All Entries in the "James River Film Society" Category
James River Shorts Call for Entries Deadline
Graphic created by artist and filmmaker Jordan Bruner.
The James River Film Society has updated and extended the Call for Entries for James River Shorts. The deadline for entries is September 15, 2011. To submit, filmmakers can download a copy of the James River Shorts guidelines and entry form.
James River Shorts is a mini-festival devoted to the short. The centerpiece is a juried competition for short films (30 minutes or less) from around the globe that best embody what the James River Film Society and James River Film Festival are all about – the art of film and film as art. It’s also the James River Film Festival’s little sibling. Even a snapshot of the guests from past 18 years of the JRFF – Stan Brakhage, Karen Aqua, Charles Burnett, Ray Harryhausen, Martha Colburn, Skip Elsheimer, Albert Maysles, Ken Jacobs, the Brothers Quay, Peggy Ahwesh – shows that we have a broad concept of the art of film and film as art. Therefore, we encourage all types of short films – fiction, nonfiction, animation, experimental and more. We define short, you define art.
James River Shorts will be held Nov. 10-12, 2011 at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
James River Filmmakers Forum on August 18
The James River Film Society kicks off its new JamesRiverFilm@VisArts 3rd Thursdays Film Series with the summer edition of the quarterly James River Filmmakers Forum, featuring short films and discussion by local filmmakers.
Thursday, August 18th 7:30 p.m.
FREE (Donations encouraged); Cash Bar
Visual Arts Center of Richmond (Dominion Room)
Featuring films by:
Robert Massa – Margaret and Cora, two experimental film shorts
Joey Tran and Shawn Hambright – Treezilla, a comic fable
Les Owen – The Silo Effect: The Treehouse Sessions, excerpt of a music documentary
Thomas Bell – The Gauntlet, a comic short film
Tamara Eastman – Birthing a Colony, historical documentary short
JamesRiverFilm@VisArts
During the month of August, the James River Film Society made a big step in its move from Plant Zero Art Center to the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and launched the new James River Film@VisArts 3rd Thursdays Film Series. Stay tuned for details about our exciting new partnership and film series.
Welcome to the Temple of the Lost Movies: One man’s account of the 18th James River Film Festival
Peter Schilling Jr. wrote a wonderful, personal account of his 18th James River Film Festival experience for the James River Film Journal called Welcome to the Temple of the Lost Movies. Enjoy!
18th James River Film Festival: Peggy Ahwesh, Part 2
From Peggy Ahwesh's "Bethlehem."
Saturday, April 9, 12:30 p.m., VCU Grace Street Theatre, Admission $7/$5 JRFS Members
Lost in the Labyrinth: The Films and Videos of Peggy Ahwesh (64 min. plus Q&A) with filmmaker Peggy Ahwesh!
For more on Peggy Ahwesh read Return to the Garden, Friday, April 8, 6:30 p.m.
Lost in the Labyrinth includes:
“Bethlehem†(2009, 9 min, video)
“The Ape of Nature†(2010, 24 min, video)
“The Star Eaters†(2003, 23 min, video)
“Tears of Eros†(1996, 6 min, video)
“The Color of Love†(1994, 10 min, 16mm)
“Beirut Outtakes†(2007, 6 min, video)
18th James River Film Festival Opening Reception – Sponsored by the Virginia Film Office
Friday, April 8, 5:00-6:30 p.m., Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Leslie Cheek Theatre Lobby, FREE (Cash Bar)
Meet festival guests, volunteers and fellow members of the James River Film Society over hors d’oeuvres and cash bar.
18th James River Film Festival: Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver”
35th Anniversary Restoration of Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976, 113 min.) on 35mm!
One of the greatest collaborations of the 1970s was Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, a film that alchemized Paul Schrader’s script, Michael Chapman’s cinematography, Bernard Herrmann’s music and Robert De Niro’s totally credible Travis Bickle together to make an almost perfect movie. New York never looked so good, or so bad – a post-Vietnam note of the time, and as subversive as any of the “noirs†of the forties regarding the American dream. It’s funny how many American films of the seventies still resonate, especially Taxi Driver, which set a new standard of psycho-story with Scorsese’s direction (Mean Streets, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore). Add to that memorable supporting performances from Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, Peter Boyle, and Cybill Shepherd – a masterpiece! Celebrated on its 35th anniversary with a restored 35mm print; on the big screen as originally released! Introduced by Trent Nicholas, former Scorsese employee and current VCUarts film history professor.
James River Shorts, Nov. 10-12
Graphic created by artist and filmmaker Jordan Bruner.
The James River Film Society is pleased to announce James River Shorts. Deadline for entries is September 15; the screening of the finalists is Friday, November 11 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. To submit, filmmakers can download a copy of the James River Shorts guidelines and entry form. Entry fee is $20 ($10 for Virginia filmmakers; no fee for James River Film Festival/James River Shorts alums).
