The Johnstown Film & Wine Festival is a project of the Greater Johnstown Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 2006, in cooperation with the Johnstown Area Heritage Association. The 2007 festival was held July 12-14 at the Johnstown Flood Museum and Heritage Discovery Center in Johnstown.

2007 Festival Winners
The Second Annual Johnstown Film & Wine Festival was held from July 12-14, 2007. Below is a listing of the top films, which were screened on the festival's final evening at the Heritage Discovery Center; visit the Thursday, July 12 and Friday, July 13 pages for more about the films screened at the Johnstown Flood Museum theatre.
The Tell-Tale Heart by Christopher David Collins (pictured). True to the language of Edgar Allan Poe's original story. Obsession leads to madness, and madness leads to murder, yet the killer feels he is quite sane -- you be the judge. Christopher David Collins is a local actor who has performed with the Parlor Players at the Dillweed Bed and Breakfast for many years.
Recliner, an animated short by Phanthep Wiantrakoon. What seems like another typical walk home from Charlie's miserable job will turn into a discovery that could change his life around. Filmmaker Phanthep Wiantrakoon is a native of Thailand who grew up in Washington, D.C. He holds a BFA in graphic design but found his true calling in 3-D animation, and is a graduate of the Vancouver Film School.
Who's On First? -- Steve Barr & Danny Grossman. In the spirit of Abbott and Costello's classic vaudeville sketch, a customer at a video store has trouble finding out when his rentals are due back. The filmmakers explain, "Shooting took place at the Video Hut in Tujunga, CA, after the store closed for the night at 11:00. The first 'Action!' was at midnight, the last 'Cut!' at 3:30 in the morning. Filming went very smoothly - the biggest filming challenge turned out to be trying not to laugh during each take. The cast and crew were able to leave the location by 4:00 am, slightly zonked on coffee and bad pizza."
The Offering by Paul Lee. Inspired by The Young Man and His Death, a ballet choreography written by Jean Cocteau (1889-1963). "The Offering" is based on personal grief over the premature passing of beloved friends - people who have left this world at the prime of their lives, before their full potentials were realized. Writes filmmaker Paul Lee, "Their departure from my life also brought me face to face with my own mortality. As I entered middle age during the making of this film, I find myself questioning my own faith in life and confronting the ephemeral transience of youth and beauty, in this elegiac meditation on the nature of the passing of life and of love." Paul Lee was born in Hong Kong in 1963, and moved to Toronto in 1976. Since 1991 he has organized and curated film festivals in Canada, U.S.A., Japan and Thailand. This is his third film.
*Viewer's Choice Award Winner * The Donut Gun by Kev Stock of Ebensburg. A young renegade scientist has created an astounding donut lazer gun. . . or has he?
Scenic View, an animated short by Brandon Shakley. Lloyd's attempt to photograph a passing sailboat is complicated by an uncooperative camera. Filmmaker Brandon Shakley is a graduate of Purdue University and Vancouver Film School.
Out of Order, an animated short by Earl Brawley. In this classic battle between good and evil, a devil attempts to use an out of order vending machine to outwit an angel. Will the angel's love for chocolate be his undoing or will the devil be shortchanged? Filmmaker Earl Brawley grew up in Denver, Colo. , and holds a degree in graphic design. His lifelong interest in music and arts led him to the Vancouver Film School, where he has developed his skills as a 3-D animator.
A Garota (The Kid) by Fernando Pinheiro. In Brazil, an estimated 25 million children and young people were child laborers, rather than students. A Garota (The Kid) is a independent movie that raise questions and reflections about human misery and inequality in rent distribution, child labor and childhood loss.
Alex Scott -- A Stand for Hope, a documentary by Larry Mendte. A little girl with a dream and a lemonade stand can do amazing things. What is now a nationwide movement started as the inspiration of 4-year-old cancer patient Alex Scott who had the idea to host a lemonade stand in her own front yard to raise money for cancer research. Six years later, and two years after she lost her courageous battle, AlexÕs idea lives on inspiring millions and raising millions of dollars for pediatric cancer research. "A Stand for Hope" also won the Sigma Delta Chi award for best documentary in the country in 2007. Filmmaker Larry Mendte is an anchor on CBS 3 of Philadelphia.
