The 2017 HollyWeb Festival, sponsored by AMC Independent, celebrated the best in digital content at an awards ceremony held at the Fonda Theatre (6126 Hollywood Blvd.) on Sunday, April 2.
The “Blue Carpet” Closing Night Awards Ceremony was hosted by Noemi Gonzalez (“East Los High,” PARANORMAL ACTIVITY: THE MARKED ONES), and Jim Mahoney (“Wilfred”), with top awards going to; Justin Harwood’s High Road for Best Series; Benoit Lach’s Fluffy Marky for Best International Series; Elsie Bollinger and Sally Bollinger’s Bright Summer Night for Best Drama; and Morgan Waters, Brooks Gray’s The Amazing Gayl Pile for Best Comedy; and Sonja O’Hara and Jaspal Binning’s Doomsday for Best Pilot.
Acting awards were taken by; Mark Mitchinson (High Road) for Best Actor in a Drama; Karin Agstam (Doomsday) for Best Actress in a Drama; Rob Zazzali (Right Hand Man) for Best Actor in a Comedy; and McKenzie Trent (The Adventures of Delores Briggam) for Best Actress in A Comedy. Best Ensemble Cast went to The Room Actors: Where Are They Now?
HollyWeb Festival Co-Director Daniel Doherty, said, “Choosing projects and people to honor above others is never an easy task when you’ve reached the level of creativity this festival puts forward each year, but the sheer volume – with 97 different series presented – quadruples that task.” HollyWeb Co-Director Jennifer Doherty, added, “It is important, not simply, to screen these wonderful digital series on the big screen for audiences to enjoy and appreciate, but to recognize the great work that went into creating them, and the very talented people that created them as well.”
In addition to presenting 97 different digital series over the course of the four days to a record turnout of audience numbers for the festival, HollyWeb presented a series of panels, workshops, and conversations featuring notable performers, industry veterans and entertainment insiders, including; Zoe Bell (THE HATEFUL EIGHT), Keith Powell (30 Rock, About a Boy, creator of Keith Broke His Leg), Rachel Shapiro (Comedy Pro), Will Gurman (Fullscreen), Chris Michael (Funny or Die), Fidel Barajas (Four by Two Films), Doug Eboch (SWEET HOME ALABAMA), Jorge Rivera (APB), Jason Leaver (Out with Dad), veteran film composer Rob Gokee, and Sean Oakley (The Guild, Vanity).
2017 HOLLYWEB FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS
BEST SERIES
HIGH ROAD
BEST INTERNATIONAL SERIES
FLUFFY MARKY
BEST DRAMA
BRIGHT SUMMER NIGHT
BEST COMEDY
THE AMAZING GAYL PILE
BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE
PETROL
BEST MYSTERY/THRILLER
CLEVER GIRL
BEST HORROR
20 SECONDS TO LIVE
BEST SCIFI
AMNESIA
BEST FANTASY
PSYCHOSOMATIC
BEST DOCUMENTARY/NON-FICTION
IL TEATRO FA BENE
BEST ANIMATION
THE ADVENTURES OF BROKEN HEART
BEST PILOT
DOOMSDAY
IAWTV AWARD OF RECOGNITION
STARTING FROM NOW
BEST TRAILER
CHOOSE YOUR OWN MCGURSKEY
ACTING AWARDS
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
MARK MITCHINSON (HIGH ROAD)
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
KARIN AGSTAM (DOOMSDAY)
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
ROB ZAZZALI (RIGHT HAND MAN)
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
MCKENZIE TRENT
(THE ADVENTURES OF DELORES BRIGGAM)
BEST ENSEMBLE CAST
THE ROOM ACTORS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
BEHIND THE CAMERA/TECHNICAL AWARDS
BEST DIRECTING
SCOTT WALMSLEY (ATTACK! ATTACK! ART?)
BEST SCREENWRITING
SONJA BENNETT (SUNNYHEARTS CC)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
KENNETH MADER (A.L.L.I.A.N.C.E)
BEST EDITING
BRIANNE NORD-STEWART & ALEC RICHARDSON (YOUNG & RECKLESS)
BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC/SCORE
MITCHELL COLLINS & DEREK ZHAO (PAPER BOYS: A WEB SERIES)
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
THE LEAGUE OF S.T.E.A.M
