South County Independent

Courthouse Center for the Arts offers movie buffs a glimpse at 'Best of the Fest'

WEST KINGSTON - If you couldn't make it to the movies at this year's R.I. International Film Festival, you still have a chance to see some of the highlights this weekend, a little closer to home.

The Courthouse Center for the Arts once again will host a two-day "Best of the Fest" event, showcasing some of the top independent films on offer at the recent festival, all of them award-winners.

Films will be screened at 7 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday at the Courthouse. Tomorrow's selections will include:

"Film Noir" (4 minutes): Directed by Osbert Parker Animation. Grand Prize: Best Experimental. It's described as a one-of-a-kind experience created "in camera." This mixed-media animated adventure combines live action, found objects and photo cut-outs from famous film noir scenes, all interwoven into a dark story of romance and psychological tension.

"In the Tradition of My Family" (15 minutes): Directed by Todd Davis. Grand Prize: New England Student Competition. Billy wants a better scar than the one his father gave him. A tradition of violence between fathers and sons that goes back generations is threatened when one father hesitates to fully indoctrinate his son into the insanity.

"My Backyard was a Mountain" (24 minutes): Directed by Adam Schlaehter. Grand Prize: Best Short. A young Puerto Rican boy, Adan, has one day to find a new home for his pet goat before the family relocates to New York City in the late 1950s.

"The Shovel" (15 minutes): Directed by Nick Childs. Starring David Straitharn. Honorable Mention: Best Editing. A crime of passion, a dangerous curiosity and a shallow grave add up to trouble in a small town where some secrets are better left buried.

"One Rat Short" (10 minutes): Directed by Alex Weil. Animation. First Place: Best Animation. In the heart of the rugged city, one rat's curiosity leads to love, danger and heartbreak.

"Windows Masks Doors" (5 minutes): Directed by Sarah Orenstein. Animation. Third Place: Best Experimental. In an old radio, a conductor tunes a medley of tracks revealing masked players hidden within. It features unique use of collage-style animation by R.I. School of Design student Orenstein.

"Taps" (19 minutes): Directed by Vincent Versace. First Place: Best Short. It's Robbie's last night with his friends and parents before being taken to war, leaving them only a few hours to resolve their differences.

Saturday's program features are:

"Incomplete" (18 minutes): Directed by Yann Demange. Honorable Mention: Best Screenplay. Daniel wakes up one morning to discover that his penis has disappeared, and everybody seems very nonchalant about it.

"In a Day" (80 minutes): Directed by Evan Richards. Starring Lorraine Pilkington and Finlay Robertson. Grand Prize: Best Feature. It's described as a drama, comedy and romance with an edge. Musician and sandwich shop employee Ashley has a nasty experience with a stranger one morning, only to encounter another mysterious young man named Michael. Together, Ashley and Michael spend an unpredictable day with an outcome that will change their relationship forever.

Admission costs $5 for the general public or $4 for Courthouse members. The Courthouse is located at 3481 Kingstown Road (Route 138), about 1.5 miles west of the main entrance to the University of Rhode Island.

For more information, call 782-1018.

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Garth Hoxsie-Quinn wrote on Mar 28, 2008 9:33 AM:

" All I can say is that i'm proud of my grandfather, proud to be a Wright and that i wish there were more people like him out there. It always feels good when doing things The Wright Way. "

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