Broken Frontier

Zoom Suit, the animated short film written and directed by former Marvel Entertainment Brand Manager, John Taddeo, has won the Grand Festival Award at this year’s Berkeley Video & Film Festival. The Berkeley Video & Film Festival is the largest festival of its kind in California and Zoom Suit was one of 40 animated films viewed and judged.

“Zoom Suit screened at the 13th Annual Berkeley Video & Film Festival 2005 to a national highly receptive film festival audience in north Berkeley at the Oaks Theatre on Sunday, October 30th, 2005,” said Mel Vapour, Director, Berkeley Video & Film Festival 2005. “Zoom Suit, the brainchild of independent animator, writer, and director John Taddeo, is a visual treat that doesn’t disappoint the most steadfast animation-phile. Classically drawn with some nifty motion effects that enhances this storyline of a young man finding an alien battle suit, and instantly transforms into a superhero with amazing powers of flight and force enthralled the BV&FF audience. Zoom Suit will soon become an indie animation classic and is deserving of that honor.”

This win, in a California town with an active and productive independent film community that produces a tremendous amount of film criticism, is further proof of the acceptance of comics by Hollywood decision makers. Zoom Suit has already received serious attention to be translated into a live action, full length feature film.

“As a 30 year fan of comics, it’s great news that Hollywood has finally found a respect for stories that originate from comics,” said Taddeo. “The success of the Marvel superhero films have opened up the doors and allowed studios to take a look at concepts like Zoom Suit. We’re overwhelmed by the interest in our characters these awards have generated and excited to get our hands on all the cool Zoom Suit merchandise in the pipeline. Fifty film festivals in eight months can really put you on the radar.”

The award-winning animated short Zoom Suit, created by John Taddeo, can be seen online at www.superverse.com. The Zoom Suit comic book will be solicited in the February edition of Previews for items shipping in April 2006.