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One of the thrills of going to the movies is seeing something you’ve never seen before, and at the third annual I See You Awards, you’ll get plenty of chances to do just that.
Highlighting talented independent filmmakers from all over the world, I See You Awards returns to Emagine Theatre in Royal Oak on Thursday, August 22 for a three day celebration of indie films. From all day screenings, to a seminar featuring a Hollywood veteran, and a full-blown award ceremony featuring a blue carpet and high end fashion, the third annual event is expected to be its biggest yet.
It all gets started with all day screenings on Thursday, August 22 of this year’s nominated films. The program begins at 10 a.m. and will run until 11 p.m. showing a wide array of films and genres spanning numerous subjects. Films will run on two screens throughout the day and will feature everything from romantic comedies, documentaries, family oriented movies, and short films.
Event organizer and local film critic Terri Lee Chandler began developing the idea for the I See You Awards after she made her own independent film. When she realized how difficult and involving the whole process was, she wanted to create an event that invited filmmakers to show their films to an audience and share these important stories with Metro Detroiters.
“This event is a unique way for filmmakers to get their voices heard. No filmmaker wants to show their film to an empty theater so we want to fill out the auditoriums for these amazing filmmakers,” Lee Chandler said.
Day two will include a film industry seminar with Hollywood veteran Tom Hines, who has been in the business for over 20 years. Hines had a close working relationship with prolific filmmaker Garry Marshall and has worked with actors such as Julia Roberts, Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Jason Sudeikis. The two hour program beginning at noon will show aspiring filmmakers how to work in the trenches of Hollywood and what the industry is like from a day-to-day perspective.
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The indie film event will close with the Black Tie, Blue Carpet Awards Ceremony on Sunday, August 25. The formal awards ceremony will hand out awards such as Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Cast, and many more awards honoring this year’s films. With more than triple the number of films the ceremony had in its first year and the high quality of films, the ceremony will surely honor diverse, well-deserving films from talented artists.
“I’ve had numerous filmmakers come up to me and say that this feels like the Oscars. It’s such a great time for both the filmmakers and the audience,” Lee Chandler said.
For the first time in its short history, a portion of proceeds from ticket sales to Sunday’s awards ceremony will be donated to the Michigan Chapter of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. A ticket to the awards ceremony will also get you into Thursday’s film screenings and the ceremony’s afterglow in Emagine Theater following the show.
“I think it is so important to support independent film and art culture because it gives the artist the ability to express themselves fully,” Lee Chandler said.
You can purchase to tickets for any of the events taking place at this year’s I See You Awards on the event’s Eventbrite page. More information on any of the films and awards can be found on the event’s website and Facebook page.
