Maybe I should just say thank you and not ask awkward, pedantic questions?

This past Friday I received this notification email regarding my short film “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre“:

Dear Danny,

CONGRATULATIONS!
 
Your film submission has been chosen for the American Filmatic Arts Awards Selection.

 If you have received this email, your project has been OFFICIALLY SELECTED  &
 Award WINNER in one or more categories.

We believe your project is a strong addition to the American Filmatic Arts Awards selection and are pleased to be awarding it. 

Our 2020 selection was very competitive and we obviously see that your project is one of the greatest among all submitted.

Your film has been awarded amongst over 1.200 projects.  We undoubtedly believe it is a great success!

For your information, OUR AWARD CEREMONY WON’T BE RUNNING THIS YEAR DUE TO COVID-19 / PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS IN NEW YORK.

WE WILL BE ANNOUNCING ALL 2020 AWARD WINNERS AND CATEGORIES on our website on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22.

That’s wonderful news of course, tinged with a bit of sadness that, because of Covid, there would be no ceremony, no event of any kind. As this festival is based in Brooklyn, it would have been a really convenient event to attend and meet fellow local filmmakers.

So today, Monday, as promised, the website posted the winner’s list, including this section for short films:

So, “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre” receives the award for Best Short Musical Adaptation Story.

There’s a tongue twister, say that three times fast: Best Short Musical Adaptation Story Best Short Musical Adaptation Story Best Short Musical Adaptation Story…

If that is the award, it would be unprecedented as a category in my festival experience. But maybe there is an ampersand missing? Maybe the award is for Best Short Musical & Adaptation Story? Or Musical Short & Story Adaptation? Or am I just greedily hoping for two awards when I should just count my blessing with the one?

Technically, if one is to follow syntax strictly, the award is for the story upon which the adaptation that led to the musical short is based. That award would go to Edgar Allan Poe, as he wrote the story, not me. Uh oh, am I about to reason myself out of an award?

The American Filmatic Arts Awards has an official list of their awards categories. Musical and/or Adaptation are not listed there as regular awards. That suggests these were especially added this year. However one reads the award designation for “The Tell-Tale Heart – a musicabre”, one thing is clear: American Filmatic Arts Awards created a new category (or two?) to recognize the work, and that is a special honor I do feel sincerely, regardless of my humorous musings here.

I decided to send an email to American Filmatic Arts Awards, and ask them, right after first thanking them gratefully, to clarify the category designation(s). After all, I would like to make sure I make no error when I register the award on IMDb.

I’ll update this post when I receive my answer.

UPDATE: Three days later I got clarification:

Dear Danny, 

Sorry for the late reply. We have been very busy.

Your winning category fits best as “Short Musical”.

Hope this helps! 

We all loved your project.

Best regards, 

Hakki Subentekin 
Founding Director

American Filmatic Arts Awards

UPDATE 2/26 Tonight another email arrived from American Filmatic Arts Awards:

Dear Danny,

This year, we wish we could have the award ceremony in person and invite you to present your award certificate there.

Please find your electronic award certificate in the attachment.

Congratulations again. 

Looking forward to seeing your new projects!

Best,
Hakki Subentekin 
Founding Director

American Filmatic Arts Awards