Film

Dreaming Big. Really Big. In Widescreen Even.

May 11, 2013 |

Help Wanted

Filmmaking students often toil in obscurity with only their family, friends and fellow filmmakers for support while they work on a project. They rarely get a chance to see their work on the big screen, with all of the related hoopla and attention of their “professional” peers. Well, that’s not how it works at the University of Arizona’s School of Theatre, Film and Television. The annual showing of the final film projects by Bachelor of Fine Arts students again takes place at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Saturday, May 11 at 7pm. This year the program will feature the work of 17 different directors who are presenting the fruit of a yearlong legacy on film.

As in years past, the mix of thesis films this year includes a variety of topics and genres including documentaries, rock operas, romantic comedies and music videos. The films are also vying for a significant prize, $5,000 in film services by FotoKem of L.A. This is the third time the company has supported the event, which represents a strong interest in the UA’s students from the Hollywood industry company. The competition will be judged by a panel of significant jurors including: Claudette Godfrey, the short film programmer for the South by Southwest film festival; Brenda Lhormer, director of the Napa Valley Film Festival; and Kathleen McInnis, film curator and director of industry programming for the Palm Springs ShortsFest.

Lisanne Skyler, Associate Professor at the school of Theatre, Film and Television is hard pressed to nail down a theme of this year’s films. She did feel that all the films were “ambitious” and “pushing the student’s ideas out” but was also quick to state that the filmmakers are also very aware and “care about the audience for their work, and want to make sure they are communicating with the audience whatever it is that they are doing.” Skyler is also proud to mention that recent UA school film grads are making a splash in the festival world with recent films being accepted at the Aspen Shorts Film Festival and Palm Springs Shorts Film Festival.

The wide range of films at this year’s iteration is a first according to Skyler in regards to having everything from animation to documentary along with sci-fi, drama, romance and comedy. The students also seem to be benefiting from the recent increase in hi-tech equipment, which is allowing for a greater range of styles and finishes thanks to Canon cameras and other advances in the industry. But as the old adage goes, it all comes down to story, and no new, fancy camera or technical skill can make a poor story good.

A few films that were available at press time included a dark comedy set in a convenience store entitled “Help Wanted” which is both well done and a sad statement on the current economic climate, and “Ljosio,” which is a music video of sorts married to a dance performance with striking visuals and a haunting soundtrack. Also of note are the films “Allergic To Love” about a man who believes his romantic troubles are really an allergy; “Dad’s Space Mission” which is a mock-umentary about a quest to launch a loved one’s ashes into space; and the science fiction film “Grey State” about a future world where the psychic powers of citizens are exploited by the government.

I Dream In Widescreen, Saturday, May 11 at 7pm at the Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 West Congress Street. The screening is free and open to the public, and doors open at 6pm. Seating fills up, so arrive early. 

More info at http://tftv.arizona.edu


 

Arizona International Film Festival

April 10, 2013 |

El efecto K. El Montador de Stalin

Where can you see over 130 different films, from 32 different countries, over a period of just 17 days? No, it’s not the Sundance Film Festival, or even the Toronto International Film Festival, which would require travel to some cold locales. The answer, for the 22nd year in a row, is the Arizona International Film Festival.

The festival features narrative features, documentary features, narrative and documentary shorts and student films throughout its run, which takes place at both the Grand Cinema on East Grant Road, (the old Crossroads Theatres) and downtown at the Screening Room, on East Congress Street.

Guilio Scallinger, the founder and long time leader of the AZIFF, has a lot to be proud of this year as the festival has truly become an international “discovery festival” with the potential for viewers to find the “next generation of emerging filmmakers“ without leaving home. While many fests feature cinema from around the world, the AZIFF has quietly built up a reputation as one of the places to get your work seen, for non-US filmmakers and word of mouth has led to this year’s bonanza of foreign titles. A whopping 18 films of the 40 narrative titles are from far-away lands, which is a new record.

Scallinger is proud of the fact that the festival is truly a “filmmaker’s festival” where all filmmakers are treated equally. Whether their films is a short, or feature length work, the AZIFF levels the playing field for those who show their first film or latest opus. Scallinger admits that he is also proud of the fest’s alumni who in many cases have gone on to stardom. Directors like Bryan Singer, who had his first film in the AZIFF prior to making big budget and critically acclaimed fare like “The Usual Suspects,” and the first two “X-Men” films. Often times the AZIFF is the first place you can see future award-winning titles like this year’s Academy Award winning short “Inocente,” which debuted at the fest last year prior to winning the top prize in February.

