The Derby City Film Festival

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The Derby City Film Festival is proud to announce the selected films for the 2011 edition.
In total 67 films will screen during the three day festival which will be held February 18th - 20th, 2011 at the Clifton Center. Of those screening, 41 of the films have been selected for competition.

The festival will open with a short film screening group from The Bob Rogers Group (BRG), a production company based in Louisville. The BRG film program of 8 short films will be free to attend and begin at 6:00 PM on February 18th. The official opening night film at 8:00 PM will be “The Very Worst Thing” a film about the worst bus crash in US history which took place in Floyd County, Kentucky in 1958. The film is from Georgetown filmmaker Michael Crisp.

In all, 20 films from Kentucky filmmakers will screen during the festival including four feature films and 16 short films.  A “Kentucky Short Films Program” will screen on Sundayfeatures short films from Kentucky filmmakers. Both the Saturday night Feature Films (“Almost Nothing Good Happens” by Tom Whitus & “Queens of the Dead” by Ray Cart) were produced and shot in Louisville and will be World Premieres. Other films from filmmakers with ties to Kentucky will screen during the festival as well.

“While this year’s festival is a great moment to showcase the talent right here in Kentucky, we also want to remind everyone that we are an international festival,” points out DCFF cofounder Kristofer Rommel, “in addition we are screening 25 films from international filmmakers and numerous films from other parts of the country as well. It’s a great showcase of independent film in general.”

Films screening at the 2011 Derby City Film Festival include films from New Albany & Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Georgia, Illinois, Oregon, New York, California, Switzerland, Poland, Russia, and Canada.
“It was a great group of films that were submitted this year,” says cofounder Ashley Rommel, “the selection committee had their work cut out for them and we all feel that those selected represent some of the best in independent film making out there.”

Films screening out of competition include the Bob Rogers Group short films and another 18 short films included in a short film program entitled “Cyber Bros.”; of which all the films are from Russian filmmakers. The festival has also partnered with the Jewish Film Festival which runs concurrently with the DCFF. On Sunday Feb. 20th the two festivals are partnering to screen “Voice Teacher” a documentary from New York. Don Roberts, the voice teacher and Daniel Mendelson, the director will attend and discuss the film. The festival closes Sunday February 20th with the feature film “Hitting the Nuts” from Cincinnati filmmaker Joe Boyd

There will be workshops held during the festival that cover a wide range of topics including: Writing for the Screen,  Green Screen Techniques, Acting, and FX Make-Up. As well as filmmaker Q&A’s following many of the films.

Each of the workshops are hosted by leading regional professionals in independent film and are designed for the experienced filmmaker as well as those just beginning or who have an interest in learning more about the world of independent film. The workshops will be held Saturday and Sunday during the festival and are free for those who purchase a day or festival pass.

The festival will bring back the audience vote for the next edition. Each audience member will be able to vote on their favorite film in each category and the votes will be tallied and will comprise 1/5 of the total jury vote. Awards will be given out following the festival conclusion. There will also be an audience favorite award given out which all films are eligible for. Finalists in each film category will be announced in January.

The 2011 Derby City Film Festival runs February 18th - 20th at the Clifton Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The full festival schedule and film descriptions will be available January 1st, 2011, which is also when tickets go on-sale through the festival website. More information on the jury, workshops and general festival information, can be found at the festival website: www.derbycityfilmfest.com or by calling the DCFF office at 502-618-3192

The following includes the full list of selected films, directors and origins that are in competition for the 2011 Derby City Film Festival. Kentucky and Indiana filmmakers are noted in BOLD:

Feature Films:
Almost Nothing Good Happens - Tom Whitus - New Albany, Indiana
White Knuckles - Zak Forsman - California
Queens of the Dead - Ray Cart - Louisville, Kentucky
Hell is Full - Steve Hudgins - Dawson Springs, KY
Hitting the Nuts - Joe Boyd - Cincinnati, Ohio
Mountain Mafia - Cherokee Hall - Lexington, Kentucky
Demons Rising - William Lee Ohio
Tow - Adam Newell - Indianapolis, Indiana
Deadlands 2: Trapped - Gary Ugarek Maryland

Documentaries
The Very Worst Thing -Michael Crisp - Georgetown, Kentucky
Our House - Greg King - California
Figaro: Living in the Moment of a Character - Dan Schaefer - Oregon
Mutton Buster - Bruce Claydon - Canada
What’s in a Smile - Andrew DeJohn - California
Miracle on 42nd Street NY, NY - Jerri Sher - California
Smolarze - Piotr Zlotorowicz - Poland
Fried Apple Pies - Natalie Baxter - Lexington, Kentucky

Short Films
Remaindered - Lee Goldberg - California
James Amnesia - Evan Sennett - Louisville, Kentucky
Knife - Matthew Rivera - Louisville, Kentucky
A Moment of Delusion - Steve Cleberg - Somerset, Kentucky
K (Between the Lines) - Nate Morguelan - Louisville, Kentucky
Hindsight 2020 - Bryan Dobson - Simpsonville, Kentucky
Afghan - Pardis Parker - Canada
Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns - Pardis Parker - Canada
Implants - Pardis Parker - Canada
The Escape - Rajko Jazbec - Switzerland
Red Princess Blues - Alex Ferrari - California
Meth - Michael Maney - Cincinnati, OH
Marble Rye - Max Rosen - Missouri
<3 (Heart) - Josh Flowers - Cincinnati, OH
I Will Hurt You Some More - Gary Lynch - Georgia
Surviving Hunger - Balgum Song - California
The Singer - Josh Hope - Illinois
Crux - Jared Hardy - New Albany, Indiana
My Apologies - Andreas Goldfuss - Canada
Vitruvius Toybox - Dennis Michael Iannuzzi - Pennsylvania
The Mercy Seat - Jared Hardy - New Albany, Indiana
Bubbly - e.E. Charlton-Trujillo & Josh Flowers - Cincinnati, OH
Bots - John Cosper - Sellersberg, Indiana

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