The Big Muddy Film Festival came to a close for the 20th time since its inception in 1978 after the Best of the Fest showcase Sunday in the Student Center Auditorium. The showcase featured the films that visiting judges Jennifer Reeder, Avery Crounse and Flora M’mbugu thought to be the strongest of the festival.

The judges awarded six films $500 prizes, while 11 others received honorable mentions.

The prize money for the Big Muddy winners had been distributed differently in the past with awards going to the first, second and third best in each of the four film categories:documentary, narrative, animation and experimental. But in a move to downplay the competitive aspect of the festival, the prize money distribution changed last year to honor the six best films regardless of category.

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The students involved in running the festival suggested the judges divide the prize money between the six best out of the 70 films chosen for viewing, but the judges had the freedom to judge the way they thought most appropriate.

Crounse, M’mbugu and Reeder agreed to pick six overall winners instead of the best three from each category.

Festival co-director Robert Pickering said judging the films this way is the most suitable way for the filmmakers because it cuts down on competition styles and makes more money available to the winners.

It seems a little more even and a little more fair this way instead of saying, Your film was the most outstanding in this particular category,’ he said. These six films are the best of the festival in very equal terms.

Also as a filmmaker, 500 bucks is going to go a lot farther than 50. [Filmmaking] is a very expensive process.

Jurors in past festivals have argued and had trouble coming to agreements about what films were best. Pickering said one year judges felt no films were worthwhile enough to merit a cash award.

But the three judges at this year’s Big Muddy had no problem coming up with winners even if Crounse, Reeder and M’mbugu come from different schools of filmmaking.

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Even though our work is markedly different, we got along very well and seemed to have unanimous opinions about the films we saw, said Crounse, a visiting judge and guest artist. We all liked the same ones so it was very easy for us to come to a final consensus.

Visiting judge and guest artist Reeder said all the work she saw was extraordinary, but took special note of the interesting and active responses from the audiences who participated in the screenings and guest artist presentations.

It was a very good mix of people from the University community and the people of the community at large. I think that’s when the best discussions happen and the best energy comes out, she said. It seemed like Carbondale rallied to be a part of the festival.

Pickering also took note in the energy wrapped up within the festival. The crowd’s overall energy and involvement was impressive to the student organizers because some of the feature films were misscheduled and threw festival workers for a loop.

There seemed to be really good audience response, and the events seemed to be well-attended especially considering the schedule changes, Pickering said. It seemed like people still got the word.

Though the last film has been screened and the last reel rewound, the people involved in the longest-running student-run independent film festival in the country can’t turn to next year just yet. Letters have to be written to all the filmmakers who had pictures screened in the festival, and the films themselves have to be sent back.

And when it’s all over, Reeder will remember the Big Muddy audiences and organizers most of all because of their commitment to the spirit of independent filmmaking.

Everyone seemed very much about embracing the filmmakers and the films, she said. I knew it was going to be a good festival going into it. Now I feel like it’s an outstanding one.

Factoid:Best of the Fest – $500 award

Lily & Jim Don Hertzfeld