#ovff

[exapno]

The Pegasus Committee and OVFF are proud to announce the Finalists for the 2025 Pegasus Awards!

Best Filk Song

Believe - Peter Alway

Future Me - Robert Beckwith

Helium Miner's Song - Heather Preston

My Dandelion Friend - Summer Russell

One Small Boat - Marilisa Valtazanou

Best Classic Filk Song

City of Doors - Dr. Mary Crowell

Crimson & Crystal - Cynthia McQuillin

Like Their Feet Have Wings - Gwen Knighton Raftery

Merry Meet - Steve Macdonald

Storm Dancing - Tom Smith

Best Performer

Barbership

The Blibbering Humdingers

Daniel Kelly

Lauren Oxford

Via Bella

Best Writer/Composer

Eric Distad

Maja 'Thesilée' Ilisch

Daniel Kelly

Kari Maaren

Griff the Filker

Best Hero Song

Dangerous Heroes - Michael Longcor

Do As Peggy Says - Erin Bellavia, Rand Bellavia, & Adam English

Jeanne Hachette - Mary Bertke

The Ones Who Walked Away - Beth Kinderman

Sam at the Green Dragon - Summer Russell

Best Villain Song

The Dark Man - Paul Kwinn

The Evil Eyeball - Sibylle Machat

Gabriel Gray's Song - Batya Wittemberg

Hellraiser - Tom Smith

Sympathy For Mr. Morden - Jeff Bohnhoff

The online ballot is now open, and available at 

Congratulations to all- it's well deserved!!

[junipercalle]

So I know that OVFF and GAfilk exist but I had yet to go to a filksing, myself. because culture is as much local as it is online or research. and I mostly table at anime shows, where you don't really plop down in halls and sing, or do song events that aren't concert or karaoke. Fan music isn't self-identified as 'filk' most of the time, in those circles, these days. (this aside from spontaneous shenanigans. I think I would like to filk at some other shows I do, now, anyway.)

This weekend I was at a scifi convention. And I was at a filksing. Not one but two actually; the second rather impromptu. I walked in knowing that I wanted to sing more than I was afraid of being told I wasn't that good. (I'm nearly 40. That helps, too.) At this filk circle, everyone was welcome to sing. I sang in front of people, which is not something I really do (until now), nor have done much before. I can carry a tune, actually, but I haven't been really trained, and I think it took a decade to outgrow "you haven't learned how to do that [pejorative]" and another to spend long enough singing in the car to think I could try.

I heard a dozen other people sing. One with renfair experience and training; one with operatic training; one with a long-standing love for filk and her own journal. One trufan elder who, having lost her voice, brought some brief comedic delights and lyric sets for us to sing in a group; one individual who wasn't sure they could do it without an audio track, and thus sang along; one who couldn't sing, but had stuff to play. One gentleman had some scurrilous shanties. We had eighties filk; we had recently composed filk by present singers; we had original songs, we had parodies, we had traditional songs. We had a sea shanty K-pop Demon Hunters song. Was I cringe? I'm delighted to not give a damn. On the second night, by the time we were done, two or three people turned up with their own material just because they could.

This was not a judgemental event. You got your turn? Go for it. What's a filk song? A filk song is what you sing in the circle. Mess up? Take a breath. You have to stop? You did a good job. It's okay. We applauded everyone. You want to pass on your turn, and not sing? You are free to pass. No snark comments, no picking clique members to play next. I think if someone had laughed in mockery, they would have gotten a rebuke. Anyone who went after someone later to go "why'd you do that, you were embarrassing, I don't like your song very much" would have been against the entire thesis of the idea. (A filksing at an event that doesn't normally have them would have to lay down the premise. It's a good premise.) Which isn't to say that someone couldn't be an utter terror about the idea of filk. Filk drama is older than I am. I am sure people have had bad experiences, humiliation, and bitterness. Humanity carries those things. But this weekend was a delight. It was a gift. And I'm meeting up with someone from the circle, later on this month, because they do filksings regularly. I'm going to hunt down some singing technique videos. And I'm going to see if I can make a proper filk out of a song, myself. Things are so hard. Getting to share an experience that was good was ... priceless.

We talk about how singing as a social activity used to be so much more common. This was that. This was a gift. You do what you can.

[lunarheslwt]

Snippet!

I was tagged to share a snippet by @enchantedlandcoffee so this is a lil snippet and accompanying visual from my fic for @1domegaverseficfest !

*****

“Harry,” he whispered, feeling his eyes go wide, “I- what-”

Despite the shock, he registered the warmth bleeding into his back as Harry stepped closer to him. “This was your favorite little spot when we were kids,” he murmured.

Harry sounded fond, reminiscing when he continued. “You loved to shift and run around in this spot as a pup…and this is where you liked to curl up for a bit when you were inevitably knackered; I don’t know how you always seemed to have more energy in you than any of the alpha pups. And you found the sound of water to be so soothing…”

Each word spoken made his brows climb higher up his head, taken aback by the fact Harry even remembered, when he himself had nearly forgotten. He still couldn’t look away.

“So I thought…maybe…maybe this would be a good place, for…y’know,” Harry trailed off, unsure by the end of it all, perhaps at the lack of reaction from Louis, but he thought it was warranted.

Because Harry had, of course, taken a chance and built him a sweet little nest in one of his favourite places. Surrounded by the cave walls almost three quarters of the way, plants lining the rocks, the space was cosy but cool, a reprieve from the heat outside. The cave floor was springy with moss in areas left uncovered, because the actual nest was built on a thick mat that lay over the ground, forming the base. A small opening in the cave overhead meant that small rays of sunshine filtered in and lit up the soft and warm looking clothes, blankets, and cushions. Vines of ivy hung down from the natural skylight the opening in the cave ceiling acted as, and over the sound of his heart thundering, the gentle babbling of the brook outside filled his ears, and.

It was perfect.

*****

Tagging uhhhh @harruandlou @cc-horan28 @larry-hiatus @parmahamlarrie and anyone that wants to share!

[exapno]

From the Pegasus Committee:

The Brainstorming Poll for the 2025 Pegasus awards is now complete! Thank you to all who submitted ideas!

We are now happy to present the 2025 Nomination Ballot!

https://www.ovff.org/pegasus/index.html

Special categories this year are:

Best Hero Song

Best Villain Song

[exapno]

Filk-folk - We're in the home stretch for nominating songs and artists into the 2022 Pegasus Awards! Ballots will close at 11:30PM Pacific time this Sunday! 

http://www.ovff.org/pegasus/2022nomballot.html 

[misbehavinmaidens]

Misbehavin' Maidens @ DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Columbus - Worthington

Oct 29, 2021 - Columbus, OH

Our first public live show since March 2020! We’re performing at the Ohio Valley Filk Festival at the end of October. (Proof of vaccination + masks required.)

[othervenicefilmfestival]

Anyone interested in Sponsorship for 2020. Message Us! Get on the OVFF Board! Let's make 2020 Successful! #venicebeach #OVFF#othervenicefilmfestival #filmfestival #2020 #film #music #art (at Venice Sign) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7rGrU4B-wa/?igshid=qe9vgwdliw0w

[othervenicefilmfestival]

Special Thanks! Looner Amazing Performance! #othervenicefilmfestival #OVFF #venicefilmfest #venicevibes #music #actresslife #musicians #venice (at Venice, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3a5syKgeXA/?igshid=1m5m7aw8s7nww