Film Festival News

Reporting on film festivals

Patricia Velásquez Guzmán’s APEGO Leads Cine Las Americas Awards from CLA2020 Virtual Showcase

By John Wildman 6 years ago

CLA Executive Director Jean Anne Lauer said, “It was vitally important to all of us associated with Cine Las Americas that we find a way to give these films and the filmmakers who created them a dedicated platform, even in the midst of shut downs, stay-at-home orders, and of course, every adjustment we all needed to make concerning our health and those around us. What resulted was a special event and coming together of our filmmakers, audiences, staff, and community. Regardless of it being in a virtual space, we made those connections Cine Las Americas is famous for.”

Oge Egbounu’s (In)visible Portraits Opens Bentonville Film Festival’s 6th edition debuts with a virtual/drive-in hybrid approach

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Wendy Guerrero , President of Programming of Bentonville Film Festival said: “ Our team has worked hard over the past few months to rethink and rebuild our Festival for 2020, always drawing on our mission to champion underrepresented voices, which has grown even more urgent as we continue these challenging circumstances. Our 2020 program is a celebration of art and diversity, perseverance, and talent. The films in this year’s lineup showcase what we’ve known all along: representation in media, means better content for all.

Olivia Peace’s TAHARA Opens Women Texas Film Festival announces slate of films for virtual fest August 13-16 with an emphasis on LGBTQIA+ and provocative docs

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Walford added, “We love being part of the international movement to showcase female filmmakers and we know we must continue our efforts with even more force so that we change the filmmaking industry in hiring an equitable gender ratio. Our goal has always been to show the range of the female storyteller, and the depths to which women can take us via their work in film- whether it be emotional, visual, introspective, startling, shocking, and horrific.

Annual $25,000 “Of a Certain Age” filmmaking grant launched in memory of Lynn Shelton

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Shelton often spoke of feeling inspired after seeing filmmaker Claire Denis speak at Northwest Film Forum and learning that Denis did not make her first feature until age 40. Shelton went on to make her own first feature film (We Go Way Back) at the age of 39. In the years since, she built a prolific canon of feature and television work and made an indelible mark on the landscape of American cinema.

Fest Founders Samuel Thomas and Louis Hunter Annc Waco’s Deep in the Heart Film Festival FILM Goes All-Virtual with fest set for September

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Once the decision was made to pivot to an all-virtual presentation, Thomas and Hunter immediately began working with the staff to ensure that not only was that essential element not lost, but that they would have fun and use their creative muscles to bring the Deep in the Heart experience to people’s homes. As Programming Director Maverick Moore said, “It’s going to be good old fashioned fun at the movies… but this time it’ll be at your house.”

Dan Wingate’s KAYE BALLARD – THE SHOW GOES ON Launches Oxford Film Fest’s 12th Week of Programming focuses on women and doubles the fun at the drive-in

By John Wildman 6 years ago

Oxford Film Festival Executive Director Melanie Addington said, “We’ve decided to ramp up in our last 6 weeks of the virtual festival with more Q&As and titles each week while also launching a second drive in location in Water Valley. This year’s big experiment has proven that one thing remains true – people love movies and we feel so lucky to be able to provide safe ways to still enjoy them this year.”

Oliver Mays’ drama BITTER FLOWERS launches CineCina; debuts mobile phone film festival CineCina iFest

By John Wildman 6 years ago

CineCina Film Festival Co-Director of Programming Frank Yan, said, “The last decade has solidified how much we all rely on our mobile devices. For most of us, the small screen of our phones has become the most essential interaction tool. At the same time, film, while being an art form created for the big screen, has found a home on our phones just as it has on big screen televisions, desktop and laptop computers.