One flew over the tenth-annual Maryland film festival
Sara Carr
Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: Arts & Society
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Now entering its 10th anniversary, the fest is set to open the month of May with a bang running from May 1 to May 4 with many of the premieres held in Baltimore's indie-cinema Mecca, The Charles Theater.
Scant details are available on the film schedule as of yet, but if the past can help with any predictions for this year, the festival will be an eclectic sampling of the latest in the film industries thick atmosphere of creativity ranging from shorts to documentaries as well as features and animated works.
Typically, the opening ceremony dives right into short films, a unique move for a festival, particularly the coveted opening night slot which is typically reserved for big-name feature films but a tradition at the MFF.
Last year's highlights included Zoe Cassavetes' "Broken English." The young director's second film follows indie-movie queen Parker Posey as Nora Wilder, a thirty-something who is unmarried and unfulfilled with her dead-end job and nagging mother (played by the director's mom, screen legend Gena Rowlands).
After a brief encounter with a Frenchman who gives her a new perspective on her life, she and her best friend Audrey ("Sopranos" alum, Drea de Matteo) head off to Paris to find the man that may bring color to Nora's otherwise dull life.
In the documentary section of 2007's film fest, "Chops" stood out for its look into the lives of the highly talented high school musicians as they competed in the national "Essentially Ellington" jazz competition.
First-time filmmaker, Bruce Broder focuses on a group of Florida teens as they face the stiff competition of fellow musical geniuses whose talent far surpasses their years. The well-received film recently struck a deal for a 2008 theatrical release and a DVD deal with distributor Arts Alliance America.
This year's fest comes at a critical time for the Maryland film industry as recent budget cuts by Governor O'Malley could further sink a dying source of revenue for the state.
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