Validation

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“Validation” is a fable about the magic of free parking.

Starring TJ Thyne, Vicki Davis
Producers: Courtney Kleinman, Kurt Kuenne, Dave Kuhr, TJ Thyne
Writer | Director | Composer: Kurt Kuenne

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Festivals and Awards

  • Cinequest Film Festival
  • Cleveland International Film Festival – Winner, Best Narrative Short & Audience Award, Runner-Up
  • Phoenix Film Festival
  • Atlanta Film Festival
  • Newport Beach Film Festival
  • Breckenridge Festival of Film – Winner, Best Short Comedy
  • Maui Film Festival
  • Gen Art Film Festival, Chicago – Winner, Best Short Film
  • Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival
  • Tulsa United Film Festival
  • L.A. International Shorts Fest
  • SoCal Independent Film Festival – Winner, Best Short Film
  • Atlanta Contemporary Art center – Best of Atlanta Film Festival Series
  • Milwaukee International Film Festival – Winner, Best in Show
  • Great Lakes Film Festival – Winner, Best Narrative Short
  • Kansas International Film Festival
  • Mill Valley Film Festival
  • Turks & Caicos International Film Festival
  • Mount Shasta International Film Festival
  • Woodstock Film Festival
  • Hamptons International Film Festival
  • Heartland Film Festival – Winner, Crystal Heart Award, Best Short Film & Audience Award
  • Hawaii International Film Festival – Winner, Audience Award
  • Heart of Gold International Film Festival (Australia) – Winner, Best Narrative & Most Inspiring Film
  • Williamstown Film Festival – Winner, Christopher & Dana Reeve Audience Award
  • Dominican International Film Festival
  • New York United Film Festival
  • Beloit International Film Festival
  • Dam Short Film Festival – Winner, Best Comedy & Audience Award, Runner-Up
  • Omaha Film Festival – Winner, Best Short Film
  • The Library Film Series at Tiburon
  • Sedona International Film Festival – Winner, Best Short Film
  • Vail Film Festival
  • Los Angeles United Film Festival
  • Santa Cruz Film Festival
  • Marin County International Short Film & Video Festival – Winner, Best Comedy (#2)
  • Idyllwild International Film Festival – Winner, Best Short Film
  • Mendocino Film Festival

Reviews

“How to describe Kurt Kuenne’s short film, Validation?  It’s a tiny little masterpiece of score and scope and vision, and it’s remarkably simple, turning on the premise: what if one guy ‘validated’ your parking and also ‘validated’ your existence?  (It’s such an Amelie-like crowd pleaser of a fable that it’s hard to reconcile that it’s done by the same director who did last year’s devastating, excellent, must-see documentary, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father.)  Once the initial sweep of drums cues up and the likable, gentle Hugh Newman (Bones’ TJ Thyne) starts ‘validating’ a ‘customer’, you’re hooked.  Stop what you’re doing and devote the next 16 minutes of your life to Kurt Kuenne’s magical short…we guarantee that you’ll smile.” – TribecaFilm.com

“**** (Four out of four stars) When Validation captured the Best Short Grand Prize at the 2007 Heartland Film Festival, this paraplegic nearly stood and applauded…a delightful, funny, sweet and inspiring film that will make you laugh and cry in the film’s short span of 16 minutes.  The award-winning film is perfectly cast, most notably the awesome performance of TJ Thyne as Hugh Newman.  Easily one of 2007’s most delightful shorts.” – The Independent Critic

“With a pitch-perfect payoff, Validation offered 16 of the most joyful minutes I’ve spent watching a movie in a long while.” – Indianapolis Business Journal

“Validation drew a huge round of applause from the audience and it was easy to see why;  what a crowd pleaser!  I found myself grinning through the whole story…” – fest21.com

“He’s done it again…tender and beautiful as well as really, really funny.  The best short film of Cinequest 2007.” – Chris Garcia, FanboyPlanet.com

“This film is original, well made, great music, very funny, but has something to say that is so rich that if we all went and followed suit, we could change the world.” – Toni Powell, Heart of Gold Film Festival