Lisa Grigsby

Building on the success of the first FilmDayton Festival, the second 2010 edition will present a lively mix of screenings, filmmaking workshiops, parties and special events unlike anything else in town.

It starts Friday, May 14, on Urban Nights, but continues the downtown vibe throughout the weekend at several venues — the Neon, Gilly’s and at a brand new spot: The former Greyhound bus station, now cleaned up and turned into a special lounge area for filmgoers, filmmakers and guests.

The festival will blend Dayton-centric films by local filmmakers, or artists who were trained here in the craft, many from the Wright State Motion Picture program; student films from WSU seniors and talented
high-schoolers who are being trained by FilmDayton and the Muse Machine; international films and documentaries, along with top festival picks from around the nation, that can only be seen at the FilmDayton Festival; and unusual events such as the “Screenless Screening,” an audio-only
presentation by WYSO-FM.  This rare combination of films and events has been stirred together by
combining the talents and connections of the Dayton filmmaking community and pushing it outward.

The festival, of course, is just part of the work of FilmDayton. In the year since the first FilmDayton Festival, the two-year-old organization has worked with Wright State University’s Motion Picture program and the Muse Machine to teach student workshops and film classes; partnered with the Sundog Film Festival to boost young local filmmakers; brought local filmmakers together to network and share ideas at monthly “Film Connections” meetings; revamped filmdayton.com to better promote the area as a filmmaking
location; set up offices at the Dayton Convention Center and brought on a director, Eva Buttacavoli,.

The group’s goal is to establish the Dayton area as fertile ground for making movies, both by helping the filmmaking community that’s already here to flourish and by luring more film activity to town. The FilmDayton Festival showcases and pushes all that forward.

FILM DAYTON FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

As of May 10, 2010. Schedule and screening times are subject to change. Check www.FilmDayton.com for the most up-to-date schedule, as well as for a complete listing of workshops and special events.

FRIDAY, MAY 14

DAYTON ROCKS! (free event)
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
Shelly “GladGirl” Hulce, longtime Dayton music insider, digs into local attics, basements and cyber archives to showcase some of Dayton’s best past and present rock videos, skater films and more.

WSU BIG LENS FILM FESTIVAL ($5, free with WSU student ID)
7 to 9:30 p.m. // The Neon
Students from Wright State University’s award-winning motion pictures program screen their most recent productions in this event filled with compelling, contemporary work.

AFTER PARTY WITH THE LAB PARTNERS ($5 or free with Big Lens Film Festival stub)
9 p.m. to midnight // Gilly’s
Dayton spacerockers the Lab Partners always put on a unique, engaging listening and viewing experience ― which will be seriously amped when the band is joined by Springfield native Rod Hatfield’s ensemble, The Now Device, and their light and film performance.

THE BIG LEBOWSKI ($5)
10:15 p.m. // The Neon
Catch this comedy classic, starring Jeff Bridges as The Dude, on the big screen.

SATURDAY, MAY 15

ROPEWALK ($5)
10:30 to 11:30 a.m. // The Neon
What ties together prehistoric tools, Ben Franklin, trust busting, railroads, drug laws, plastics, nanotubes and space travel? Rope, of course. Learn about ropemaking’s forgotten effects on agriculture and industry in Xenia, Ohio, from the Civil War to the present ― and beyond. This award-winning historical documentary film was produced by The Engineers Club of Dayton.

CONVENTION ($5)
10:30 to 11:30 a.m. // Gilly’s
The story behind the mounting of one of the biggest events of the decade: the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Photography and sound by Daytonians Steve Bognar and Julia Reichert, who were nominated for a 2010 Academy Award for their documentary The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant.

WORKSHOP // KARRI O’REILLY DESTROYS YOUR RESUME ―
AND THEN HELPS YOU FIX IT SO YOU CAN GET A JOB ON A MOVIE (free event)
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
Karri O’Reilly has seen literally thousands of production resumes and most of them stink. Find out how to make your resume stand out ― in a good way ― and learn tips that will help you land a job on a feature film. Sign up for 15-minute appointments beginning at 10:30 a.m.

MUSE MACHINE & FILMDAYTON PRESENT STUDENT SHORTS ($5)
noon to 1 p.m. // The Neon
Students who participated in the 2010 48-hour Film Boot Camp and the Muse Machine Film Club at Centerville High School will show off their films.

MADRINA FILMS PRESENTS THE BEST OF INTERNATIONAL SHORTS ($5)
12:30 p.m.  to 2:30 p.m. // Gilly’s
Springfield filmmaker Marisha Mukerjee selects the best short films the world has to offer, including the documentary Last Supper for Malthus, winner of the European Independent Film Festival 2010’s audience award. With a billion of the world’s population going to be hungry at night, Last Supper for Malthus sheds light on our permanent food crisis.

