Schnabel, Oswalt win top acting honors
at 11th Method Fest Independent Film Festival

Adam takes jury award for best picture;
Nominee and award list follows story below

Images of Method Fest 2009 (clockwise from top): Photo 1 - Hallee Hirsch, lead actress in "16 to Life," with cast mates Jaime Gomez and Theresa Russell, winner of the best supporting actress award; Photo 2 - Erin Ecklund, nominated, breakout performer, star, "The Unidentified;" Photo 3 - cast and crew of "Lunatics, Lovers, and Poets," inlcuding director John Scoular, (child in hand) The Method Fest Screenwriting award, with wife Madeline Scoular, producer (baby in hand), young star, left, (Scott Jackman), next, male lead, Leif Gantvoort, next, star, Jeremy Robinson, far right, star, veteran actor, Cotter Smith: Photo 4 - following the screening of "Anytown," gorgeous stars, Brooke Johnson, nominated, breakout performer, The Method Fest, and Meghan Stansfield, with Q&A leader, Actress/host, E.P. McNight; Photo 5 - Lauren Buxton, right, who appeared in the short "Help," was one of The Method Fest's young, stylish filmmakers/stars.

"16 to Life" wins audience award for best picture

April 2, 2009 (Calabasas, CA) - Stella Schnabel won the Time Warner Cable Geraldine Page Award for Best Actress in a feature film for her performance in You Won’t Miss Me, and Patton Oswalt took home the City of Calabasas John Garfield Award for Best Actor for his role in Big Fan, as the 1 th annual The Method Fest independent film festival announced its winners at the Awards Ceremony, tonight at Founder’s Hall at the Calabasas Civic Center, in Calabasas, Ca.

Adam - directed by Max Mayer and starring Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Frankie Faison, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, and Mark Linn-Baker - won the Mercedes-Benz of Calabasas Jury Award for Best Picture.

“The depth of great performances this year made it extremely hard for the judges to determine Best Actor until they witnessed, on screen, Patton Oswalt starring in Big Fan, on the Closing Night of the festival,” said Don Franken, Executive Director of The Method Fest. “This is as fine a performance by a male lead as any I have seen anywhere this year,” added Franken. “Schnabel was also impressive in the leading role in You Won’t Miss Me, and these performers have huge things to come,” stated Franken. “Overall, the quality of films was the highest we have ever had at The Method Fest. This year, more than ever, there are more ‘discovery’ performances by talented new stars as well as some amazing new directors,” Franken added.

The Mercedes-Benz of Calabasas Jury Award for Best Picture was presented to Adam, directed by Max Mayer and starring Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Frankie Faison, Peter Gallagher, Amy Irving, and Mark Linn-Baker.

The Christie Digital Audience Award for Best Picture was presented to 16 to Life, directed by Becky Smith.

The LA.com Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Feature Film went to Theresa Russell for her role in 16 to Life, and the Stockholm Krystal Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Feature Film went to Colm Meaney for his performance in the British film A Deal is a Deal.

Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck , who directed Sugar were awarded the Modern VideoFilm Award for Best Director of a Feature Film.

The Daily News Award for Best Screenplay went to John Scoular for Lunatics, Lovers and Poets. Scoular also directed the film.

The Charter Communications Award for Best Ensemble Cast was presented to the cast of Canadian comedy Cooper’s Camera, directed by Warren P. Sonoda , and starring Jason Jones, Samantha Bee, Mike Beaver, Dave Foley, Peter Keleghan and Dylan Everett.

The Barefoot Winery Maverick Award for High Quality in Low Budget Filmmaking was shared by Lovers in a Dangerous Time , directed by Mark Hug and May Charters, and My Sixteenth Summer, directed by Savvy Lorestani.

Other winners include:

The SAGIndie Award for Best Short – Sidney Turtlebaum , director Tristram Shapeero.

The Stella Artois Award for Best Foreign Film – A Deal is a Deal, directed by Jonathan Gershfield.

The Creative Handbook Award for Best Actor in a Short – Brendan Bradley in September 12th.

The FilmFinders Award for Best Actress in a Short – Laura Heisler in Coverage.

The Sound 100.3 Award for Best Student Short – Dockweiler, directed by Nick Palmer (AFI).

The Country Inn & Suites by Carlson Audience Award for Best Short Film Gone Fishing, directed by Chris Jones.

Special Recognition Awards

The Valley of the Stars Festival Director’s Award for Excellence – Anytown, directed by Dave Rodriguez.

The Regency Theaters Award for Breakout Acting – Elena Hudgins Lyle (Only).

