Starting tonight at 7:30 p.m. and running through Thursday, August 12, Film Streams‘ will be presenting the work of 13 area filmmakers in its first-ever Local Filmmakers Showcase. With a run-time of 120 minutes, 14 films displaying a variety of genres will be presented back-to-back. The shortest is two minutes and the longest is 35.
“As a brand new organization that’s devoted to promoting film as an art form, we had a bunch of programs in mind from the beginning,” Film Steams founder and director Rachel Jacobson said. She then listed examples, such as their first-run films, “classics from the big screen,” and partnerships with nonprofits. “But it was tough to figure out how to support the local filmmaking community and how to be about our mission.”
Jacobson pointed out that the Omaha Film Festival was already in existence and that “they’re doing phenomenal work.” So, her and the team at Film Streams set out to put on a showcase that, unlike a festival, wouldn’t be handing out awards at week’s end.
“It’s more about just showing the best work that’s out there and kind of giving people the opportunity to see these films,” Jocobson said. “Even the selection process really wasn’t a competition. Even though we had a lot to choose from, it was really about curating a really good program.”
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And they went about doing that with a call for entries this past April and a deadline of May 15. In all, 60 entries were received from 40 filmmakers. To be eligible for consideration, directors had to be residents of Nebraska, Iowa, or South Dakota, and their films could not have screened publicly for a paying audience (outside of film festivals).
These 60 films were then turned over to an independent jury of eight local artists and film enthusiasts: Sara Adkisson Joyner, Jody and Roger duRand, Mark Hoeger, Peggy Jones, Maggie and Bob Mundy, and Derek Pressnall.
The following titles and directors were selected:
Azure Ray – We are Mice
Nik Fackler; 4 minutes
F Word Pizza
Max Mentzer; 7 minutes
Fantasia in Clay
Kelly Rush & Brian Seifferlein, NET; 7 minutes
Hump
Illusions
One Good Turn
Paperdolls
Allison Smoler; 2 minutes
Pioneers & Wrestling with My Father
Charles Fairbanks; 35 minutes & 5 minutes
Recalling Trinity
Tim Guthrie; 3 minutes
Sync or Swim
The Animutts: Rebecca Hermann, Peggy Reinecke, Tom Sain; 4 minutes
The Bedroom Wall
Valentine, Nebraska
Patrick Geske; 3 minutes
Vanity No. 1
Josh France; 20 minutes
As mentioned above, the showcase kicks off tonight with a 7:30 p.m. premiere screening and post-party with the filmmakers. Tickets are $9.00 for adults and there are a variety of other levels for students, seniors and more.
Another component of the showcase is that Film Streams will be splitting the box office with the filmmakers. “With 14 filmmakers it’s not a ton but, you know, it’s something,” Rachel said. “It’s kinda cool to get a revenue off a short film.”