One film that Scalinger is excited about is the experimental Spanish film “El efecto K. El Montador de Stalin” (The K Effect, Stalin’s Editor) that blends reality and fantasy with archival footage and imagined drama. The film will be a US premiere, and will also be the focus of a panel discussion, one of six panels during the festival. Also of note are the 11 youth film short films that are curated from submissions by student filmmakers. Other highlights include the documentaries “Bat City” and “Glacial Balance”.

Once again this year the festival will kick-off with a special opening night extravaganza at the Grand Cinemas. A special themed “Cinema Hop” will pay homage to the sock-hop of old, and will feature films on multiple screens along with an opening night party. The closing night screenings and party will also take place at the Grand, with most other screenings at the Screening room.

Another new development this year is a new website for the festival which now is much more robust and allows users to search by theme and to build a schedule for their specific interests, both shorts and feature length. Scallinger boasts this functionality is even more advanced than what the Sundance Film Fest offers to its attendees. For more information and a full schedule of films and screening times visit FilmFestivalArizona.com.

“Catnip: Egress To Oblivion” Wows at Sundance

March 22, 2013 |

Tucson filmmaker Jason Willis’ journey to indie credibility reached an apex of sorts with the recent Sundance Film Festival screening of his short film “Catnip: Egress To Oblivion.” Willis, who grew up on a steady diet of low budget educational films in his home in Kansas, has become a sought-after freelance filmmaker with clients including the band Heavy, who hired him for their video of the song “Can’t Play Dead.” That video featured Willlis’ signature stop motion animation created on an iPhone blended with vintage Halloween imagery drawn from vintage sources. His commercial work, which he described as “ephemeral, and of a specific genre” enables him to bring the “iconography of another era to modern audiences who may not be familiar with the source material”, by using the old classroom educational films he so masterfully spoofs in “Catnip”, for example.

At this year’s Sundance Film Festival in Park City, his short film played to full houses in three screenings in front of a Roger Corman produced film titled “Virtually Heroes.” This double bill was a unique opportunity that left fest audiences cheering. The seven minute-long short film examines the effects of catnip, through the prism of the infamous anti-narcotic educational films of the 70s. Presented in monotone narration and featuring odd scientists, trippy visuals and cat testimonials, the film was a hit in all of its screenings in late January at the Festival.

The film had its genesis as a self-assignment to help Willis learn an editing program. Three weeks later he submitted the film to the Loft Cinema’s First Friday Shorts where it won after a heated battle. It played next at the AZ Underground Film Festival and then was accepted to the AFI Fest in Los Angeles where it caught the eye of Sundance programmers. The film is now on its way around the country to other film fests, and Willis is still in awe of what has happened with his film.

Shot with a Canon 5D Mark III, and costing just $25 (for catnip, or is it called craft services?), the film was a labor of love with friends’ cats providing the on-screen talent for the 3 week shoot. Since its debut on YouTube the film has chalked up over 400,000 views. This total was enough (by over 100,000) to win the short film a coveted Sundance audience award, beating the closest competitor by over 100,000 views. While collecting cheers from audiences, Willis also attracted some scorn from other filmmakers who saw the cat video as less than serious fare, however the winning combination of cats, the internet and drugs is hard to beat. Ironically, some viewers are taking issue with his depiction of psychotropic drugs as a serious condemnation of their benefit, but honestly, the film depicts talking cats and trippy imagery, mixed with expert testimony from authors of imaginary studies.

Willis says the film is “95% factual” and stands by his version of the story of catnip.

He said he researched the substance extensively prior to writing the script (which the cats refused to follow) and found little conclusive evidence to its evils or benefits. Much like the educational films of our youth, we are left to draw our own conclusions about the benefits of a cat’s best friend—catnip.

“Catnip: Egress To Oblivion” can be seen on YouTube.

Tucson Cine Mexico Film Festival

March 22, 2013 |

El Lenguaje de los Machetes/Machete Language, screens Saturday, March 23, 7pm at Harkins Theatres

Delivering An Ultimate Film Combination Platter For 2013

The 8th Annual Tucson Cine Mexico Film Festival, which brings the best films in contemporary Mexican Cinema to town, will have its most eclectic line up ever when it debuts March 20-24. The festival, presented in partnership by the Hanson Film Institute at the University of Arizona, the Ambulante Documentary Film Festival and the Cinema Tropical Film Festival, presents a diverse group of films that may otherwise go unseen in the United States for lack of a distributor. This year the range of films includes a romantic comedy, a horror/comedy, documentaries, shorts and important narrative features from established and up-and-coming filmmakers.

