The
fourth annual Tacoma Film Festival hosted by the Grand Cinema is
quickly approaching and the vast lineup of films is sure to please
ardent film buffs as well as casual viewers.
The goal of the
event, according to the Grand Cinema’s Community Development Director
Rachel Marecle, is to extend the local arthouse movie theater’s core
mission.
“It’s very important to us because we’re a non-profit,
and it helps fulfill our mission of cultivating cultural vitality in
the community through the art of film. To bring true independent films
to the community, be a platform for filmmakers and be a place to show
their movies,” Marecle said.
Though the Grand puts on events
such as the film festival, an Academy Awards party and the 72-Hour Film
Festival, they are also at heart still a movie theater day to day.
Larger scale events such as these allow for new ways to connect with
the community.
“Film festivals are also a means to tie into
Tacoma and Pierce County as a whole, not just as a way to give local
filmmakers a foundation to show their work. It brings the community
together as an event to call our own,” Marecle said.
For this
year’s festival, 320 films were submitted in total by filmmakers from
throughout the region, and 132 were chosen to be screened during the
weeklong event. Of the accepted films, 70 percent are shorts and were
grouped together into various genres such as comedy, drama,
experimental, family and northwest specific, and each viewing consists
of 10 films. “The goal is to make sure you’re getting 80 minutes worth
of good film, with the same prices that you would pay at the Grand,”
Marecle said.
One of most anticipated and talked about movies is
a closing film titled “The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle,” by
Seattle-based director David Russo. The comedy film chronicles the life
of Dory, a computer programmer who is laid off from his 9-to-5 job and
takes up a janitorial position to make ends meet. He becomes the
subject of an experimental project based in his local mall involving
cookie freshness, but soon realizes that something in them is not
right.
“Russo’s film was ‘incentivized’ and he received a Start
to Finish grant from the Northwest Film Forum and WashingtonFilmWorks.
The film played at Sundance and SXSW, and it received standing ovations
at each showing,” Marecle affirmed.
Russo will be in attendance
during the screening of his film on Oct. 8 at 6 p.m., and will host a
post-film discussion in addition to attending a closing night dinner
courtesy of the Adriatic Grill.
Other films that seem to be
generating local buzz are a family short by First Creek teacher Terese
Cuff called “Plunge,” “It Don’t Rain On Sunny Days,” a film directed by
Justin Petersen that is a complete local effort, and also “Spooner,”
starring Gig Harbor-bred actor Matthew Lillard. The Grand Cinema team
is really excited to have the array of films that they do this year,
and also to be able to have many of the directors based in Los Angeles
flying in for the fest.
In addition to catering food for the
closing night event, the Adriatic Grill is also sponsoring an after
hours food party on Oct. 2 as a way to get film viewers and makers
together after the movies to interact more and discuss the works seen.
“It excites us because we know we’re getting a few filmmakers this
year, but also getting those regionals who are driving up, staying
here. They can catch a cab to the Adriatic Grill and have a good time,”
Marecle stated.
The Grand will also be offering a free
filmmakers workshop on Saturday morning, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. at the Grand
Cinema that will be open to the public. Warrern Etheridge, who runs and
is the founder of the warrenreport.com, will be leading the informative
talk. “He’s really been a silent consultant this year, and is part of
the reason we got ‘The Immaculate Conception of Little Drizzle,”
Marecle said. Attendants don’t have to be filmmakers to take part and
can come to benefit from the information to be shared.
The 2009
Tacoma Film Festival will take place October 1-8, at varying venue
locations throughout Tacoma including the Grand Cinema, Tacoma Art
Museum, Blue Mouse Theater, Annie Wright, Tacoma School of the Arts and
University of Washington-Tacoma. Ticket prices are $8.50 for general
admission, $6.50 for matinee films and $7 for members. Opening night
ticket prices are $17 for dinner and the movie, with members receiving
a $2 discount of those prices. New to the film festival this year are
weekend passes which get viewers into any movie throughout
Friday-Sunday for $40. The VIP pass which gets attendants unlimited
access to all opening, closing and in-between events is $110.
The
Awards Ceremony for best feature, documentary, short and local films
will all happen during a brunch at the Hub on Oct. 4 at 10:30 a.m. For
full film schedules, information, venue locations and to see trailers
for many of the films, visit
http://www.tacomafilmfestival.com.