Pulse: A STOMP Odyssey [Pulse] [French title: Pulse: Rythmes du Monde] Was Awarded the La Geode International Film Festival Grand Prize
Pulse hits La Geode Film FestivalFebruary 4, 2003
GiantScreenBiz.com
Yesterday in Paris - Feb. 3, 2003 - Pulse: A STOMP Odyssey [Pulse] [French title: Pulse: Rythmes du Monde] was awarded the La Geode International Film Festival Grand Prize.
As the two Film directors and STOMP creators were shooting a commercial in New York, Bill Hogan, director of distribution for Illinois-based Giant Screen Films [GSF], accepted the prize from French actress Micheline Presle, during yesterday's gala ceremony in Paris [Editor's note: GSF co-produced Pulse alongside the director's Yes/No Productions, James D. Stern, Harriet Leve and Walden Media]. The Grand Prize is awarded by a jury of professionals, including filmmaker Pierre Willemin—Vulcania (2002) Water & Man, NV (2000), Elmar Elmiger—director of the Swiss Transport Museum's IMAX theatre (Lucerne), and producer Bertrand Dussart—Origins of Life (2001).
This is encouraging news for GSF. Pulse has had a slow roll-out having so far played in only two theatres: the American Museum of Natural History, where it premiered on Oct. 17, 2002, and just completed a short run in Belfast. According to its distributor, 19 other licenses have been signed including the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, the BFI London IMAX Cinema and the Pacific Science Center. Of these theatres, most should launch the film between March and August 2003.
Pulse also received accolades from the Parisian public. The film was also awarded the second major prize, the France Inter Public Choice Prize [Editor's note: France Inter is a French public radio station]. 35% of the total festival audience, or 10,500 people, voted for their favorite film. Pulse beat out Horses: the Story of Equus directed by the Australian Michael Caulfield. The latter was the festival's surprise winner, grabbing the Youth Prize from two classes of 10 and 12-year olds.
The 2002 top box office grossing, GSTA and LFCA Best Film Award winner, Space Station—shown in its 2D dome version—did not leave empty handed. It went home with the new Kodak Image Award [Editor's note: The Kodak Image Award aims to congratulate the work of a director of cinematography]. Toni Myers, producer, accepted the award on behalf of the astronauts who participated in the production and director of photography James Neihouse. She also paid tribute to the astronauts who lost their life during the Columbia shuttle tragedy this past Saturday - Feb. 1, 2003. Myers was in Poitiers a few days before to oversee the installation of the shortened 3D dome version of Space Station at the Futuroscope's Solido Pavilion.
Adrenaline Rush: The Science of Risk (2002/GSF) directed by Marc Fafard was given a special mention by the Jury.
Last year, Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure (2001/Nova/WGBH) received the Grand Prize, China the Panda Adventure the Youth Prize, and Ocean Men: Extreme Dive the Public's Choice Prize. The first two are currently playing at La Geode for the period ending March 4, 2003. As in past years, the film that receives the Public's Choice Prize is ensured a minimum six-month release at La Geode.
For the competition's 8th edition, a total of nearly 30,000 spectators attended the 10 films, a 20% increase compared to 2002 [Editor's note: The 2001 and 2000 editions attracted 39,000 and 25,000 visitors respectively]. Destination Cinema and the Houston Museum of Natural Science declined to participate in the film festival.