This year the festival is presenting its first award, the Tucson Cine Mexico Jaguar Award to the film that most impacted the festival’s producers long after the film unspooled. The inaugural award is being presented to “El Lenguaje de los Machetes/Machete Language” by Kyzza Terrazas. The film is a modern-day Mexican “Sid and Nancy” with a odd couple who found each other while figuring out the meaning of love, and what one is willing to do for it. Tucson Cine Mexico director Vicky Westover said the film left her and others “thinking long afterward about the nature of love and relationships. It was a powerful film from a new voice in Mexican filmmaking.” Another film of note, “Después de Lucía/After Lucia” was Mexico’s official entry into this year’s Academy Awards. It tells the story of a distraught family struggling to fit into a new town following a tragedy and relentless bullying of their teenage daughter.

Westover said that the festival is truly a “curated” affair with selections being made both for their artistic quality, as well as the notion that there is a desire to screen films that may not be otherwise seen in the U.S. In addition to these screenings, the festival has arranged for post-screening Q & A sessions with directors and actors of most films.  Even if you could see the films at home, the festival is a great way to interact with the filmmakers and stars of the films. Westover is also excited about the screening of “Colosio: El Asesinato/Colosio: The Assasination,” a fictional thriller which tells the story of the killing of the heir apparent to former Mexican President Carlos Salinas. The story details potential conspiracy-loaded theories as to who was behind the act and the investigation into it.  The film has built a strong buzz in Mexico and was a box office success there when it was released. Colosio was from Sonora, Mexico, lending a local connection to the movie for many Tucsonans who followed the headlines from this side of the border.

Two short films will also be shown this year with connections to the Hanson Film Institute, as well as a panel discussion about the representation of indigenous people in Mexican films that will lead off the festival at the Center for Creative Photography on March 20 at 6pm. All films are free and open to the public, and will take place at either the Harkins Spectrum 18 Theatres on I-19 or at the downtown Fox Tucson Theatre. All films are also subtitled, so there is no need to worry about losing anything in translation. For more information on the festival, its films and special events, visit TucsonCineMexico.org.

LGBTQ Film Festival Returns to Tucson

January 23, 2013 |

In a town that is blessed with a multitude of excellent film festivals, one has to wonder if there are any cinematic stories not yet being told. The “Out in the Desert: Tucson’s International LGBTQ Film Festival,” will tell many new stories January 24 – 27, 2013. The 2nd annual film festival will present 164 films from around the world at the FLUXX studio space, located at 414 E. 9th St.

The four-day event will screen films from many different countries including documentaries, shorts and feature films thanks to the local group FLUXX. This is the second year they have hosted the festival and the response has been excellent with more than 600 entries from around the world, according to Joe Sprague, the organization’s development director and the festival’s director. FLUXX, the winner of the 2012 TPAC LUMIE award for emerging arts organization, is a local non-profit arts organization whose programming supports open dialog and conversation about queer culture via arts exhibits, performances workshops and special events. The film festival is beneficial to both the organization and participating filmmakers as they can both gain exposure and have their messages heard by many.

“As always, we strive to show the very best of the newest crop of LGBT themed films available,” said Joe Sprague. Since the festival works with filmmakers directly, and does not show any films that have distribution deals, there are many films that are unseen by the public. FLUXX also does not charge a submission fee for films to the festival in order to decrease the cost of entry for emerging filmmakers. This year, the festival continues its focus on short films, and will present more short films than any other LGBT film festival in the country. As the “Out in The Desert” festival takes place in January, it is the earliest festival on the LGBT circuit, leading to many southwest and world premiere screenings for Tucson audiences.

In the feature length documentary “I Stand Corrected” jazz musician Jennifer Leitham’s gender-reassignment is chronicled through interviews and archival materials. A well-respected musician from her teenage years through her performances with Mel Torme, and even Tonight Show bandleader Doc Severinsen, she was known then as John Leitham. Jennifer went through gender reassignment after years of feeling that something was wrong, and continues to be a musical force in the jazz world today. Music, the one constant in her life, played a powerful role in her transformation and continues to do so. This powerful and inspiring story of being true to oneself, plays at FLUXX and Jennifer will be in attendance for a post screening Q & A with the audience.

Of special note this year is the shorts program that features many films by local filmmakers who are finding their voice through film. With topics ranging from HIV to same-sex weddings, several shorts are by Tucson filmmakers including “Linda and Angela” by Angela Soto, and “Leyenda” by Forrest Brennan.

