C-U movies crash IIFF, R66 fests

Last year ’round this time (see item: 8/19/07) we reported with glee how several local productions made the cut in the third annual Illinois International Film Festival, run by MICRO-FILM friends Michael and Jeffrey Wolinski. This weekend, the song remains the same as the fourth edition of the IIFF commences this morning, Saturday, September 20, and continues through tomorrow evening, Sunday, September 21, at the Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL. Amidst a packed selection of independent cinema from around the world, Chris FolkensTHE LIFELINE: TRILOGY (see item: 5/25/08) will play during Block 1 on Sunday morning (10 a.m.) while Alaric Rocha‘s NEAR MISS (see item: 11/26/07) will appear during Block 2 on late Sunday afternoon (4:15 p.m.). Congratulations to both filmmakers and much continued success to IIFF!

Meanwhile, the Route 66 Film Festival also commences this morning with two additional movies of local origin in tow. Head on over to the Hoogland Center for the Arts, 420 S. Sixth St., Springfield, IL, between now, Saturday, September 20, and tomorrow night, Sunday, September 21, to experience dozens of productions from around the world. These include a pair of C-U student shorts: Roshan Murthy and Sam Copeland‘s SAMSARA 2 (see item: 7/2/08), which brings the apocalypse to this afternoon’s “Audience Favorite – Drama Competition” block (1:15 p.m.), and Chris Lukeman and Anne Shivers‘ THE TRANSIENT (see item: 8/2/07), which merely brings the hurt to evildoers everywhere during tomorrow evening’s “Short Film Winners and Awards” block (6 p.m.). Salutations to all!

According to festival director Linda McElroy – who is a director herself with the 747 Productions short, THE PERFECT MARK – Route 66 was deluged with more than 100 entries this year after joining WithoutABox.com and being named one of 25 festivals worth the entry fee by MovieMaker magazine. This makes the inclusion of SAMSARA 2 and THE TRANSIENT quite commendable, with the latter also earning its crew the first Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Award and a cash prize. Who knew the trenchcoated one and his case worker Steve were equally adept at warding off competing auteurs as well as the vampiric Honest Abe?

~ Jason Pankoke

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