Three weeks after the delivery of the email concerning the contest, on a stormy, dark Saturday night, the ten best films showed at the 8th-Annual Port Townsend Film Festival in Port Townsend, WA. With nine of the filmmaker teams in the audience, the films played from number ten to one, but no one knew the order. “It’s nerve racking,” said two-time winner Johnny Broderson, calming his nerves with a large spiked soda. Broderson’s film, “Ainavly Snart,” a wacky story of a reverse vampire, made the audience laugh even though it came in 7th.

In first place, Sam McJunkin and Rodney Sherwood from Bainbridge Island, won a full version of Apple Final Cut software for a film called “Game Over.” McJunkin and Sherwood also starred in the film about two guys trying to escape from chains before a bomb explodes. “Game Over” besides being exceptionally well lit and having a great sound mix, used the religious symbol and the line of dialog at precise turning moments in the story. “Game Over” keeps you on edge till an unexpected plot twist ending.

Some of the other highlights of the night were Rocky Friedman, owner of the historic Rose theatre, where the films were shown, saw his daughter on screen for the second year in a row in a locally produced short, “Saving Danger.” Renata Friedman is a classically trained actress. 

In last year’s Film 2880 Contest she stared in “Sara,” which won audience choice award. This year her team—lead by Shannon Summers—came in third with a story about time travel and death. “Saving Danger” was subtly told with realism and a superb acting performance from Friedman.

Crae-Hasler Elliot, Portland, OR, came in second with her tale of “San Lucia Day,” a hilarious mocumentary. The movie examines the tradition of wearing candles on your head. After the movies aired several filmmakers gathered at Siren’s Bar (a generous sponsor of the contest) and shared stories. Elliot said three years ago at the Port Townsend Film Festival she saw the winners of the Film 2880 film contest and decided she would enter the next year. Her first film, “Peeple Pleezers” also came in second in 2006. Elliot is now fully hooked. “When I’m making these films, it feels like I’m nine years old and riding my bike around the neighborhood, it’s so much fun.”

“Old Goat” by Taylor Guterson and Johnathan Boyer won the audience choice award “Old Goat,” is a funny story about a group of old friends who share a life coach.