COFILMIC Award winners announced
Dave Spikey among the winners...
The winners of the inaugural COFILMIC Awards were announced at a star-studded COFILMIC Comedy Film Festival event in Manchester on Tuesday night.
Stars of comedy TV and film, including ‘Phoenix Nights’ co-creator Dave Spikey, BAFTA winning producer Charlie Hanson (‘Extras’, Garth Marenghi’s ‘Darkplace’, ‘Life’s Too Short’), Leslee Udwin (producer, ‘East is East’, ‘West is West’), Steve North (commissioning editor, DAVE TV) and much-loved actor John Henshaw were in attendance to see the winners announced in the following categories:
Best Comedy Sketch – ‘Publishing A Piece’ by Anton Short
Runner Up: 'Coffee?', Dir. Simon Balch
Best Sitcom Pilot – ‘BOXED’ by Paul Murphy
Runner Up: 'Ball Street', Dir. Nicholas Bowe
Best New Comedy Performance - Sarah Hoare in ‘We Are What We Drink’
Best Short Comedy Film – ‘We Are What We Drink’ by Marc Hardman
Runner Up: 'Truth Prism', Dir. Gary Morris and Steve Royle
Audience Vote Awards – ‘Buzz Dish’ by Dave Spikey, ‘Dwain Chambers Life Guru’ by Louise Fonseca, ‘The Office Orphan’ by David Lilley & ‘Bronte Sisters’ by The History Girls
COFILMIC founder Janet Harrison said: “The standard of the films entered was absolutely fantastic so our judges had a tough job picking the winners, and congratulations to all of those that did win as well as those that finished runner-up.
“The event on the whole was a massive success and we’ve got a brilliant platform to build on for next year and beyond.”
The winners – whose films were selected from more than 100 submissions by the judges – will receive a selection of fantastic prizes including one-to-one sessions with Walli Ullah (The Division Films), Kristian Smith (BBC Comedy North commissioning editor), Dave Spikey and Charlie Hanson, as well as PR surgeries, membership to leading filmmakers’ network Shooting People and more. They also secure their place in the COFILMIC Best of the Fest tour that will see the winning films shown at events around the UK.
The award judges were made up of a leading panel of industry professionals including Charlie Hanson, Steve North, Andy Baker (founder, MOFILM) and Martin Riley (Managing Director, Lion Eyes TV), whilst a further prize – the Sketch Writing Competition award – went to Christian Azzola and Bex Harvey for their script, ‘Believe’, as judged in an audience vote and by a separate panel of high-profile professionals including Andy Riley and Kevin Cecil (the writing duo behind BAFTA nominated ‘Black Books’, ‘Little Britain’, ‘Gnomeo & Juliet’), Steve Bennett (editor, Chortle) and Pete Thornton (commissioning editor, Comedy Central).
Official partners for the event in 2011 were 2entertain, the leading UK-owned DVD publisher, whilst other partners included Saffery Champness, Doodson Broking Group, Lion Eyes TV, The Comedy Store, MOFILM and JMW Solicitors.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
COFILMIC was founded in 2011 by Janet Harrison who, having made a short film herself, found that the UK lacked a dedicated comedy TV and film festival, and that there was a shortage of practical support for those looking to enter the professional industry. As such, she rounded up a prestigious group of judges, partners and panellists and oversaw a hugely successful first COFILMIC event at The Comedy Store in Manchester, with speakers including Charlie Hanson, Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley and Baby Cow co-founder Henry Normal (‘Mighty Boosh’, ‘Gavin & Stacey’, ‘The Trip’).
The aim of COFILMIC is to offer budding comedy writers, actors, producers, directors and everything in between a foot in to the industry, with practical advice, networking opportunities and the chance to submit work to be judged by the panel as part of the COFILMIC Awards.
