This is the first year that I’ve attended any of the screenings at the Indianapolis International Film Festival.
This is the ninth year of its existence.
This is embarrassing. This is unacceptable.
I mean, I like to think of myself as a reasonably well-cultured supporter of local businesses and events. And certainly I have heard of this festival. I just never made the very minor investment of time and money to see what it was all about.
Mark my words: never again will a year pass in which I don’t attend several screenings.
For the uninitiated, over 100 films are screening at three locations. Two are theaters at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and the third is at the Earth House (a newer venue located on New York and East in Lockerbie Square).
That’s a lot of independent films; many of these movies won’t be widely released and those that will won’t see theaters for many months. So if you want to know what Roger Ebert has to say, you’re out of luck. This lack of information is one of the things that has kept me away from film festivals in the past. To say that this was a foolish attitude is an understatement; without exception, the films I’ve seen have been outstanding.
There’s another side of the coin in regard to newness of these films. They’re, well, new. If you find any satisfaction in discovering something before your friends, this is the place for you.
The highlights for me have been TEDDY BEAR, which portrays a painfully shy middle-aged bodybuilder searching for love in Thailand, and Rubberneck—a slow-burn psychosexual study of a scientist obsessed with a coworker. Both of these films, by the way, are screening again today (the former at 5:15 at the IMA and the latter at 8:00 at Earth House).
You’ve still got time to get your ass to the theater. Closing night is this Saturday at Earth House, where Somebody Up There Likes Me will be screening. (That movie has just been picked up for distribution and will be released to theaters in April.) Sunday is a procrastinator’s dream: the best films (as voted on by the viewers) will be screened at Earth House, and an-all day pass will run you only $30. Until then, individual tickets are $10; if you want to binge, you can get 10 tickets for $80.
This is worth your money. No more bitching about there not being anything cool in Indianapolis; this is as cool and as excellent as it gets. Do yourself a favor and be a part of this.
