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Reporting From the Ashland Independent Film Festival

By Jody Arlington on April 7, 2009 10:16 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

The Ashland Independent Film Festival (April 2-6, 2009) just wrapped up its 8^th edition, and deserves high marks across the board for execution, programming, audiences, staff and a special award for being in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable.  This regional festival packs in world class directors, producers, cinematographers, animators because they know they will find highly enthusiastic and engaged audiences, terrific facilities, staff and volunteers, with intimate and engaging encounters along the way.   The entire city supports this Festival, creating a warm and inviting opportunity to experience the town (made famous by the Shakespeare Festival) and its full range of cultural and gastronomical offerings.

I had the distinct pleasure of representing the Impact Film Fund as a jurist in the Feature Documentary category along with San Francisco Chronicle film critic G. Allen Johnson and IFPs Milton Tabbot.  We screened fourteen artful and impactful films exploring environmental issues (AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, FUEL, THE GREENING OF SOUTHIE); social justice (THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY, ASK NOT, PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI, ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEMORY: VILLA GRIMALDI), the Arts (THROW DOWN YOUR HEART, IN A DREAM, BETWEEN THE FOLDS, AUTOMORPHOSIS, GARRISON KEILLOR: THE MAN ON THE RADIO IN THE RED SHOES), or personal (PRODIGAL SONS) or ethnographic explorations (FOOTSTEPS IN AFRICA, A NOMADIC JOURNEY). 

THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY won with THROW DOWN YOUR HEART and IN A DREAM very close runners up.  Dorothy’s brother, David Stang, was in attendance an accepted the award.  It was very inspiring to see such engaged, sophisticated audiences flocking to see these films and grappling with their themes and implications in myriad ways. 

ASK NOT director Johnny Symons, AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD cinematographer Tim Gorski, FIERCE LIGHT director Velcrow Ripper, PROM NIGHT IN MISSISSIPPI director Paul Saltzman and UPSTREAM BATTLE producer Magdalena Hutter participated in a terrific Filmmaker TalkBack forum “Tools for Change: Documentaries and Social Action.”  Filmmakers discussed the central issues in their films, how they are trying to connect with and engage audiences, and discussed artistic decisions in crafting their storylines to appeal to wider demographics.  As moderator, polled the audience, who skewed older, to explore how many were facebooking, twittering, and engaging in causes on the web, and the numbers were high.  Most viewed themselves as activists.  Most had seen one or more of the films represented on the panel.  Lots of questions.  The most memorable line for me, was Gorski’s, in response to an audience members wondering if there were a way to centralize causes and interests.  “We’re all suffering from “multiple interests disorder”.  Too true.  I wasn't able to attend the other two panel discussions, but I heard good things about both.  

Festival Highlights included an evening with animator, director, producer and writer Bill Plympton, who provided fascinating insights into his animation techniques, and the uber-fabulous Elvis Mitchell, who pontificated on Cinema Past, Present and Future for 90 minutes of what they call film church at Sundance.  I didn’t realize how much of a comedian Elvis is, in addition to all his other talents.

Both received awards at Sunday night’s well attended award ceremony and dinner:  Plympton took home the Artistic Achievement Award, and Mitchell the Rogue Award (and I’d wager a much sought after wheel of cheese from the Rogue Creamery).   Full list of Festival Winners:

Juried Best Feature:  PAPER COVERS ROCK

Juried Best Documentary Feature: THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY

Rogue Creamery Audience Award: Documentary: GARRISON KEILLOR: THE MAN ON THE RADIO IN THE RED SHOES

John C. Schweiger Audience Award: Dramatic Feature: PAPER COVERS ROCK

Juried Best Documentary: Short Subject: THE WAR OF 33

Audience Award Best Short Film Dramatic or Documentary: KICK LIKE A GIRL

Juried Best Short: ACHOLILAND

Special Jury Mention: Short Film: TRECE ANOS (THIRTEEN YEARS)

Juried Best Animated Short: SEBASTIAN’S VOODOO

Juried Best Acting Ensemble: MAN MAID

Special Jury Mention: Acting: Jeannine Kaspar in PAPER COVERS ROCK

Best Cinematography, The Gerald Hirschfeld, ASC Award: Feature: PAPER COVERS ROCK

Family Choice Audience Award: THE FAN AND THE FLOWER

Rogue Award: Elvis Mitchell

Artistic Achievement Award: Bill Plympton

Congratulations to all the filmmakers, and bravo to Executive Director Tom Olbrich, Managing Director Jane Sage, Director of Programming Joanne Feinberg, their crack team of professionals: Wendy Conner, Laura Jones, Laura Henneman, Christi Wruck, Cristina Linclau and all the sponsors and volunteers--the lifeblood of any Festival.