FILM DAYTON FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE Q&A WITH DIRECTORS, EXCLUSIVE PRE-SCREENING, WSU BIG LENS FILMS
Dayton, Ohio (April 14, 2010) The three-day schedule for the second annual FilmDayton Festival is packed with everything from local rock videos to Academy Award-nominated films, parties to a story pitch session, a “screenless screening” to student films.
The festival will be held Friday, May 14, through Sunday, May 16, in downtown Dayton at The Neon movie theater, 130 E. Fifth St., and Gilly’s nightclub, 132 S. Jefferson St. Events also will be held at Think TV, 110 S. Jefferson St., and in the former Greyhound station on Fifth Street in the City of Dayton Transportation Center.
Pricing for individual tickets to films will be $5 and workshops will be $15. Weekend passes are available: The $35 Reel Deal pass includes access to all three days of films. The $75 All-Access pass includes the Reel Deal benefits, plus access to special parties on Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets and passes will be available soon. In addition, discounts and special screenings are available to FilmDayton members.
SCHEDULE
9 p.m. to midnight // Gilly’s
Dayton spacerockers the Lab Partners always put on a unique, engaging listening and viewing experience ¯ which will be seriously amped when the band is joined by Springfield native Rod Hatfield’s light performance.
10:15 p.m. // The Neon
Catch this comedy classic, starring Jeff Bridges as The Dude, on the big screen.
10:30 to 11:30 a.m. // The Neon
What ties together prehistoric tools, Ben Franklin, trust busting, railroads, drug laws, plastics, nanotubes and space travel? Rope, of course. Learn about ropemaking’s forgotten effects on agriculture and industry in Xenia, Ohio, from the Civil War to the present ¯ and beyond. This award-winning historical documentary film was produced by The Engineers Club of Dayton.
noon // The Neon
Students who participated in the 2010 48-hour Film Boot Camp and the Muse Machine Film Club at Centerville High School will show off their films.
10:30 a.m. // Gilly’s
The story behind the mounting of one of the biggest events of the decade: the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Photography and sound by Daytonians Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert, who were nominated for a 2010 Academy Award for their documentary The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant.
noon // Gilly’s
Springfield filmmaker Marisha Mukerjee selects the best short films the world has to offer.
1 p.m. // The Neon
Girls with secrets. SUNDAY SPIN: written and directed by former Daytonian Nichol Simmons. THE ACT: written and directed by Pi Ware & Susan Kraker and filmed by former Daytonian Marco Fargnoli . THE RITE: written and directed by Kettering native Alicia Conway.
Sunday Spin Information
3 p.m. // The Neon
WYSO 91.3-FM Director Neenah Ellis presents a celebration of Dayton stories, sounds and the art of listening. Hear radio magazine feature stories, such as those on NPR’s Story Corps and Ira Glass’ This American Life, as you never have before ¯ in a dark movie theater.
5 p.m. // The Neon
This 2010 Academy Award Nominee for best documentary feature is the true story of an anonymous collective of underground video journalists (VJs) who risked their lives to capture the dramatic 2007 Myanmar uprising, when 100,000 people (including thousands of Buddhist monks) took to the streets in protest. The producer, Lise Lense-Møller, will be in Dayton all the way from Denmark for a Q&A after the film.
Burma VJ Information
6 to 8 p.m. // Gilly’s
Think you’ve got a golden idea for a film? This is your opportunity to prove it. Drop $2 in the hat and pitch your movie in two minutes to a panel of industry experts. The winner takes home the cash and the championship belt, although this lively event is fun for audience and aspiring filmmakers alike.
8 p.m. // The Neon
Part drama and part supernatural thriller, True Nature is the story of a family reunited when their college-age daughter is found after a year-long disappearance. Written, directed, produced and filmed in Dayton by Dayton’s own Pat Steele and Ann Rotolante. This screening is for FilmDayton members and Reel Deal and All-Access pass holders only.
True Nature Information
8 p.m. to midnight // Gilly’s
Dance around the fringe with the Rev Cool and special guests, enjoy themed martinis and catered bites, and help support Dayton’s nonprofit organization dedicated to local film and filmmakers.
1 to 2:30 p.m. // The Neon
Originated in Yellow Springs in 2003, this juried competition is open to young filmmakers in grades 8-12.
1 to 2:30 p.m. // Gilly’s
Loose, informal and interactive, FilmDayton’s monthly networking program, Film Connections, moves to Gilly’s one time only for this special edition of local works in progress. Hosted by recent Wright State University grad and local filmmaker Rocky Smith.
3:30 to 5 p.m. // The Neon
Get an exclusive first look at this winner of the 2010 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, which doesn’t open to general audiences until June. The film tells the story of a young woman who must fight her way through the Ozark wilderness and local criminal underworld to find her father and save her family.
3:30 to 5 p.m. // Gilly’s
Missed this festival on Friday? No worries. This is your second chance to catch students from Wright State University’s award-winning motion pictures program screening their most recent productions in this event filled with compelling, contemporary work.
5:30 to 7 p.m. // The Neon
This drama is the exquisite portrait of a young girl coming of age and finding a deeper kind of love in New York City. Kettering native Bradley Rust Grey directed this independent feature, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year. At Tribeca, its lead, rising indie star Zoe Kazan (Revolutionary Road, It’s Complicated, Me and Orson Welles), won the award for best actress.
7:30 p.m. // The Neon
In this film, winner of the 2007 Block Buster Audience Awardat the American Black Film Festival, Jay Brooks is on a quest to find the perfect woman ¯ but first he must deal with his commitment issues to win his love. Director and Yellow Springs native Jennifer Sharp will be on hand for a Q&A and discussion after the screening.








