Author Archive: Herb Stratford

Tucson’s History Resurrected

March 10, 2014 | Herb Stratford

Jennie Migel-Drachman, wife of Sam Drachman, is a pioneer being featured at the cemetery tour.
photo courtesy Gloria Rosenfeld, her granddaughter.

Tucson has the distinction of being one of the longest continually inhabited locations in North America. While that history stretches back some 12,000 years, much of the early history of Tucson is lost to time. However, we are fortunate to have much of our recent history still with us both from an architectural perspective, as well as in the archives of the Arizona Historical Society.

One way to experience local history is set to take place on March 22, when the Arizona Historical Society presents their “Meet Tucson’s Pioneers” event at Evergreen Cemetery from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The event is a guided walking tour of the graves of significant Tucson pioneers coupled with living history interpreters who bring the stories of the deceased to life in period costume. Each of the eight performers has eight minutes to tell the story of their subject; following the tour, participants can speak with the re-enactors in more detail. Most have developed their own costume and story, and have been participating for years in the program.

The event brings life to notable Tucson forefathers such as Epes Randolph, George Roskruge, Sam Hughes, Jenny Drachman and T. Ed Litt, who many may only know due to local street or building names. Led by Betty Cook, an Arizona Historical Society docent, the tour also relies on a core group of people whose period dress presentations at the gravesides give a flavor unlike any other tour. This is the 11^th year of the tour, an annual event that presents different Tucson forefathers each time. Most of the highlighted individuals come from the 1850s to 1900 when our city was booming for the first time.

George Roskruge, pioneer Arizona surveyor and prominent Tucsonan.
photo courtesy of American Antique Mall/photo taken by Henry Buehman

Evergreen Cemetery, 3015 N. Oracle Rd., contains the most significant of Tucson’s prominent burials. While our city’s original cemeteries were closer to downtown, Evergreen and Holy Hope Cemetery were established when the city boundaries began pushing north and west in 1907, and remains perhaps the most significant walk through history that one can experience in a single location. But it’s not just the names on the graves that are fascinating, it’s also the evolution and style of the memorials that are of note. Obviously the religion of the deceased, financial resources and other elements were of importance at the time of death, but it’s fascinating to see the variety and style of different markers over the years. From elaborate Victorian to simple headstones, the tour is a great excuse to get out of the car and see Tucson history up close. The event draws between 150-200 guests and Evergreen Cemetery is a great supporter of the annual event, even providing the tent and chairs for guests to use before and after the tour.

With a cost of just $15 per person, this excursion into history is affordable for most, and an additional add-on after the tour that visits graves of the “Army of The Republic” for just $5 is also well worth the time and additional hour, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., on March 22. Notable figures from the additional tours include George Hand, whose diary of life in Tucson is a cult favorite, and Sidney R. DeLong, Tucson’ first Mayor in 1871 and 1872 who was also a leader of the 1871 Camp Grant Massacre.

The annual Spring Meet Tucson’s Pioneers cemetery walk takes place Saturday, March 22 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Evergreen Cemetery, 3015 N. Oracle Rd. Tickets are $15 and include light refreshments post tour. RSVP by March 17 to Betty Cook at (520) 886-3363 or via email at cbetty@cox.net. Also find more information at ArizonaHistoricalSociety.org.

ARTIFACT Dance’s Deco Dream

March 3, 2014 | Herb Stratford

“Speak Easy” features Claire Hancock, Ashley Bowman, Jilian Wereb, Shelly Steigerwald, Ben Nisbet, Chris Black and Naïm Amor.
photo: Shelly Flores

If you observe the Old Pueblo’s unique architecture, you can find elements from many different eras—Victorian to Art Deco to Modernism. But how often do those eras come to life in the arts locally? Sure, we can revel in the excitement of John Dillinger’s 1934 capture with Hotel Congress’ annual “Dillinger Days” festivities, but other events tied to a specific era are seemingly few and far between. This month, Tucson’s ARTIFACT Dance Project changes that with its world premiere performance of Speak Easy.

Speak Easy is set during the Prohibition era (1920-1933), and is a full-length concert that looks inside the speakeasy culture via New York City’s underground liquor and entertainment nightclubs. The era’s clubs gave birth to fashion, dance and music trends like no other, and films like “The Cotton Club,” “The Great Gatsby” and others have demonstrated the depth and breadth of its influence on popular culture ever since.

