History of the Project’s Awards
In December 2018, The Colorado Street Bridge Project, selected as a Documentary Shorts Winner in the Moscow Shorts International Film Competition, also won an award at the Health Related Short in the Bengals International Film Festival. Moscow Shorts ISFF is an international short film competition, with monthly live screenings and an annual awards event in Moscow. The festival is dedicated to promoting the short film genre by bringing exposure to the world’s best independent up-and-coming film makers. The Bengals International Film Festival accepts submissions from nearly 40 countries around the world. Its award committee’s mission is to spread the creativity of film makers to as many viewers as possible.
In January 2019, The Colorado Street Bridge Project gained even more acclaim, this time winning three awards: Pinnacle Film Awards Documentary Short (January 2019), Royal Wolf Film Awards Documentary Short (January 2019), and Hollywood Sun Awards Best Documentary Short (January 2019). The Pinnacle Film Award targets innovative independent artists who create groundbreaking, edgy, thought-provoking films that offer a unique perspective. Royal Wolf Film Awards is an online Monthly Awards platform, to honor groundbreaking projects from all over the world. The Hollywood Sun Awards is judged by a group of film enthusiasts who wish to explore the indie film community and honor the very best in new independent cinema. In addition to winning multiple awards over the last couple of years, the documentary scored high marks in more than 20 other film competitions: The project ranked as a Finalist in 3 contests, as a Semi-Finalist in 3 more competitions, and as an Official Selection in 12 challenges around the world.
The Journey of an Outstanding Film Maker
Guy Zhouqin Yang is on the rise as one of America’s most prolific indie film makers. He describes his journey as an explorative one filled with years of experience learning to produce, direct, film, and edit his own projects. When interviewed recently about his inspiration, Yang shared what is possibly one of his most profound quotes to date: “I enjoy having the total creative freedom to craft my stories and immerse myself in the reality of them. My stories, based on the truth, make factual drama.”
While he pursed a Master’s degree at the New York Film Academy, Yang developed a passion for cultural diversity, arts, social issues, and current affairs early in his academic career. Guy, coupled with his remarkable capabilities in several areas, his professors and industry have all shared their amazement about watching him integrate his areas of interest seamlessly into new projects. Yang credits a Lyft ride to see friends as his inspiration behind the creation of The Colorado Bridge Project.
“One day, I was taking a Lyft to meet my friends in San Gabriel Valley. We were riding through Pasadena, a neighboring city to Los Angeles. Right behind the freeway, I saw an old bridge suddenly pop out. Under the sunset, the bridge, covered in orange and teal, looked incredible on the screen. I mentioned how beautiful the bridge looked to the driver; and, I asked him to tell me more about it. The driver told me that the bridge behind the freeway was called the Colorado Street Bridge. Immediately, he told me that the bridge was famous for being a suicide bridge and how many urban legends were associated with this landmark. At that moment, I found my inspiration for a new story.”
Yang often speaks candidly about his passion behind film Making. While he believes that films should entertain people, he finds a deeper meaning in their ability to expose human situations that call for action. He is also honest about the difficulties he experienced, making The Colorado Street Bridge documentary.
Guy states, “The making of The Colorado Street Bridge Project was not easy. My budget was less than $2,000 for the entire production. However, the difficulties helped me maximize my creativity in a way that I knew would heighten the experience for each viewer.”
As the only crew member on his production team, Yang himself took on the role of director, cinematographer, grip, gaffer, and sound mixer. He describes his experience as totally different from working with a 3-member to the 5-member crew. Most of all, he realizes that in the film production industry, time equates to money. Yang insists that understanding the relationship between these two factors helped him push faster toward the finish line during the completion of the project.
Guy Yang