Other shorts of interest include “Fallen Comrade,” which traces a military romance; “The Divine Decadence of Cheesecake” from Australia; and “Pursuit,” a comedy about a woman hell-bent to get a female motorcycle cop to pay attention to her directed by Patty Newton. The festival will host around 30 filmmakers this year who will be present at their individual screenings for Q & A sessions, along with several producers and actors. Filmmakers from Iran, Canada and Australia have also approached the festival about attending, which speaks about the quality and impact the festival is having on the international LGBT community.

The festival kicks off with a launch party on January 4th with the announcement of all films, and a special party at the FLUXX space. The full list of films and screening times is available on the group’s website http://www.outinthedesertff.org

Loft Film Festival Delivers Cinema Delights

November 7, 2012 |

“Wrong”

Mark your calendar cinema fans, November 8-15, the Loft Cinema will again deliver a stunning array of films. Presenting their second annual “Loft Film Festival,” Tucson’s art house cinema extraordinaire has again programmed a killer festival with 40+ films to experience. With documentaries, narrative features, shorts and even a concert film, the festival will keep you busy day and night. That’s not to mention the panel discussions, Q & A sessions and parties along with the dedication of their newest screening room. We spoke with Peggy Johnson, Executive Director of the Loft about this year’s festival.

This year has a very exciting line up of films. Was it easier this year to get some titles based on last year’s success with the Festival?

P.J. – Certainly every year builds on the success of the previous year and of course it depends on what’s available, but yes, we think this year’s lineup is very exciting.

Are there any favorites for you and the Loft staff this year in the fest?

P.J. – For me, personally, Post Tenebras Lux is a favorite— a bold, fresh, challenging work of art. The director, Carlos Reygadas, won Best Director at Cannes for the film, and he will be here to talk about it, which is really exciting.  Selecting favorites is always hard as there are many I love for a variety of reasons, and we take a great deal of care curating the festival so that there are films that will appeal to a great cross-section of patrons.

You’re spoiling us! We almost don’t need to travel to other fests any more with all of the great programming that the Loft is offering…is that a goal?

P.J. – You bet!  We hope people will come to Tucson for our festival.  You’re right – many of my favorite films from Cannes, SXSW, Sundance, Telluride – they’re at our fest!

This year there are so many physical changes to the Loft (New screening room, parking, etc.)  the festival seems like a great way to let folks know indie cinema is alive and well in Tucson…true?

P.J. – Yes, we have worked hard to make the timing work so that we are opening the new screen on our opening night.  It is going to be a great space that we’re excited to share with the community! We’re also celebrating The Loft’s 40th Anniversary during the festival. That’s four decades of great film in Tucson.

We had a chance to preview a few of the films from this year’s festival and some highlights include:

Wrong

The delightfully odd follow-up feature from director Quentin Dupieux (Rubber) follows a man in search of his lost dog. A fan favorite at Sundance last January, it finally hits Tucson. Do not miss a chance to see this movie.

Post Tenbras Lux

The Best Director award winner at Cannes this year, this film is part experimental cinema, part drama and part character study. Thought provoking and meditative, the movie is a must-see that leaves you thinking.

Holy Motors

This is one of the most unique and odd films in recent memory. It defies definition. A French film about a shadowy character and the “roles” he plays in one long, strange day.

Barbara

From Germany, another award winning film (Berlin Film Festival) about a small town doctor in East Berlin before the fall of the wall. Full of mystery, deception and intrigue.

Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters

A spellbinding documentary on the work of photographer Crewdson and the amazing images he creates that are part cinema, part narrative and all beauty.

Visit LoftCinema.com for more info on the festival.

2nd Annual Tucson Terror Fest Delivers Chills

October 18, 2012 |

Southern Arizona’s only festival dedicated to horror films, the Tucson Terror Fest is back in session this weekend, October 18-20. With a slate of both feature and short films from around the country, the fest is a great way to get in the mood for Halloween with world-class scares on the big screen. While most of the country can check out Hollywood terror, with the debut of Paranormal Activity 4, we here in Tucson can experience premiere screenings by the next generation of horror auteur. All films are showing at the Screening Room, located at 127 East Congress, and individual tickets as well as festival passes are available via the box office or at the festival’s website—TucsonTerrorFest.com.

We had a chance to preview a few of the Festival’s offerings in advance.