The Speak Easy experience in the performance is witnessed through the eyes of American journalist Lois Lang, and showcases her encounters with agents, bootleggers and flappers who break the rules to the beat of Jazz classics, and dance the night away while hiding from the law. The Speak Easy story is really the “story of a culture” as opposed to one person’s story and showcases a fascinating time in America’s history, according to ARTIFACT’s Co-Artistic Director Ashley Bowman. The combination of art, culture, music and dance of the era is a rich vein to mine, and Speak Easy presents these elements in a way new to Tucson audiences.

Part of ARTIFACT’s mission is to always collaborate with guest artists on these ambitious projects. For this production, guest composers/musicians Chris Black and Naim Amor have joined forces with ARTIFACT music director Ben Nesbit to create the score for the show. It will be performed by a live seven-piece band during the performance on stage. This, along with a dance troupe of 11, promises to make for a memorable evening in the intimacy of the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, which holds just 300 people.

The “thrill of live humanity and art forms combining” is one of the draws to this event, says Bowman, who is most proud of the company’s ongoing collaborative artistic performances, which are unique and the troupe’s trademark of sorts. Bowman says she can’t imagine not performing with live music or without collaborating in some form with other artists for its productions.

This performance may follow in the footsteps of other ARTIFACT pieces by touring here in the United States or internationally. A few years ago, an ARTIFACT show toured China, and the piece has been designed to be staged again if there is support to do so. The elaborate sets, costumes, original music and dance works created for Speak Easy deserve more than the three scheduled performances on tap. One can hope that this slice of historic, artistic heaven can continue to enchant audiences while telling the tale of an important genesis in American artistic expression.

ARTIFACT Dance Project’s “Speak Easy” takes place at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, 1713 E. University Blvd., on the campus of the University of Arizona. Performances are Friday and Saturday, March 21-22 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 23 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 general admission and $18 for students of all ages. Tickets are available at ARTIFACTDanceProject.com.

Images That Moved a Nation

February 4, 2014 | Herb Stratford

© dektol@wordpress.com, courtesy Etherton Gallery.

Danny Lyon: Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement

In the modern era, prior to the internet and the 24-hour news cycle, photographs alone had the power to galvanize public opinion around an issue, movement or story. From Jacob Riis’ How The Other Half Lives in 1890, which depicted the dire conditions of New York slums, to the 1948 Life Magazine photo essay Country Doctor by W. Eugene Smith depicting a vanishing way of life, these works moved a nation. However, one of the most significant examples of photojournalism took place in the early 1960s, capturing the civil rights movement. Images circulated, showing a way of life in the southern United States that was so different from life in other parts of the country, and were hard to fathom. Beset by journalists from around the globe, the news photographs depicted a nation in crisis and a tinderbox ready to explode.

But a fascinating thing happened when an artist, as opposed to a news organization, turned his eye towards the political firestorm. The work of renowned photographer Danny Lyon has always explored boundaries and made viewers think differently due to his subject mater and total immersion into a way of life. Lyon’s images between 1962-63 remain a staggering document of the era.

This month marks the 50^th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, and as February is also Black History month, Etherton Gallery has staged an exhibition of 50 photos from Lyon’s body of work on the subject. Lyon has continued to examine hot-button topics in his long and fruitful career. His most famous works include The Bikeriders in 1967, that documented an outlaw motorcycle gang and Conversations with the Dead, which chronicled inmates in Texas in 1971. His work depicts a way of life at that specific moment in time which still resonates today regardless of the time elapsed.

It remains hard to fathom the discrepancy in the way of life in America during this time. Lyon’s work, much like that of acclaimed photographer Robert Frank in his The Americans, captures a world unvarnished and unapologetic. In images that are as simple as a depiction of a water fountain or an entrance divided for use by different races, to images that depict the movement of unrest, arrest and civil disobedience Lyon is an observer and chronicler of a sad chapter in American history. An ironic dignity is imbued in the images of what so recently shamed our country, and the fight to change it that was so hard fought.

While much will be made of the 50^th anniversary of the landmark legislation this month, it remains somewhat easy to forget what the world looked like prior to its institution. Lyon, fresh from college and anxious to capture the world around him traveled from New York to the south at age 20 and managed to create defining and staggering works that retain their power to move an audience more than 50 years later. While many of the images appeared in a civil rights book entitled The Movement, the work may not be as familiar as his other works which he self published later in his career.

The sense of grace in the face of oppression is remarkable and even more so now that many of the people depicted in Lyon’s images are senior citizens or may have died. These images may be the only catalog of their type in the capturing of the faces and events as they happened, as Lyon was surely the only photographer on site when the photos were taken. It’s doubtful that a contemporary group of images, even on the same topic, could carry as much weight as this body of work does in the modern world. The act of revisiting them or even discovering them for the first time is quite remarkable.

