturgill, a Furman University instructor who was a producer for the Emmy Award-winning PBS show,
“Expeditions with Patrick McMillan; Evan Rogers, a co-organizer of TEDxUnityPark, and founder of award winning post production company Gradient Post Production; and Kevin Human, a Governor’s School for Art & Humanities film instructor, whose work spans from co-producing films such as Chief of Station, Marinus, and Raider, to developing material for Sony Pictures Television and others.

 

About The Reedy Reels Film Festival: The Greenville Film Festival

Piedmont Natural Gas Presents Reedy Reels: The Greenville Festival is an independent film festival promoting the appreciation of the art of film-making while generating support for independent filmmakers in the Upstate. The Reedy Reels Film Festival is a non-profit organization that supports the education and appreciation of filmmaking. Learn more at www.reedyreels.com.