Although not every screening at the Athena Cinema is a sold-out show, starting at 5 p.m. on Friday, things are going to change.
From April 11-17, the 41st Athens International Film + Video Festival will be hosted at the esteemed theater at 20 S. Court St., bringing in a plethora of local and international filmmakers as they showcase their films for an enthusiastic group of film watchers.
“It’s a big festival, as it is an Academy qualifier,” said Tim Jackson, whose thesis film, Wrestling With Iowa, will be presented Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. with the short film The Heat. “On the list of film festivals, it is one of the bigger ones and, as a result, it brings in a lot of people and good films.”
Although the first movie shown at the festival will be the Academy Award-nominated documentary The Missing Picture at 5 p.m., the opening film of the competition is OJ: The Musical, a comedy written, directed and produced by 2004 OU alum Jeff Rosenberg, who received a BFA in playwriting. The screening starts at 7 p.m. alongside the short film Sailor’s Rhapsody.
“Coupled with the fact that many old friends and favorite professors are still in the area, I couldn’t be more thrilled to have OJ: The Musical playing on opening night,” Rosenberg said. “A large portion of the cast (and) crew are former Bobcats, so playing in Athens was always a goal of ours and we’re super excited to be part of the festival.”
Unfortunately, Rosenberg will not be in attendance for the festival because he is currently working on another movie in California, even though he planned out all of his eating destinations, including Bagel Street Deli and Casa Nueva, ahead of time. But, he still hopes people check out his film, along with films from his friends, including The Longest Game, which plays at 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday, and Doomsdays, playing at 5:15 p.m. on Thursday.
“The main message of our film is that people are on the same journey in life,” said Camille Thoman, the director, editor, writer and executive producer of The Longest Game. “People of our film, or, I suppose, the characters of our film, are senior citizens. We feel it’s really important to see people like that, not to be scared or left out.”
Founded in 1974, the Athens International Film + Video Festival has been presenting independent films from across the world. Sponsored by Athens Center for Film and Video, a project of the College of Fine Arts at OU, and, once again, directed by Ruth Bradley, the films at the festival are selected by a pre-screening committee, comprising artists, students and community activists, who watch all the films and videos entered into the competition and select what is shown at the festival.
“Being selected by this festival, we hope that the exuberance and the opportunities of the film speak out to audience members and inspire them to explore what they are doing around them,” said Sue Arbuthnot, director and producer of Dryland, which will be screened on Wednesday at 5 p.m. alongside the short film Town & Country, by OU student Jeremy Zerechak.
The grand jurors of the festival award cash prizes to the winners in four categories: documentary, experimental, narrative and animation. The festival jurors are announced just before the festival begins, with awards being given on Thursday, the final day of the festival.
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If You Go:
WHAT: 41st Annual Athens International Film + Video Festival
WHEN: April 11-17
WHERE: Athens Cinema, 20 S. Court St.
ADMISSION: Free for students
For a full schedule of screening visit athensfilmfest.org