Special Awards presented before and during the festival:

Auteur Director Award: Peter Bogdanovich

Performer to Watch Award: Tanna Frederick.

Future Filmmaker Audience Awards

Sony Future Filmmakers Award for Best Picture – First Date, dir. Sabrina Jaglom.

Final Draft Future Filmmakers Award for Best Screenplay – tie: "Hand to Hand,: Cristian Rojas, and "The Magic Bindle Stick"- Katie Fleeman.

Indieprinting.com Future Filmmakers Award for Best Acting – Best Actress: Dakota Bailey in "First Date”: Best Actor: Terry Young in "Etiolate."

About The Method Fest

Named after a famous school of acting, The Method Fest is the only major film festival in the U.S. focusing on acting, celebrating breakout acting performances in story driven independent films. The Method Fest takes great pride in being a discovery festival, looking to help launch the works of young fresh filmmakers and to discover breakthrough performances by young, bold new actors. The festival has also taken great delight in sharing career-defining performances of established performers and in showcasing a few chosen well-known directors to screen at the festival. The 11 th annual Method Fest screened 33 feature films and 62 shorts from U.S. and international filmmakers from March 26 – April 2.

The Method Fest is sponsored by the City of Calabasas and Mercedes-Benz of Calabasas. Media Partners include Time Warner Cable, Charter Communications, LA.com and the L.A. Daily News. Other major sponsors include Christie, Sony, Modern VideoFilm and Country Inn & Suites. Festival supporters include Ice Age, Coca Cola, Leonis Adobe, Sagebrush Cantina, Fleming’s Steakhouse, Chapter 8 Steakhouse and Nightclub, The Rack, FilmFinders, WithoutABox, Creative Industry Handbook, MoneyMailer, Calabasas Chamber of Commerce, and the San Fernando Valley Economic Alliance. The Method Fest is an official Valley of the Stars Event. Information on the Method Fest is available at www.methodfest.com.

#1:    LA.COM BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS – FEATURE FILM
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Alfre Woodard (American Violet)
• Giovannie Espiritu (Fiona’s Script)
• Theresa Russell (16 to Life)
• Brooke Johnson (Anytown)
• Amy Irving (Adam)

#2:    STOCKHOLM KRYSTAL BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR – FEATURE FILM
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Brian Denehy (Cat City)
• Mike Beaver (Cooper’s Camera)
• Cotter Smith (Lunatics, Lovers, and Poets)
• Raynel Ruffino (Sugar)
• Colm Meaney (A Deal is a Deal)

#3: BAREFOOT WINERY  MAVERICK AWARD FOR QUALITY IN LOW BUDGET FILM 
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Lovers in a Dangerous Time , dir. Mark Hug, May Charters
• If You Could Say it in Words, dir. Nicholas Gray
• Dropping in: The True story of Don Wimmer, dir. Mayyhew Manus
• Cooper’s Camera, dir. Warren P. Sonoda
• When Life Was Good, dir. Terrance Miles
• You Won’t Miss Me, dir. Ry Russo-Young
• My Sixteenth Summer , dir. Savvy Lorestani

#4:  FILMFINDERS BEST ACTRESS – SHORT FILM
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Traci Dinwiddie in Open Your Eyes
• Tessa Ferrer in Excision
• Laura Heisler in Coverage
• Jennifer Mercein in Birthdate
• Mónica Vic in A Domicilio (At Home)
• Marina Vradiy in A Domicilio (At Home)

#5.  CREATIVE HANDBOOK BEST ACTOR – SHORT FILM
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Brendan Bradley in September 12th
• Gary Colón in Welgünzêr
• Michael Tisdale in Coverage
• Carlos Salas in 13 or So Minutes
• Nick Soper in 13 or So Minutes
• Val Lauren in Help

#6.  COUNTRY INN & SUITES AUDIENCE AWARD BEST SHORT FILM
Nominees with award winners in bold

• Animated American, dir. James Baker, Joe Haidar
• Gone Fishing, dir. Chris Jones
• In the Dark, dir. Alex Fazeli
• Missing the Boat, dir. Pieter deGraeve
• Sidney Turtlebaum, dir. Tristram Shapeero
• Welgunzer, dir. Bradford Schmidt

#7.  CHRISTIE DIGITAL AUDIENCE AWARD BEST FEATURE FILM
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Adam
• Lunatics, Lovers & Poets
• Only
• 16 to Life
• Anytown

#8. STELLA ARTOIS BEST FOREIGN FILM
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• A Deal is a Deal (UK)
• Taking the WaeWae Express (New Zealand)
•  When Life Was Good (Canada)
• Magazine Gap Road (Hong Kong)
• Cooper’s Camera (Canada)
• Heart of Fire (Germany/Austria)

