John Wildman

FESTIVAL NEWS: The Dallas Comedy Festival announces full lineup for this year's fest – so big they needed to add another stage

By John Wildman 8 years ago

The Dallas Comedy House today announced its full lineup for this year’s Dallas Comedy Festival (March 27-31), led by former SNL comedienne Sasheer Zamata and the award-winning Chicago Improv/Sketch group 3Peat. Featuring 26 comedians and 45 improvisation, sketch, and comedy teams, the Dallas Comedy Festival continues to grow, as the fest has added a second location for performances (Independent Bar & Kitchen at 2712 Main Street) in addition to the Dallas Comedy House (3025 Main Street) to truly make Deep Ellum the city and state-wide comedy hub for what promises to be a hilariously exciting four-day festival.

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: EARTHxFilm 2018 Announces an Online Student Film Competition & STRIKE OUT STRAWS Campaign

By John Wildman 8 years ago

EarthxFilm presented by EarthX (formerly Earth Day Texas) today announced the details for their 2018 Online Short Film Competition for students, ages 12 to 21, offering a total of $12,000 in prize money for the winning filmmakers. Also announced was a year-round effort to STRIKE OUT STRAWS starting with EarthxFilm’s own event (April 13-22) and continuing with an educational awareness campaign through local area schools and businesses. The goal is to replace, remove, and/or prevent the use of at least one million single use plastic straws in North Texas in 2018.

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: The 2018 San Luis Obispo Film Festival Announces Film Slate with Bollywood, surfing movies, the Beat Generation, Wine, Food, and more!

By John Wildman 8 years ago

The San Luis Obispo Film Festival (March 13-18) has announced its full slate of films with a jam-packed schedule of events of film, wine, and food, including a Bollywood themed Opening Night Gala featuring Shubhashish Bhutiani’s HOTEL SALVATION, and SLO’s signature ode to surfing with their annual “Surf Nite” blow out and a “Movies by the Bay” surfing movie double feature. Special Presentations include screenings highlighting The Beat Generation, “Movies for Wine Lovers,” a Central Coast Filmmakers Showcase, and movie classics, in addition to an impressive lineup of narrative and documentary films in competition. The line-up includes 139 films (20 narrative features, 34 documentary features, and 85 short films) representing 19 countries.

FILM NEWS: Studio Movie Grill's CEO/Founder Brian Schultz to be honored with The Stodghill Award at first DFS Spotlight Luncheon

By John Wildman 8 years ago

The Dallas Film Society will honor Studio Movie Grill CEO/Founder/Owner Brian Schultz with The Stodghill Award, which celebrates an individual and their long-term efforts in supporting the art of film, at the DFS Spotlight Luncheon next Wednesday, February 21, at the Four Corners Brewing Company (1311 South Ervay Street).

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: The 2018 Oxford Film Festival announces award-winners for 15th Anniversary edition of fest

By John Wildman 8 years ago

The 2018 Oxford Film Festival celebrated the best of the fest with an entertaining awards ceremony emceed by Crooked Marquee’s Eric D. Snider, often comically channeling Oxford literary legend William Faulkner, at the Powerhouse (413 S. 14th Street) on Saturday, February 10, highlighted by the announcement of Hoka awards for Arturo Perez Torres and Aviva Armour-Ostroff’s THE DRAWER BOY for Best Narrative Feature, Nick Taylor’s THE ORGANIZER for Best Documentary Feature, Itako’s BOYS FOR SALE for Best LGBTQ Feature, and the presentation of the Lisa Blount Memorial Acting Award to Catherine Eaton for her performance in THE SOUNDING.

FILMS GONE WILD: My four favorite genre – Park City at Midnight category – at Sundance 2018

By John Wildman 8 years ago

Sundance is really a friend to horror and genre films no longer. You get the feeling looking at the schedule the last couple of years that there seems to be a preference for GREASY STRANGLER outlandishness and cinematic pranks, as opposed to breathtaking “scare the crap out of you” cinema. Who is the genre lover in the programming staff? Something tells me they wouldn’t admit to it if there was one.

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: Indie Memphis hires Miriam Bale as new Senior Programmer, also announces Call for Entries for 2018

By John Wildman 8 years ago

The Indie Memphis Film Festival today announced that journalist and film programmer Miriam Bale has been hired to be the film festival’s Senior Programmer. Indie Memphis also seized the occasion to announce the festival will start accepting submissions on Monday, January 15, for its 21st edition, which will take place November 1-5, 2018.