The "Ghost" sweders
SWEDE FEST™ 2 PALM BEACH was another smashing success. Playing to a second-year sold-out crowd of 500 this past Saturday night, SWEDE FEST™ 2 PALM BEACH, produced by Mainstreet at Midtown at The Borland Center for Performing Arts, was high-energy entertainment for everyone involved, with “swedes” submitted by amateur filmmakers ages 10 to 60. Swede fest™ is a grassroots amateur film festival, in which short, DIY versions of big-budget feature films are reproduced as cheaply as possible, using family and friends as cast; bedrooms, backyards, and local parks as sets; and toys, pets, and found objects as props.
The "Twister" sweders
Filmmakers submitted 34 swedes; 21 were screened during the festival and 13 were shown in the lobby of the theatre during the festivities before SWEDE FEST™ 2 PALM BEACH got underway. Once attendees walked the red carpet and collected their tickets or VIP special-edition commemorative lanyards (both were sold online on this website), they could have their picture taken by John Sessa Photography in front of the SWEDE FEST™ 2 PALM BEACH step-and-repeat — just like any red carpet movie event! New Vision Productions was roving the crowd interviewing film directors and attendees for a short film on SWEDE FEST™, Potions in Motion sold adult beverages to film fans, Oceana Coffee offered snacks and drinks, all while DJ Victor Russo played popular movie soundtracks.
The audience...
After everyone was seated in the theatre just after 7:00 PM, the evening’s emcees took center stage. Emcees (and stand-up comedians) Will Watkins and Dan DeCotiis presided over the interstitial moments, introducing each “act” and adding commentary to the film trailers show between sets.
After the swedes were showcased, the Audience Favorite Award was presented to Nick Crisafi and family for their swede of Back to the Future. They were ecstatic to win a gift card to Best Buy.
The man behind the winning swede, Nick Crisafi
The rest of our sweders were students from local schools (The Benjamin School, South Tech Academy), film enthusiasts, and semi-professional filmmakers. We’re working on getting all of this year’s swedes uploaded to this website, but in the meantime, you can watch the swedes we do have available on our Vimeo channel.
Since SWEDE FEST™ 2 PALM BEACH was such a smashing success we’ve already scheduled next year’s event, so mark your calendars NOW for August 2, 2014. Don’t plan that far ahead? No worries — we’ll remind you. Frequently.
Every film submitted was given credit in the night’s printed program, and in addition to the Audience Favorite Award, other sweders received “special” awards:
Best Batman Voice: Dark Knight Rises
Best Crash Sequence: Starship Troopers
Best Special Effects: The Thing
Best Use of a Red Solo Cup: Super Troopers
Best Use of a Tennis Racket: Looper
Best Use of a Theatre Cast: Little Shop of Horrors
Best Use of Moving Boxes: GHOST!
Best Use of Mums: Napolean Dynamite
Best Use of Safety Scissors: Edward Scissorhands
Best Use of Saran Wrap: Home Alone
Best Use of Slow Motion: Grown Ups: Arrow Roulette
Best Use of South Florida Locations: They Live
Best Use of Theatrical Makeup: Goodfellas
Best Voiceovers: The Exorcist
Funniest Interview Scene: The Shining
Most Accurate Costumes: Back To The Future
Most Exotic Filming Location: Dead Man Down
Most Local Film: Scott Pilgrim vs. The Swede
Most Movie Puns in One Script: Twister
Most Shameless Use of a Green Screen: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Back to the Future swede (2013) from swede fest palm beach on Vimeo.
The after-party...
After the event ended, we headed over to Midtown’s Cantina Laredo for the VIP After Party. Thanks to everyone who submitted a swede, came to SWEDE FEST™ 2 PALM BEACH, the media who wrote about and supported the event, everyone who followed us on Facebook and Twitter, joined the Fan Club through this website, and all of the great people who got involved in some way to make our little indie film festival such a great success:
Alchemy Communications Group
The Borland Center for Performing Arts
Cantina Laredo
Cinderelle Marketing
DJ Victor Russo
Elizabeth Dashiell PR
Entertainment Consultants
Florida Weekly
Immagine Productions
John Sessa Photography
Jon Lamboy
Listenhearsound
Mainstreet at Midtown
New Vision Productions
PBG Lifestyle
Potions in Motion
Purehoneymagazine.com
Ram Realty Services
Will Watkins and Dan DeCotiis
Yelp
