IIFF4 Awards Ceremony

Since we had a small field this time, I decided to award both JJ and Sarah a prize each. So congratulations to our winners! At both their requests, prizes have been donated to Calliope's FET fund.

From Calliope:

THANK YOU SO SO MUCH!!
I can not explain how much this means to me.
I am so so honored. I am just overwhelmed by how generous and loving our community is.

Much gratitude,
Cali

If you like, you can make your own donation to Calliope, or take part in the fund-raising auction.

Finding Out, Letting Know, Realising - IIFF4

Somebody's Mom

"After five years, six IFVs, and 30 pounds, I don’t have to tell a lot of people that we’re infertile. This song is about how infertility makes me feel like an outsider, that what I look like isn’t who I am, and who I am isn’t who I am going to be." There's very little I can add about this music video by Sarah Motes Ashley and Somebody's Band except to say watch it! And thanks to Sarah for sharing with us the experience of not yet being somebody's mum. There's plenty more on the song and video - as well as space to leave a comment - here.

Realizing

JJ's full entry is here. "Over the span of time that Mook and I have known each other, we have come to realize many special things about each other, our relationship, and our hopes & dreams. We realize (without a doubt) that our biggest hope and dream is: to become parents."

Letting Know

This one's from me. A lot of people like to keep their infertility a secret, but if you're feeling strong enough, it's worth letting others know - just in case one of them comes to understand.

Since we had such a small field this time, I don't have a poll. But you can still leave a comment to let us know what you think!

Stars

Stars is a film made by Robert Stillman for his wife after the loss of their son, who was stillborn at eight months. If you're reading this before Tuesday, February 19th, 2008, go over to rate it and add it to your favourites so it can be entered into the Rumschpringe very short film contest. Otherwise, just click to view a very sweet film.

*I almost forgot - any prizes won by the Stillmans will be donated to Ephrata's Neonatal Infant Care Unit.

Thanks anon, for finding the video for us again on youtube.

IIFF4 - Finding Out, Letting Know, Realising

It's that time of year again! Well, actually, I've decided to try slightly different timing this year. We'll have two festivals in 2008, about six months apart, with the first screening on - eek! - 29th of March and the second on the 27th of September.

The theme for the fourth IIFF, to be screened from Saturday, 29th of March, will be Finding Out, Letting Know, Realising. With every stage of infertility comes a new piece of information. Sometimes it's your doctor giving you the good or bad news. Sometimes it's you revealing yourself to a friend, a counsellor, the world, or your child. Sometimes it's just your subconscious finally getting the idea through that you need help, or that you've made it to the other side. These are the moments of insight that punctuate each person's story, and in March we want to hear about one or more of them, and how they've affected you, or those around you.

So get busy! Check the FAQ or email me at infertilefantasies at gmail dot com if you have questions. You have until the end of March tp get your entry ready! There will be three awards - the Jury Prize, the Audience Choice, and the Lucky Dip - as per usual, and each winner will be given the option of either a prize in the mail or, if that freaks you out, an equivalent donation to a charity of your choice.

Also, a quick head's up for the fifth festival, to be screened from the 27th of September: the theme will be Centuries and Decades, Years and Months, Days, Hours and Moments. More about that closer to the time.

Third IIFF Awards Ceremony

The main reason it's been so easy to put off having this awards ceremony is this: when the entries first came in, our Grand Jury immediately decided on a winner, and then our audience picked the same winner. What can I say? We all have great taste. However, since this entrant also received a prize in the last festival, it did create a bit of a quandry for me about how many prizes I could give them before having to rename this whole thing "The VeeMax Film Festival". After much procrastination deliberation, and in the light of the third festival's small - no, select - pool of entrants, I have decided to drop the Jury Prize for this time around.

Nevertheless, the Audience Choice Award was clearly won by Vee and Max for their wonderful work The Recipe. It was not only beautifully drawn and directed, it was a brilliant interpretation of the theme.

Secondly, our Lucky Dip Prize has been awarded to Jen for Baby Can You Hear Me? Her story clearly touched many hearts.

Thanks to the rest of our participants, who also did a brilliant job. I will be in contact with the winners by email about their prizes. If you are a winner, and you don't get an email over the next few days, please let me know.

Third International Infertility Film Festival - Halloween Special

Vee and Max have outdone themselves again, displaying some beautiful artwork and a very appropriate story in The Recipe.

Mel and Josh bring us Uterinus's Law - a film about the scariest part of infertility: the feeling that everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

And from Amy comes In Memoriam - a tale of hope and loss, telling the story of her first IVF and a miscarriage.

Baby Can You Hear Me? is Jen's story of secondary infertility and the baby who seems so real, yet so far away.

Finally, my entry is The Infertilimonster - a suspenseful film about the most frightening beastie of all...

This was a difficult theme. Don't forget to leave a comment for our participants (either here or on their site) and vote in the Audience Choice Poll below!

Halloween Special - Date Change - 3rd November 2007

For those who have to know why, you can read my litany of excuses on my blog (pregnancy mentioned), but the long and the short of it is this: the third IIFF - our Halloween Special - will be delayed by a week until the third of November 2007. Mark it in your diaries - and looking forward to seeing some extra-special entries this time around!