If the Frog Baby Film Festival is the Oscars of Ball State, then "Love Never Fails," was the university's "The Artist."
On Saturday, the 14th annual award ceremony honored student-made films entered in a variety of categories. This year, the festival had a 1920s theme, with festival workers and filmmakers dressed in '20's fashion and decorations also reflected the time period.
The festival had a record number of entries with more than 50 applicants. Of those 50, 10 were shown at the actual showcase. The films varied in length but could not exceed 30 minutes.
The 10 films showcased ranged from documentaries about beer to explorations of what Michael Myers, from the "Halloween" horror franchise, does in between murderous rampages. The mix of films included both dramatic and comedic tones.
In the end, "Love Never Fails" went home with six wins, including Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay Drama and the festival's top prize. The story of an underground, bare-knuckled boxer was one of the festival's more serious and lengthy entries, clocking in around 26 minutes.
Best Actor award winner Taylor Hirstein said he was very surprised on his win.
"I'm extremely flattered, honored and thankful," Hirstein, a senior video production major, said. "It was a very long process but it was fun and it's very good to be recognized."
Hirstein played the main character in the film, Jimmy, a boxer who tries to escape the sport to be with his girlfriend, but is crippled for his efforts.
Best Actress award winner Ella Raymont expressed similar sentiments, though for a second she was so happy that she couldn't speak.
"I don't know what to say," Raymont, a senior musical theatre major, said. "This is the first time I've really done a film so it's exciting getting recognized. I was only on-set shooting for about two days, so to be recognized for that is great."
Raymont said that she kept in close contact with the crew through the rest of the film's shooting. In the film, Raymont played Jimmy's girlfriend.
The film also featured supporting roles played by Hirstein's parents, including his dad playing an older version of Hirstein's character.
A crowd favorite seemed to be "Adventures In Filmmaking," a delightfully nerdy tale about one Ball State student's increasingly fruitless attempts to make a film. The movie had a lot of references to old video games and "Star Wars," which excited the crowd and drew a lot of laughs.
The film utilized impressive special effects, with part of the movie taking place in a video game setting and another scene including a lightsaber duel.
In the other categories "Underdogs on Tap," which detailed various pubs and bars in Muncie won Best Documentary, Best Comedy went to "Michael Myers' Down Time" and Best Alternative/Experimental Film went to "Stopped & Started," a music video for Archer's Paradox.
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