Geek out on arts and culture with the Philadelphia Geek Awards

It pays to be a geek in Philadelphia, at least in terms of the honor and glory. On August 15th, Geekadelphia and Drexel’s Academy of Natural Sciences will hold the fifth annual awards ceremony honoring Philly’s “bustling geek community,” boasting 13 categories of geeks.

A look over the nominees proves today’s definition of “geek” is quite broad, and far from derogatory. Many honorees are scientists, entrepreneurs, game designers, or web and social media mavens, but arts and culture geeks are well represented.

Streaming media; IRL

One category honors “streaming media” leaders, who reach an audience around the world from their Philly home base. Out of Town Films, launched in 2012, captures musical performances (from both local and touring artists) all over the city, putting music lovers in touch with their favorite shows through videos online. Also jostling for the honor is Not Nearly Nerdy Enough, a new local podcast devoted to pop culture full of Philly-area guests, laughs, and “smart geek debate.” Rounding out the category is the irresistibly titled podcast Book Fight!, from a pair of Temple professors who can’t keep their literary opinions to themselves and host shows in diverse venues throughout the city.

The “I.R.L.” (in real life) Project of the Year category honors Klip Collective, which found an unusual canvas for their outdoor lighting projections and animations: Longwood Gardens, mapping the Collective’s unique visual effects onto trees and plants for an amazing nighttime experience. Nightscape launched in 2014.

String, films, and prints

Visual artists also get their own category, if they’re geeky enough — in this case, “creating fantastic, unique art that draws attention from the local community.” UArts-trained Caitlin T. McCormack works in string. South Philly’s Cory J. Popp is a filmmaker and journalist, known for a lovely and popular video called “A Very Philly Christmas,” among other series, who captures a lot of his videos on spontaneous walks through different neighborhoods, highlighting “hidden gems” and “reigniting our interest in city spaces.” Screen printer Michael Norcross, who has mounted work at Indy Hall, also got attention last year with his “Posters Against Ebola,” a group exhibition benefiting Doctors Without Borders, done in partnership with Philadelphia University, Print magazine, and Northwestern University.

The awards also honor “underdog” feature-length indie films shot in Philly. This year’s nominees are Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie, digitally released last September and featured in screenings across the country. The protagonist “must overcome his phobia of the worst video game in the world in order to save his fans.” I Am Santa Claus was made with a Kickstarter campaign that raised over $50,000. This documentary follows a year in the life of professional Santa Clauses “protecting the integrity of the Red Suit.” Finally, Love & Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere, from Philly filmmaker Dave Jannetta, is inspired by Poe Ballantine’s memoir.

Crowdfunded comics

Of course, the Philadelphia Geek Awards wouldn’t be complete without honoring comic creators. This year’s nominees are Kelly Phillips and Claire Folkman for their Dirty Diamonds, an all-girl-authored comic anthology with contributors from all over the world. They’re tearing up the crowdfunding dollars, raising over $8,000 on Kickstarter for their first professionally printed book, and then reaping $17,000 from crowdfunding fans in June for an anthology about beauty. UArts teacher Ian Sampson, an award-winning resident artist at West Philly’s Neighborhood Time Exchange (NTE), got inspired by the work of one of his fellow NTE residents. More crowdfunding made dreams come true at University City’s Locust Moon Press, whose Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream raised over $150,000 for the “epic anthology” featuring notable locals like J.G. Jones, Jeffro Kilpatrick, and Box Brown.

Other geek categories give nods to events or stories you’ve seen in What’s New, What’s Next this year, including the BlackStar Film Festival and the Groundswell effort that helped to save the Philadelphia Cultural Fund’s piece of the City budget.

The Philadelphia Geek Awards are coming to the auditorium of the Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia on August 15. Doors to a cocktail reception in the museum open at 6:30pm, and the ceremony starts at 8pm. Tickets for the black-tie, red-carpet event will go on sale August 3 through www.phillygeekawards.com.

At right: A print from Michael Norcross's "Dark Matter" series at Indy Hall. Image courtesy of the artist.