The Minnesota Historical Society Announces the Winners of the 2008 Moving Pictures Film Competition

The Minnesota Historical Society Announces the Winners of the 2008 Moving Pictures Film Competition

The state's most rewarding film competition awarded $10,500 in cash to the filmmakers of five winning films about the life and legacy of Minnesota's Greatest Generation; Public screenings begin Nov. 1

ST. PAUL, Minn., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- The drama unfolded at the Minnesota History Center in Saint Paul on Sunday night as the Minnesota Historical Society announced the five winning films of the 2008 Minnesota's Greatest Generation Moving Pictures Film Competition. This year's competition rounded out a three-year endeavor to collect and preserve the rich stories of Minnesota's Greatest Generation.

More than 1,000 filmmakers, families and fans gathered at screenings and the awards ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of this year's festival participants and recognize the winning filmmakers:

-- Tom Brandau of Moorhead, Minn., won Best Film ($5,000) for his film "Mr. Brown";

-- John Knauss, Evan Beaumont and Jonathan Quijano from the Twin Cities and St. Cloud, Minn., won Best Depiction of "The Boom of the 1950s" ($2,500) for their film "Rosalie Wahl: A Vision for a Better World";

-- Angela Andrist of West Saint Paul won Best Emerging Filmmaker ($1,000) for her film "Soap Box Derby Champion: Boy Makes Good";

-- Mike Hazard and Deb Wallwork of St. Paul, won Best Collaborative Effort ($1,000) for their film "C. Beck"; and,

-- Bill & Karen Bonde of Nerstrand, Minn. and Minneapolis, won the Legacy award ($1,000) for their film "Inventing the G-suit: The Life Story of Dr. Earl Woods."

The five winning films were selected from 52 films submitted by amateur and professional filmmakers from across Minnesota. Each of the 10-minute documentary films focuses on the life and legacy of Minnesota's Greatest Generation -- the men and women who grew up during The Great Depression, came of age during the Second World War and participated in the boom that followed the war.

"The Moving Pictures filmmakers continue to outdo themselves year after year," said Randal Dietrich, Moving Pictures Festival director. "From getting young people involved in producing their first film, to traveling to Washington D.C. to gather unique film footage, the filmmakers have shown incredible commitment to telling the rich stories of Minnesota's Greatest Generation. Moving Pictures allows first-time filmmakers and seasoned veterans to experience how they can help preserve the stories of family members and others who have helped shape the history of Minnesota for a new generation to learn from and enjoy."

Filmmakers Tell Compelling Stories of Inventors, Artists, Activists and More

Tom Brandau's Best Film winner, "Mr. Brown" tells the story of Jim Brown, who grew up in the Twin Cities during the 1930s and 1940s. Using actors to re-create Brown's stories, Brandau conveys the insults, indignities and open discrimination that Brown experienced as an African American. Despite the adversity, Brown persevered to become an accomplished dancer, author, father, grandfather and positive force in his community.

John Knauss, Evan Beaumont and Jonathan Quijano's winning film for "The Boom of the 1950s," "Rosalie Wahl: A Vision for a Better World" traces the life of Rosalie Wahl from her humble beginnings in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Kansas to her groundbreaking appointment to the Minnesota Supreme Court and explores the evolution of her social consciousness.

Angela Andrist's winning film for Emerging Filmmaker, "Soap Box Derby Champion: Boy Makes Good," tells the story of Joe Garelick, the 1938 St. Paul Soap Box Derby Champion who went on to fight as a gunner on a B-24 Liberator bomber during WWII and returned home with five air medals. Following the war, Garelick invented a boat ladder and launched a successful manufacturing company.

Mike Hazard and Deb Wallwork's winning film for Collaborative Effort, "C. Beck" is a portrait of the artist Charles Beck. Providing an insider's view to Beck's studio in Fergus Falls, Minn., the film captures the artist scavenging for materials and inspiration, painting in the nearby countryside and speaking about the beauty of nature and the mystery of art.

Bill and Karen Bonde's winning film for Legacy, "Inventing the G-suit: The Life Story of Dr. Earl Wood," is a personal look at the life of Dr. Earl Wood. Hailing from Mankato, Minn., Dr. Wood helped invent the G-suit worn by fighter pilots in World War II. The film traces Dr. Wood's life from his childhood on the shore of Lake Washington to his brilliant career in aerospace medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

Public Broadcasts and Neighborhood Screenings Begin November 1

Following the festival screenings, the five award-winning films will be available for free viewing via Comcast's Local On Demand service. To browse through film titles and view the films, Comcast Digital Cable customers can go to Channel 1, select "Get Local" and then "MN Historical Society." The award-winning films will also be broadcast on Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) during the Greatest Generation Showcase on Nov. 9, at 8 p.m. In addition to featuring the films from 2008, the Showcase includes personal insights shared by the respective filmmakers.

Nine metro-area libraries in partnership with the Metropolitan Library Service Agency (MELSA), will host special screenings of short films from the Moving Pictures Film Festival. This is the third year the Minnesota Historical Society has collaborated with the MELSA to provide encore screenings to the community.

The first screening takes place on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Hardwood Creek Library in Forest Lake. The final neighborhood screening takes place on Saturday, Nov. 15, at the Roseville Library. Complete tour dates and times are available at http://www.movingpicturesfilm.com/ and at http://www.melsa.org/.

Every short film submitted to the 2008 Festival will be made available to library patrons as a compilation, DVD boxed set. The 2008 films complement the 2006 and 2007 boxed sets already available on library shelves -- nearly 150 short films in all.

In an effort to preserve these films and slices of Minnesota history, the films become part of the permanent collections of the Minnesota Historical Society and receive continuing visibility at public venues across the state, at http://www.movingpicturesfilm.com/ and on television.

About Minnesota's Greatest Generation Project

In August 2005, the Minnesota Historical Society marked the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War by launching the Minnesota's Greatest Generation Project -- a comprehensive multi-year campaign to explore the life and legacy of Minnesotans born between 1910 and 1929 who grew up during The Great Depression, came of age during the Second World War and participated in the boom that followed the war.

The Minnesota's Greatest Generation project includes an archive of oral interviews, publications, a collecting initiative, educational outreach and public programs such as the Moving Pictures Film Competition, Preserve Your Family History workshops and RetroRama. On May 23, 2009, the Society will open a 6,000 square-foot exhibit at the Minnesota History Center about Minnesota's Greatest Generation.

This year marks the third year that the Historical Society is organizing and hosting the Moving Pictures Film Competition. A fourth competition is planned for 2009, with a focus on the year 1968.

About the Minnesota Historical Society

The Minnesota Historical Society is a non-profit educational and cultural institution established in 1849 to preserve and share Minnesota history. The Society collects, preserves and tells the story of Minnesota's past through museum exhibits, libraries and collections, historic sites, educational programs and book publishing. More information can be found at http://www.mnhs.org/.

Source: Minnesota Historical Society

CONTACT: Suzanne Fedoruk of Fedoruk & Associates, Inc., +1-612-861-7807,
+1-612-247-3079, suzanne@fedorukinc.com, for Minnesota Historical Society

Web site: http://www.mnhs.org/
http://www.movingpicturesfilm.com/
http://www.melsa.org/

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