2024
Non-Profit Status
On January 25, 2024 the Flatwater Film Festival filed Articles of Incorporation as a Nebraska not-for-profit corporation. On 2/20/24, the IRS determined that Flatwater Film Festival, Inc. become designated as a 501(c)3 non-profit entity, classified as a 509(a)2 public charity. The organizational members conducted a board member search and welcomed the following to the Board of Directors: Alexander Hamilton – President, Julia Brunkow – Treasurer, Patrick White – Secretary, and Eric Moyer – Director at Large.
48-Hour Film Challenge
The FFF hosted its first 48-Hour Film Challenge on August 2-4 with 12 registered competitors. The films were screened just before out 2024 Launch Party on August 17. The films that won awards, judged by local film enthusiasts, were: BEST USE OF REQUIRED PROP (A slice of toast) — “JOSHUA” by team JRC, BEST USE OF REQUIRED DIALOGUE (“Why is that wet”) — “CHEAT DAY” by team CHOCOLATE DOLLAR PRODUCTIONS, and BEST FILM — “IMMERSED” by team LANG.
Other films that competed were: “Abbrustolito Brindare” – The Wayne Team, “Boiling Point” – CornFed Mountain, “Kid’ing” – Soloman, “Piercing Vision” – Famiglia Cinematografica, “The Pitch” – Eastman Features, “Raw Toast” – Crow Show Production, “The Righteous Ones” – Directors Cut.
Film Festival
The Flatwater Film Festival was held at the Rivoli Theater in Seward, NE on September 27-29. Nebraska Independent Film Projects, the festival’s fiscal sponsor, held an opening mixer at the Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room. The festival officially kicked off at 6:30pm on Friday evening, followed by a mixer at the Sparetime Lounge & Grill. In addition to the screenings, several sessions were held: NIFP’S Fiscal Sponsorhip – A Practical Guide, Marketing and Distribution: Connecting with Audiences, Animation: From Stop Motion to 3D Animation, and Speed Networking. Another mixer was held on Saturday night after the screenings at the Bottle Rocket Brewing Company.
Download the 2024 Season Program.
Screened Films: Abandoned — Joe Coleman, All the Things We Can’t Take Back — Tyler J Horner, The Artiste — David Michael Long, Atomic Zombies — Jameel Harleston Whitlock, Baywing — Calvin Bishop, Becoming Sam Phillips — Katie Stoneburner, Before The Endgame — Tom Lombard, Bike — Lyndrick Collins, Nikki Naldi, Cat’s All Folks — Bill Hedges, Caught On Tape — Alexander Jeffery, Chris Alan Evans, The Chicken Wing Apocalypse — Mike Machian, Child of Blood — Joshua Malisos, The Coney Island Lunch Room — Joseph Gerard Giitter, Coulda Beens & Wannabes — Peter O’Brien, Court Ordered — Paul Christian Glenn, Cowboys vs Prairie Dogs — Alexander Crisp, The Cross — Michael G White, Shelby Hagerdon, Damned If You Do — Dans Karagannis, Dancing in the Moonlight — Landon Boettcher, Danger-Closed: The Flora Apartments and Omaha’s Failure to Ensure Safe and Livable Housing — Anna Reed, Dial M For Munster — Michael Burns Jr., The Diary of Michael Shiner — Kwakiutl L Dreher, Dig In — Wheeler Winston Dixon, Dirt — Ike Somanas, Divisible — Lizzy Barrett, Don’t Take Everything — Andrew Sindt, The Dutch Angle — Michaela Galeski, Emrys — Nathan Romesser, The Farm — Caden Bye, First Day of Vacation — Josh Allen, Fresh Potatoes — Amy Hamilton, Gloves — Isaiah Griffith, The Going Away Part — Paul Christian Glenn, The Great Mushroom Adventure — Jake Johansen, The Gun is Full of Wine — William Fischer, Hands Tied — Melinda Winhold, Chloe McMichael, The Headliner — Tony Bonacci, Heist — Tyler Wilson, David Mosso, Hell’s Gold — Kathryn Christensen, I Dream of Love — Alicia López, I-21 — Peyton Savington, Immersed (48-Hour Challenge Winner) — Eric Lang, In Spirit — Brandon Fiscus, John Foster Drew ET — Rhett