#9.   SONY FUTURE FILMMAKERS AWARD – BEST YOUTH FILM
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• First Date, dir. Sabrina Jaglom, Archer School for Girls           
• Etiolate, dir. Nick Halley, Culver City HS
• Talking Pictures, Josh Blake, Culver City HS
• Mannequin, Film 1 Class, Viewpoint School
• My Brother, My Anchor, Film III Class Viewpoint School                   

#10.   FINAL DRAFT FUTURE FILMMAKERS AWARD – YOUTH, BEST SCREENPLAY (tie)

• "Hand to Hand" - Cristian Rojas, Culver City High School
• The Magic Bindle Stick" - Katie Fleeman

• Best Actress: Dakota Bailey in "First Date"
• Best Actor: Terry Young in "Etiloate"

#12. THE SOUND 100.3 BEST STUDENT SHORT FILM
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Birthdate (NYU)
• Death In Charge (AFI)
• Dockweiler (AFI)
• Free Lunch (Chapman Univ)
• Premature (NYU)
• Welgunzer (UCLA)

#13.   VALLEY OF THE STARS FESTIVAL DIRECTOR’S AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE   
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Finding Bliss , dir. Julie Davis
• Pig Hunt , dir. Jmaes Isaac
• Hey, Hey It's Ester Blueburger , dir. Cathy Randall
• You Won't Miss Me , dir. Rye Russo Young
• Anytown , dir. Dave Rodriguez
• Only , dir. Ingrid Venninger, Simon Reynolds

#14.   REGENCY THEATERS BREAKOUT ACTING AWARD
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Christine Kofsky (When Life Was Good)
• Brooke Johnson (Anytown)
• Jaime Gomez (16 to Life)
• Erin Ecklund (The Unidentified)
• Elena Hudgins Lyle (Only)
• Hallee Hirsh (16 to Life)
• David Klane (Dropping In: The True Story of Don Wimmer)

#15.  MasterSource,  Jury Award, Best Comedic Performance, Feature Film
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, The Answer Man
• Mike Beaver, Cooper’s Camera
• MacKenzie Crook, A Deal is a Deal
• Hallee Hirsch, 16 to Life

#16. SAGIndie BEST SHORT FILM  
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Animated American
• Cute Couple
• Miracle Fish
• Passages
• Sidney Turtlebaum
• Signal Lost

#17.   DAILY NEWS BEST SCREENPLAY - FEATURE FILM 
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Max Mayer - Adam
• Steve Lewis, Wayne Marc Godfrey, Ian Harries – A Deal is a Deal
• Amy Boden & Ryan Fleck - Sugar
• Terrence Miles - When Life Was Good
• Bill Haney - American Violet
• John Scoular - Lunatics, Lovers, and Poets  

#18.  MODERN VIDEOFILM BEST DIRECTOR - FEATURE FILM  
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Julie Davis (Finding Bliss)
• John Scoular (Lunatics, Lovers, and Poets)
• Tim Disney (American Violet)
• Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck (Sugar)
• Mark Hug & May Charters (Lovers in a Dangerous Time)
• Noah Bushel (The Missing Person)

#19. CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS   BEST ENSEMBLE CAST - FEATURE FILM
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Anytown
• American Violet
• 16 to Life
• Taking the WaeWae Express
• The Tour
• Cooper’s Camera

#20.   TIME WARNER CABLE GERALDINE PAGE AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS - FEATURE FILM
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Rose Byrne (Adam)
• Nicole Beharie (American Violet)
• May Charters (Lovers in a Dangerous Time)
• Marin Ireland (If You Could Say it in Words)
• Jessey Meng (Magazine Gap Road)
• Stella Schnabel (You Won’t Miss Me)
• Keisha Castle-Hughes (Hey, Hey It’s Ester Blueburger)

#21.   CITY OF CALABASAS JOHN GARFIELD AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR - FEATURE FILM Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Erick Canete Guerrero (Teo’s Journey)
• Algenis Perez Soto (Sugar)
• Leif Gantvoort (Lunatics, Lovers, and Poets)
• Matt O’Leary (Anytown)
• Patton Oswalt (Big Fan)
• Hugh Dancy (Adam)

#22.   MERCEDES-BENZ OF CALABASAS BEST PICTURE - FEATURE FILM  
Nominees with award winners in bold:

• Sugar
• American Violet
• Lunatics, Lovers & Poets
• Only
• A Deal is a Deal
• Adam
• Big Fan