Photo Galleries

Louis Schwartzberg’s FANTASTIC FUNGI among Dallas’ 2nd Best of Fests film festival brings filmmakers and fest toppers together for a big weekend

By John Wildman 6 years ago

The 2020 edition of Dallas’ Best of Fests doubled down on the remarkable fact that the film festival, which incorporated more than two dozen of Dallas, Fort Worth, and North Texas’ film festivals was accomplished last year, by managing to produce a robust sequel this year. There is a rare collegial relationship between the vast majority of the film festival heads in the area and many of them share several seasonal staffers, volunteers, and, of course, audience members.

Jim Brunzell and Rich Gill lead 2019 Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival adds a Filmmaker Photo Call for the first time in the fest’s 20 years

By John Wildman 7 years ago

The Sound Unseen Film + Music Festival is a rarity in that its scope should far exceed the reach of its quartet of volunteer staff that manages to produce the film festival year-after-year. Of course, every single film festival self romanticizes the idea that they are a band of misfits and scrappy champions of film that are battling against all of the odds and the big boys each year to somehow manage to put on their event that is unlike any other around. I always love it when a film festival head earnestly tells me that they are unique in the film festival world because they “care about the filmmakers.” I mean, thank goodness there is that one film festival that does, right?!

The 2019 Naples International Film Festival has tropical red carpet featuring honoree Joey Pants

By John Wildman 7 years ago

However, NIFF has another secret weapon that makes it unique and a must stop for a filmmaker (if they can get accepted into the lineup) in the midst of their film festival tour: The Artis—Naples duo of CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen, and Executive Vice President, Artistic Operations David Filner. And let me add some context here: I worked for a number of years as the Senior Publicist for the Film Society of Lincoln Center (and all of heir film festivals and events like NYFF, New Directors, the Chaplin Gala, etc.). During the 5 years I was there, I think I saw the top guy at Lincoln Center once, possibly twice, and both were at – I kid you not – ribbon cutting ceremonies. That was it. There just wasn’t that kind of connection with the overarching ARTS umbrella organization.

The Debut of Richard Paradise ‘s Boulder Environmental/ Nature/Outdoors Film Festival brought out the city’s heavyweights in the climate activism community

By John Wildman 7 years ago

Representatives and environmental activists from the city of Boulder, as well as experts from Ocean First, and Martina Halik from THIS MOUNTAIN LIFE came out to the Dairy Arts Center to add further depth to the conversation the films inspired. In fact, the panel discussion following the screening of Richard Sorkin’s CURRENT REVOLUTION was a passionate back-and-forth about the adoption and availability of solar power as well as the updating of electricity grids. (Then, ironically, the power actually did go out during the next screening, which validated a key discussion point made in the film and during the panel.)

Executive Director Melanie Addington leads 2019 Oxford Film Festival; Filmmaker Awards Red Carpet was nothing short of EPIC!

By John Wildman 7 years ago

In person, the Oxford Film Festival is a comfort zone, an oasis for filmmakers to connect with each other and see each other’s films and enjoy that shared camaraderie while bowling on opening night (literally) or hanging out at a longtime sponsor’s southern mansion, listening to each other and discussing topics during filmmaker panels that very much feel like personal “airing-out” sessions, and, of course, watching each other’s films.

ON THE LINE director Tina Takemoto highlighted among photo call at The 2019 Chicago Underground Film Festival PHOTO GALLERY

By John Wildman 7 years ago

For three decades, the Chicago Underground Film Festival, has been just that – underground. Critically-accliamed but eschewing the pomp and circumstance trappings of film festivals like red carpets and overt press attention. However, this year CUFF decided to see if they could balance being “underground” and not be quite as “under-the-radar” when it came to the attention and recognition given to its attending filmmakers.