Film Festival News

Reporting on film festivals

Bill Paxton Featured: The Oxford Film Festival Adds Local Films, Panels, a Special Guest, and a Gonzo 80s Sci-Fi Film Featuring in His First Role

By John Wildman 7 years ago

The 2019 Oxford Film Festival (February 6-10) announced a special screening of Tom Huckabee and Kent Smith’s TAKING TIGER MOUNTAIN REVISITED, a gonzo futuristic film project co-written by William S. Burroughs and starring Bill Paxton in his first role, and made in the late 70s/early 80s, and recently updated by Huckabee. Steve Young, the subject of Dava Whisenant’s award-winning documentary, BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY is now slated to attend the screening of that film, and the film lineups for the Oxford Community Film Night, Family Film Festival, UM Film & Theatre Shorts, Louisiana and Memphis Film Prize Shorts program, and Filmmaker Panels were also announced.

Led by Miraya Berke: Los Angeles-based Rom Com Fest will shine a spotlight on the Romantic Comedy when it debuts in June

By John Wildman 7 years ago

Led by Founder and Executive Director Miraya Berke, Rom Com Fest will screen a mix of new and classic romantic comedies, as well as hosting filmmaker panels, parties, and other events to celebrate the genre and offer a touchstone on the West Coast for film fans and filmmakers that love and create romantic comedy films and film art. Highlights will include speed dating, craft night, and a pajama party, as well as the expected moderated Q&As with filmmakers, panel discussions, red carpet, and additional networking events.

John Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT Opens Oxford Film Festival announces their competition selections as they kick off the 2019 regional film festival year

By John Wildman 7 years ago

The 2019 Oxford Film Festival (February 6-10), the first major stop on the year’s regional film festival circuit has announced John Stimpson’s GHOST LIGHT as the Opening Night Gala selection, with Jacqueline Olive’s ALWAYS IN SEASON tabbed as the fest’s Closing Night Gala selection immediately following its debut at Sundance. Another choice hot off of Sundance will be Jon Strong’s documentary, LONG TIME COMING, presented as a Special Screening. Oxford Film Festival favorite Malcolm Ingram will present his latest documentary, SOUTHERN PRIDE as a Special Screening as well. Also announced were the competition lineups for this year.

David Blue Garcia’s thriller TEJANO Opens Dallas and North Texas’s Best of Fests will be first film festival featuring all of a single city’s prominent fests joining forces for one big event fest

By John Wildman 7 years ago

The film festival community in Dallas, Fort Worth and North Texas has long been an unsung hero for film lovers locally, bringing films to audiences that they likely would never have had an opportunity to see on a big screen or even be aware of, otherwise.

Jamie Patterson’s TUCKED leads awards at The 2018 Naples International Film Festival wraps things up with their Filmmaker Awards and Steve Martin and Martin Short

By John Wildman 7 years ago

The Naples International Film Festival announced the filmmaker award winners for the film festival’s 10th edition during a Closing Night Awards ceremony presented by Richard Lublin on Sunday, October 28 at Hayes Hall (5833 Pelican Bay Blvd.) on Sunday, October 20. The Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature (and a cash prize of $3,000) went to Jamie Patterson’s TUCKED, and the Jury Prize for Best Documentary Feature (and $3,000) was given to Dava Whisenant’s BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY. Among the other awards, Dermot Murphy received the Rising Star Award for his performance in Nick Kelly’s THE DRUMMER AND THE KEEPER.

Pablo Solarz’s THE LAST SUIT leads awards at Tallgrass Film Festival announces Golden Strands Awards as they wrap this year’s fest

By John Wildman 7 years ago

The 16th Annual Tallgrass Film Festival presented by Consolidated Equities Trust (October 17-21) announced their filmmaker awards on Sunday, October 21 at the Orpheum Theater in Wichita, Kansas, prior to their Closing Night screening of Theo Love’s WHITE TIDE: THE LEGEND OF CULEBRA. Leading the pack of filmmakers receiving awards, were Pablo Solarz’s THE LAST SUIT, which received the Golden Strands Outstanding Narrative Feature Award, and Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer’s RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE, which received the Golden Strands Outstanding Documentary Feature Award.

Amélie Van Elmbt’s THE ELEPHANT AND THE BUTTERFLY leads awards at Heartland Film Festival 2018 Announces Filmmaker Awards with more than $80K in cash prizes

By John Wildman 7 years ago

The Grand Prize for Best Narrative Feature (and a cash prize of $25,000) went to Amélie Van Elmbt’s THE ELEPHANT AND THE BUTTERFLY, produced by the Dardenne Brothers and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, and the Grand Prize for Best Documentary Feature (and a cash prize of $25,000) was given to Alexandria Bombach’s ON HER SHOULDERS. Among the other awards, Kendall Goldberg’s WHEN JEFF TRIED TO SAVE THE WORLD was presented with Heartland’s first FIPRESCI Best Directorial Debut for USA Narrative Film nod and Dava Whisenant’s BATHTUBS OVER BROADWAY received the festival’s Humor and Humanity Award.

Greg Carey and Wade Jackson’s WAITING: THE VAN DUREN STORY Opens Sound Unseen previews 19th edition of Minneapolis-based music doc fest with some of this year’s film fest faves

By John Wildman 7 years ago

The Sound Unseen Film/Music/Art Festival (November 14-18) previewed this year’s 19th edition of the film festival today with an announcement of 7 initial selections. Led by the Midwest premiere of Greg Carey and Wade Jackson’s WAITING: THE VAN DUREN STORY, the list includes the return of a Sound Unseen favorite and a handful of films that will be screening for Minneapolis audiences for the first time after seeing much success on the film festival circuit.

Jonnie Stapleton ‘s FUNKY BUTT wines big! Louisiana Film Prize 2018 presents $50,000 check to winner of this year’s competition

By John Wildman 7 years ago

“This was, by far, our most exciting year – more films entered in the competition, continued growth in the overall quality of filmmaking, and with a majority of female filmmakers among the 20 finalists,” said Gregory Kallenberg, Founder and Executive Director of the Film Prize Foundation. “It was also a year with our largest audience and our closest vote, so Jonnie Stapleton and his cast and crew from ‘Funky Butt’ should be very, very proud of this win.”