McClure, Karl’s Interview — Mark Champion, Ian Ghanavati, Knock, Knock, Your Dead — Jimmy Lee Guzman, The Last Butterflies — Patrick Rea, The Last Cobbler — Joseph Giitter, Lethia — Melinda Winhold, Lime & Vinegar — Evan Snyder, Look Away — Melinda Winhold, Nathan Blizzard, Lottie — Andrew Sindt, Matchmakers — Maverick Knox, May — Mike Montgomery, The Mixtape — Taylor Wilson, Nervous Records: The Series (Two Episode Preview) — Jesse Eastman, Night Rain — Andrew Sindt, The Nightmare Paradox — Benjamin Kadaffi, Nine Mile Prairie: Hope in the Tallgrass — Ethan Freese, Premonition — Pete Brown, Rattled: Conserving Rattlesnakes in Appalachia — Ryan N. Olsen, Salt Valley Greenways: Nature’s Network — Carlee Koehler Moates, The Secret Other — Jenna Reynolds, The Standoff — Jacob Miller, Nathan Romesser, Dylan McCain, Six Shooters — Gage Michael Dawson, Spectrum of Consumption: A Conservation Story — Colleen Kelley, Take Care — Kaylee Hatfield, Three Words — Madison Dvorak, Jesse Brewer, Nolan Flanigan, Melinda Winhold, Time To Shine — Jim Fields, Truth Detector — William Reliford, Turn Over — Rick Endacott, Under the Rug — Jackson Weidenfeller, Under the Wire — Mariah Lundgren, The Visit — Chance Andrew Guida, Brandon Fiscus, Welcome to the Smallest Town in America — Joseph Gerard Giitter, The Woods — Mariah Abney, Kalob Gilmore, Juquan Cribbs
2023
The Flatwater Film Festival was held at the Rivoli Theater in Seward, NE on October 6-8. Nebraska Independent Film Projects, the festival’s fiscal sponsor, held an opening mixer at the Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room. The festival officially kicked off at 6:30pm on Friday evening, followed by a mixer at the Sparetime Lounge & Grill. In addition to the screenings, several sessions were held: NIFP’S Fiscal Sponsorhip – A Practical Guide, Filmmaking 101, VFX for the Indie Filmmaker, and Speed Networking. Another mixer was held on Saturday night after the screenings at the Bottle Rocket Brewing Company.
Download the 2023 Season Program.
Screened Films: 87 — Seth T Jones, The 7 Year Senior — Joseph John Merkel, All Grown Up — Meg Dole, Anabranch — AJ Handley, The Art of the Vinyl Record — Tim Guthrie, Ash — Julia Hinson, Kristin Tripe, Assassin’s Delight — Brandon Fiscus, Attack of the Swole People — Elijah Broughton, Bare Metal — Brandon Robert Gries, Ryan Freng, John Shoemaker, Beauty Bandits — Alexander Hamilton, Behind the Mystery of the Manor — Joseph William Simmons, Betty Lou had a Son — David Michael Long, Between the Lines — Shelby Hagerdon, M.G. White, Blocked — Andrew Sindt, Built to Last — Pete Brown, Alayna Kustka, Josh Young, The Cat Came Back — Bill Hedges, Chloe’s Happy Hour — Patrick Rea, Counting Cranes — Mariah Lundgren, Darkest of Lies — Kelly Schwarze, The Day of February First — Caleb Stout, The Deep End — David Grabarkewitz, The Dying Sensation — Isabel Pineda, Erased — Marcus January, Exodus — Nathan Matthew Blizzard, Fall Away — Tim Barr, Father Knows Best — David Kuskie, Followed — Emery Whitney, For the Love of Dick — Jesse Eastman, Game Plan — Sophia Winters, Gills — Griffin M. Presnell, Girl — Emma Franco, Good Enough — Greg Grosse, Homewrecker — Candice Richardson, Human Error — Madeline Schmit, Hushing A Quiet Clamor — Justin Michael Milani, If Walls Could Talk — Cara Lechtenberger, Just Chill — Wheeler Winston Dixon, The King of Berry — Nathan L Gusman, Gage M Dawson, Laboratories of Democracy: Nebraska’s Unicameral — Ann Hartley, Leo’s Potatoes — J. Søren Viuf, Leviathan — Taylor Thornburg, Manhunt — Greg A Gale, Mollie’s Goodbye — Blake Bodlak, Ms. Trust — Alicia López, Nostalgia — Katie Otten, Omnitask — Mark Renken, Part of the Family — Tyler Horner, PIGFACE II — Patrick Lambrecht, Josh Weixelman, Playing Dead — Tim Mantil, Positivity Wins, Negativity Loses — M RIZ, Princess — Rylie Wyane Mills, Prone — Andrew Sindt, The Retirement of Mr. Jones — Matt Townley, Revenge of the Roman Sorceress — Nathaniel Jonathan Slater, Rising Water — Becky Hughes McMillen, Schrödinger’s Cat — Bill Hedges, Sheena’s Secret — Joseph Vrenick, A Single Day, A — Caden Bye, Nicole Vawser, Skulker — Tari Kristine Robinson, Stalker Grandma — Patrick Rea, Strange Constellation — Paul Christian Glenn, Teddy — Jake Johansen, This Again? — Matt Brooks, Twenties — Joshua Allen LaBure, Zachary Gutierrez, Unspeakable Teens — Mark Baldridge, Water War: The Perkins County Canal Project — Logan Streeter, Kourtnie Bokoskie, Jonathan Dekleva, What (Day)Dreams May Come — William Fischer, Where the Platte River Used to Flow — Chris Machian, The Women Who Ran — Joshua Allen LaBure
2022
The Flatwater Film Festival was held at the Rivoli Theater in Seward, NE on October 7-9. Nebraska Independent Film Projects, the festival’s fiscal sponsor, held an opening mixer at the Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room. The festival officially kicked off at 6:30pm on Friday evening. In addition to the screenings, several informational sessions were added to the schedule. Another mixer was held on Saturday night after the screenings at the Bottle Rocket Brewing Company.
Download the 2022 Season Program.
Screened Films: A.E. Wells: A Man and His Park — Donnie Dodge, Before the Compound — Josh Weixelman, Black & White Christmas Movie — Daniel L. Wolff, BUZZ Pollen Nation — Mike Mmachian, The Café — Dylan Jay Cookus, Call in the Crèche — Tim Guthrie, Cat Noir — Bill Hedges, Don’t Say A Word — Wheeler Winston Dixon, Familial Strangers — Nick Madison, FLY — Tess Potter, Fortress of Sin — Paul Chomicki, Christian Voss, Ghost Hunter — Patrick Lambrecht, Gravediggers — Adam Gutierrez, I am Josh Brockington — Chris Case, Inner Worlds – Complete Season 1 — Jessica Johnson, Interrogation — Jake Johansen, Tricia Nangkalaphivath, It’s Hell Getting Old — Patrick Rea, Jesse’s Chili — Tom Lombard, Jessica Dol – Saying Goodbye — Donnie Dodge, Just Like The Butterfly — Adam Paul Stone, Kid Nap — Patrick Rea, The Last Goodbye — Jeremy Lubash, The Last Prairie — John O’Keefe, The Legend of Milo Man — Dorothy Booraem, Amos Orion Sterns, The Letter — Ally Boyd, Luggage & Layover — Justin Milani, Moving In Stereo — Andrew Sindt, Moving Parts — Tom Knoblauch, Nervous Records — Jesse Lee Snider, Adam Gutierrez, Night Owl — Nathan Matthew Blizzard, Nightfall — Nathan Matthew Blizzard, No Longer Silent: Hear Our Voices Project — Denisha Seals, Player Character — Alexander Ryan Hinsley, Provo — Emma Thatcher, Psycho Money — Caden Bye, The Queen of Pandora’s Box — Michael White G. White, Ally Boyd, Shelby Hagerdon, Quest for the Arches of Gold — Jake Johansen, Tricia Nangkalaphivath, Savior — Benjamin Watts, A Single Day (Preview) — Caden Bye, Nicole Vawser, SPECIAL — M RIZ, Stay At Home Dad — Maverick Knox, They Wait In The Dark — Patrick Rea, They’re Here — Ty Jones, Three in One — Andrew Sindt, Unbroken — Brandon Fiscus, Under The Willow Tree — Kate Robertson Pryor, Jeremy Lubash, We Will Not Be Silent — Brian Seifferlein, David Koehn, Wild Card — Tipper Newton, You Had Me At Meow — Bill Hedges
2021
The Flatwater Film Festival was held at the Rivoli Theater in Seward, NE on October 15-17. Nebraska Independent Film Projects, the festival’s fiscal sponsor, held an opening mixer at the Red Path Gallery & Tasting Room. The festival officially kicked off at 6:30pm on Friday evening. Another mixer was held on Saturday night after the screenings at the Bottle Rocket Brewing Company.
