Artlightenment Takes the Stage In Its Third Annual Year At the Church of Scientology

Online, November 23, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Filmmakers Erik Hollander and Rob Lindsay of Nashville, Tenn., and visual artist Gail McDaniel of Franklin, Tenn., were named the top overall winners in the first-ever ARTlightenment Awards, a juried competition held in Music City during the ARTlightenment film and visual art festival.

Hollander and Lindsay received the Best Overall Film Award for Alius Primorus, a 15-minute movie about a father's quest to find healing after the death of his estranged son.

McDaniel, who coordinates the annual Students and Friends of Gail McDaniel Award program to benefit area public schools, received the Best of Show Award for her collection of original watercolor paintings.

Awards in various categories were presented to more than 20 filmmakers and visual artists on Nov. 12 at the Church of Scientology & Celebrity Center Nashville, located in the historic Fall School in Nashville, Tennessee. The third annual event drew hundreds of art lovers for the showing of movies and a four-day art exhibition.

"The competition was very stiff, especially for films, which drew submissions from other major arts cities such as Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta," said Robyn Morshead, founder of the event. "This was the first time we have presented awards to participating filmmakers and artists. Our theme this year was 'elevating the artist and elevating the culture'. Based on the enthusiastic response to this year's festival, we've done that and more."

President of the Church of Scientology, Corinne Sullivan, commented on the church hosting the show, "We are dedicated to helping artists, and this show falls right in line with that purpose."

Other filmmakers winning awards for excellence in film were Pam Roberts of Atlanta ("Artlightenment" Outstanding Documentary Feature/"Margaret Mitchell American Rebel"); Karen Lavender of Los Angeles (Judges Pick for Best Documentary Feature/"From Fire: An Odyssey of Glass"); Nicole Cattell of New York and John Jones of Nashville (Best Artist Film/"Come Unto Me: The Faces of Three Guyton"); Curt Hahn and Ron Routson of Nashville (Best Non-Fiction/"Sylvia Hyman: Fictional Clay"); K. Davis Jackson and Danny Brooks Dalby of Nashville (Best Student Film/"A Good Man Is Hard To Find"); Erik Hollander of Nashville (Best Director/"Alius Primorus"); Ron Pereira of San Francisco (Best Cinematography/"Kid"); Bayou Bennett and Daniel Lir of Los Angeles (Best Editing/"L.A. Aboriginal" and Best Score/"Undivided"); William M. Akers of Nashville (Best Screenplay/"The Important Things"); Varda Hardy of Santa Monica, Calif. (Best Special Effect Make-Up/"What Kind of Planet Are We On?"); Christian Wick of Nashville (Best Fighting Scene/"Elizabeth"); and August Bourriague of Nashville (Best Opening Sequence and Music/"Mickey Wicked").

Others earning awards for visual art were Steve Graham of Nashville (Best New Art Form); Holly Carmichael of Nashville (Best Acrylic Art); Camille Engel of Nashville (Best Oil Paintings); Christopher Gatelock of Nashville (Best Photography); Thomas Royalty of Hermitage, Tenn. (Best Abstract Art); Carla Christina Contreras of Ashland City, Tenn. (Best Mixed-Media Art); and Dan Deming of Big Bear, Calif. (Best Biggest Painting Ever).

"Gail McDaniel embodies the spirit of ARTlightenment with the lives she has changed with her art and teaching," Morshead added, "I couldn't be happier that she won."

Judges for the ARTlightenment Awards were Deborah Gordon of the 48 Hour Film Festival; Cece Dubois, president of the American Federation of Radio & Television Artists; Nashville arts critic Jaz Dorsey; screenwriter Sherry Costanza; and arts critic Jamey Allen.

For more information about the "ARTlightenment" film and visual art festival, visit http://www.ARTlightenment.com.