Will Hartman Gives Great Shout-out for DCS at SXSW

Will Hartman, two-time winner of the coveted Palm de Grease, gave DCS a great plug while speaking on a film panel at this year's South by Southwest.

In 2007, Will's "Easy Pickins" took top prize. In 2008, Will was back to win again with his zombie comedy "Food for Thought". Both "Easy Pickins" and "Food for Thought" were ambitious films for DCS. With stunts and visual and practical effects, he pushed the boundaries of what could done with limited time and resources. Just goes to show you what determination, dedication and a pound of flesh can do.

Both films continue to play at film festivals around the world. Easy Pickins' won a jury award from the Chicago International Children's film festival last year. Food for Thought has played a lot of great festivals, including South By Southwest, Newport Beach, Clermont-Ferrand and (soon) Barcelona.

Since Will's 2008 win at DCS, he has worked as a writer-director on various projects in TV and commercials. He is currently one of the writer-directors for an upcoming CG-animated TV project for Marvel/Disney. Last year he sold a supernatural comedy pitch to FOX Broadcasting with Craig Robinson (Hot Tub Time Machine, The Office). In the commercial world, he's been writing-directing spots for Mattel, Shop 'n Save and a new video game from Ubisoft, among other things.

Will says he's glad Duke City Shootout is coming back. "I'll always be a fan and supporter of the festival, and thankful for the subsequent opportunities that have come my way because of it".