Southern Winds Film Festival 2008

Director Jacob Burns recreates the excitement of those classic serials of the 1930s and 40s in his three-part sci-fi epic, The Adventures of Captain Thunder: Intergalactic Enforcer. In part one, Grace Darling, who happens to be the daughter of the President of the Galactic Assembly, is kidnapped by an evil space dictator named Maglor. President Darling knows that only one man can rescue her, Captain Thunder! But, unbeknownst to Captain Thunder, Maglor and his minions have a few tricks up their sleeves. When Captain Thunder and his sidekick, Lightning Boy attempt to follow Maglor, they are engaged in a space battle Captain Thunder???s ship spirals out of control! In part two, Captain Thunder and Lightning Boy crash on the mysterious Planet Necrosis, where they must find their way to Maglor???s secret lair, the Dominion of Doom! Once inside, they realize that they have been caught in Maglor???s trap. Maglor unveils his latest creation, Mephistopheles the Mechanical Man! In part three, Captain Thunder and Lightning Boy must figure out a way to defeat Mephistopheles the Mechanical Man, Maglor???s army of minions and, of course, Maglor himself. In this third and final episode, there is climactic battle between good and evil. This stunning film features original music composed by Vinnie Hogan, who worked feverishly on creating just the right score to accompany this wonderful film. Will Captain Thunder and Lightning Boy, be able to defeat Maglor and rescue the beautiful Grace Darling? Tune in to find out! Director Jacob Burns nominated as a Future Threat (student)!

Calling All Cons! With the 70th Anniversary of Alcatraz Penitentiary fast approaching, National Park Service Ranger John Cantwell is calling all cons, inviting every known ex-Alcatraz inmate‚ and their former cell house guards‚ back to the Rock for an 'Alcatraz Alumni Gathering.' (And you thought your family reunion was dysfunctional!)Determined to film the story of this most unlikely of reunions, director John Paget travels the continent in search of the few known surviving ex-prisoners of Alcatraz. They were once America's most dangerous public enemies - but who and where are they now?Against the backdrop of these colorful characters and their imminent rendezvous, ALCATRAZ REUNION, traces the history of the iconic island, and its mysterious transformation from notorious prison to tourist mecca. Nominated for Best Feature Documentary! Nominated as A Seriously Good Movie (Feature)!

Bloodied, barefoot, and branded like cattle, a mysterious woman comes to town with an aim to kill the son of a bitch that done her wrong. Nominated for Best Short Narrative! Nominated as A Seriously Good Movie (Short)!

Returning home was the choice she made. Letting go was the choice she inspired.After getting sick, a young Native American woman, Willa, returns to her mother's home where they both must come to terms with her illness. Willa's mother, who had been a long time 'shut in', begins venturing outside with her camcorder, taping the sunrise and mountains, bringing the outside world in to the bed ridden Willa. Audiences catch a glimpse into the lives of two dynamic women, leading up to the moment where only one thing is for certain... change. Award winning screenwriter, Kalani Queypo, offers up a compelling directorial debut with this intimate short film.Gripping performances by Tantoo Cardinal (Dances With Wolves, Legends of the Fall) and Rulan Tangen (The New World) are beautifully complimented with rich visual images and an impressive original soundtrack. Nominated for Best Short Narrative! Nominated for Native Spirit!

Seventeen-year-old August feels he has to change his looks in order to fit in, ultimately deciding to undergo surgery to change his face to become the "perfect image" of a high-school teenager. Nominated for Best Short Narrative! Nominated as A Seriously Good Movie (Short)!

Yuen, a bodyguard for a company president takes his young son to work to toughen him up. Unfortunately, the company's vice-president has sinister plans that involve Yuen in ways that make him wish he'd left his son home.

A Beautiful Day (for the Lord's Work) is an experimental religio-horror short flick with uncanny dialogue and an unusual style that perfectly enhances the weirdness of the script. The film centers on three 'travelers' who emerge from the wilderness to bring judgment to an idyllic Oklahoma community. The nightmarish mood of the project is enhanced by its film-like appearance - the tone shifts from old to new, from ancient evil to current fear. Filming entirely on location in Dale, Oklahoma, Outsiders Productions offers up a visually arresting short that is at once gorgeous, repulsive, kinetic, and downright creepy. With terrific performances, haunting imagery - both visual and throughout the conversations of the mysterious three - as well as a uniquely effective editing style, A Beautiful Day is an unforgettable, disturbing descent into madness, judgment, and the unforgiving hand of a brutal crusade. Nominated for Best Okie Short!