“Portrait of A Zombie” (Thursday @ 8pm)
Part mock-documentary, part horror film and full zombie flick, this film takes a look at a zombie outbreak from a different perspective— when a loved one becomes th walking dead. From Ireland, this movie has both a dash of humor and gore to spare, plus it’s a hoot to watch.

“Nailbiter” (Friday @ 6pm)
A classic spook-house premise with a twist, this film puts a family in the basement of a mysterious house during a storm with scary results. Well acted with quality effects, this film will make you look at tornados in a different light.

“I Am A Ghost” (Saturday @ 3pm)
At times this film feels like an elaborate experimental film and it lulls you into a fairly relaxed position, until the other shoe drops. Genuinely creepy in its closing act, I Am A Ghost is a pretty spooky twist on the genre, from the ghost’s point of view as opposed to the haunted.

Don’t miss the shorts program screening on Friday at 8pm, as there are some great small works on the schedule including “Mother Died,” which brings a new perspective to the plight of survivors. It plays with four other shorts in the program.

2012 Tucson Film and Music Festival

October 11, 2012 |

Now in its eight annual iteration, the homegrown Tucson Film and Music Festival returns to Tucson on October 11-14. Featuring a great selection of films about music, local music and special events, this year’s fest again delivers a unique and engaging array of activities. With a total of 35 films on tap, including 15 premiere screenings, this is a great chance for Tucsonans to be the first to see quality films about music and the people who make it.  A few highlights of films screened in advance, are outlined below.

Give Me The Banjo

Narrated by comedian and banjo musician Steve Martin, this documentary traces the history and evolution of the banjo. From its African roots, to its acceptance in mainstream music and the evolution of different musical styles such as bluegrass, this documentary is both entertaining and eye opening. It would be hard to imagine any other musical instrument having such dynamic and complex of a history as does the banjo. The film shows on Thursday evening, October 11 at Cinema La Placita.

Vinyl

This southwestern premiere screening of Vinyl tells the story of an aging band’s attempt to re-invent itself and become relevant in the modern world of young, pre-packaged corporate music. Based loosely on the famous story of the band “The Alarm” and their sneaky re-introduction, years after they had had a hit. With an excellent cast and dead-on portrayal of the “business” of music, this film is both funny and entertaining. It screens on Saturday, October 13 at El Con Cinemark Theatre.

My Father and the Man in Black

A bittersweet documentary by the son of Johnny Cash’s agent/manager, this film traces Cash’s rise to fame and the price paid by one of his closest confidants. Surprisingly touching, it’s a cautionary tale about family, shifting priorities and the price of fame. It shows on Saturday, October 13 at El Con.

The History of Future Folk

A delightful mash-up of Sci-Fi, comedy and music, “Future Folk” tells the story of aliens who were sent to take over the earth and fall in love with music – something they don’t have at home. Quirky, funny and entertaining, the movie is a real treat. It screens Saturday night at El Con.

Chasing Home

An interesting narrative piece about a trio of siblings who reunite to find their missing father, “Chasing Home” accurately portrays the shifting dynamic of sibling relationships as they struggle to come to terms with the notion of mortality and their own decisions. This screening is a West Coast premiere, set to play at El Con on Saturday, October 14.

Bad Brains: A Band in D.C.

The groundbreaking punk/reggae band Bad Brains are profiled in this documentary that examines their roots, cult status and ultimately frustrating existence. Shackled by complex interpersonal battles, their potential is both realized and stymied as they attempt to remain a band. Sprinkled with excellent archival footage and testimonials by other musicians, the film is a fitting overview of a groundbreaking musical talent. The film screens Saturday at El Con.

Also playing during the festival is the new film from Allison Anders and Kurt Voss entitled “Strutter,” which details several complex relationships and the struggling musician scene in L.A. This movie plays at the Loft on Friday night. An excellent shorts program featuring the delightful “Arthur and the Bunnies,” screens on Saturday afternoon at El Con, and a video music shorts program will be shown on Saturday morning at El Con. For more information on the festival, visit their website at TucsonFilmAndMusicFestival.com

 

Come Discover The Avenue at The Screening Room

September 14, 2012 |

“I see the Screening Room as this gem that not everyone knows about,” says Karen Greene, one of the founders of Mind Our Own Businesses, a community group focused on getting people downtown and on 4th Avenue while the street construction fences are up. Her latest project: getting folks to come see The Avenue, a documentary on Tucson’s 4th Avenue and its attendant thriving, non-corporate arts district. The film is showing at the Screening Room on September 15th. The Avenue showed twice at the Arizona International Film Festival to sold-out crowds, and was awarded Best of Arizona in the show.

