SAFFORD — A mockumentary of a Welsh man seeking internet fame while sheltered in place during the pandemic was the big winner at the second annual Gila Valley Film Festival.
“The Martin Decker Show” was named best International Feature Film and captured the Best of Festival Award.
The film, directed by Kevin Jones and starring Kieron Self, follows the Martin Decker character as he attempts to become a social media star and prove to his family that he’s not wasting his time.
The showing at the Gila Valley Film Festival was the American debut for the film and the third time the film has taken home a film festival award. Self was named best actor at the Athvikvaruni International Film Festival in India in 2022, and the film was named best debut feature at the 2022 Nitiin International Filma Festival in Malaysia.
The best U.S. Feature Award went to the documentary, “Her Name was Hester,” directed by Brian Campbell. The film follows Stacie Marshall, as she inherits her grandparents’ farm in Dirt Town Valley, Georgia. She discovers the family once enslaved people and she seeks answers on how to make reparations.
Best Arizona Short Film Award was presented to “Bruiser,” directed by Freddy Pinion. The comedy shows what goes wrong on a couple’s first date. It was originally conceived for the Phoenix 2023 Almost Famous Film Festival.
“This film, in particular, was a 72-hour film challenge, where they give you three days to write, shoot (and) edit, and they give you three guidelines,” said Josh Feldhake, who co-produced, co-wrote and crewed the film with Kenny Sabian and Tyler Elder, all of whom who were on-hand to receive the award.
Best International Short Film went to Iran’s “A Few Steps Further,” directed by Omid Moallem; and Best Arizona Student Film went to “The Blind Date,” directed by Kai Hayakawa.
The Gila Valley Film Festival, organized by Carpe and Zen Production’s Jacob Lauritzen and Joseph Carpenter, focuses on micro-budget films — student and short films with a budget of $5,000 or less, and feature-length films with a budget of $50,000 or less.
“We’re finding people that are talented, that really haven’t had a chance to show their work somewhere else,” Lauritzen said.
Films were shown at the historic Safford Theatre April 20-22.
