Art, CUZine to debut NAFF 2010

Beginning this Thursday, April 15, the Art Theater and C-U Confidential present the first-ever New Art Film Festival (NAFF) – what we had previously referred to as the next CUZine Local Film Show – featuring six days’ worth of local filmmaking and a few bonus Midwest-made examples for good measure. Timed to coincide with the annual Boneyard Arts Festival presented by 40 North 88 West, the arts council of Champaign County, NAFF will encompass more than 12 shows and 20 features, shorts, and music videos that will demonstrate to our friends and neighbors that, indeed, creative media is alive and well and proliferating in the place where we call home!

Highlights include: the public C-U premieres of several films, including the documentary HOOPESTON, directed by Thomas Bender (see item: 3/8/10), the low-budget drama A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW, directed by Derek Klein (see item: 10/4/09), and a “sneak preview” of the upcoming Dreamscape Cinema thriller DISPOSABLE; a 10th anniversary show of films by current and past members of Illini Film & Video; a block of Chicago-made indies including the music video THE LIFELINE: TRILOGY, directed by Chris Folkens (see item: 5/25/08), and the documentary SEVEN SIGNS, directed by J.D. Wilkes (see item: 12/28/09); three late-night shows commemorating the 10th anniversary of MICRO-FILM including DEADWOOD PARK, directed by Eric Stanze (MF 1), RETURN IN RED, directed by Tyler Tharpe (MF 6, 7), and the über-quintessential MF movie, EXISTO, directed by Coke Sams (MF 4); and, more!

Akin to the quick-paced potpourri of our Boneyard show last year at Caffé Paradiso in Urbana, a “non-taxing film loop” will kick off NAFF beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday, featuring trailers of this year’s long-form selections as well as music videos and shorts, the latter including THE TRANSIENT, directed by Chris Lukeman, and DR. ZOND CONTROLS THE WEATHER, directed by Johnny Robinson. This set will repeat three times through the evening, leading up to EXISTO and the short FALLING TO THE TOP, directed by Wes Edwards, at 10 p.m. All presentations on this day are free!

Thanks to Sanford Hess and the Art, filmgoers will receive a break the rest of the way as tickets for all NAFF shows from Friday, April 16, to Tuesday, April 20, will cost the $6.50 matinee price. Everything will come full circle on the 20th when NAFF reprises favorite shorts and then invites local filmmakers up front to discuss their current work and ponder the future potential for making creative media in Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond!

Programming queries can be sent to yours truly at cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com. General queries can be sent to Hess at the [dot] art [dot] theater [at] gmail [dot] com. Press queries can be sent to Travis Alber at travis [dot] alber [at] gmail [dot] com.

All shows will take place at the Art, 126 W. Church St., downtown Champaign. Please join us! After NAFF wraps, get out there and make kick-ass local cinema to project on the Art’s silver screen next year!

~ Jason Pankoke

p.s. Look here tomorrow night for the complete schedule! Until then, click this link to download a PDF version courtesy of the Art!

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