A documentary by a graduate student and dramas by two alumni will be screened as part of the cinematic smorgasbord known as Film Fest New Haven. This year's event will be held Friday-Sunday, April 3-5, at sites on campus and in the city.
Now in its third year, Film Fest New Haven "provides a platform for the high-quality, critical work being done by today's independent filmmakers, and offers creative and interesting entertainment for Connecticut audiences," says Nina Adams, programming/managing director for the event.
The festival is open to works on all topics and in all formats (from video to 16 mm to 35 mm). "It's the only film festival of this type in Connecticut," she notes. "New Haven is the best place for this kind of event. It's sophisticated and urban without being massive. There's a sense of intimacy that makes it perfect for a festival of this sort," adds Adams, who recently retired as nurse practitioner at Yale University Health Services and lecturer at the School of Nursing in order to work full-time on Film Fest New Haven.
This year's festival will feature approximately 65 works from around the world, which range in length from a few minutes to over two hours and include comedies, dramas, documentaries, animation and experimental works. The films will be shown at the Whitney Humanities Center auditorium, 53 Wall St.; The Little Theatre, 1 Lincoln St.; and the York Square Cinema, 61 Broadway.
This year's program includes:
* "Neptune's Rocking Horse" by Robert Tate '86 B.A. and Robert Roznowski. The film begins as New York police haul an angry black transvestite out of an Upper West Side apartment building, and goes on to explore how the incident affects five bystanders. It will be shown at 7:30 p.m. on April 4 at the Whitney Humanities Center.
* "Henry Ossawa Tanner" by Casey King, graduate student in the departments of African American studies and American studies. The documentary, narrated by Julian Bond, explores the life and work of the 19th-century African American artist who was acclaimed abroad but, until recently, little known in the United States. It will be shown at 12:30 p.m. on April 4 in The Little Theatre.
* "First Time Felon" by Charles (Roc) Dutton, a 1983 School of Drama graduate. This is the first feature film directed by the actor who won Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for his role in August Wilson's "The Piano Lesson" and starred in the television series "Roc." Dutton will talk about his film and discuss his career, from acting to directing, at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday in the Whitney Humanities Center. While there are admission fees for most of the Film Fest New Haven events, this screening and talk are open to the public free of charge.
Dutton is just one of several dozen filmmakers who will come to the Elm City during the course of the festival to mingle and talk with audiences and their fellow directors. Many of these filmmakers will meet with students in Yale's film studies program, which is one of the sponsors of the event.
Works screened at Film Fest New Haven are eligible for Audience Choice and Jury awards, and this year for the first time, a screenplay contest is being held in conjunction with the event. School of Drama students will present staged readings of the award-winning scripts during this year's program.
There are several ticket packages designed to allow audience members to sample the wide variety of works being screened during Film Fest New Haven. A $45 Film Buff Pass includes admission to the opening night celebration and to events throughout the entire weekend. There are also Weekend Passes for $25 ($20 for students) and Day Passes for $15. Tickets to individual shows are $5 apiece. For tickets, information and a program, call 481-6789.
Programs listing all the activities during Film Fest New Haven are available in New Haven at the Film Study Center, 53 Wall St. and the New Haven Arts Council, 50 Audubon St.; in Hamden at Best Video, 1697 Whitney Ave.; and on the World Wide Web at www.filmfest.org.
The Independent Film Channel, the only network completely dedicated to independent film, is the national sponsor of Film Fest New Haven. Other cosponsors include Bell Atlantic NYNEX Mobile, ACES/Media Arts Center, Best Video, the Connecticut Film Commission, and the Yale Office of New Haven Affairs.
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