A slice of Sundance comes to New Haven

By Farrah Karapetian

What part can a kimono play in a love story? How can a collection of Egyptian artifacts lead to passion and revenge? Why swap wives in Levittown, New York? Film Fest New Haven, in its third year, will resolve all such issues this weekend. Nineteen feature-length films and 45 shorts make up this year's festival, but it doesn't stop with just movies. The festival also offers a variety of workshops, discussions, and speakers in an effort to inspire cinematic dialogue between members of the New Haven community.

The festival kicks off on Fri., Apr. 3, at York Square Cinema with The Secret Life of Algernon at 7:45 p.m. and The Headhunter's Sister at 10 p.m. Opening night also includes a presentation of the 1998 Connecticut Filmmaker Award to independent filmmaker Brad Anderson. His unconventional romantic comedy, Next Stop Wonderland, debuted at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival and was purchased by Miramax for $6 million.

Movies start Saturday morning at the Little Theatre (1 Lincoln St.) and continue Saturday night at the Whitney Humanities Center (53 Wall St.). The festival finishes on Sunday afternoon. Packed into those three days is an eclectic and rewarding cinematic repertoire. Many of the filmmakers will be present at their films, with several scheduled to speak. Charles Dutton, for example, will discuss his documentary, First Time Felon, on Sunday afternoon at the Whitney Humanities Center. Dutton is an award-winning actor, director, and producer, and will speak on the challenge of balancing these roles. His movie is about a young drug dealer's redemption at boot camp.

Besides the many dramas, documentaries, and shorts, the festival will include a forum for writers. The New Century Writers Award will be presented on Friday at the opening night reception to honor an outstanding screenwriter. The winning screenplay will be read on Sat., Apr. 4, at 3 p.m. At noon on Fri., Apr. 3 at the Little Theatre, there will be a dramatic reading of Jude Davis's screenplay, Gottenyu, which concerns a confrontation between neo-Nazis and Auschwitz victims on the anniversary of Kristallnacht.

In order to involve all facets of the New Haven community in the festival, program directors have scheduled an animation workshop at the Little Theatre on Saturday morning entitled "Video Work/ Video Play." Aimed at children under 12 and their families, the workshop will expose young people to some of the basic techniques of filmmaking, animation, and videography in a hands-on setting in which kids can create their own animation projects and exhibit them to others. There will be a simultaneous screening of films, videos, and animation works in the auditorium of the Little Theatre, including works by young videographers from all over the state. The afternoon is free, with a suggested $2 donation.

Film Fest New Haven was started in 1995 by Wayne F. Buck and Alice M. Thompson in an effort to bring cinema to the New Haven community in new contexts. Originally interested in opening a movie theater, Buck and Thompson fleshed out the festival as a more intriguing alternative for exhibition. They were "looking for entertaining films with substance" and looking for a way to unite Connecticut's scattered film communities. Their current goals are to make Film Fest New Haven "the destination festival in New England for filmmakers and distributors" and to cultivate a discourse between all levels of film.

The format of the festival is certainly conducive to establishing this kind of interaction. Question-and-answer sessions, directorial discussions, the youth program, and the range of genres represented all ensure a thorough exploration of the medium of film.

Film Fest's website (www.filmfest.org) includes information about resources for Connecticut filmmakers as well as links and phone numbers for other New England film festivals--the Connecticut Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the Boston Asian-American Film and Video Festival and a variety of others.

Sponsoring this year's festival is the Independent Film Channel, whose advisory board includes Martin Scorcese, Robert Altman, Tim Robbins, and Spike Lee. Opening night shows are $10 each; all others cost $5.

"Film Buff" passes are available for $40 in advance or $45 at the box office. These passes grant access to all shows from Friday through Sunday. Weekend passes are also available for $25, or $20 for students. A one day pass for Saturday or Sunday costs $15.

For those unwilling or unable to pay, some options exist free of charge. Charles Dutton's showcase drama on Sunday afternoon and Saturday's video workshop are both free. Room 208 at the Whitney Humanities Center will also be reserved for the constant, free showcasing of videos, including a documentary on lesbian punk rock stars. Of special interest to a certain cultish following is Saturday's midnight show at the Whitney Humanities Center (think "Troma").

In addition, Film Fest will present a documentary showing on Saturday and Sunday with director Marina Zenovich called Independent's Day.

The documentary consists primarily of interviews with independent filmmakers about the Sundance scene and its evolution. Who needs Sundance when Film Fest New Haven brings unrestricted independent film to New England?

Photos courtesy of Film Fest New Haven.

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• The official Film Fest New Haven web site

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