The action-film parody “Blood from a Stone,” the road-rage themed “Traffic Signals” and “The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger,” a new film from Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton, were among the winners at Sunday nights awards ceremony for the Los Angeles Comedy Shorts Festival, a four-day event that screened more than 70 humorous shorts in downtown Los Angeles.
The ceremony at the Elevate Lounge was hosted by the Sklar Brothers from Comedy Central’s “Cheap Seats.” It also presented the annual Commie Award, which honors comics not communists, to actress Missi Pyle (“Galaxy Quest,” “Dodgeball”).
Presenters and guests included Dave Koechner (“The Office”), Thomas Lennon and Cedric Yarbrough (“Reno 911”), and Aisha Tyler (“The Ghost Whisperer”), who also hosted Saturday night’s celebrity beer pong tournament.
This marks the second year for the festival. Last year’s winner “A Bit of Counseling” went on to air on Comedy Central, while the filmmakers of “Captain Coulier” got a pilot deal and the makers of “Darryl from OnCar” landed writing jobs with Nickleodeon.
Gary Anthony Williams, the artistic director of the festival, had this to say in a press release: “All we wanted to do is make it ok for America to laugh their butts off at things that are short and funny. We did it. Now this country is safe again. You can thank us later. No. Wait. Thank us now.”
(Photo of Williams, executive director Jeannie Roshar and producer Ryan Higman by John M. Heller/Getty Images.)
The winners:
Best Comedy Shortie-Short: “Traffic Signals,” directed by Lori Elberg
Atom.com Best Comedy Short: “ Blood From a Stone,” directed by Bill Palmer
Atom.com Best Comedy Animated Short: “ The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger” by Bill Plympton
Funny or Die Best-of-Fest: “ The Action Hero’s Guide to Saving Lives” directed by Justin Lutsky
L.A. Comedy Shorts Audience Award: “A Short Film,” by Rick Williamson
L.A. Comedy Scripts Best Comedy Short: “Cuckoo” by Kristi Barnett
Movie Magic Screenwriter Screenplay Competition Best Comedy Feature: “Super Fun Time Happy Pizza” by Dennis Xenos & Rob Nardecchia
L.A. Comedy Scripts Best Half-Hour Comedy TV Pilot: “Upstate” by Charlie Robinson
Atom.com Best Comedy Short: “ Blood From a Stone,” directed by Bill Palmer
Atom.com Best Comedy Animated Short: “ The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger” by Bill Plympton
Funny or Die Best-of-Fest: “ The Action Hero’s Guide to Saving Lives” directed by Justin Lutsky
L.A. Comedy Shorts Audience Award: “A Short Film,” by Rick Williamson
L.A. Comedy Scripts Best Comedy Short: “Cuckoo” by Kristi Barnett
Movie Magic Screenwriter Screenplay Competition Best Comedy Feature: “Super Fun Time Happy Pizza” by Dennis Xenos & Rob Nardecchia
L.A. Comedy Scripts Best Half-Hour Comedy TV Pilot: “Upstate” by Charlie Robinson