James River Shorts is a mini-festival devoted to the short. The centerpiece is a juried competition for short films (30 minutes or less) from around the globe that best embody what the James River Film Society and James River Film Festival are all about – the art of film and film as art. It’s also the James River Film Festival’s little sibling. Even a snapshot of the guests from past 18 years of the JRFF – Stan Brakhage, Karen Aqua, Charles Burnett, Ray Harryhausen, Martha Colburn, Skip Elsheimer, Albert Maysles, Ken Jacobs, the Brothers Quay, Peggy Ahwesh – shows that we have a broad concept of the art of film and film as art. Therefore, we encourage all types of short films – fiction, nonfiction, animation, experimental and more. We define short, you define art.
James River Shorts will be held Nov. 10-12, 2011 at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
18th James River Film Festival: Gary Lucas meets “Dracula”!
Sunday, April 10, 4:00 p.m., The Byrd Theatre
Gary Lucas Live with the lost classic, Spanish-language version of Dracula! (dir: Alvares & Melford, ’31, 100 min., b&w)
Jazz guitar virtuoso/composer Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart Band) returns to Richmond for his third appearance at the James River Film Festival, this year with the lost classic, Spanish-language version of Dracula. Unknown to even the most dedicated film buffs, this second — and some argue superior — version was filmed at night using the exact soundstages and sets as the better-known Lugosi version. The film utilized the same script, except spoken in Spanish for an emerging Latin American market, and featured the full-blooded performances of famed Mexican actress Lupita Tovar and the Spanish actor Carlos Villarias. Mr. Lucas took on the project of scoring between the minimal dialogue and sound effects (both versions featured score only in the beginning/ending titles), and debuted in December 2009 at the 31st Havana Film Festival to tremendous acclaim. He has since appeared at the London Jazz Festival, as well as the New York, Sevilla, Transylvanian (Romania), and the Glasgow Film Festivals. “It takes a certain audacity – or perversity – to wrap new music around a talkie, and the audaciously perverse Lucas uses two guitars and an array of effects to evoke the cosmic dread of the über-vampyre, Carlos Villarias. The old blood-sucker never seemed so vital.†– Richard Gehr, The Village Voice. Visit the official Gary Lucas website for more on Gary and his amazing projects!
Spanish Dracula Featuring Live Soundtrack by Gary Lucas at the European premiere at the Transylvania International Film Festival from Gary Lucas on Vimeo.
Pre-18th James River Film Festival Event with David Williams!
Friday, April 1, 6:30 p.m., Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, $7/$5 VMFA Members – GET TICKETS HERE
Thirteen (dir: David Williams, 1998, 82 mins.)  and “Dreams in the Night†(short) with filmmaker David Williams!
Originally released in 1998, Thirteen made the rounds of the international festivals and was highly praised by critic Roger Ebert. In his second feature, Williams reprises the character of Lillian (the titled star of his 1993 release) as the adoptive caregiver of Nina, a thirteen-year-old African-American girl with a deep yearning for a car. Williams’ direction is loose and light-handed but pays charming dividends, and the actors bring a credibility to the screen that few “names†could muster. Roger Ebert described Thirteen as a “movie that puts aside the artifice and razzle and looks solemnly at the beauty and the puzzlement of life.†(Chicago Sun-Times) Mr. Williams will answer questions and sign copies of the newly released DVD of his films!
To purchase advance tickets visit the VMFA website.
To whet your appetite, here’s a clip from “Thirteen.”
Join the James River Film Society!
We invite you to become a member of the James River Film Society by making a gift of $25 or more. Now, more than ever, we need support from our community to keep sharp our focus on the art of film and film as art. Help us reach our goal of 175 JRFS members and $7,500 by the conclusion of our 18th James River Film Festival on April 13. To reach our goal we need 100 people at $25-49, 50 at $50-99, and 25 at $100 or more. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go a long way. The James River Film Society is an all volunteer run organization with a very low overhead so you can rest assured that you hard-earned money will go right to the heart of what we do — bringing films and filmmakers to Richmond that otherwise wouldn’t come. To become a member of the James River Film Society make your online gift of $25 or more through Network for Good (still in our Richmond Moving Image Co-op name). Put JRFS Membership under Designation.
James River Film Society Launches Membership Campaign
The line for Kurosawa's "Hidden Fortress" during the 17th James River Film Festival, 2010.
Join us on Sunday, March 6 from 4-6 p.m. at Balliceaux, 203 Lombardy Street, for a James River Film Society Membership Campaign Kickoff Party. In addition to enjoying great food, a cash bar, a few short films and fellowship, we invite you to become a member of the James River Film Society by making a gift of $25 or more. Now, more than ever, we need support from our community to keep sharp our focus on the art of film and film as art. Help us reach our goal of 175 JRFS members and $7,500 by the launch of our 18th James River Film Festival on April 7. To reach our goal we need 100 people at $25-49, 50 at $50-99, and 25 at $100 or more. Your gift is tax-deductible and will go a long way. The James River Film Society is an all volunteer run organization with a very low overhead so you can rest assured that you hard-earned money will go right to the heart of what we do — bringing films and filmmakers to Richmond that otherwise wouldn’t come. To become a member of the James River Film Society make your online gift of $25 or more through Network for Good (still in our Richmond Moving Image Co-op name). Put JRFS Membership under Designation.