Gallery owner Terry Etherton has had a long history with Lyon and he “jumped at the chance” to show the work following the successful showing of the Bikerider series in 2012. This show’s images were curated by Lyon from the larger body and printed in 2006 as one of 10 complete sets. Etherton plans to tour the show much like a museum would, following the exhibition here. Look for a Lyon talk at the UA Center for Creative Photography this spring as a companion piece to this staggering show.

Danny Lyon: Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement is on display at Etherton Gallery February 8 though April 19. The gallery is located at 135 S. Sixth Ave. More details at EthertonGallery.com or by calling (520) 624-7370.

City High School’s Downtown Roots Take Hold

January 31, 2014 | Herb Stratford

What happens when a group of teachers who are frustrated with the educational system get together to brainstorm a new learning environment? Mix in an exciting and revitalizing Downtown as a school location, and you get City High School. Now midway through its tenth year, the charter school is marking this milestone with a bricks and mortar investment, increased enrollment and renewed strength.

City High School recenty purchased its building at 48 E. Pennington St. (far right, background) along with 37 E. Pennington St., pictured here in the 1960s as the Howard and Stofft Stationery store. photo courtesy City High School

City High School recently purchased its building at 48 E. Pennington St. (far right, background) along with 37 E. Pennington St., pictured here in the 1960s as the Howard and Stofft Stationery store.
photo courtesy City High School

Since 2004, City High School has called its building at 48 E. Pennington St. (the former Cele Peterson’s fashion clothing store) home. This is in large part due to the support of the Peterson family who helped the charted school get up and running. Now, City High has completed the purchase of this building as well as the adjacent space once known as the Shoe City building (37 E. Pennington St.), and will unveil a façade renovation this month. In addition, the Paulo Freire Freedom School is set to open a middle school within the City High campus in July of 2014, which will increase students and the unique learning opportunities now available Downtown by leaps and bounds.

Carving out a space in Downtown Tucson might sound like a no-brainer today, with dynamic development taking place on nearly every corner, but in 2004, it was a leap of faith. But having made that judgement, City High’s students have had front-row seats to watch the rebirth of our urban core, like no other group.

Founded by Carrie Brennan, Eve Rifkin and Brett Goble, City High began with just 80 students in 9th and 10th grades. A key element of the learning outlined by City High at the time was their use of Tucson, and specifically Downtown Tucson, as a textbook to augment the learning experience. In addition, other core concepts that the school embraced called for the school to remain small and intimate, to enhance the learning experience, to use the real world as a textbook and to prepare students for success in college. Other unique programmatic aspects of the City High education experience of note is their senior internship program which places final year students in real-world working places, many at Downtown businesses.

Back in 2004-2005, I had a chance to work closely with the first class at City High as they assisted me at the Fox Theatre (when I was the Executive Director, overseeing the theatre’s renovation). The students helped to provide necessary research during the Fox’s renovation. I found the students to be engaged, passionate, curious and thoughtful. The specific class structure that I interacted with for this project has since morphed into a school-wide “every day, relevant real world learning” tenant that impacts all students and the community on a significant level. According to Carrie Brennan, City High’s Principal and Executive Director, being a part of Downtown was “always the dream,” as was the desire to engage students in having an active roll in their community. Brennan is excited about the growing City High alumni base that is starting to make their own impact as adults, pointing to several who are finishing college, working Downtown and otherwise utilizing the tools and skills they received at City High.

As the school founders turn their eyes toward the second decade of City High, they remain grateful for the influx of private investment that has followed them back to Downtown and are excited about what the future holds.

On Feb. 8, as part of 2nd Saturdays, City High hosts a “Renovation Celebration” from 3-6 p.m. to unveil the façade renovation of the Shoe City building (37 E. Pennington St.), honor the school’s tenth anniversary and welcome the new middle school to the campus. The new façade will be the first step in returning the old Howard and Stofft Stationery store (Shoe City) to use after many vacant years, thanks in part to a grant from the Downtown Tucson Partnership. Additional interior renovation of the building is still to come.

More information about the school and the Feb. 8 event is at CityHighSchool.org.

Exploring The Art of Storytelling

December 30, 2013 | Herb Stratford

Storytelling is one of our oldest and most revered art forms, and cinema at its best and in the right hands can be used to bring great stories to life. Film festivals are usually a great place to find compelling stories, as someone has curated them with an eye towards presenting the best. The 23rd annual Tucson Jewish International Film Festival brings together an amazing group of stories by master storytellers for Tucson audiences Jan. 12-25.

