Geoff Boothby was the Director of the feature film Wormtooth Nation, and Cullen Thomas was the Director of Photography. Both created, wrote and produced the film.

Maharishi University of Management student feature film wins top award at film festival
by Maharishi University of Management, Iowa, USA, The Review
18 May 2009

Wormtooth Nation, a feature film by Maharishi University of Management, Iowa, USA, students Geoff Boothby and Cullen Thomas that was done in 2008 as their senior project, has been winning recognition and awards, including the top award -- a Gold Eddy -- in the Student Long-Form category at the 2009 Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival.

The film, which was originally released serially online, also received two nominations for Webby Awards, the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet.

And at the recent annual Iowa Motion Pictures Awards, the film won three top awards, often called "Iowa Oscars": Screenplay-Produced; Directing-Long Form; and Original Music Score. It also received three Awards of Achievement for being nominated in the categories Entertainment-Long Form; Lighting Design; and Editing.

The film is also an official selection of the Iowa Independent Film Festival, which will take place in July.

Wormtooth Nation is a 90-minute film that tells the story of people living in an underground city, searching for the surface but continually losing their memories. It features a large and talented cast, authentic locations suited to the "steampunk" genre, an intriguing plot, and a memorable score.

The Cedar Rapids festival showcased the work of filmmakers from across the state and around the country, all with strong connections to Iowa. Of the 70
films submitted for consideration, 31 were selected by a panel of judges to compete for Gold and Silver Eddy Awards and the Audience Choice and Iowa Connection Eddys.

In the Online Film & Video portion of the Webby Awards, Wormtooth Nation was nominated in the categories Best Sound Design and Student.

The Webby Awards receive over 10,000 entries in over 100 categories, and the entries go through with two levels of judging to be nominated, with only five entries nominated in each category.

"It's a big accomplishment to be nominated in two categories," Mr. Boothby said.  

Mr. Boothby and Mr. Thomas are now employed by DLF.tv, a new website from the David Lynch Foundation that features documentaries which showcase the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program in the lives of students, artists, and others.

© Copyright 2009, Maharishi University of Management