Father Geek here with The 35TH Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival which is screening 140 new short films and 53 features, including four Classic Films in the special retrospect program over 10 days. The featured classics are: “Tom Jones” directed by Tony Richardson, “Casablanca” directed by Michael Curtiz, “Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory” directed by Mel Stuart and “Easy Rider” directed by Dennis Hopper. Hopper is expected to attend. He was loads of fun at SXSW this year. More than 35 nations' films are represented in the 2002 WorldFest, which spotlights documentaries and family/children’s films in special sections.
Father Geek seems to remember that WorldFest was the first major fest to provide festival fans with digital streaming technology back in 1996 sponsored by Microsoft. The festival now uses the Wagner Media/Christie Digital Roadie DLP 6000 digital projector for video projection in a large commercial theater, in addition to the THX 35mm systems. WorldFest also offers one of the largest short film sections of any international film festival, presenting more than 135 shorts in 35mm and digital projection. I am told that over 450 international filmmakers are attending the 10-day event this time out.
The Headquarters Hotel for the 2002 WorldFest is the new Intercontinental Houston. All 35mm and digital video screenings are in the Entertainment Film Works Meyerland Theater, located in SW Houston at Loop 610 West and Beechnut. The festival will have a VIP tour of NASA, regatta, and BBQ on the final day of the festival.
By having a limited, highly selective schedule of 50+ new Indie films lined up, the festival can help these films gain reviews and a distributor, rather than merely acting as a preview platform or buzz machine for an upcoming release from a large US distributor. Most of the so-called ‘Independent Films’ featured at Sundance, for example, are actually relatively large-budget films produced by special ‘Indie’ divisions of the major studios. In fact, the majority of feature length films featured at Sundance the last couple of years actually already had some sort of distribution in place.
The WorldFest is also offering 6 production seminars that include the Kodak Cinematography seminar, Indie film distribution, producing and directing the Indie feature and short, writing screenplays and dealing with agents and managers. All screenings and seminars are open to the general public. Series tickets are available throughout the run of the Fest. Well that's enough of background from Father Geek... Now here's our first report from the trenches... aka ticket lines...
The Headquarters Hotel for the 2002 WorldFest is the new Intercontinental Houston. All 35mm and digital video screenings are in the Entertainment Film Works Meyerland Theater, located in SW Houston at Loop 610 West and Beechnut. The festival will have a VIP tour of NASA, regatta, and BBQ on the final day of the festival.
By having a limited, highly selective schedule of 50+ new Indie films lined up, the festival can help these films gain reviews and a distributor, rather than merely acting as a preview platform or buzz machine for an upcoming release from a large US distributor. Most of the so-called ‘Independent Films’ featured at Sundance, for example, are actually relatively large-budget films produced by special ‘Indie’ divisions of the major studios. In fact, the majority of feature length films featured at Sundance the last couple of years actually already had some sort of distribution in place.
The WorldFest is also offering 6 production seminars that include the Kodak Cinematography seminar, Indie film distribution, producing and directing the Indie feature and short, writing screenplays and dealing with agents and managers. All screenings and seminars are open to the general public. Series tickets are available throughout the run of the Fest. Well that's enough of background from Father Geek... Now here's our first report from the trenches... aka ticket lines...
The WorldFest is also offering 6 production seminars that include the Kodak Cinematography seminar, Indie film distribution, producing and directing the Indie feature and short, writing screenplays and dealing with agents and managers. All screenings and seminars are open to the general public. Series tickets are available throughout the run of the Fest. Well that's enough of background from Father Geek... Now here's our first report from the trenches... aka ticket lines...
Hello, Swavill here I just got back from opening night of WorldFest the Houston International Film Festival. World Fest has changed some over the years since it started in the late 1960's. They now try to focus on what they believe to be truly independant films. They only accept films that do not currently have U.S. distribution. They also tend not to show films that have made a big splash at the other major festivals. So no Donnie Darko, or Battle Royal here (SIGH).As a result most of the films I'll be seeing over the next 10 days are so far below the radar that you'd need a backhoe to find them. Oh well maybe I can find a diamond in the rough.
Opening night screened one short and the World Premiere of "The Rose Technique". The short titled "Indefinitely" by Marc Pilvinsky was quite good. The story of a slacker who reluctantly takes a job making a wedding video, discovers the groom is a jerk and falls for the bride is funny as it can be. The director said that this short was a prelude to a feature film he is going to make. When he finishes it he can count on selling at least one ticket.
Next up was "The Rose Technique"directed by John Scheide and starring the delightful JoBeth Williams. Once again Jobeth gives an energy charged performance. Her turn here as psychotic psychiatrist and wannabe self help guru Dr.Lillian Rose is quite good. The film is hard to get a feel for. They bill it as a dark comedy and that's probably as good a term for it as anything. But Dr. Rose's penchant for taking a baseball bat and pruning shears to anyone who gets in her way and the insueing running jokes made at the expense of her maimed victims make you feel like you've wandered into an edited for TV version of a Troma Film. But overall I found the film entertaining and that's really all I ask of a movie. For those interested there is no nudity to speak of, but they do say "motherfucker" a few times so the MPAA will almost surely give it an "R" rating. Oh well, I guess that's it for tonight.
SWAVILL LORD of CHAOS