"Brave Miss World" closes the Tucson Jewish International Film Festival on Jan. Film Festival on Jan. 25. Image courtesy of Jewish Community Center

“Brave Miss World” closes the Tucson Jewish International Film Festival on Jan. 25.
Image courtesy of Jewish Community Center

The festival screens at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) Ballroom with a special early kick-off screening at the Desert View Performing Arts Center, 38759 S. Mountain View Blvd. – in Saddlebrooke, on Jan. 12. An opening night screening takes place at The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., on Jan. 18, leading into a diverse and robust schedule of narrative and documentary films at the JCC. In addition to film screenings, the festival offers panel discussions and Q & A sessions after some films with filmmakers.

Lynne Davis, Director of Arts and Culture for the JCC, expressed praise for the films chosen by the screening committee this year. “There’s such important and powerful films this year,” along with the films that also educate and enrich with their content. Davis said most attendees to the festival see between three to six films, and this year they may feel like seeing a few more based on the lineup.

A few not to be missed films include: the documentary Wagner and Me, an intriguing look at the music of German composer Richard Wagner by actor and writer Stephen Fry. As a Jew, Fry carries guilt for loving the music of Wagner, whose music was co-opted by the Nazi’s and forever besmirched, but the brilliance of Wagner’s “The Ring of the Nibelung“ operas is hard to shake. Wagner was not a Nazi, but his racist attitudes appealed to the Nazi Party, as did his grand operatic works. The film shows once at the JCC on Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.

The touching and poignant drama Any Day Now stars Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt as a gay couple in the 1970s attempting to adopt a disabled boy whose family as all but abandoned him. With a career-best performance from Cumming, the bittersweet tale is a real tearjerker with a powerful message of love despite all obstacles. Check it out Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. at the JCC.

Another fascinating documentary is American Jerusalem: Jews and the Making of San Francisco. The film details the unique role that Jews had in the founding of San Francisco during the gold rush of the 1850s. Largely cast out of Europe, the immigrant merchant class found a city of open arms and great opportunity. The legacy of that timely migration was the creation of a new type of American citizen, one both true to their Jewish heritage and also op en to the new world. The film screens Jan. 22 as part of a double feature that starts at 5 p.m. at the JCC.

Wrapping up the festival on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m. is the staggering documentary Brave Miss World. Directed by the daughter of Hollywood great Gregory Peck, Cecilia Peck traces the story of Linor Abargil, a beauty pageant contestant who was raped just months prior to being crowned Miss World by a pageant juror. Abargil’s quest to fight back and raise awareness worldwide of rape and its victims, is awe inspiring. Her passion and dedication to give voice to other victims, and tireless advocacy is remarkable. The film has been the darling of the film festival circuit, and Davis calls it “the most important film I’ve seen all year.” A special free screening of the film is also being planned post-festival at the Hillel campus for students that will feature a SKYPE Q & A with Linor Abargil on Jan. 28.

The 23rd annual Tucson International Jewish Film Festival is Jan. 12-25 at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, 3800 E. River Rd. and a few other select locations. Tickets are $8-$10 per film with discount, group and festival passes available via the film festival page of the JCC’s website at TucsonJewishFilmFestival.org.

Thirty Years of Eclectic Flicks

December 30, 2013 | Herb Stratford

Casa Video, at Grant Road and Campbell Avenue, in 1983.
photo courtesy Casa Video

For Tucson film aficionados in the early ’80s, a plethora of mom and pop video stores were available to choose from when looking for a specific film on VHS. But in the summer of 1983 an entirely new kind of store opened on Grant Road just east of Campbell Avenue – Casa Video.

But this store wasn’t just another place to try to score a copy of War Games, Trading Places or Flashdance. In addition to popular movies, Casa Video stocked art films, documentaries and best of all, foreign titles. It was almost like a little piece of Manhattan dropped down in Tucson. We could finally locate the films our professors were referencing in class without mail order. Over the years, Casa has become the go-to place for so many film-savvy Tucsonans that it’s almost impossible to visit the store and not see a friend or colleague also browsing the aisles.

Co-owners and siblings Ray Mellenberndt and Gala Schwab’s parents owned a small movie theatre in Iowa, so growing up around the movies made opening a video store a natural occupational choice. Casa even expanded to two locations when they added their Speedway store in 1985, which became their only location when the Grant Road store closed in 1999. Ironically, the rise of streaming and the splintering of content providers is the greatest challenge, but a loyal fan base is unlikely to abandon Casa.

