The movie's title is odd, but its content resonated with jurors.

"omg/HaHaHa," the fourth feature from Memphis director Morgan Jon Fox, was the big winner Sunday night at the 11th annual Indie Memphis Film Festival.

The festival, which began Friday, continues through Thursday at Malco's Studio on the Square. Awards were presented during a ceremony and party at Downtown's Ground Zero Blues Club.

"omg/HaHaHa," directed by Morgan Jon Fox, was the big winner at the 11th annual Indie Memphis Film Festival.

Morgan Jon Fox

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

RELATED STORIES

• Indie Memphis: Johnny Cash took on contentious political issues and won respect

More Beifuss on Movies

• Film Review: 'Precious' delivers shock with message
• Film Review: Inspirational 'Blind Side' tackles gritty issues
• Moviegoers have lots to choose from during holiday season

Share and Enjoy [?]

Jokingly dubbed “the ‘Titanic’ of Indie Memphis” because of its awards haul, “omg/HaHaHa” screens again at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

A tender and impressionistic film structured as a series of video blog entries and stream-of-consciousness vignettes about families, friends, lovers and loners in Midtown Memphis, the essentially no-budget but beautifully photographed "omg/HaHaHa" was named best feature in the festival's "Hometowner" category, devoted to films produced by residents of Memphis and Shelby County.

The festival jury also decided to award a Special Jury Prize for Directing to Fox and a Special Jury Prize for Acting to each of the film's young stars, Jake Casey and Ed Porter. The jury also gave "omg/HaHaHa" a Special Recognition award in the Narrative Feature category (in which it competed with films produced outside of Memphis).

"omg/HaHaHa" also won the new "Special Achievement in Editing by a Memphis Filmmaker" award, sponsored by the technology company, Avid.

Juror Elvis Mitchell, former film critic for The New York Times and host of the "Elvis Mitchell: Under the Influence" on the Turner Classic Movies channel, said "omg/HaHaHa" -- the title is Internet slang for "oh my god," followed by laughter -- is "both playful and innovative."

Said Mitchell: "It feels like something that really is the next step -- a film that could play just as well on a laptop or a cell phone as in a theater. Moviemakers have been reaching to capture that for several years now, and this achieves that feeling."

Mitchell was one of 13 non-local film professionals -- including producers, screenwriters, cinematographers, composers and others -- brought to town to act as jurors for this year's awards by new Indie Memphis director Erik Jambor.

A pioneer in local digital filmmaking, a mentor to young directors and busy social activist, Fox also had a hand as an assistant director on "Bunnyland," this year's winner in the "Hometowner Documentary" category.

Directed by Brett Hanover of Memphis, "Bunnyland" delivers a strange portrait of an eccentric self-described "last Indian on the Trail of Tears" who is linked to the slaughter of 73 rabbits on a "Bunny Golf" miniature golf course in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. The movie was produced by Fox's Sawed-Off Collaboratory company.

“Bunnyland” screens again at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday (Oct. 14).

The Hometowner winner in the short film category was Kentucker Audley's "Ginger Sand." The eight-minute film is a prologue to Audley’s “Team Picture,” also a Sawed-Off Collaboratory film, which won the Hometowner feature award last year.

The Hometowner awards are sponsored by the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission.

The Best Music Video award went to Christopher Reyes' "Good Things Are Real," starring Valencia Robinson. Presented by LiveFromMemphis.com, the video screens during the Music Video Showcase at 7 p.m. Thursday.

In the overall Indie Memphis categories, Tom Quinn's "The New Year Parade," about a working-class family in South Philadelphia, was named best narrative feature.

"Neshoba," by Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano, about the 1964 slaying of civil rights workers in Mississippi, was named best documentary.

David Harris' "Address to Silas on the Occasion of the Retreat at Los Angeles County" was named best short. Michael Ramsey's Plato-inspired "The Cave" was chosen as best animated or experimental film, while Bruce Parsons' "I Know You" was named best documentary short.

The Ron Tibbett Excellence in Filmmaking Award went to "Make-Out with Violence."

Some winning films will be screened again this week.

For a longer version of this story, with more details about winners, go to thebloodshoteye.com. For a full list of the winners, visit indiememphis.com.