Writer, Director, Producer and Editor Jonathan Gesthuizen’s short film “Ice Cold,” which he produced while attending the New York Film Academy Australia, Gold Coast, officially won Best Foreign Short Film at the 2016 Action on Film (AOF) International Film Festival Los Angeles.
“It was great to be recognized by the judges and our film peers,” said Gesthuizen. “The competition was fierce, and I enjoyed watching some really great films. The atmosphere was surreal, prestigious, exciting and intimidating all at the same time.”
A glitzy red carpet formal awards evening concluded the festival last month in Hollywood, where Gesthuizen was awarded his prize.
“I feel honored and excited about winning this award and how it will assist us in gaining the traction we need for the making of the feature, which has recently been written with help of co-writer Paul Gough,” added Gesthuizen. “Most people associate a film’s success with the budget the producer and director have to work with, but this is not always the case, as a $70,000 film won an award at the festival in the same category over another with a $20 million budget. It’s all about getting the story across and how well you can engage your audience with the characters.”
Gesthuizen aims to have a feature version of “Ice Cold” completed and entered into next years AOF.
He will begin casting in late October in both New Zealand and Australia. Filming will begin shortly after that with a release date set for late July 2017.
If you would like to support this project please check out their Facebook page “Ice Cold” for further information.