So how has this brother-sister operation survived for thirty years while nearly every other local video store has been taken to the woodshed? We’ve seen Redbox, Blockbuster and a half a dozen other national chains come and go in Tucson, but Casa Video continues to be there for our weekly artistic, cinematic fix.

According to Schwab, the siblings still love the business, and are always looking for ways to improve the customer experience. Lately the addition of new sodas and unique snack candy has been added to the mix, which may provide an edge unseen elsewhere. They have also adjusted to the digital age, offering online ordering for mailing or in-store pick up from their website.

With just 1,000-1,500 independent video stores remaining in the U.S. today, the business is dramatically different from when Gala and Ray began. Gala remembers going to Phoenix to visit distributor’s warehouses where they would “push shopping carts down aisles pulling films down that interested them.”

Casa Video, on Speedway, in 1989.
photo courtesy Casa Video

The pair initially pooled their resources to buy up a closing store’s inventory to start Casa Video, and then focused on what they liked, namely foreign films and documentaries. And in Tucson they found a kindred audience, accumulating customers who also liked those things.

It’s perhaps that experience of “reading the box” while standing in the aisles, looking for a new gem, that makes Casa so special. There’s so much to see, and the way titles are arranged makes the hunt and discovery a fun experience for customers. And to top it all off, the staff is a font of knowledge willing to assist, recommend and discuss titles if asked. In fact, the “staff picks” shelf by checkout is often a great place to see how hip and knowledgeable one is, as well as a great place to grab a last minute film of interest.

When asked if there was one title that truly surprised them for its popularity, a film that was not mainstream but was rented almost to death, Gala offers the 1986 French film “Betty Blue” as a memorable surprise. Most likely this is not a title that would have graced Blockbuster’s shelves.

So do yourself a favor. Go to Casa Video, become a member if you aren’t already, and spend some time exploring. Go upstairs, look for a gem by a favorite director, find a documentary you’ve heard about and take it home. If you’re not going to experience a film in a theatre, at least visit Casa to support a local favorite and likely you will see your friends there. It’s not surprising that a place like Casa can thrive in Tucson. Gala and Ray must have known that when they started their company’s journey 30 years ago.

Casa Video is open daily 10 a.m.–1 a.m. and is located at 2905 E. Speedway Blvd. and online at CasaVideo.com. Call (520)326-6314 for more details.

A Fall Cinematic Classic

November 3, 2013 | Herb Stratford

“Narco Cultura” screens during The Loft’s film festival.
photo courtesy The Loft Cinema

A curious and diverse mix of films – including acclaimed titles from around the festival circuit, as well as a few undiscovered gems – plays out on The Loft Cinema’s screens Nov. 7-11 as part of the theatre’s forth annual film festival.

As in past years, the mix of film speaks to social justice, master storytelling and compelling imagery from both established cinematic voices, as well as a new generation of filmmakers. With a great line up of films over four days, there are many that are well worth the trip, and you may even find yourself having to make some hard choices on what to see.

Strong documentary features, covering a variety of topics, are a major part of the festival this year. Narco Cultura is a breathtaking examination of the dual nature of the drug trade on contemporary Mexican life. The film examines the fascination of the drug world’s signature lifestyle, as glorified by narco corridos, and the terrifying work done by crime scene investigators in Juarez, as they try to keep up with rising tide of collateral victims. Shot beautifully, and full of jaw dropping facts, this is one film not to miss.

On a different note, the sweet and charming film Dear Mr. Watterson traces the history of one of the world’s favorite comic strips—Calvin and Hobbs. The film examines the impact of the strip, which ran for ten years from 1985–1995, on the public and other comic artists. It also examines the legacy of one unique artist who both refused to compromise on his vision, and in the process left a rich legacy unmatched by any other in the field.

Also in the documentary field is the sobering piece by Peter Nicks, The Waiting Room, which looks at an emergency room in Oakland, CA from multiple perspectives and paints a dire picture of modern health care as has never before been seen on screen.

Narrative features from around the world of note include the compelling film A Teacher, about a relationship between a high school teacher and her student; Il Fururo, about an unlikely romance between an aging film star and a would-be burglar in Italy, and the new film from director John Sayles, Go For Sisters, in which a pair of estranged friends unite to try to find one of their sons, who has gone missing in Mexico.

