‘Maiden’ wins Doc Fest Audience Award
A film about the first all-women crew to sail the Whitbread Round the World Race took the Audience Award at the 16th Annual Homer Documentary Film Festival, festival organizers Lynette and Jamie Sutton said in a press release on Tuesday.
Voting was close, with “Biggest Little Farm” coming in second. Ranked third was “Human Nature.”
The 16th annual Doc Fest is the most successful to date based on audience attendance for both numbers of people who came as well as numbers of people who went to multiple films.
Awards are still to be decided for the jury award for Best of the Fest, Best Director, and the Students Award.
“The energy and intellect evidenced by the active discussion among students at Flex School and at the High School about the docs that those students saw would make any parent or educator proud of our kids,” the Suttons said.
“It is interesting after 16 years of the Doc Fest that the documentary film arena has matured and divided itself into a number of specific categories,” the Suttons said.
The Suttons noted common themes among the movies, such as the environment in “Biggest Little Farm,” “The Serengeti Rules” and “Honeyland.”
Along with environmental themes, other categories developing include biographies, political films, and films about music.
This year also was the first year of the World Arts Festival, which included the Doc Fest as an event.
“The Homer Theatre and the Doc Fest are very pleased to join with the Arts Festival to further enrich the remarkable arts and cultural offerings in Homer,” the Suttons said. “Many noted the overlapping of some events and that it was, at times, difficult to choose.”
Shorebird Festival seeks 2020 artist
The Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival seeks a Festival Artist for its 28th annual Festival, May 7-10, 2020. The Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival commissions a unique piece to be auctioned during the Festival to raise funds. The design will be featured on Festival posters, programs, merchandise, online and in other formats. The chosen artist will be featured in the Festival program and online outlets and is invited to the Festival as a VIP.
Additionally, the Festival Artist has the opportunity to show their work in Homer during the Festival and/or host workshops at the Festival. The selected Festival Artist will receive compensation for their piece and involvement in the Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival.
If chosen, the artist will be notified by the end of October and artwork needs to be completed by Dec. 15, 2019. The Festival artist must be available to participate in a show during May 2020, including a First Friday event May 1, and the Festival, May 7-10, 2020.
To be considered as the Festival artist for the 2020 Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival, submit four to six samples of your previous work electronically to KachemakShorebird@gmail.com by Oct. 15.
Paver leaves HCOA
Executive Director Peggy Paver has retired as head of the Homer Council on the Arts, HCOA announced in a press release earlier this month.
“Homer Council on the Arts would like to extend our sincere thanks to Peggy Paver for her exemplary service as our Executive Director for the past four years,” HCOA said in a press release. “Peggy has been a devoted advocate for HCOA and its mission of arts for all, and among her many accomplishments at the helm of HCOA we are especially grateful for her noteworthy fundraising efforts, updating our digital systems and the new website, and developing inclusive programming that has culminated in many meaningful events bringing people of all abilities together through creative endeavors.”
Former Homer Council on the Arts executive director Peggy Paver, second from right, poses on Sept, 9, 2019, in front of one of HCOA’s new community murals in Homer, Alaska, with, from left to right, artists Sarah Banks, Carla Cope, and, far right, Lynn Spence. (Photo provided)