RECORDING OF “FILMICALLY PERFECT” (free event)
1 to 3 p.m. // ThinkTV
J. Todd Anderson ― filmmaker and storyboard artists for such directors at the Coen brothers ― and George Willeman ― film archivist, writer and producer ― will record their WYSO 91.3-FM radio show “Filmically Perfect” in front of a live audience.  “Filmically Perfect,” hosted by Niki Dakota, WYSO music director, airs at 12:30 p.m. Fridays on the station, when Anderson and Willeman dissect classic films.

GIRL POWER SHORTS: SUNDAY SPIN / THE ACT / RITE ($5)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // The Neon
Girls with secrets is the theme in these short films. Sunday Spin, written and directed by former Daytonian Nichol Simmons, features a 100 percent Dayton cast and crew. First love, BFFs, lip gloss, barbecued carrots and that boy from eighth grade take Eloise on an unforgettable Sunday spin in this sassy take on the after-school special. The Act was written and directed by Pi Ware and Susan Kraker and filmed by former Daytonian Marco Fargnoli. Rounding out this trio of shorts is Rite, written and directed by Kettering native Alicia Conway.

THE 1ST ANNUAL WYSO SCREENless SCREENING ($5)
3 to 4:30 p.m. // The Neon
WYSO 91.3-FM Director Neenah Ellis and program director Juliet Fromholt present a celebration of Dayton stories, sounds and the art of listening. Hear radio magazine feature stories, such as those on NPR’s StoryCorps and Ira Glass’ This American Life, as you never have before ― in a dark movie theater.

THE LAST TRUCK: THE CLOSING OF A GM PLANT ($5)
3 to 4:30 p.m. // Gilly’s
Directed and written by Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar of Yellow Springs, The Last Truck was nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary, short subject. It tells the story of the workers of the General Motors Assembly Plant in Moraine, which opened in 1981 and closed on Dec. 23, 2008. While the workers are shocked they’ll be losing their jobs, the film shows they’re also losing much more: the pride they share in their work, the camaraderie built through the years and the shared concerns about what their collective futures will hold. The Last Truck offers a snapshot of a moment in America where we may be seeing the end of the blue-collar middle class.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH SUNDAY SPIN (free event)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
Nichol Simmons, writer and director of Sunday Spin, talks about how the film came to be.

MASTER CLASS // ACTING ($15)
4 to 5:30 p.m. // ThinkTV
This class will be taught by a trio of experts: Dave Gewertz, founder of MidwestExtrasDB.com, designed to be the go-to site in the Midwest for people who are interested in being extras in films, television and commercials; Marianne Porter, Wright State University graduate and one of the stars of feature film True Nature; and Stuart McDowell, chair and artistic director of Wright State University’s department of theatre, dance and motion pictures.

BURMA VJ ($5)
5 to 7 p.m. // The Neon
This 2010 Academy Award Nominee for best documentary feature is the true story of an anonymous collective of underground video journalists (VJs) who risked their lives to capture the dramatic 2007 Myanmar uprising, when 100,000 people (including thousands of Buddhist monks) took to the streets in protest. The producer, Lise Lense-Møller, will be in Dayton all the way from Denmark for a Q&A after the film.

FILMDAYTON’S SECOND ANNUAL PITCH-IT! ($5)
6 to 8 p.m. // Gilly’s
Think you’ve got a golden idea for a film? This is your opportunity to prove it. Drop $5 in the hat and pitch your movie in two minutes to a panel of industry experts. The winner takes home the cash and the championship belt, although this lively event is fun for audience and aspiring filmmakers alike. Hosted by Niki Dakota, WYSO 91.3-FM music director, with judges including Stuart McDowell, chair and artistic director of Wright State University’s department of theatre, dance and motion pictures; Nichol Simmons, writer and director of Sunday Spin; and Jennifer Sharp, director of I’m Through with White Girls.

TRUE NATURE MEMBERS ONLY SCREENING**
8 to 10 p.m. // The Neon
Part drama and part supernatural thriller, True Nature is the story of a family reunited when their college-age daughter is found after a year-long disappearance. Written, directed, produced and filmed in Dayton by Dayton’s own Pat Steele and Ann Rotolante. **This screening is for FilmDayton members and Reel Deal and All-Access pass holders only.

