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Show Discussion Seminars Enhance ILS. Film and Video Festival Vxy y - ; ;y yJ V r ' x "Ay x x V xl . H x V " V v S x L-v. x x J I , ' ' 1 r v - -N K'f x i - - - , tf vx x , f -x ... ,.4-X.. . . Film Critic Roger Ebert Along with the screenings of many well known and not-so-well known films this week, the U.S. Film and Video Festival is offering a 'vast array of seminars on subjects rangii g from screenwriting to grants available avail-able for independent filmmakers. film-makers. Roger Ebert, noted film critic with the Chicago Sun Times, conducted two film comentaries Monday and Tuesday at the Holiday Inn, and the informal discussions discus-sions are scheduled to continue through the end of the week. The discussions, held in the Pub, are open to the general public free of charge. Monday's round-table discussion dis-cussion focused primarily on the role of the independent filmmaker in America; however, how-ever, because of the informal format, a number of issues were raised regarding film in general, including the differences differ-ences between Hollywood producers and independent producers. Tuesday afternoon, a large crowd listened to John Demme, Director of Melvin and Howard, respond to questions and insights on his nationally acclaimed movie about Melvin Dummar and Howard Hughes. Mr. Dummar and his wife, Bonnie, were also on hand to discuss the film. Along with Roger Ebert during Monday's discussion wee Fred Keller, Director of Tuck Everlasting', Andrea Strout, American Film Magazine; Mag-azine; and Joy Pereth, Independent Feature Project. Pro-ject. Speaking for independent filmmakers in general, Fred Keller said it's important to "bridge the gap between making films we really believe in and making them commercial and accessible." Independent films have rarely known commercial success because they lack access to distribution channels chan-nels and also because of the viewing taste of the general public, explained Mr. Ebert. And the critic added that independent films are made for one important reason: "the filmmaker had a story that absolutely had to be told," even in light of the fact that the film would probablv end up in the red. Hollywood is unwilling to take risks on films that don't already have pre-established patterns of commercial success, suc-cess, he said citing Beyond and Back, made by Schick-Sunn Schick-Sunn Classic Pictures (now Taft International) as one of -the worst films ever made; however, because of immense im-mense advertising and distribution, distri-bution, the film made a lot of money. People in this country like to see familiar films, even in his own opinion, if the films lack quality. "People have a great fear of seeing anything they might think is good," said Roger Ebert. And the movie-going public in general gen-eral is losing a sense of community, he added; consequently, con-sequently, many people stay home and watch movies on television. "Television is not movies," mov-ies," he said. "If you're watching a movie on television, televi-sion, you're not watching a movie; you're watching television." tele-vision." Because the average movie-goer today is nineteen -and-a-half years old, Mr. Ebert said Hollywood producers pro-ducers are making movies directed at that audience. "We are up against a tremendous trem-endous amount of resistance," resis-tance," said Joy Pereth, adding, "It's going to be a long process of developing audiences (for independent filmmakers)." And Andrea Stroud added that many critics today don't help the situation much by demonstrating a lack of understanding of independent indepen-dent films. Mr. Ebert stressed that what sets independent films apart from high-budget films is the total commitment on the part of the independent filmmaker. To an independent indepen-dent filmmaker, Ebert said, it's more important to make the film than to show it. Ms. Pereth said the U.S. Film and Video Festival is helping to encourage a "very significant" new attitude among filmmakers and, hopefully, among the public. By bringing together independent inde-pendent producers for the Festival, she said, new markets begin to surface, with the end result being to develop new audiences. Tuesday afternoon, Jonathan Jona-than Demme echoed the thoughts expressed the day before concerning independent indepen-dent filmmaking. "There is no broad base interest in off-beat movies," he said before an overflowing crowd in the Pub at the Holiday Inn. "The-aweful truth is, people aren't prepared (to take a chance in seeing different kinds of movies)." And the Director of Melvin and Howard added, "People want to know exactly what they're going to see in a movie." Melvin and Howard recently re-cently won "best Film of the Year" by the American Society of Film Critics. Roger Ebert said he liked it and thought it was "a very good film"; however, he added he was not at liberty to make any detailed commentary commen-tary on Melvin and Howard until his review is written next month for the Chicago Sun Times. Mr. Demme said that he sees the character of Melvin Dummar as "an American citizen, not a famous person. The extraordinary thing that occurred to him made it unbelievable to the public," he added. And the director pointed out that the movie is his own "imaginative interpretation" inter-pretation" of the events which actually occurred in Melvin Dummar's life. Melvin Dummar told the audience that the first time he saw the film, he was laughing so hard, he missed most of the plot, "the way Hollywood put it together," he added. He also said that he has seen the movie at least fifteen times, and every time he saw something different. Mr. Dummar was quick to point out that he liked the movie and that all of the elements in the film actually happened to him, but some of the events were changed. "It appeared as if I was a spend thrift (in the movie)," said Mr. Dummar. "That's not what I got out of it," responded Jonathan Demme. Dem-me. "Here's another guy living beyond his means, part of a trip we all go through." Jonathan Demme has directed di-rected a number of movies and he said now he had this "desperate desire to find material that literally gets your pulse thumping. "I reached a point where I got more interested in characters than the cars they drove," he said. think snow |