The Return of “DEGENERATES INK.â€
Writer/director Jim Stramel brings his newest film (which premiered at the Byrd on October 23) back to the Byrd for one night only!
DEGENERATES INK. – a rolling slaughterhouse of blood and ink, starring George Archer, Jr., Amber Bell and Wes Freed.
November 20, 2010, midnight
The Byrd Theatre, Admission is $6
If you missed it the first time around this is your second chance! And if you dare, you can Like DEGENERATES INK. on Facebook. WARNING: Liking DEGENERATES INK. on Facebook may lead to being unfriended.
NOT RATED: Contains foul language and tattoo violence. No one under 17 admitted.
Film for Lunch: French Film Series
Luis Buñuel's 1930 surrealist film, "L'Age d'Or."
Thursdays at noon: November 4, 11, 18 and December 2
Richmond Public Library-Main Branch
Admission FREE (Donations accepted)
From the late silent era into early sound, a time of formal experimentation and social and industrial flux, a selection of films from five of the most important directors working in France at the time—Rene Clair, Jean Vigo, Germaine Dulac, Jean Renoir and Luis Buñuel. All films shown on 16mm film in French w/English subtitles with a brief intro and post-screening discussion.
Nov. 4  – A Nous la Liberte/Freedom is Ours (dir: Rene Clair, ’31, sound, 87 mins.) A satiric look at capitalism, friendship and life on the assembly-line, and arguably Clair’s best film. The plot has an escaped convict becoming a wealthy industrialist, only to be found out by an ex-prison mate with ultimately both hitting the road as carefree vagabonds. The film’sthe reputed inspiration for Chaplin’s Modern Times.
Nov. 11 —  L’Age d’Or/The Golden Age (dir: Luis Buñuel, ’30, silent, 63 mins.) with La Coquille et Clergyman/The Seashell and the Clergyman (dir: Germaine Dulac,’28 silent, 43 mins.). A surrealist double bill! Buñuel’s first film after Un Chien Andalou is a hilarious romp over the tenets of Western civilization, while Dulac’s film, from a script by theatre of the absurdist Antonin Artaud, is a dream-take on religion and sexual repression.
Nov. 18 — L’Atalante/The Atalante (dir: Jean Vigo, ‘34, sound, 87 mins.). One of the loveliest films of the Poetic Realist years, a tale of love’s fragility. When a girl from the provinces marries a barge captain, her dreams of romance and Paris are grounded by their daily, endless tasks on board. Lyrical and poetic, at times grittily realistic, photographed by Boris Kaufman (Academy winner for On the Waterfront), with the great actor Michel Simon as Pere Jules. New Wave director Francois Truffaut hailed it a masterpiece!
Dec 2 — Zero de Conduite/Zero for Conduct (dir: Jean Vigo, ‘33, sound, 56 mins.) with Un Partie de campagne/A Day in the Country (dir: Jean Renoir, ’36, sound, 44 mins.). A double feature! Vigo’s irreverant fable of student revolt in a boarding school — the greatest pillow fight of all time! — has inspired films like If, Rock’n Roll High School, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Renoir’s A Day in the Country is an homage to the Impressionists (of which his father, Pierre Auguste, was one), adapted from two Maupassant stories and not released until 1946 because of the occupation and then the war. A story of unrequited love, set at a quiet country inn (Renoir plays the proprietor), delicately and lovingly told by France’s greatest director.
An Evening with Crispin Hellion Glover
The James River Film Society and The Byrd Theatre present:
An Evening with Crispin Hellion Glover
Friday, December 3, 9:30 p.m. at The Byrd Theatre
Admission: $20 (Advance tickets are available at Chop Suey Books and Video Fan; The Byrd will only sell tickets the day of the show, beginning at 9 p.m.)
The evening will consist of:
1) Crispin Hellion Glover’s Big Slide Show, where Mr. Glover performs a one-hour dramatic narration of eight different profusely illustrated books. The images from the books are projected behind Mr. Glover during his performance.
2) A screening of “It is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE.” (2007, 35mm, color, 74 min.), part two of Glover’s “It” Trilogy.
Plus a Q&A session and book signing!
For late-breaking updates on this and other programs join the James River Film Society Facebook Page.
For more information on Crispin Hellion Glover visit his website.
Parental Advisory: According to Mr. Glover, quote: “I do not think either [of my two "It" Trilogy] films would be appropriate for anyone under the age of 18.”
