What DID Happen to Alice?
Valerie Hird's animated short, What DID Happen to Alice? is a semi-finalist for Animation in the Montreal Independent Film Festival and an official selection for the Toronto Film channel Festival.
Visual artist, Valerie Hird has won two prestigious Awards of Excellence from The Best Shorts Film Competition. Awards in Animation and Women Filmmakers were given for Hird’s exciting hand-drawn video animation, WHAT DID HAPPEN TO ALICE?, which follows Alice, a slip of white paper, who believes the American movie fantasy of the Middle East. Her illusions meet reality among the wildly patterned landscapes and shifting winds of social media. The original soundtrack was composed and performed by Mary Bonhag, the animation by Martin De Geus and edited by Max Ethan Miller.
I’m so excited that my allegorical story of how radically the character of the media changed in my lifetime has been recognized by Best Shorts! Telling the story of how I was molded by Kennedy era media and then de-formed by it in the Instagram age is a critical narrative for understanding how our news and entertainment sources influence identity.
The Best Shorts Competition recognizes film, television, videography and new media professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change. Entries are judged by highly qualified professionals in the film and television industry. Information about Best Shorts and a list of recent winners can be found at www.BestShorts.net. In winning a Best Shorts Award, Valerie Hird joins the ranks of other high-profile winners of this internationally respected award including The Weinstein Company for Market Hours, Disney Interactive for Vinlymation: A Love Story and Oscar winning production Mr. Hublot from Laurent Witz from Luxembourg.
Rick Prickett, who chairs The Best Shorts Competition, had this to say about the latest winners, “Best Shorts is not an easy award to win. Entries are received from around the world from powerhouse companies to remarkable new talent. The Best Shorts Competition helps set the standard for craft and creativity. The judges were pleased with the exceptional high quality of entries. The goal of Best Shorts is to help winners achieve the recognition they deserve.”
For more information call the Nohra Haime Gallery 212-888-3550 or email art@nohrahaimegallery.com or valerieb.hird@gmail.com, on Instagram and Facebook @valeriehird, #dontaskalicevideo or visit her website at valeriehird.com.