The film Mr. Nobody, originally completed in 2009, is finally seeing the light of day. It stars Jared Leto as the oldest human on earth as he looks back on the choices in his life, intermixed with multiple strands of reality. The film is an interesting mash up of sci-fi and drama. A Case of You is a romantic comedy with a killer cast including Evan Rachel Wood and Justin Long, with great cameos from Brendan Fraser, Peter Dinklage and Vince Vaughn. The film examines love in the modern age when over-sharing of information can lead to imagined perfect relationships.

“Mr. Nobody,” starring Jared Leto and Sarah Polley, shows at The Loft’s fim festival. Photo courtesy The Loft Cinema

But there’s more, of course. One does not go to The Loft expecting to see just normal film festival fare. The odd, unique and special are represented this year with a few signature events. First up is a screening of Willow Creek, which springs from the mind of comedian Bobcat Goldthwait, who last surprised us with the excellent and telling story God Bless America. This time he has created a found footage-style horror film about a couple’s search for Bigfoot. Goldthwait will be in person at the event.

Also look for a special screening of The Nightmare Before Christmas with special guest Pete Kozachik (brother of city councilman Steve Kozachik), who was on the effects team for the film and presents the anniversary showing of Tim Burton’s classic tale. There will also be a screening of The Room, long thought to be the worst movie ever made, which now has a cult-like following.

For a full line up of films in this year’s fest, the schedule of screening times, and costs visit LoftCinema.com/loft-film-fest. The Loft is located at 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Call (520) 795-7777 for showtimes, call the box office at (520) 795-0844 for more information.

On the Road: An Intersection of Music & Film

October 6, 2013 | Herb Stratford

“The Last Safari,” directed by UofA alumni Matt Goldman.
photo: Elizabeth L. Gilbert

In the hands of a good filmmaker, music and film are powerful storytelling partners.

The 9^th annual Tucson Film and Music Festival (TFMF), un-spooling Oct. 10-13, has once again compiled compelling stories that highlight the intersection of music, film and the human experience. With a line-up featuring Arizona premiere screenings as well as a few Southwestern premieres, festival honcho Michael Toubassi and his crew are bringing intriguing tales to Tucson that shine a light on the travails of the road and the toll it can take on the musicians who spend so much time traveling it.

This year’s opening night documentary, We Always Lie To Strangers, is a fascinating look at the world of Branson, Missouri and the musical families who have built their living performing for tourists. The interconnected family drama that plays out behind the curtain in this film is both poetic and a bit sad – not at all glamorous as one might believe it to be. A stand-out favorite at this spring’s SXSW film fest, the movie is by director AJ Schnack, who made the documentary Kurt Cobain: About A Son, among other films. Schnack brings his unique vision of Branson’s entertainers to the screen with brutal and potent honesty.

I Am Not A Rock Star is an equally captivating documentary by director Bobbi Jo Hart that follows classical pianist Marika Bournaki, from age 9 to 20, as she navigates the difficult path to fame and the toll it takes on her family and everything else in her life. Fame and glory come at what cost? A staggering reminder of the dues paid by child prodigies, this unflinching documentary should be seen by every stage parent.

Festival director Toubassi is “excited about everything” on the schedule, and particularly proud of the perfect storm of films that all coalesced around the theme of travel, movement, the road and music. With any festival, the unknowns of what will be submitted hold programmers hostage, but this year a strong group of films came in that address these topics poignantly.

Other films of note include:

The Last Safari, a documentary that tracks photographer Elizabeth L. Gilbert’s quest through Africa to revisit people she had photographed years ago and the journey’s trials and tribulations.
Don’t Follow Me (I’m Lost) is a “gritty” tour film about folk rocker Bobby Bare Jr.
If We Shout Loud Enough, a documentary about the Baltimore punk scene and the band Double Dagger, is a gem for punk fans.

But it’s not just big film festival feature-length movies on this year’s schedule. A robust shorts program is also on tap, showcasing both local work as well as submitted films and music videos; it is a great opportunity to see local filmmakers’ creations on the big screen.

The TFMF has developed a reputation for presenting films and stories that are strongly character driven and unique; examples are last year’s standouts Strutter and History of Future Folk. These festivals are often the only place to experience films of this nature, and the focus on music as a key element in the films is an homage to the strong relationship of film and music in Tucson.

Tucson Film And Music Festival screenings are at three different locations. Opening night is Thursday, Oct. 10 at La Cocina, 201 N. Court Ave., and features live music. The following night’s screenings are at The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Saturday and Sunday’s screenings are at the Century El Con 20 Cinema, 3601 E. Broadway Blvd. Visit TucsonFilmandMusicFestival.com for the complete schedule and ticket information.

