* We have a winna (actually three).

September 22, 2008

From the Hall of Fame:

Three Movies Win Awards at Baseball Film Festival

Dreaming in Blue Takes Home Best Film–

(COOPERSTOWN, NY) – The third annual Baseball Film Festival at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum concluded with the presentation of three awards determined by a panel of four judges on Sunday afternoon in Cooperstown.

The Award for Best Film went to Fuera De Liga (Dreaming in Blue) by filmmaker Ian Padron, which chronicles the history of the most popular team in Cuban baseball and the obsession Cuban fans have with baseball. The film was the first screening of the weekend and took home the award for overall best entry.

Base Ball Discovered, by filmmaker Sam Marchiano, won the Award for Baseball Excellence given to the film which excels in research, factual accuracy, historical context, appreciation of the game, and/or embodiment of the spirit of baseball. This documentary film looks at the origins of baseball including information that the game may have been played in the United Kingdom before America.

Gandhi at the Bat, by filmmakers Stephanie Argy and Alec Boehm is based on an original short story by Chet Williamson and took home the Award for Excellence in Filmmaking. This creative short film imagines Mahatma Gandhi pinch-hitting in a 1933 game at Yankee Stadium. The award goes to the film that excels in direction, production, script writing, stylistic techniques, use of music, special effects, cinematography and/or editing. (Look here for a profile of the filmmakers.)

The panel of judges included NBC critic Jeffrey Lyons, professor and author Rob Edelman, Albany Times Union sportswriter Mark McGuire and Hall of Fame Library Associate Bill Francis. Following the award presentations, the critics participated in a short discussion of baseball and film and answered questions from the audience.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will continue to celebrate baseball in film in 2009 with a 25th anniversary salute to the epic film based on Bernard Malamud’s novel, The Natural. Previously the Museum has saluted such Hollywood classics as A League of Their Own and Pride of the Yankees, featuring appearances by actors from both films at the Museum in Cooperstown.

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