*Intermission*
A Life of Death by Dawn Westlake. Throughout the 20th Century, and now into the 21st, wars have been waged all over the globe under the banner proclamation that conflict ultimately leads to world peace. A Life of Death presents the cost of this irony by poetically answering the question: What is the price of lasting peace? This is award-winning filmmaker Dawn Westlake's fourth short, and it has been screened at film festivals and theatres all over the world.
If There Were No Lutherans, Would There Be Green Jell-O? by Gayle Knutson. A hilarious look at a Lutheran minister's unique communications with those who drive by his church. Including the title, messages like "Hell is hotter, but it's a dry heat" brighten the days of the passerby in a small Minnesota town. Filmmaker Gayle Knutson is a 25-year veteran of the film and television industry.
Double Date by Dave Stock of Ebensburg. A romantic comedy about the danger of double dates.
Anesthesia by Adam Kargman. A patient's failed anesthetic agent leaves her fully conscious during open-heart surgery, but paralyzed and unable to communicate with her doctors. Based on the real-life phenomenon of "anesthesia awareness", in which a patient becomes conscious during surgery - probably the most terrifying thing you can imagine, and this short film exploits that fear to the max!
The Option of War by Nick Fox-Gieg (pictured). In this adaptation of an early Kafka story, a soldier is taken prisoner in the night by a pack of jackals. Offering a pair of scissors, they demand that he use the makeshift weapon to kill his sleeping friends. They overwhelm his initial, shocked refusal. Slowly, incredibly, he begins to see their point of view. He takes the scissors, and... Filmmaker Nick Fox-Gieg is an animation and video artist living in Amsterdam. He holds an MFA from the California Institute for the Arts, and was awarded a Fulbright grant in 2006.
Andy by Terence Healy. "If you're going to be good at anything you do, don't go against yourself. Use what you have." So says Andy, a short, big-nosed, bald actor from Brooklyn who finds his acting career slowing down as he ages. Using what he has, he discovers a new career in being a model for art classes. Narrated by the model himself, 'Andy' reveals an intriguing portrait of a man inspired by the spirits of film-noir actors, the pursuit of women, and his love of humor.
Germanity by Matt Fuller & Andy McNeil of Pittsburgh. Set around a sick German man, the film grapples with cultural barriers both linguistically and visually in an attempt to showcase our common bond: humanity. Andy McNeil wrote the film and Matt Fuller, who holds a degree in videography from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, directed. Germanity is "our first crack at a serious film."
*Third Place Winner* The Apologist by Guy Shahar. Joe is a serial apologist. Totally self-absorbed, he says "I'm sorry" so often, even he doesn't know what the words mean anymore-that is, until a female he tramples refuses his apology. Face to face with his own hypocrisy, he learns just how powerful sincerity can be. Filmmaker Guy Shahar is a graduate of the New York Film Academy and The New School and has served as writer/director/producer of over 25 short films for the prolific Group 101. His award-winning work has appeared on television and in several dozen film festivals worldwide.
*Second Place Winner* Crossing by Riad Galayini -- Her mother dies. Her cat leaves to find a better life in the house across the street. And her alcoholic father takes up permanent residence on the couch. Amanda and her little brother struggle to keep things together, but sometimes the only way home is to leave it. Filmmaker Riad Galayini has directed three award-winning films, and has directed plays and commercials in Los Angeles.
*First Place Winner* -- The Counter by Lauren Wagner. In 1962 Alabama, three black students attempt to desegregate the whites-only lunch counter. The diner's waitress must decide if she will follow the local law of segregation or help the students while members of the town watch her every move. Filmmaker Lauren Wagner lives in Los Angeles and holds a BA in Television Production from San Francisco State University and an MFA from the University of Southern California's esteemed School of Cinematic Arts. "The Counter" is her narrative film debut as a writer/director.