According to the official press release for the 2007 Asheville Film Festival, 93 films were screened over the course of the event, which was held Nov. 8-11 at various downtown venues in the beautiful western North Carolina city. And considering that only one movie was shown Thursday during the opening night gala and only three were screened Sunday (not including the award winners and the “buzz films,” all enjoying repeat performances), that means 89 movies were crammed into five theaters over the course of Friday and Saturday. Couple that with the various filmmaking sessions and panel discussions taking place in the late-morning and early-afternoon hours, and that’s more than enough to keep movie lovers on a celluloid high for the weekend and beyond.
During my stay, I caught 14 of the titles on display. Some are high-profile independent features that should open in Charlotte within the next two or three months. Others are smaller pictures — documentaries, shorts and student films — that are worthy of being picked up by one of the Queen City’s own film societies. Here’s a rundown of some of the notable works I managed to catch, listed in no particular order.
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead Sidney Lumet’s latest stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke as brothers who attempt a heist. This opens locally today; see review in this section. (Not in festival competition.)
The Savages This touching drama (with sprinkles of dark humor tossed around) features award-worthy turns by Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman as siblings who are forced to make decisions regarding their ailing father (Philip Bosco). (Not in festival competition.)
War/Dance This won both the Critics’ Award and the Audience Award for Best Documentary, and THINKFilm rep Michael Tuckman was on hand to reveal that the studio plans to give this a significant push all the way up to the Oscars. It’s hard to resist the pull of this moving feature, which shows how three children in war-ravaged Uganda employ music and dance as a means to escape from the horrors of everyday life.
The Spirit of Sacajawea Written and co-produced by Charlotte filmmaker Beverly Penninger, this is a thoughtful documentary which smartly shows that no matter how much we think we know about this Native American icon, the truth is that much of her essence — as well as other aspects (her physical appearance, the meaning of her name, even its spelling!) — will remain enigmatically enshrouded in the past.
Southern Gothic Horror flicks ran rampant at this year’s fest, and here’s one that began its pilgrimage here in Charlotte. Narratively, local filmmaker Mark Young’s vampire tale may not seem as original as his past efforts Phreaker and Dead Bodies, but visually, it (pardon the pun) goes right for the jugular, and it offers a juicy role to character actor William Forsythe (The Devil’s Rejects) as a bloodsucking preacher.
American Scary / Blood, Boobs & Beast Tucked amidst all the fictional horror films were two documentaries that offered behind-the-scenes looks at the monster movie genre. The vastly entertaining American Scary traces the history of late-night “creature feature” TV hosts, with critic Leonard Maltin, make-up artist Tom Savini and legendary Famous Monsters of Filmland editor Forrest J Ackerman among those on hand to offer expert insights. And Blood, Boobs & Beast is a sometimes funny, sometimes poignant study of director Don Dohler, focusing as much on his personal life as on his campy horror and sci-fi yarns.
Off the Rocker Perhaps the gentlest of all the films I watched, this charming nonfiction piece serves up three cheers for the oldest generations, as it focuses on senior citizens who continue to dance, laugh and march to their own beat while creating their own social scene in Las Vegas.
Kilroy Was Here Runner-up for the Critics’ Award for Best Short Film, this was my favorite of the shorts and student films I screened. Written and directed by Charlie Boyles, an N.C. School of the Arts graduate, this World War II drama, about the relationship between a stranded American pilot and a group of orphaned French children, runs a mere 15 minutes yet could easily hold our attention for a much longer length — the ultimate compliment for any short film.
This article appears in Nov 21-27, 2007.
