The Memphis International Film Festival brings entries andfilmmakers from around the world to this year's four-daycompetition.
The festival opens Thursday at Malco's Paradiso theater with ashowing of Screen Door Jesus, the most recent project from Memphisnative and former University of Memphis student Kirk Davis. Daviswill conduct a question and answer session following thescreening.
Showings of all other entries will take place Friday, Saturdayand Sunday at Malco's Studio on the Square, 2105 Court.
"We have 20 filmmakers from around the country coming to townfor the festival," said Lisa Bobal, co-chair of MIFF and theMemphis Film Forum.
"There are three international producers and directors bringingtheir films to Memphis this year."
In its fifth year, MIFF includes entries from China, Cuba,Greece, Portugal, Scotland, Yugoslavia and the United States.
"The film community has been very responsive to our event," saidBobal. "We had more international submissions than we've receivedin the past."
With a number of festivals and more projects being filmed inMemphis, the film community here is growing, Bobal said.
"It's amazing how much talent we have here," she said. "We havean animation retrospective with Lee McCaulla."
McCaulla, a Memphis native, now works on numerous animationprojects in Hollywood.
The festival will show Weather Underground, 2004 Academy Awardnominee for best documentary feature at noon Sunday. The filmexposes the eponymous group of radicals who waged attacks on theU.S. government in the late '60s and early '70s as a response toracism and the Vietnam War.
Awards will be given in three categories, documentary, shortfilm and animated film. This is the first year for the festival togive awards, said Bobal.
"Next year, we will be eligible to be sanctioned by the AcademyAwards," she said. "Winners from our festival next year will havetheir work submitted for nomination consideration by theAcademy."
Free panel discussions at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday will beheld at TheaterWorks, 2085 Monroe. "Race and Religion in Film" isthe topic for Saturday's panel. Memphis filmmakers will addressother topics Sunday.
The festival party starts at 9 p.m. Saturday at the GibsonLounge. Live music includes local group Bella Sun and Austin-basedBack Porch Mary.
Admission to Thursday's opening is $8. Tickets to otherscreenings are $7.75. Admission to the Gibson Lounge party is $10.Advance passes that include priority seating and admission to allfestival activities are $75 and available at the Paradiso theater,584 S. Mendenhall. Additional information is available at www.memphisfilmforum.org.
