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Eight Great Fests
From First-Years to Veterans, Notes from the Spring 2008 Fest Circuit
(Page 2)
MERGING FILM AND MUSIC INTO A SINGLE EVENT • For the 9th annual Crossroads Film Festival, held April 3–6, residents of Jackson, Mississippi and citizens of the world united in their love of film…and music.
With screenings of features like Control, about Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, and Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There, the fest seems to have secured a reputation for merging the two art forms. It seems obvious to festival director Herman Snell, who claims that “most filmmakers are also musicians” anyway.
“The soul of Mississippi has long fed on a rich history of blues and rock ‘n’ roll culture,” Snell says of the reason the festival also features an award for Best Music Video. “Screw MTV! Good filmmakers are in demand to make music videos for YouTube. Savvy bands are looking for video exposure online.”
Fashionable’s Cameron McCasland was the lucky moviemaker to take home the award for Best Music Video. In searching out festivals, McCasland discovered that those featuring a category for music videos were few and far between, “which is astounding when looking at the barrage of new filmmakers who have cut their teeth in that medium. Crossroads not only had that category, but seemed to have had a history of showcasing movies that deal with music. It just seemed like a good fit.”—Mallory Potosky
www.crossroadsfilmfest.com
Philadelphia Film Festival
HOMEGROWN SUPPORT IN AN INTERNATIONAL ATMOSPHERE • For two weeks in April, the City of Brotherly Love was abuzz with moviemakers of all kinds. The 17th annual Philadelphia Film Festival, which took place April 3 - 15, featured novice moviemakers like Jeremiah Zagar, whose documentary In a Dream won the award for Best First Film, as well as industry veterans like John Leguizamo, who was honored with the Artistic Achievement Award for “his distinguished acting career, his prominence as a star on the silver screen and his dedication to the world of cinema.”
As a Philly native and longtime festival attendee, Zagar’s festival screening was a dream come true, as he was able to “show the film in front of a hometown audience at a theater I’ve been attending since I was a kid.” Greg Kohs, whose Song Sung Blue was named Best Documentary, is another local who was able to enjoy some family support. Like Zagar, he drew pleasure from having friends and family in attendance.
In the end, though, the festival is about bringing exposure to a variety of hardworking moviemakers. As Thom Cardwell, development director of the Film Society, says, “It’s a way to bring together all types of filmmakers, actors, producers, screenwriters and others…from the famous to the almost-famous to the not-famous.”—Jessica Wall
www.phillyfests.com/pff
BICOASTAL EVENT PUTS THE WORLD UNDER ONE MICROSCOPE • Each year, the FirstGlance Film Festival lands in two of moviemaking’s busiest towns, hosting events in Philadelphia and Hollywood. The most recent fest took place in California from April 11–13 and featured student shorts, animation, documentary and narrative features.
Independent cinema had the spotlight as John Humber’s Dakota Skye took the Best Ensemble Cast and Best of Fest Awards. Ron Berrett won Best Director for An American in China, while Ramaa Mosley was given the same honor in the Short Narrative category for The Brass Teapot.
Best Educational Documentary went to Chad Heeter’s Two Million Minutes, about the approximate time students around the world are given to absorb the education necessary to become the future of our planet. “As an issue-focused film, we realized that we probably did not typify what most festivals wanted to screen,” says Heeter. “But FirstGlance stands out as a festival that really scrutinizes the submissions; they seek out quality independent films.”—Mallory Potosky
www.firstglancefilms.com
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COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT 
- Comment by Danny R on 5/22/09 at 9:22 am
My uncle, who lives in Sydney, attended “A Night of Horror” and raved about it.
How to Get Rid of Cold Sores.- Comment by Mike Gilson on 5/29/09 at 3:57 pm
I would love to go to one of these smaller festivals.
This story was published in the Summer 2008 MovieMaker Magazine. The headline was:
Eight Great Fests / From First-Years to Veterans, Notes from the Spring 2008 Fest Circuit
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