"Seeking Valentina," Nominated for 5 Awards at Bare Bones International Film and Music Festival

The thriller short garnered 5 award nominations, including Best  Thriller Short Film , from Bare Bones International Film and Music Festival,  the premier film festival in Oklanoma, and one of the oldest and most respected film festivals in the United States. Nominations were made offical on the Bare Bones web site on March 25,2016.

"Seeking Valentina," follows Benjamin (Ali Bavarian), an Iranian-American writer mourning the loss of his dead wife.  When Valentina (Kristin West), a mysterious and whimsical tenant comes to take up residence in his home and then abruptly disappears, it is for the audience to decide if Valentina is a ghost, a dream, a hallucination or a runaway.  The short was shot in three Southern California counties, over six days and with locations spanning 500 miles.  Seeking Valentina has garnered international attention due to its excellent casting, unique storytelling structure, production value and compelling themes. Bare Bones International Film and Music Festival nominated the film for four acting awards, reflecting its powerhouse ensemble cast. Seeking Valentina's four acting nominations include:  Kristin West(Rachel Dratch's Late Night Snack)  for Best Actress in a Short, Vida Ghaffari(Mind of Mencia)  for Best Supporting Actress in a Short, Srinivasa Kapavarapu(Outsourced)  and Armin Nasseri(Angry Black Women), both for Best Supporting Actor in a Short.  Nasseri said, "We are honored by the nominations for our actors.  Our cast really brought this challenging and engaging film to life."  Nasseri vigorously resisted stereotyping throughout his production, and cast many actors against type.

Regarding his film's recent success both in the U.S. and abroad, Nasseri says, "I am deeply humbled and honored that Seeking Valentina continues to touch such a diverse audience.  It is an honor to screen our film at Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival and I am humbled by the nominations.  Lead actress and producer Kristin West said, "We have received such a warm welcome already from Bare Bones-and we haven't even arrived there yet.  Bare Bones has a reputation for being a welcoming festival and their hospitality has already exceeded my wildest expectations."  Nasseri will also be a panelist on the Short Filmmakers Panel on Saturday, April 23^rd, at 2:30 PM at the Roxy Theatre.  West is scheduled to moderate the Student Filmmakers Panel, Saturday, April 23^rd, at 3:55 PM at the Muskogee Library.

The festival was created by filmmakers, screenwriters and actors and was created for filmmakers, screenwriters and actors who are involved in independent motion picture projects anywhere in the world.

Named one of the "25 Festivals worth the entry fee" by Moviemaker Magazine and named one of the "20 best festivals for new and emerging filmmakers." PBS included Bare Bones as one of the top 20 documentary festivals.   The Bare Bones Film Festival experience has long been touted as the "Friendliest Film Festival" by the many filmmakers who return year after year.

The festival will feature narrative and documentary features, short documentary, short narrative and student films, music videos, animation and live screenplay readings in it's competitive program.

The Bare Bones Film and Music Festival runs April 19-24 2016 at nine different venues. "Seeking Valentina" screens Friday April 22 at 7:45pm at The Roxy Theatre,220 W. Okmulgee St. Muskogee, OK 74401.

Seeking Valentina follows its run at Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival with an engagement at the Las Vegas Galaxy Film Awards on April 29 and a screening at Iranian Noor Film Festival later this summer, with more dates being announced.