Wrap Sheet

Cheryl Hines

Photo by Jana Birchum

'Serious Moonlight' Premiere

Cheryl Hines confessed that it was a special thrill to have Serious Moonlight, her first film as a director, screen at this festival that honors the screenwriter. The Serious Moonlight screenplay is by Adrienne Shelly, who also wrote and directed the film Waitress, in which Hines co-starred. When Shelly was murdered shortly after completing the Serious Moonlight script, Hines was invited to fulfill Shelly's vision. Asked about what she learned in her shift to the director's chair, Hines commented: "I used to wonder why as an actress I had to get into the makeup trailer at 7am and then it would be 5pm and I hadn't been called to the set yet. Now I know why."

Photo by Jana Birchum

"I can't believe I get to make up stories for a living." – Writer/director Peter Hedges (Dan in Real Life, Pieces of April)

Photo by Jana Birchum

"I think it's fun to dredge up other people's weird parts of their psyche and throw it in their face." – Freaks and Geeks creator Paul Feig on his uncomfortable comedies

Photo by Jana Birchum

"People are afraid of sucking. Don't be afraid of sucking. Everyone's first spec script sucks. Everyone's." – Michael Green, executive producer of the former NBC drama Kings

Photo by John Anderson

"I'm just pleased to hear you say I have a career." – Documentarian Ben Steinbauer (l) (Winnebago Man) at the panel Turning Your Shorts/Webisodes Into a Film Career

Photo by Jana Birchum

"I pitched my story for Watchmen before September 11, when the world was at peace, and so my original pitch set the [film's time frame] in 1985. I wanted to remind kids that when I was 15, in 1985, we thought the world could end at any moment and we would have only 30 minutes' notice when the missiles started flying and then that was it." – David Hayter on his screenplay for Watchmen

2009 AFF Film Competition Winners

Documentary Short Award: "Q&A" (D: Mike Rauch, Tim Rauch)

Documentary Feature Jury Award: Grown in Detroit (D: Manfred Poppenk, Mascha Poppenk)

Documentary Feature Special Jury Mention: Downtown Calling (D: Shan Nicholson)

Animated Short Jury Award: "Lost and Found" (D: Philip Hunt)

Narrative Student Short Jury Award: "Welgunzer" (W: Bradford Schmidt)

Narrative Student Special Jury Mention: "Adelaide" (W: Liliana Greenfield-Sanders)

Narrative Short Jury Award: "Nice Shootin' Cowboy" (W: Ben Phelps)

Narrative Short Special Jury Mention: "The Taxidermist" (W: Bert & Bertie); "Washdays" (W: Graham Lester George)

Narrative Feature Jury Award: Tobruk (W: Václav Marhoul)

Narrative Feature Special Jury Recognition for Acting: Myna Se Va

Narrative Feature Special Jury Recognition for Independent Filmmaking: Thor at the Bus Stop

AFF 2009 Screenplay Competition Winners

Drama Screenplay: Pure by Jeff Williams

Comedy Screenplay: Eight Knights by Caroline Carrigan

Latitude Productions Screenplay Award: Palmer by Cheryl Guerriero

Sci-Fi Screenplay: The Sensitivity Program by John Harden and Skot Christopherson

Drama Teleplay: Medium: "Crush" by Joey Day Hargrove

Sitcom Teleplay: The Office: "It's Not Easy Being Green" by Benjamin Healy