In an interview with Arizona Public Media, director Alan Williams described his film as an exploration of how this rich local culture survives outside the grips of corporate takeover. “There’s something to be said for what a motivated group of independent artists and business people can do under their own power, and without the help of the city, and sort of working on their own independently and out of absolute necessity, out of sheer survival and self-preservation,” Williams explained. In the film he makes the rounds of businesspeople, artists and regulars, letting them speak from their own experience contributing to the local scene.

“It’s always great to see places and people that you recognize on film,” Greene says of watching the film at the Arizona International Film Festival. “It’s great to see people that you don’t know but that you might see all the time, and to see them on film describing why they’re passionate about 4th Avenue; that really resonated. I thought, ‘Yes! That’s exactly it! You put that into words I can’t come up with.’”

But for Greene, the whole city plays a part in seeing the avenue thrive. “Everything that Mind Our Own Businesses is doing is all about a reminder to the entire city of Tucson that if you don’t support these businesses—if you don’t go out and spend some money at these businesses—they’re going to go away.” It’s a long shot, she explains, but if shops go out of business, what if the modern streetcar goes up and suddenly that looks like great space for national chains? It would change the whole funky local character of the area that this film, The Avenue, is trying to bring to light.

At the Screening Room, “they really like bringing in stuff that’s local and supporting the local filmmakers,” Greene says, “and when choosing a place to show the film, the Screening Room was a perfect downtown locale that, if we’re lucky, will be free of construction fencing by the premiere.”  But if not, Greene urges you to come support the theater and the show behind the chain link. “The things you see there, you’ll never see anywhere else,” she explains. It’s a statement that could apply equally well to our unique and beloved 4th Avenue.

The Avenue screens Saturday, September 15th at 7:30pm. Tickets $4 (to celebrate 4th Avenue). Q & A with director Alan Williams after the show. Location: The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St., 882-0204.

 

For more information, check out Mind Our Own Businesses on Facebook, and find “The Avenue” in their events, or look at the film’s site, TheAvenueDocumentary.com


AZ Underground Film Fest Marks Milestone

September 5, 2012 |

by Herb Startford

The Arizona Underground Film Festival will start its fifth year with a roar. Growing by leaps and bounds, this home-grown fest is chock full of diverse and interesting films that you won’t see elsewhere; actually, one of the reasons is that many of them are Arizona premieres. In fact, many of the films from last year’s festival are now landing national distribution deals, and we have bragging rights since we saw them here first. This year, according to festival director and founder David Pike, there will be even more events and activities outside of the screenings. A special block party event will kick off the festival two weeks prior to film screenings and will feature as the official announcement of this year’s lineup. Set to take place at Lovesmack Studios at 19 East Toole Avenue on September 8, it will occur during Second Saturdays Downtown. The event will feature food, adult libations, dancing, art, a photo booth and projected “No Wave” art films on the walls.

What makes this film festival different from many of the others that line the calendar is a unique blend of films that are truly outside of the norm. Not studio films, not ‘indie’ films per se, but high-quality films that deserve an audience but may not yet have one. Often, Pike and his team will program specific elements or actively search out specific genres to highlight, but the quality of submissions is always excellent and the range of international submissions astonishing.

Some highlights of this year’s festival include “I Want My Name Back”, a documentary about legendary rap pioneers the Sugar Hill Gang and their quest to stop an imposter from profiting from their legacy, and “Seven Years Underground” about the legendary 1960’s New York coffee house Café Au GoGo, which hosted acts such as Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, BB King and others on their tiny stage. Another film of note includes “L,” an experimental film from Greek director Babis Makridis, about a man who lives in his car. Makridis, who caused a stir with his previous film “Dogtooth,” is an international film festival favorite due to his unique vision and storytelling. “Bones Brigade,” which chronicles the early days of competitive skateboard culture and its innovators, such as Tony Hawk, is on tap, as is “The Legend of Kaspar Hauser,” starring Vincent Gallo, and a special screening of the near cult-classic Charlie Sheen futuristic horror film “The Wraith”, which was filmed in Tucson in 1986 and will have its director in person.

Arizona Underground Film Festival, September 21-29. Films will be screened at the Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street with select films being shown at Tower Cinemas at Crossroads Festival, 4811 E. Grant Road. See page 9 or visit AzUndergroundFilmFest.com for film schedules and ticket information.


PHOTO: “L” screens Saturday, September 29th, at The Screening Room.


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