AML Film Award
This is to announce that The Split House earned the 2017 Association for Mormon Letters Film of the Year Award! Thank you to my friend Derrick Clemments for the wonderful writeup in the Daily Herald! Here is the excerpt:
"Despite the multiple meanings of its title, The Split House showcases artist Annie Poon’s impressive ability to combine and merge multiple profound concerns, including mental illness, Mormon missionary life, emotional distress and spiritual healing. The title contains multiple autobiographical meanings: The story begins in Split, Croatia, where Poon was a Mormon missionary, and it also deals with the split nature of a mind affected by schizoaffective disorder. But Poon’s authenticity in expressing several painful aspects of life make the work a significant achievement in Mormon film. Throughout the film (as well as her other visual art), Poon’s vibrant faith comes across as both entirely Mormon and entirely her own. The Split House portrays Mormon theology and scripture without amendment while preserving a potent sense of spiritual adventurousness. The aesthetic high points of the film include a rich soundscape of original music and sound effects and imaginative visuals throughout. Though short in length, the film stays with you, and it rewards multiple viewings to notice new moments of beauty and pleasure."