Film Festival News

Reporting on film festivals

Skye McLennan takes over for SLO Film Fest, announces 2022 dates and Call For Entries

By John Wildman 5 years ago

Paul Metchik, president of the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival Board of Directors, credited Eidson with many individual achievements, such as holding the first Surf Nite at the Fremont Theater featuring Riding Giants, initiating the Filmmakers of Tomorrow youth competition, staging “Hollywood and Vine’’ events that paid homage to the Festival’s beginnings as a classic film festival, and screening Citizen Kane in 2015 at the Hearst Castle private screening room, garnering worldwide attention.

Lane Michael Stanley’s Addict Named Hal leads awards for Big Bear Film Summit 2021 wraps celebratory 2nd year and first in-person outing with filmmaker awards

By John Wildman 5 years ago

Co-Founders Gabriel Horn and Michael P Hanson, said, “As filmmakers AND film fans ourselves, it was a thrill to see this this weekend instantly become a joyous coming together of the people who make the films with the people who love the films. Big Bear once again lived up to its reputation as a place that embraces the moviemaking spirit, with a rustic setting that is beloved by the people that make those movies. Our award winners exemplified that spirit, both with their wonderful films and with how they immediately felt at home in this amazing locale. We absolutely expect to see several of them returning to make their next films here.”

Chris White’s Electric Jesus Opens Waco’s Deep in the Heart Film Festival 2021 returns to theaters in July with VINYL NATION and its special themed shorts programs

By John Wildman 5 years ago

Deep in the Heart FF co-founders and directors Samuel Thomas and Louis Hunter, said, “Last year was an important step in our film festival’s continued growth as this city and area’s primary presentation of new film discoveries, but it will be incredibly exciting and fulfilling to welcome film fans back into the theater and give our filmmakers that interaction with audiences that is so vital to their development as artists.

Sevgi Hirschäuser’s Toprak leads 2021 Lake Travis Film Festival awards and wraps up gangbusters 2nd edition

By John Wildman 5 years ago

Lake Travis Film Festival Founder and Executive Director, Kat Albert, said, “We didn’t go into the second year with huge expectations, but we were blown away by the sheer numbers of the audiences and attending filmmakers. Obviously, people missed the connection of seeing films together and the magic of meeting the people behind the curtains.”

Alliance of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) and Kino Lorber team up for AWFJ Presents female-critic curated film slate

By John Wildman 5 years ago

Jennifer Merin, AWFJ president, said, “The alliance is very proud to partner with Kino Lorber for our inaugural ‘AWFJ Presents’ series to highlight some truly outstanding films by some of the world’s finest women directors. The films tell stories that are true to women’s experiences and represent women’s perspectives, but have universal appeal. We are also beyond appreciative of their enthusiasm and generosity regarding this partnership.”

Questlove’s SUMMER OF SOUL: Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival joins the Juneteenth celebration

By John Wildman 5 years ago

HSDFF Executive Director Jennifer Gerber, said, “I cannot imagine a better film than Summer of Soul to celebrate Juneteenth in Hot Springs. We are honored to be part of a collaborative event that unites the community to commemorate this significant date. Questlove’s directorial debut is one of the most anticipated documentaries of the year and we are ecstatic to share this film which captures such an amazing event with a gorgeously vivid presentation with Hot Springs’ audiences.”

Lane Michael Stanley’s Addict Named Hal Opens Big Bear Film Summit 2021 for in-person return in June after last year’s virtual debut

By John Wildman 5 years ago

BBFS CEO Gabriel Horn, added, “So many people – not just filmmakers and others in the film industry – have a new hope right now as we work our way back from the pandemic, so we thought it would be a great theme for this year’s edition of the Big Bear Film Summit. However, a constant is the quality of the films we have selected for BBFS. Only this year we will have the great pleasure of hosting our attending filmmakers and film fans against the backdrop of this gorgeous and historically Hollywood-friendly area.”

Toprak, Brauhaus Open Lake Travis Film Festival 2021 with an all in-theater, in-person fest in June

By John Wildman 5 years ago

Lake Travis Film Festival Founder and Executive Director, Kat Albert, said, “Like the rest of the country, our community has been isolated for a year, and we want our event to give people a safe space to leave their homes and experience a little bit of normalcy. Filmmakers have been isolated too and they have missed the joy and satisfaction of seeing their films screened in front of live audiences. We were fortunate to have seemingly dodged the pandemic’s course to a great extent from our debut last year to this year’s second edition, but that also makes us want to return in the best way we can both for our filmmakers and our film fans.”

Trisha Ziff’s Oaxacalifornia at Austin’s Cine Las Americas 2021 adds some free films, competition shorts, youth films and more for next month’s fest

By John Wildman 5 years ago

CLAIFF Lead Programmer Ernie Quiroz, said, “We love giving our Cine Las Americas audience and community here in Austin something special to add just that much more luster to the festival and what fits the bill better for that than a sneak preview screening here and a world and/or US premiere there? A vital part of our efforts are to do what we can to make our film festival available and accessible to everyone who wants to enjoy it. We are also excited about the scope, variety, and pure entertainment to be found in our shorts and music video competitions, as well as our Emergencia Youth films as we continue to look for and promote the next generation of filmmakers out there.”

Voodoo Macbeth leads filmmaker awards for Harlem Film Festival 2021 after ushering NYC back into the theater

By John Wildman 5 years ago

Harlem International Film Festival Program Director Nasri Zacharia said, “Our 16th edition marked the return to in-person, in-theater screenings in New York City, and our hybrid approach allowed us to continue to invite audiences throughout the state of New York to the unique blend of global cinema and local films that we have built a reputation celebrating for a decade and a half now. Harlem emphatically is a center, magnet, and inspiration for the arts, and we embrace our role in that vital and vibrant legacy.