News & Notes — Announcing The 2013 Vermont International Film Festival
Burlington, VT: (September 17th, 2013) The Vermont International Film Foundation is pleased to present the 2013 Vermont International Film Festival (VTIFF) – 10 days of films, events and presentations, October 11th – 20th on Burlington’s Historic Waterfront. VTIFF will present 37 feature length films and over 40 short films at multiple locations in Burlington: Main Street Landing Film House and Black Box Theater, ECHO Aquarium and Science Center, and The BCA Center on Church Street. Special events will also take place at Signal Kitchen on Main Street. This year’s main themes are Sport & Film, Artists in Action, Water, Food and Film, Identity and a Spotlight section that showcases a selection of the best of world and US award-winning films. A detailed schedule with full film and event information will be online starting September 17th.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets can be purchased online at VTIFF.ORG starting Tuesday, September 17th, when the full festival program appears online. Tickets will also be available at ECHO during business hours and later when evening screenings take place. The printed festival guide Vermont International Film Festival 230 College Street Burlington, Vermont 05401 www.vtiff.org will be available September 25th, inserted into Seven Days Newspaper, and at the Festival offices at 230 College Street in Burlington. For most screenings, tickets are $10, $8 for Seniors, $5 for Children and Students, with the exception of the Vermont Filmmakers Showcase selections, which are by donation. A Festival Gold Pass is also available for $120, which gains access to most films and events, with the exception of Lunchtime Shorts at The BCA Center, which include lunch from Kountry Kart Deli.
2013 FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS
Download high resolution stills: Click on any This will take you to the VTIFF Flickr set. Right click on the photo (on it’s own page). Click on the required size. Then, just above the photo, click the link to Download the Large size of this photo
Festival Kickoff Event
VTIFF and Special Olympics Vermont have partnered to screen the HBO documentary The Crash Reel on October 11th at the Main Street Landing Film House as the opening night film at this year’s Festival. All proceeds from the event will benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Vermont. A reception with Vermont snowboarder Kevin Pearce, the subject of the film, and his brother David, a Special Olympics Vermont athlete will be held prior to the film’s screening.
Through 20 years of astounding action and verité footage, The Crash Reel chronicles the epic rise of snowboarder Kevin Pearce which culminates in a life-changing crash. The film is directed by two-time Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Lucy Walker. The Crash Reel is a profoundly moving portrait of an extraordinary family confronted with a devastating injury, who come together to help a gifted athlete re-discover himself and find purpose and meaning in the wake of a lost dream. Tickets for The Crash Reel are $25, benefitting Special Olympics Vermont. The reception, at the Lakeside Lobby on the 3rd floor of Main Street Landing will begin at 5pm, followed by the film screening at 6pm. Kevin and his brother David will answer questions from the audience at the conclusion of the film.
Film Highlight: The Act of Killing
This ground-breaking documentary film directed by Joshua Oppenheimer and produced by filmmaking legends Errol Morris and Werner Herzog promises that you’ve never seen anything like it. Director Joshua Oppenheimer interviews the leaders of Indonesian death squads, who were responsible, collectively for the deaths of millions of Communists, leftists and ethnic Chinese in 1965 and 1966. But he doesn’t just interview them. As the ambiguous title of the film suggest, he lets them reenact their crimes and even invites them to write, perform and film skits dramatizing their murders in the style of American movies they love. This film is about the power of moviemaking and storytelling, sometimes cathartic, sometimes destructive, and always illuminating. And, incredibly, you will also find yourself laughing sometimes. The Act of Killing screens twice at the festival, Monday, October 14 at 7:30pm at Main Street Landing and Thursday, October 17 at 1:00 PM at ECHO. Director Joshua Oppenheimer will answer questions at the Thursday October 17 screening via Skype.
Film & Event Highlight: Brothers Hypnotic
On Saturday, October 19 at 7:00pm at the Main Street Landing Film House, Director Reuben Atlas’s Brothers Hypnotic profiles the eight brothers in the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, who are all sons of anti-establishment jazz legend, Phil Cohran. Raised together on Chicago’s South Side on a diet of jazz, funk and Black Consciousness, the brothers play in the streets of NYC, collaborate with Mos Def or wow people at jazz festivals. The film constructs their coming of age story with wonderful camera work and hugely enjoyable music scenes. An excellent documentary about a truly amazing band. The screening will be followed by a gala party at 8:45pm and live performance by the Hypnotic Ensemble at Signal Kitchen on Main Street. Ticket for screening includes free access to the party and live concert.
Special Event: Symposium: Lost, Found & Remixed
The festival is enriched through the inclusion of workshops, lectures and panel discussions with experts in their respective fields. This year our focus is on all things archival, with a special emphasis on restoration, accessibility, usage and ethics. We’re delighted and honored to have as our keynote speaker Rick Prelinger of Prelinger archives and archive.org. We’re equally delighted to welcome Adrian Wood, archival consultant to the International Olympic Committee and film researcher extraordinaire. Adrian will be bringing a new restoration of White Rock, the 1976 winter Olympics film. A panel discussion with screening of clips, geared toward filmmakers as well as the general public, will look at many aspects of repurposing footage for new uses. With Alice Apley, Executive Director of Documentary Educational Resources (co-sponsor of the symposium), filmmaker Caroline Martel, an internationally renowned award-winning documentary artist (Phantom Of The Operator, Wavemakers), Sandra Forman, one of the foremost entertainment lawyers (Eyes on the Prize), Rick Prelinger and Adrian Wood. As part of the symposium we’re excited to launch the Green Valley Media – Second Time Around initiative to provide seed money for restoring and digitizing older Vermont films. Information about the Symposium can be found at VTIFF.ORG
Filmmaker Highlight: Vermont Filmmaker’s Showcase
The Vermont Filmmakers Showcase brings 15 films this year to The Main Street Landing Film House, presented by the filmmakers. These films showcase a diverse and talented group of local filmmakers, and demonstrate the passion and dedication that is present in Vermont for filmmaking. Films will be selected for various awards: The James Goldstone Award, the Ben & Jerry’s Award, the Footage Farm USA Award, VCAM Audience Favorite Award and VTIFF Awards for Best Film, Best Screenwriting, Best Acting. Each film screens for free, donations are accepted for VTIFF. See VTIFF.ORG for film schedule.
The Vermont International Film Festival (VTIFF), Vermont’s longest running film festival, this year marks its 28th Anniversary. The festival is best known for featuring groundbreaking and independent films from around the world and Vermont and for the Vermont Filmmakers’ Showcase, the largest juried selection of Vermont-made films. The 2013 festival runs Oct 11-20, at Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center, ECHO Aquarium and Science Center and at The BCA Center. More information at www.vtiff.org.
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