Download the 2021 Season Program.
Screened Films: #MyCorona — Phil Gorn, 29 Years, A Second Chance at Life — Steve Saunders, All the King’s Men – 1910 Cornhusker Football — Donnie Dodge, An Angry Wuzza — Maria Leicy, The Bagman Died First — Mike Johnson, The Best — Greg A Gale, Bones and Shadows — Tom Lombard, Born To Rein — Jody L. Lamp & Melody Dobson, Buzz vs Scooty — Margaux Towne, Capital M — Jack Forey, Catching Up — Brandon Fiscus, Catwalk — Bill Hedges, A Centrist Watches the News — Joseph Vrenick, Circle in the Woods — Rebecca Snowden, Color Lesson — Tim Guthrie, Coming Back — Eric Lang, Coming Home — Jack Hoppe, Connor & Annie — Blake Bodlak, Controlled Burn — Robert Frye, Crock Pot — Ty Jones, Dan Helsing: Exterminator — Miah Allsman, The Dangerous Type — Tipper Newton, A Day in the Life — Mark Renken, A Day with Lily — Michael G. White, Deployed — Kate Robertson Pryor & David M. Weiss, Directing Remotely and Filmmaking During the Pandemic: The Making of #MyCorona — Kirk Zeller, Doggone — Sage Reiger, Dreaming of a Vetter World — Bonnie Hawthorne, Enthusiasm Abounds — Mark Ross, ET TU’ – “For Keeps” — Peter O’Brien, The Ex — Neil D’Monte, The Feline Mystique — Bill Hedges, For Whom the Bridge Trolls — Jake Leach, Fowl Uprising — Kevin L. Heesacker & Sam Rocha, Fused — Patrick Rea, Genereux – Kosse Farms — Jameon Rush, The Ghost in Her — Michael G. White, A Gold Slipper — Michael Burton, Great Monsters Walk These Halls — Mike Machian, Hell — Nate Coulombe, Hello, my name is…. — Chris Machian, I Found A Rainbow — Mark John Hoeger, I Found Malevich — Ron Pollard, If The Shoe Fits — Nate Coulombe, It Came From BeYarn — Dorothy Booraem, Last Time — Jim Milton, A Legacy in Stone — Hank Bagwell, Lukewarm — Mitch Yapko, Matt, Max, Pam, Pat… — Daniel L. Wolff, Maude’s Shoulder — Andrew Sindt, The Mind Inside: No In-Between — Sally Nellson Barrett & Andy Marinkovich, Missing Piece — Tim Guthrie, The Modern Makers — Julia Griffey, The Music of Erich Zann — Elijah Quinn, Nesting Grounds — Hayden Howe, One More Body — Jeremy Lubash, Perennial — Eric Butler, Perfect Blend — Aaron Fisher, The Phantom Firebird — Sam Senser, Pigface — Joshua Weixelman, Ramblin’ — Christopher Marshall, Remember the Drumstick — Cathy Lohmeier, Ripped Pages — Landon Fiscus, Rook — Maverick Knox, Sandhills Cowboy — Brigitte Timmerman, Something Lost — Ally Boyd & Justis Hoffart, Special Delivery — Eric Lang, Spiritual Practice — Patrick Rea, Suppose A Man — Daniel L. Wolff, Take One — Kaylie Waite, Today and Yesterday — Jesse Eastman, Treat Others With Respect – End Bullying — M. Zahoor, Until Evening — Mike Machian, The Walls Alike and Madding — Paul Christian Glenn, When the World Closed — Ryan Range, Where I Keep You — Christine Burright, The World’s Best Grilled Cheese — Aaron Fisher, Whiskey & Iron — Michael Dunn, Witches — Joshua Weixelman & Patrick Lambrecht
2020
The Flatwater Film Festival was to have been held at the Rivoli Theater in Seward, NE on October 9-11. The festival organizers made the difficult decision to postpone their inaugural year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