Arizona Underground Film Fest Digs Deep

August 31, 2013 | Herb Stratford

Still from “Loves Her Gun.”
photo courtesy AZUFF

The sixth annual Arizona Underground Film Festival is like a curated trip through several genre film festivals, all rolled into one. With a diverse mix of styles – horror, documentary, narrative, experimental and even animated – the fest is a great way to see the highlights without having to see the other less spectacular films that you might encounter.

Festival director/founder David Pike has done an impressive job again this year with his line up of eclectic titles that are at times mesmerizing and hauntingly beautiful. Not only is Pike nabbing Arizona premieres and screenings of films that have premiered at fests like Sundance and South By Southwest (SXSW), he has also created a name for his scrappy fest on the circuit that enables him to get world premieres occasionally.

According to Pike, the core vision for the AZUFF is “a best of midnight and underground film festival, along with world premiere films.” With submissions increasing every year, and the reputation of the fest growing globally, Tucsonans again are in for a real treat.

Still from “Worm.”
photo courtesy AZUFF

One film in this year’s line up stands out for me as a must-see is the film Worm. I can be a bit jaded as a film writer and critic, seeing between 750-1000 films a year, but occasionally something causes me to rave to anyone who will listen, that they must see what I’ve just witnessed. Worm is that film for a number of reasons. The story itself is that of a man wrongly framed for a murder and his quest to find the real killer and clear his name. But what makes Worm special is the technical and aesthetic sides of the production. The black and white film is shot as one continuous take, a 90 minute shot without edits or breaks. And on top of that it is the first film to be shot entirely with a chest-mounted GoPro Hero 2 camera strapped to its lead actor, Andrew Bowser. The resulting film, a Neo-Noir affair of sorts is mesmerizing.

A strong documentary film in this year’s line up, Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction, is hauntingly beautiful for both its cinematography and at the times when the film’s subject breaks into song. Long used as a character actor by a legion of directors, Stanton has a chance to shine in this film, which serves as a retrospective through his amazing career as well as a look at his personal life. The film debuted at SXSW in March and left audiences stunned. Its screening at the AZUFF will be followed by a wide release from the distributor who bought it at the festival.

Another narrative film of note is Loves Her Gun, which also came out of this year’s SXSW film festival. The story is about a woman who flees New York City following a mugging to start over in Austin, Texas; the film details her struggles to feel truly safe. Before long she falls in with the local firearm culture of Austin and begins to fancy herself an avenging angel. As you can imagine, complications arise. The film has generated some controversy for its portrayal of gun culture and violence. The resulting film is a romantic tragedy of sorts. It features an excellent cast and the soundtrack was done by Tucson’s Howe Gelb.

Additional films of note on this year’s schedule include: White Reindeer about a woman’s quest for “normal” following her husband’s death near Christmas, Very Extremely Dangerous is about singer Jerry McGill’s battle with cancer, In The House of Flies, a new horror film from Henry Rollins and the campy new film Fateful Findings, which premiered this year at the Seattle Film Festival.

The Arizona Underground Film Festival takes place Sept. 13-21 at The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St. Opening night takes place at the Crossroads Cinema at 4811 E. Grant Rd. For more information on films and tickets, visit AZUFF.com.

Arizona Biennial: A “State of Art” Exhibition

July 18, 2013 | Herb Stratford

Anh-Thuy Nguyen, “Thuy & Rice”, 2011, Still Shots, Video, 4:34 minutes.

What does art in Arizona look like today? Do artists in Tucson do the same type of work as Phoenix based artists? Is painting dead? What the heck is an installation?

Every two years the Tucson Museum of Art undertakes an ambitious exhibition that attempts to answer these questions and highlights contemporary art as it is being created by Arizona artists in a single show like no other. The “Arizona Biennial” is open to any artist residing in the state and is always an fascinating survey of how artists are working and what their work looks like. For the past few iterations, the show has been guest curated by a single, invited juror. This arrangement offers two benefits, first all artists who submit to the show have their work seen by a prominent art world curator, and secondly the final show is often a representation of our state’s artists by an outside, unbiased eye. This year the guest juror is Rene Paul Barilleaux, chief Curator of Art after 1945 at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas.

