April 14-16, 2023
Collins Road Theatres • Marion, Iowa
The Iowa Connection
CRIFF celebrates the fact that people with ties to Iowa are in the production industry EVERYWHERE. We search for films from anywhere and by anyone, who just happen to have an Iowa connection.
That could be a crew or cast member who lived, worked or went to school in Iowa; a film that was produced, at least in part, in Iowa; or a story featuring an Iowa subject or Iowan (present or former, real or fictional).
We’ve had films submitted from all across the US, and around the world! We tell skeptical filmmakers that if you don’t think your film qualifies, ask around…you just might have an Iowan on set!
We don’t like to brag, but 2023 was one of the BEST CRIFFs EVER! Ninety-nine outstanding films were entered, the most since 2007! Iowa Connected filmmakers are doing amazing things!
Our distinguished panel of judges made 51 Official Selections. Each film was screened twice, and the films competed for GOLD and SILVER EDDY Awards, presented in Professional, ProAm and Student categories for Features, Shorts, Documentaries, and “Freestyle” (experimental, music video, video art, etc.) films. The IOWA CONNECTION EDDY was awarded to the film that tells the world WHO is making films in Iowa, WHY they’re doing it in Iowa, and WHAT stories come from Iowa
Student Filmmakers are the future of the art and industry, and integral to the festival’s success. Our host venue generously continues its COLLINS ROAD THEATRES $1000 SCHOLARSHIP, awarded to a student filmmaker in order to further the recipient’s filmmaking education and career. NEW this year was Student Cinema Sunday, a special screening of just student films, followed by the presentation of the Student Audience Choice Eddy Award!
The Eddy Award Ceremony Saturday night, April 16th, was presented by FARMERS STATE BANK.
Congratulations to all the Official Selections, and special recognition to the following individuals and films!
Festival Director’s Awards for Significant Contributions to CRIFF and Iowa Filmmaking were presented to founder Scott Chrisman, with the festival since its inception in 2001; and Prescribed Films’ Mike Saunders and Jason Bolinger, having screened 23 films at CRIFF since 2005! 23!!
Eddy Award Winners
Student Freestyle
Gold – Heaven’s Ranch music video by Morgan Minear and Nate Kaiser, Loras College
Silver – The Edge, a group project by the Loras College Global Filmmaking Class of January 2020
Student Narrative Short Form Film
Gold – Alice by Matthew Williams, Loras College
Silver – (Un)alarmed by Logan Westin, Des Moines Central Campus
Student Documentary
Gold – A Spring for Ali by Katherine Eid, Maharishi International University
Silver – Kenosha: The Shooting of Jacob Blake by Jon Quinn, Loras College
Student Narrative Long-Form Film
Gold – The Way it Was by Jake Heelein and Nate Kaiser, Loras College
Silver – Exodus by Nathan Matthew Blizzard, Omaha
ProAm Freestyle
Gold – Black Excellence by Tone Da Boss by Josh Booth and Tone Da Boss, T1 Entertainment, Cedar Rapids
Silver – Strange Ballet by Carol Ann Montag, Cedar Rapids
ProAm Short Form
Gold – Letters by Eva Buenza, Sioux City
Silver – Dream Girl by Tristan Bennett, Cedar Falls
ProAm Documentary
Gold – Livestock on the Land by Nick Ohde, Practical Farmers of Iowa, Ames
Silver – Standing Strong: Elizabeth Catlett by Kevin Kelley and Marie Wilkes, New Mile Media Productions, Iowa City
ProAm Feature
Gold – You Should Have Killed Me by Michael James Minard, Cedar Rapids
Silver – To Live Again by Dr. Michael White and Shelby Hagerdon, Bitter Hipster Films, Sioux City
Professional Freestyle
Gold – The Voice in Isabell Fleiss’ Office by Jim Havercamp, written by Virgil Renfroe, Cedar Rapids
Professional Narrative Short Form
Gold – The King’s Eye by Tony Joseph Cross
Silver – Shout by Mason Greer
Professional Documentary
Gold – Greener Pastures by Samuel-Ali Mirpoorian
Silver – The Collins Story: Connecting the Moon to the Earth by Annette Juergens Busbee, Wired Production Group and the Arthur A. Collins Legacy Association, Cedar Rapids
Professional Narrative Feature
Gold – Reveille by Film Farm Iowa – Michael Akkerman, Jorg Rochlitzer, Bernd WIttneben, Wellsburg
Silver – Between the Lines by Shelby Hagerdon and Michael White, Bitter Hipster Films, Sioux City
Collins Road Theatres $1000 Scholarship
PhD: Private High School Detective by Myles Strait, Oskaloosa
Iowa Connection Eddy Award
The King’s Eye by Tony Joseph Cross
Audience Choice Eddy Award
The Bridge by Courtney Ball, Cedar Rapids
Student Audience Choice Eddy Award
Zach Dies at Nine by Will Nachazel, University of Northern Iowa
We can’t wait to see you at the 2024 CRIFF!
The Eddy Awards
The Eddy Awards are named after Thomas Alva Edison who, among many other pursuits, was a pioneer in motion picture technology. The term eddy is also defined as “a current moving contrary to the direction of the main current,” which is a suitable description for independent filmmakers, who often go against the current trends in mainstream cinema.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Venue Sponsor
Scholarship Sponsor
Technology Sponsor
Eddy Awards Ceremony Sponsor
