Highlights of this year’s Chlotrudis Society for Indendependent Film awards ceremony, on Sunday March 20, will no doubt be the presentation of honorary awards to New England’s own John O’Brien (below right) and French director Lucas Belvaux (left). Both men have in common a commitment to truly independent film-making, and a taste for trilogies.
Chlotrudis will present John O’Brien its Maverick Award, given to a member of the film community who best exemplifies that description. Based in Vermont, O’Brien has mined his hometown of Tunbridge for inspiration, location shooting and even casting for his last three movies, including this year’s NOSEY PARKER, also a nominee in the Buried Treasure category. His
films sift non-fiction and storytelling together in Mike Leigh fashion to create vivid northern New England tableaus.
Lucas Belvaux, on the other hand, opted for the highest degree of difficulty with his threesome of films by adding actor to his job description along with writer/director. Moreover, ON THE RUN, AN AMAZING COUPLE, and AFTER THE LIFE, shot concurrently, are interlocking pieces to one puzzle, telling the same story from different perspectives in non-linear fashion. This ambitious creation, together called THE TRILOGY, received several Chlotrudis nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Cast and Best Original Screenplay. For his outstanding contributions behind and in front of the camera, Chlotrudis will award Lucas Belvaux its Body of Work Award.
This year’s edition of the Chlotrudis Awards will be held once again at the historic Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, Cambridge. The black-tie event is open to the public with a $15 entrance fee, and festivities will begin at 5 o’clock. As always, notables from the local film community and Chlotrudis members will take on hosting, presenting and performing duties for what promises to be a lively harbinger of spring event.
The wide and strong variety of films nominated this year is another reason for excitement among the group’s membership, 100+ strong. ‘For all the talk in Hollywood this year about the ‘arrival of independent film’, a la SIDEWAYS, I swear it feels like there’s this hidden world of amazing, inspiring movies that aren’t given any help, to get the audiences they deserve,’ comments Beth Curran, Board member. ‘With our awards and our other events, it’s a way we can make ‘word-of-mouth’ more powerful and effective, if not everywhere, then in Boston!’
The Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film is a Boston-based non-profit group that teaches people to view film actively and experience the world through independent film, and encourages discussion. The group works with film festivals, local art-houses, production companies, directors and actors to bring creative, quality films to the attention of audiences and film-lovers. For more information about the Awards Ceremony contact Michael Colford at colford@chlotrudis.org.