Adrienne Shelly’s Waitress, a charming romantic comedy that was the talk of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, kicks off the third annual alive! Deep Focus Film Festival, April 19-22 at the Arena Grand Theatre in Columbus.
Waitress is one of 10 new independent films to be shown at this year’s event, and the festival’s celebration of great film has expanded to include anniversary screenings of modern classics from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, a special presentation of award-winning commercials, and a sports film selection chosen through an online poll.
“The Deep Focus Film Fest is chance for movie lovers to see a lot of great films, to get a first look at some Ohio premieres, and also enjoy a fun weekend in the Arena District,” said alive! Managing Editor Brian Lindamood. “It’s part of our mission to help alive! readers make the most of city life—to have a great time and celebrate the best of Columbus arts and entertainment.”

Special Events
In addition to the films, Deep Focus includes a variety of related events at venues around the Arena District, all with free admission for festival patrons.
Immediately following the Gala screening of Waitress on Thursday night, ticket holders are invited to a private after-party at TBD Tavern, 191 W. Nationwide Blvd., with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails courtesy of Grey Goose.
Before the Modern Classics screening of Moonstruck, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday, patrons are invited to a “Girls’ Night Out” happy hour with snack and drink specials at the Arena Grand Bar & Bistro
Following the Friday night screening of Air Guitar Nation, moviegoers who present their ticket stub at the door of the Lodge Bar, 165 Vine St., receive free admission to a face-off between local air guitarists. Closet rockers can enter the contest at ColumbusAlive.com; the grand prize is a guitar provided by Guitar Center.
After the screening of Daniel Burman’s Family Law on Saturday, ticket holders are invited to join alive! sister publication Fronteras for a Latin dance party at Sugar Bar, 525 Park St.

Ticket Prices
For New Independent selections and World’s Best Commercials, tickets are $10 general admission; $8 for students with ID, seniors over 60, alive! City Card holders and Wexner Center members. Tickets for Modern Classics screenings and the Sports Film Spotlight are $5 each. Tickets are on sale now at the Arena Grand box office and online at ArenaGrand.com.

The Deep Focus Film Fest is sponsored by alive! and Firestone.



2007 Deep Focus Film Fest lineup

New Independents
Opening Night Gala: Waitress
Midwest premiere
DIR/SCR: Adrienne Shelly
CAST: Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Jeremy Sisto, Andy Griffith
A Fox Searchlight release
From the late actress-turned-filmmaker comes tale of a poor small-town waitress (Russell) who finds a second chance at happiness when she least expects it.
Screening Thursday, April 19, 7 p.m.

After the Wedding
Columbus premiere
DIR: Susanne Bier
SCR: Susanne Bier, Anders Thomas Jensen
CAST: Mads Mikkelsen, Rolf Lassgard, Sidse Babett Knudsen
An IFC Films release
The Brothers creative team of Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen return to the Deep Focus Fest with this Oscar-nominated Danish drama, in which an orphanage worker in India is forced to return home and face his difficult past.
Screening Saturday, April 21, 5:45 p.m.

Air Guitar Nation
Ohio premiere
DIR: Alexandra Lipsitz
A Shadow Distribution release
Alexandra Lipsitz’s hilarious yet respectful doc follows the first Americans to compete in the World Air Guitar Championship in Finland. Preceded by the short Blissful, by Columbus creative team LeftChannel.
Screening Friday, April 20, 7 p.m.; and Sunday, April 22, 6 p.m.

Broken English
Midwest premiere
DIR/SCR: Zoe Cassavetes
CAST: Parker Posey, Drea De Matteo, Gena Rowlands, Melvil Poupaud
A Magnolia Pictures release
Zoe Cassavetes makes her filmmaking debut with this quirky comedy in which Parker Posey is a thirty-something New Yorker about to give up on romance, right about the same time a possible Mr. Right appears. Preceded by the short The Fixer, by Columbus filmmaker John Whitney.
Screening Saturday, April 21, 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, April 22, 3:15 p.m.

Dare Not Walk Alone
Midwest premiere
DIR: Jeremy Dean
A ThinkFilm release
Jeremy Dean uses amazing, never-before-seen archival footage of racial clashes in St. Augustine, Florida, America’s oldest city, to spotlight the role the town played in the passage of the Civil Rights Act and take a hard look at the legacy left behind.
Screening Friday, April 20, 8 p.m.; Sunday, April 22, 5:30 p.m.

Family Law
Columbus premiere
DIR/SCR: Daniel Burman
CAST: Daniel Hendler, Arturo Goetz, Eloy Burman, Julieta Diaz
An IFC First Take release
From Argentine filmmaker Daniel Burman comes a lighthearted look at a successful man who finds that with the responsibilities of new parenthood comes a need to develop more respect for his own father.
Screening Saturday, April 21, 8:30 p.m.

Fido
DIR: Andrew Currie
SCR: Robert Chomiak, Andrew Currie,
CAST: Carrie-Ann Moss, Dylan Baker, Billy Connolly, Tim Blake Nelson
A Lionsgate Films release
Carrie-Ann Moss and Billy Connolly stand out in this retro zombie comedy about keeping up with the Joneses when most of the planet has been seized by the undead.
Screening Saturday, April 21, 10:15 p.m.

Maxed Out
Ohio premiere
DIR: James Scurlock
A Magnolia Pictures release
The subject of a recent Nightline segment, James Scurlock’s doc examines our country’s ever-increasing debt, the predatory practices of credit companies and the personal fallout for Americans.
Screening Friday, April 20, 9 p.m.; Sunday, April 22, 5:45 p.m.

Paprika
Columbus premiere
DIR: Satoshi Kon
SCR: Satoshi Kon, Seishi Minakami
CAST (voice): Megumi Hayashibara, Toro Furuya, Koichi Yamadera
A Sony Pictures Classics release
Satoshi Kon’s mind-blowing anime feature centers on a research team’s hunt for a stolen device built to enter another person’s dreams, and the discovery of the more dangerous potential the device has in the wrong hands. Preceded by a sampler of work in progress by time-based media students at Columbus College of Art and Design.
Screening Saturday, April 21, 8 p.m.

Closing Night Selection: The Hip Hop Project
Columbus premiere
DIR: Matt Ruskin
A ThinkFilm release
Executive produced by Bruce Willis and Queen Latifah, this inspiring documentary captures a New York City program that channels teens’ true life experiences into powerful hip hop.
Screening Sunday, April 22, 7:30 p.m.

Special presentations
“World’s Best Commercials”
This crowd-pleasing program presents award-winning commercials from the Cannes International Ad Festival.
Screening Saturday, April 21, 6 p.m.; Sunday, April 22, 4 p.m.

Modern Classics
Moonstruck: 20th anniversary screening
Friday, April 20, 7:30 p.m.
Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion: 10th anniversary screening
Friday, April 20, 9:30 p.m.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: 30th anniversary screening
Saturday, April 21, 3:30 p.m.
Glengarry Glen Ross: 15th anniversary screening
Sunday, April 22, 2 p.m.

Sports Film Spotlight
By online poll on ColumbusAlive.com and 1460theFan.com, Boaz Yakin’s 2000 gridiron drama Remember the Titans was selected as the sports film Columbus movie lovers would most like to see on the big screen.
Screening Sunday, April 22, 3 p.m.


Additional program updates will be announced in the coming days. For more information, including trailers, click to DeepFocusFilmFest.com.