Film Festival News

Reporting on film festivals

FILM NEWS: Farm Studios brings Hollywood-style film and TV production to Arkansas with 9500 square foot studio and production facility

By John Wildman 7 years ago

Netter, an Emmy Award-winning producer of films like WANTED, and TV series like “Preacher”, sees the potential for major film and television projects like those being drawn to the area. The rapid ascension in the film industry’s eyes of the Bentonville Film Festival, with filmmakers from around the country and the world attending the festival with their films each year, is another indicator of the potential for business and entertainment industry synergy for the creative film community.

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS: Katharine Ross will perform and introduce BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID to kick off the San Luis Obispo Film Festival’s 25th fest

By John Wildman 7 years ago

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (March 12-17) has announced that Katharine Ross will perform with The Malibu Coast Silent Film Orchestra on Opening Night to launch the 25th Anniversary edition of the popular film festival. Ross will tell the exciting true story of “Kate Shelley and the Midnight Express,” with the orchestra, prior to participating in a discussion on film and her award-winning career, and introducing a special 50th Anniversary screening of the 1969 classic, BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID.

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 8 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 8 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 8 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.