The Iowa Motion Picture Association hands out its version of the Oscars tomorrow. The Iowa Showcase Awards combine entertainment with artistry, and judging coordinator Nick Bertelsen says workshops include the topic of high-definition video. He says while filmmakers in Kansas City and other larger cities aren’t using it yet, some Iowa producers are already using high-definition. Bertelson says it’s “Iowa’s Oscars,” with awards in two categories.The program awards are for commercials, training films, and things like student films. The others are for “craft,” cinematography, editing, score and acting. But though Bertelson’s judging coordinator for the Showcase Awards, he swears he doesn’t know yet who’ll be proclaimed Iowa’s best supporting actress, or any of the other winners. Budget constraints have scaled back the ceremony, which was once an evening gala, but will be a modest luncheon tomorrow. Attendance has ranged from 100 to more than 600 people depending on who and how many are up for awards. Bertelsen says Iowa’s Showcase Awards have hung on for more than a decade and he expects them to expand to more Oscar-like proportions again in the future.
