The prestigious statue that winners took home
The big screen, movie theater popcorn and candy, guest presenters, and golden Baldwin awards created a “red carpet” atmosphere for an event to honor BC undergraduate filmmakers. The sixth annual Baldwin Awards, an event which recognizes “excellence in film and video” among Boston College undergraduates, featured thirty-seven films nominated for fifteen categories of awards.
The winner of Best Picture of the Year was Man of the Year, a photomontage film directed and edited by Kevin Nihill ’11. Madeline McSherry ’11, was director of photography and Tom Tarangioli ’11, was the sound editor. Matthew Shalvoy ‘11, Neil Patch ‘12, Rich Hoyt ‘12, and Megan Pietruszka ’12 acted in the film.
Man of the Year is a comedy about the adventures of an inflatable doll, named “Man of the Year,” who is given to a character as a birthday gift but becomes a part of his life and joins him in various daily scenarios (until something goes wrong!). The full film is available to view online.
Kevin Nihill, director of the film, explained his inspiration for utilizing the photomontage format in Man of the Year, saying “Ever since I had the idea (as I mentioned at the Baldwins, my ONLY idea), I knew I wanted the film to be a photomontage. I’m a big fan of the format in general, particularly because you get to carefully sculpt each individual photo around one idea or joke, and the results pay off really well.”
“I found that the photomontage format worked especially well in this case, because I wanted MOTY to be just as much of a character as any of the actual actors: being able to interact with them, do everything they do, have just as much of a personality as them,” he said.
Best Picture winners celebrate their success
Ben Birnbaum, executive director of the Office of Marketing Communications and founder of the Baldwin Awards, explained why the film awards are so important at Boston College. “Boston College has long made a claim that it’s engaged with culture. So it’s important to prove it publicly once in a while. And I like the idea of doing projects, such as the Baldwins, that are a creative collaboration between students and old guys.”
Several administrators and faculty attended and presented at the Baldwins this year, including Fr. Joseph Marchese (Director of First Year Experience), John Michalczyk (Fine Arts Department), Kerry Cronin (Associate Director of the Lonergan Institute), Donald Hafner (Vice President for Undergraduate Affairs), and Kevin Bedell (Vice Provost for Research).
Mike Civille, assistant professor in the Fine Arts Department and host at the 2010 Baldwins, said that “The event is less about crowning ‘winners’ and more about honoring all of the students who made films over the last year, and the diverse array of films that they offer. I think it’s important for the students to get the recognition they deserve for a lot of hard work.”
“I wish the event reached a broader audience, because I think most people would be surprised by the production value of both the student films and the awards ceremony itself. Most people think student films is a kid with a video camera, but these filmmakers produce professional-level work with professional equipment,” Civille said.
One of Birnbaum’s favorite films was Brian McDaid’s “Tradition of Jesuit Education” documentary. “[McDaid’s] video is the only student work I’ve seen on a big Boston College topic over the years that was almost ready for prime time,” said Birnbaum.
Birnbaum also enjoyed “Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe,” saying “I also liked John Young’s nominated work on the Berlin Holocaust memorial documentary … He got to collaborate on a little gem with a senior filmmaker on the fine arts faculty, John Michalczyk, and a very gifted young composer in the music department, Ralf Gawlick. That’s how it ought to go at Boston College.”