RED CARPET, REV. COOL, DJs AND DANCE PARTY DOUBLE FEATURE
8 p.m. to midnight // Gilly’s
Dance around the fringe with The Rev. Cool’s Arkestra & Dance Ensemble, joined by popular local spinmasters Ruckus Roboticus and DJ Scorpius Max.
• FilmDayton Fundraiser: From 8-10 p.m., enjoy themed martinis and catered bites while helping support Dayton’s nonprofit organization dedicated to local film and filmmakers. $15
• General admission: $5 after 10 p.m. or free with True Nature stub

INK & FLESH / FUN IN THE OLD TOWN TONIGHT ($5)
midnight // The Neon
Dayton favorite Andy Copp presents a world and local premiere double feature with classic ’70s era grindhouse trailers in between and a Q&A.

SUNDAY, MAY 16
BOOKSIGNING WITH JAMES GREER (free event)
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
James Greer will discuss and sign his most recent book, The Failure, and host a Q&A session about his current movie project, Cleo, a rock musical of sorts, about Cleopatra. Greer wrote the script for this film starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and directed by Steven Soderbergh, who describes the film asTommy meets Viva Las Vegas, with music by Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices. Greer has been a bassist for Guided By Voices, editor of Spin magazine, and is the author of Guided by Voices: A Brief History: Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll and the novel Artificial Light.

SUNDOG FILM FESTIVAL ($5)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // The Neon
Originated in Yellow Springs in 2003, this juried competition is open to young filmmakers in grades 8-12.

PANEL DISCUSSION // FILMING UNDER DURESS (free event)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // FilmDayton Power Up Lounge
What happens when your cameras aren’t welcome or in danger zones? Lise Lense-Møller will discuss the perils of filming under less than ideal conditions. Lense-Møller is the producer of Burma VJ, a 2010 Academy Award Nominee for best documentary feature. It tells the true story of an anonymous collective of underground video journalists (VJs) who risked their lives to capture the dramatic 2007 Myanmar uprising, when 100,000 people (including thousands of Buddhist monks) took to the streets in protest.

FILM CONNECTIONS PRESENTS WORKS IN PROGRESS ($5)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // Gilly’s
Loose, informal and interactive, FilmDayton’s monthly networking program, Film Connections, moves to Gilly’s one time only for this special edition of local works in progress. Hosted by recent Wright State University grad and local filmmaker Rocky Smith.

WORKSHOP // INDEPENDENT FILMMAKING ($15)
1 to 2:30 p.m. // Dayton Convention Center
True Nature director Pat Steele and Ann Rotolante present “Beginning to End: A How-to of Local Independent Filmmaking.” From the big idea to opening night, learn how to create an independent film.

DIRECTING PANEL ($15)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // Dayton Convention Center
Jennifer Sharp, director of I’m Through with White Girls and Mike Webber, director of The Elephant in the Living Room, discuss the ins-and-outs of directing and give workshop attendees a director’s behind the lens view.

WINTER’S BONE ($5)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // The Neon
Get an exclusive first look at this winner of the 2010 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, which doesn’t open to general audiences until June. The film tells the story of a young woman who must fight her way through the Ozark wilderness and local criminal underworld to find her father and save her family.

WSU BIG LENS FILM FESTIVAL, TAKE TWO ($5, free with WSU student ID)
3:30 to 5 p.m. // Gilly’s
Missed this festival on Friday? No worries. This is your second chance to catch students from Wright State University’s award-winning motion pictures program screening their most recent productions in this event filled with compelling, contemporary work. The festival will be followed by a meet-and-greet from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

EXPLODING GIRL ($5)
5:30 to 7 p.m. // The Neon
This drama is the exquisite portrait of a young girl coming of age and finding a deeper kind of love in New York City. Kettering native Bradley Rust Grey directed this independent feature, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last year. At Tribeca, its lead, rising indie star Zoe Kazan (Revolutionary Road, It’s Complicated, Me and Orson Welles), won the award for best actress.

I’M THROUGH WITH WHITE GIRLS ($5)
7:30 p.m. // The Neon
In this film, winner of the 2007 Block Buster Audience Award at the American Black Film Festival, Jay Brooks is on a quest to find the perfect woman ― but first he must deal with his commitment issues to win his love. Director and Yellow Springs native Jennifer Sharp will be on hand for a Q&A and discussion after the screening.

The FilmDayton Festival thanks its sponsors, without whom this festival would not be possible: DP&L, Cox Ohio Media/Dayton Daily News,activedayton.com, ThinkTV, WYSO 91.3-FM, The Now Device, Dayton City Paper, Wright State University, the Southern Ohio Council for Higher Education and The Ohio Coffee Co.