IVFF Brings Filmmakers from Across the Country   By Margaret Schalliol

The “3^rd Annual IU South Bend Independent Video & Filmmakers Festival” (IVFF) to be held on Friday, April 9 and Saturday, April 10, here at IUSB in Weikamp Hall, will showcase independent films from the Midwest, but this year will also include films from outside the Midwest. Independent filmmaker and festival coordinator Tim Richardson has said, “every year the festival has 90% new filmmakers, if not more,” and that the festival is “still growing”.

The IVFF was started in 2001, by Richardson and other local filmmakers in an effort to have a forum for regional artists to show their films, to network and meet other filmmakers, and to share their experiences in filmmaking. Now in its third year, the IVFF has expanded to include approximately 40 films and will be spread across two days. Some of these films will be coming from as far as San Francisco and New York, while most are from more local filmmakers, including a few from IUSB and Notre Dame.

One IUSB filmmaker featured will be Aaron Wood, who although he has never been in a festival before, decided to enter his five short films (“In My Dreams”, “Sweet Dreams”, “Come to IUSB”, “By Myself”, and “Farewell to Sorrow”) because he said, “[the festival] seemed like something fun that would be a good form of publicity.” Tino Marquez Jr, co-producer and director for BUNK films, located in the Indianapolis area, will also have a few of his films shown. Marquez said his main reason for entering the festival was because, “it’s in Indiana and it’s a noncompetitive festival, which is nice because there is no pressure to compete.” He also stated that a festival like this is beneficial to new filmmakers,  “A venue like that is important for people starting out.”

In addition to showcasing the various short films and allowing for audience Q&A sessions of the filmmakers, the festival will feature two workshop sessions, each an hour and fifteen minutes in length, on Saturday. These workshops will be on directing, screenwriting, and cinematography. Festival participants will have two opportunities to attend workshops on the topics of their choice. Marquez, who will be instructing the directing workshop along with Richardson and Devi Snively (Deviant Pictures), for the first time, said the workshop would cover how the filmmakers got their productions off the ground and answers to any questions that people might have about directing. IUSB screenwriting instructor Tom Joachim, who has 30 years experience writing screenplays, including scripts for “WKRP” and “Charlie’s Angels”, will teach the screenwriting workshop. This will be his third time teaching the workshop for the festival and he has been very pleased with the level of participation in the workshops past years and expects that to continue. He says in the past he has had “15-20 people participating per workshop, “ and that most people in attendance seemed to have “enthusiasm and interest in the topic”. Joachim says because the workshops are limited by time, he focuses on the basics of structure. “I start by asking, ‘Does anybody have an idea for a screenplay?’ and then we start developing the idea,” he says.  Jeff Ackil will teach the third workshop, on cinematography. Ackil is a Michiana based cameraman who worked in Hollywood for several years on films including “Backdraft” and “Uncle Buck”.

The one thing that the coordinators think is lacking in the festival and that they are hoping will improve is the level of high school involvement. This year they had only one high school entry in the festival from students at Concord High School in Elkhart entitled, “Dark Room”. Both Joachim and Richardson expressed that getting the high schools involved is a priority for next year.

The IVFF is sponsored by the IUSB Alumni Association and receives support from the Mid-America Filmmakers Group (http://www.midamericafilmmakers.org/). Tickets to the IVFF can be purchased at the festival and are $5 for Friday night, $7 for Saturday morning and afternoon, (including the workshops) and $3 for Saturday evening. For a schedule of the festival’s events and to learn more about the films and filmmakers involved please visit the festivals web page at www.iusb.edu/~ivff/.

Most of the filmmakers seem to agree that the thing that is most exciting for them about the festival is the opportunity to meet and talk to the other filmmakers. But if you are not a filmmaker, what is the best reason to attend the festival? Here is a list of what I found to be the most interesting about the “3^rd Annual IU South Bend Independent Video & Filmmaker’s Festival” in the opinion of this humble reviewer.

“I, Zombie” – Directed by Jeremy Newman. With prior screenings at “Cinema Wasteland” and “Picture This…Festival”, this documentary on the life of cable access horror film host, Hayden Milligan, is absolutely fascinating.

“Drop” – Directed by Robert Mowen. Featured at the “2004 Sundance Film Festival”, this is an experimental film using expressionistic images, visual connections and metaphors to follow the journey of a raindrop. This piece from South Bend native Robert Mowen is the most prestigious film to be shown.

“Witness Jehovah” and “The Comedy Bunker: Episode Too!” – Directed by Tino Marquez, Jr & Carl James. These short comedies from Indianapolis are well acted and quite hilarious. Marquez says they’ve been told “comedy is their forte,” and I would have to agree.

“Free Spectra” – Directed by Seokhan Ryu. With screenings at “UC Santa Barbara”, “Pacific Film Archive at Berkeley”, “Black Maria Film & Video Festival Tour” (second prize), and “San Francisco Art Commission Gallery” this experimental piece is a visual symphony of lights. A beautiful film from San Francisco.

 “The Lords of the Rhymes” – Directed by Bombadil & Quickbeam. This music video from Brooklyn features two hobbits break dancin’ and mackin’ on elf girls

 “The Tales of Demise” and “ Sketchcetera” – Directed by Peter John Ross & George Caleodis. This collection of shorts featuring several alumni from the main stage cast of Second City and coming from Ohio is original and well done.

“?Quieres Camerografo? : Or Searching for Love In a Post-Title IX Era” – Directed by Derek Horner & Justin Leitenberger. Previously shown at the Notre Dame Student Film Festival 200, this documentary on a couple of students’ search for an athletic date has very subtle humor and was really enjoyable.

 “Nobody’s Listening” and “I’m Sorry Llama” – Directed by Tim Richardson. This sitcom and spoof music video from IUSB native Richardson, are evidence yet again of Richardson’s diverse talents.

 “How 2 Speak Australian” – Directed by Michele D. Andrews. This is a very strange short comedy, but is quite funny and one of the more original pieces of the festival.

If these films are not enough reason to come to the festival then perhaps the best reason is independent filmmaker and festival coordinator Tim Richardson’s reason, “it is good just to come and see that filmmaking is happening in this area. Until about three years ago I felt like I was in a vacuum.”