I could say I’m over the moon…

… actually, I’m over the rainbow

Last night the Art is Alive Film Festival held its awards ceremony.

Just like the festival, it was a virtual affair. Cindy Mich, festival founder, convened a Zoom meeting which most of the nominees in all categories joined.

“The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” was nominated in two categories. The first being Best Special Interest Film, which Cindy described as including any film that didn’t fall into a traditional drama or comedy category. My gothic musical was joined by a documentary and an animated film, for example.

The second nomination was for Best Musical Score. This year, Cindy announced, that category would be named, in honor of one of her favorite performers, the Judy Garland Award.

If I was going to win one of these awards, I knew which one that should be… after all, I’m old enough to remember gay men referring to themselves as Friends of Dorothy.

(Do I need to explain that Judy Garland played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, and that once was a seminal movie in young queer men’s developments? And Judy Garland was a major gay icon, so much so that her death is credited with helping spark the Stonewall riots? I don’t know if any of that still resonates with the younger generations.)

The Award for Best Special Interest Film was the first to be presented, which included a Zoom introduction and interview of each film’s nominees by Cindy, and the playing of their trailers.

You can see a screenshot of the Tell-Tale trailer above, as well as screenshots of a partial gallery views of the Zoom meeting (there were so many participants, their screens spread over two pages, but the two screengrabs are from the first page at various times during the evening).

Another look at the the playing of the Tell-Tale trailer:

Introducing me, Cindy Mich apologized for not being able to pronounce my name. Since she is from Wisconsin, I suggested using Oshkosh B’gosh to help with the Ash in Ashkenasi. It worked. She pronounced it perfectly. Once.

“The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” did not win the award for Best Special Interest Film.

Would there be a Tell-Tale shut out, or would Judy pull through for me?

Cindy Mich went on to present several more awards.

Some of the Art is Alive award nominees/recipients (look to Art is Alive to post the full list of winners):

Eventually we turned to the award for Best Musical Score. In spite of having succeeded so beautifully with my name earlier, Cindy joked she wouldn’t try pronouncing it again.

Never mind, Danny Ashkenasi received the Judy Garland Award.

Well, knock me over with a ruby slipper…

Judy Garland, meet Edgar Allan Poe.

If I had felt extra daring or expansive in my thanks, I would have sung a few strains from the Judy Garland song most associated with the gothic:

In stead I contented myself with making that quip about over the moon vs over the rainbow.

Thank you, Cindy Mich and the judges of Art is Alive Film Festival. This is a particularly fabulous award, which I will cherish.

And congratulations to all the participants, nominees and awardees of the festival.

UPDATE: October 9, one month later, the tiny trophy is in my hot little hand.