By Camas Frank ~
The 22nd Annual San Luis Obispo International Film Festival returns March 15 through March 20.
Special event tickets are on sale now along with Festival passes, useful to get behind the scenes or attend receptions. This year’s Movie Mogul Pass includes full access to the new Hollywood & Vines Festival Tent located behind SLO’s famous and iconic art deco Fremont Theatre.
The 6-day annual event showcases, “contemporary and classic film screenings in a wide variety of venues,” primarily at the Fremont with line-ups at the Palm Theatre, as well as select showings in Paso Robles, Avila Beach and Pismo Beach.
With the mission statement to, “entertain, educate and inspire film-goers and filmmakers,” the event premieres independent films, hosts an award ceremony and multi-category competitions.
Notably for locals, the Central Coast Filmmakers Showcase of Feature-Length Films aims to be a more a diverse and eclectic mix of films than the recent Oscars.
They host films written, directed and/or produced by residents of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Monterey Counties with awards presented on March 20 at 5 p.m. at the Fremont Theatre. The competition was juried by Jody Nelson, a Santa Barbara filmmaker; and Steve Grumette, the Ojai Film Festival Director.
The Central Coast Filmmakers Showcase list of features includes: Revenge of Blue Harbor; Tour of Honor; Edgar Allan Poe’s The Lighthouse Keeper; The World’s Largest Ball of Twine; and The Women and the Waves 2.
Several of the films will be shown at the Mission Cinemas, next door to the Fremont.
Another favorite local event, the King Vidor Award, will be presented March 19 at the Fremont Theatre. The winner of this year’s King Vidor Award has been announced as actress, and 1960s sex symbol, Ann-Margret. She will receive the award from presenter Alan Arkin, the 2010 King Vidor Award recipient, before an onstage sit down talk with TCM’s Ben Mankiewicz.
Central Coast Filmmakers Showcase feature length films include:
Revenge of Blue Harbor a noir fiction tale of two detectives and their new intern investigating a strange case of the mind-controlled populace in a small coastal town.
Tour of Honor, a documentary film by two local brothers, sponsored by Central Coast Veterans Helping Veterans. A group of 21 World War II, Korea, and Vietnam Veterans are flown to Washington D.C to see the war memorials in the Honor Flight program.
Edgar Allan Poe’s “Lighthouse Keeper” a horror movie about a young man who must confront the grotesque denizens of the night, or “Always keep a light burning!,” with location shooting at the Port San Luis Lighthouse.
The World’s Largest Ball of Twine, a documentary telling the story of Francis Johnson, a Minnesota farmer, and creator of the original world’s largest ball of twine.
The Women and the Waves 2, a documentary that follows up on California’s female surfers, including a tribute to radio personality, Robin “Zeuf” Janiszeufski-Hesson.
For full information and tickets, see the website at: slofilmfest.org.