Amid all this festival-going nonsense, the cinetrix is still expected to teach. I know, right? The spring semester draws to a close the fourth week in April, which is why I felt I could only justify sneaking off to the Atlanta Film Festival for the weekend [16-18].
I've wanted to check out ATL ever since it moved from the summer to spring and Gabe Wardell [full disclosure: a grad school classmate eons ago] took the helm. This year, in addition to programming some intriguing flicks, the fest also had the good sense to get Basil Tsiokos to serve on the doc jury [another fellow classmate, as it happens] and FOC Aaron Hillis [Village Voice/GreenCine/Benten Films/freelancing fool] to join the narrative feature jury. I'm hoping to catch up with these gents without ending up at the Drunken Unicorn/MJQ, the Clermont, or worse. Fingers crossed!
And then there are the films. Family Affair is playing here, too, but it's on opposite Putty Hill, about which I keep hearing all sorts of crazy raves. [Plus, a Flaherty friend, Steve, is a producer, so there you go.] Kentucker kindly sent me a screener of Open Five [stay tuned for a review closer to the fest], so I can see the doc 8: The Mormon Proposition, which is in competition, instead. Hey, I do enjoy a good cinematic Latter Day Saint bashing as much as the next gal, after all.
All of the other narrative features [except The Things They Carried] and docs in competition screen on Saturday and Sunday -- score! Any insights you nice people want to share about the two Battles, for Bunker Hill and of Pussy Willow Creek, NoNames, Handsome Harry, Exit 117, Mamachas del Ring, Racing Dreams, Alley Pat, I Am Comic, The Last Survivor, or American Jihadist, bring it.
By Saturday evening, I anticipate feeling guilty about neglecting classroom prep, which is why Big Font. Large Spacing looks so good. Last-minute paper writing! In Wales! Other narratives that've got me giddy with anticipation include NY Opus: Export Jazz [which, yeah, PBS run yadda, but c'mon: BIG SCREEN] and the Creamsicle cinematography of Dear Lemon Lima [above], which started out as a kawaii-cute short and grew up to win the Grand Jury Prize at SFIAA Film Festival just weeks ago.
Please, fellow cinephages, do give the whole lineup a look-see and tell the cinetrix what not to miss.