Barilleaux selected “a large number of installations and videos” for inclusion this year according to Tucson Museum of Art curator Julie Sasse. “His unique vision will prove to be a factor in this exciting new look at Arizona art” said Sasse. This year the Biennial features five installations and six video artworks. That coupled with 28 paintings, 12 sculptures and 12 photographs, 15 works on paper and two mixed media pieces, it makes for a diverse and eclectic range of genres in one place. The 80 selected works were drawn from over 1,250 that were submitted by 419 artists around the state. 62 different artists are represented with a slight edge of male over female artists this year. The Phoenix area is home to 22 selected artists, while there are 34 Tucson based artists in the mix, along with 4 hailing from Flagstaff.

Craig Cully (Tucson), “Conviction: A Soft Punch”, 2012, Oil on panel 12.75″ x 12″.

Paintings make up a large percent of the wall space at the biennial again this year with several well known figurative artists presenting strong new works. Tucson favorites Daniel Martin Diaz, Craig Cully, James Cook and Michael Stack are represented with their powerful and unique visions. Former University of Arizona School of Art head and public artist Moira Marti-Geoffrion, and mixed media artist Michael Cajero also present strong works that speak to their unusual use of materials and presentation styles.

But perhaps looking beyond the recognizable names is the true allure of a show like the biennial. Work by emerging, or under-exposed artists from around the state lets us see how artists are responding to social, political and gender issues, along with how they are reacting to new media and non-traditional modes of expression. While this show represents the view of a single juror, and is based upon the submissions that were received, it is also a curious snapshot of a moment in time, and by looking at this show every two years, art aficionados can truly take stock of what contemporary art in Arizona looks like.

The Arizona Biennial exhibition opens on July 19 with a reception from 6-8pm. The show will be on display at the TMA through September 29 in the main exhibition space. The museum is located at 140 North Main Avenue. TucsonMuseumOfArt.Org

Over 1,250 works were submitted to Arizona Biennial 2013 and 80 pieces were selected for the exhibition. This is the oldest running juried exhibition featuring exclusively Arizona artists.

The 2013 Participating Artists are:

Noé Badillo (Tucson)

Robert Barber (Tucson)

Kristin Bauer (Tempe)

Jesse Berlin (Tucson)

Brent Bond (Scottsdale)

Michael Cajero (Tucson)

Christopher Colville (Phoenix)

James A. Cook (Tucson)

Craig Cully (Tucson)

Kerstin Dale (Flagstaff)

Bill Dambrova (Flagstaff)

Jennifer Day (Tucson)

Karen deClouet (Tucson)

Daniel Martin Diaz (Tucson)

Simon Donovan and Rebecca Horton (Tucson/Tucson)

Fausto Fernandez (Phoenix)

Jacob Fisher (Tempe)

Dan Fogel (Tempe)

Moira Marti Geoffrion (Tucson)

Sarah Gill (Tucson)

Jennifer Holt (Flagstaff)

Christopher Jagmin (Phoenix)

Mohammed Reza Javaheri (Phoenix)

Alan Bur Johnson (Jerome)

Devin Kelly (Flagstaff)

Ron Kovatch (Tucson)

Wen Hang Lin (Mesa)

Larry Valencia Madrigal (Glendale)

Michael Marlowe (Phoenix)

Monica Aissa Martinez (Phoenix)

Jill Marie Mason (Tempe)

Tom Mickelson (Tucson)

Eddie Mitchell (Scottsdale)

John Randall Nelson (Tempe)

Anh-Thuy Nguyen (Tucson)

Michael Nolan (Tucson)

George Peñaloza (Tucson)

Anthony Pessler (Phoenix)

Mark Pomilio (Tempe)

Teri Pursch (Tucson)

Rembrandt Quiballo (Tempe)

Doug Rautenkranz (Tucson)

Amanda Ivy Reed (Tucson)

Eduardo L. Rivera (Tempe)

Aaron Thomas Roth (Tucson)

Phil Rowland (Tempe)

Sarah Rowland (Tempe)

Dave Sayre (Tucson)

Steven Schaeffer (Flagstaff)

James Schaub (Tucson)

Henry Leo Schoebel (Phoenix)

Edwina Scott (Tucson)

Gary Setzer (Tucson)

Martina Shenal (Tucson)

Shannon Smith (Tucson)

Mano Sotelo (Tucson)

Shawna Leigh Spargur (Tucson)

Mike Stack (Tucson)

Karen Strom (Sonoita)

Hiro Tashima (Tucson)

Rossitza Todorova (Tempe)

Kathleen Velo (Tucson)

Angie Zielinski (Tucson)

Wen Hang Lin, “Day_09-09 from 10-29 to 17-18″, 2012, Computer recording of mouse movement, digital inkjet output on photo rag paper, 12″ x 40”.