2018 Hell's Kitchen NYC Festival Award Winners
2018 RECIPIENTS OF THE ARGO AWARD
Actor Michael Rispoli and actor Ed O'Ross are both the recipients of the Hell's Kitchen NYC Festival's Argo Lifetime Achievement Award, named in honor of the great character actor Victor Argo. Actor Michael Rispoli is best known for his work on the HBO series "THE DEUCE" and "THE SOPRANOS" and over 50 other films and tv shows. Award-winning Actor Ed O’Ross was honored with the Screen Actors Guild Award for outstanding performance in the renowned HBO drama series “SIX FEET UNDER," and is also known for his work in such memorable films as RED HEAT, DICK TRACY and FULL METAL JACKET.
(Best Short Film) THE OVERCOAT- A lonely social outcast gets a glimpse of what life is like for someone popular, and cannot let it go, even in death. Directed by Patrick Myles
(Best Film, Best Director - Art Jones and Best Cinematography - Benjamin Wolf) FORBIDDEN CUBA - An American businessman travels to Cuba to retrieve an executive gone rogue, and finds his eyes opened to the beauty and vibrant culture of Cuba, challenging his corporate directives, his identity and everything he has known. BACKGROUND: Defying rules, reason, and naysayers, our team covertly shot "Forbidden Cuba," guerilla-style, across Cuba over three intense weeks - to reveal a nation on the verge of dramatic change. Directed by Art Jones.
(Best Horror Film) DEVIL'S FIVE - An ancient evil unleashes a deadly computer virus hellbent on destroying humanity. Directed by Terry R. Wickham, George Brianka and Edwin M. Figueroa.
(Special Recognition Award) SEARCHING FOR BOBBY D - Four young filmmakers raise money for their project by telling potential investors that DeNiro is on board. Now they have to find him. Directed by Paul Borghese.
(Best Gangster Film and Best Kill Scene- John Merolla) SNITCHES - In a world with only one rule, the crime boss of Queens, Alphonse Trapani, discovers that there is a snitch in his house that has been helping dirty cops to put the heat on his family, and all the crime families in New York. Directed by Steve Rahaman. (Best Gangster Film and Best Kill Scene- John Merolla)
(Best Inspirational Film) THE DAY OF - A loving relationship between a father and daughter threw the years. Directed by Frank Galdorise.
(Best Actress- Jeana Reilly) DANNI - A film that goes on a journey to explore relationship addiction and seeks to find out at what cost does one become "clean"-- or not. Directed by Peter Jensen.
(Best Message Film) BLACK N' BLUE - Who Protects Us? A Marine comes home from Afghanistan struggling with PTSD to find a cop has racially profiled and killed one of his younger friends. When the two finally meet a conversation goes awry with dark consequence. Directed by Julius B. Kelly.
(Best Actress in a short film - Laura Dowling Shea) SCRATCH THIS- Sisterly love turns sour as Karen, Kaitlin and Kristen get an unexpected gift from Mom. Directed by Jody Lauren Miller.
(Best Director in a short film - Maria Soccor and Best Music Score- James Manno) KICKS- Four Amerasian New Yorkers get together for kicks. Directed by Maria Soccor.
(Best Animated Film) THE GOOD ANIMATORS - Special need adults that work together to create cartoons. Directed by Gene Hamm
(Best Documentary Film) ALDON MORRIS - An influential African American scholar returns to the hardscrabble Mississippi of his youth, seeking justice. Directed by Mary Rose Synek
(Best Screenplay - David Pilot and Best Actor in a short film - Ron Ryan) LOCAL LAW 10- Three tales of New York City. Directed by David Pilot
(Producers Award - Flint Beverage) A JEALOUS MIND - An elderly woman suspects her husband is having an affair with a younger woman. Director: Elliott W. Merles
(Best Film Noir) PAGE JUMPER - Angie seems to lead a pretty humdrum life, toiling day in and day out at her dead-end job. One might say her only source of excitement is escaping through her favorite series of spy novels, 'The Blade of Justice,' of which she always has a dog-eared copy on hand. Everything changes, however, on the day her boss calls her into his office to talk to some surprising visitors from a shadowy government agency who accuse her of a very strange crime. Directed by Eduardo Miyar.
(Best Drama Film) WANT - When relationships and psychiatry go terribly wrong. Directed by John Gallagher.
(Best Sci-Film and Best Actor - Robert Funaro) COMPLIANCE - In a severely overpopulated world, a father and son have ten minutes to decide who lives and dies between them. Directed by John Michael Kennedy.
(Best Actor in a One Act Play - John McRae and Best Playwright - Joseph F. Davidson) The Haircut. (Best Ensemble Cast in a One Act Play) Mister Paradise