I am currently in Oxford, Mississippi, preparing for opening night of the great Oxford Film Festival. But, as wonderful as that is for me, there is also a drawback because this weekend in Dallas will be Dallas Video Fest’s Alt-Fiction film festival. So much good film and so much geography between them…

Here are a couple quick thoughts about Bart Weiss, the head of Dallas Video Fest and all of its film festival parts: He IS the film tastemaker of Dallas and Fort Worth and North Texas. He just is. Bart has his eyes, and ears, and heart, and most importantly – his brain On. The. Screen. Taste-wise, finger on the filmmaking pulse-wise, and eye out for what’s coming down the pike-wise, Bart Weiss is the benevolent leader we all take the lead from. Bottom line.

Alt-Fiction is a perfect example of that. The lineup is comprised of fascinating, intriguing, exciting selections. There are curiosities, there are emotional high points, there is both broccoli movies, and popcorn movies. Because Bart takes that whole “curating” thing very seriously.

Here are the ones I would be first in line to see if I were in Dallas this weekend:

 

Allan Holzman’s ART OF DIRECTING: DAVID LEAN

Considered by many to be the greatest director of the 20th century, David Lean knew filmmaking and the art of film directing. If David were alive today, he would be celebrating his 100th year! In 1973 in a rare and candied interview at the American Film Institute, then aspiring filmmaker, Allan Holzman, got to meet the man himself. Now for the first time, that interview, hosted by Charlton Heston, has been restored and expanded. Come and hear tales of the making of masterworks such as BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, DR. ZHIVAGO, and LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (recognized as the highest cinematic achievement of the 20th century by ASC). This thing is a mini-film school for the price of a ticket. Enough said.

 

 

Ida Lupino’s THE HITCHHIKER

There are people who you figure out are “the deal.” Ida Lupino was the deal. She held her own both on camera and behind it, a dame in the very best sense of that word. If you were an actor, you would’ve wanted to be in a scene opposite her or you would’ve wanted to be directed by her. There is no debate on this. None, I’m telling you!

This particular movie (one of her must-see classics): Two fishermen pick up a psychotic escaped convict who tells them that he intends to murder them when the ride is over.

In our house, we have a framed behind-the-scenes photo of Ida Lupino on our wall that I gave to Justina a few Christmases ago. That’s how much we think of her.

 

 

 

PIONEERS: FIRST WOMEN FILMMAKERS

In the early decades of cinema, some of the most innovative and celebrated filmmakers in America were women. Alice Guy-Blaché helped establish the basics of cinematic language, while others boldly continued its development. This is Alt: Fiction’s Mini-Film School Part 2. While at Sundance, I just guilted Kino Lorber’s Richard Lorber on a radio interview to have his publicist send me a Blu-Ray of this thing because I wanted it so badly.

 

 

 

Richard Bailey’s A SHIP OF HUMAN SKIN

A Gothic tale of mysticism and violent crime. Two women go out into the fringe of rural culture to seek a revelation. They get trapped in a fierce place, and one murders a man with an ax after she has a vision he is an evil thing. Legend spreads that while locked away in prison, she levitates. This thing looks trippy as hell. No chance that you see anything like this until OCFF or WTxFF roll into town this summer, so get your batshit crazy yayas out now!

 

Jenni Tooley’s STUCK

This is where film festival shit gets real: A work-in-progress screening of a indie film scrapped together by hundreds of people literally donating money or time and talent to get the thing made. And you can trust that if all of that is being done to make a film, then that film has got a lot of reasons to “live.” I know Jenni Tooley. She’s been at my fests and on my red carpets and I would be there checking this thing out and supporting her if I could.

You should.

And here’s the scoop on the film: A ballerina with a baby and a coke habit. A regret-filled sister caught between her head and her heart. A country singer hiding out in her hometown. And at the center – one woman struggling to remember them all through the veil of her fading memories. STUCK is a fiercely independent female-driven art film that explores what it’s like to lose your mind- whether it’s through Alzheimer’s disease, addiction, or trying to control someone else’s disease. STUCK is a micro-budget feature with a $50,000 cash budget raised from 200 grass-roots backers. An additional 150 people volunteered their time, talent, and resources with in-kind contributions tallying up to $150,000. The film was shot on location in Dallas, TX with 99% of the cast and crew being locally sourced.

 

 

David Byrne’s TRUE STORIES

One of my cool moments when I was in New York working at Lincoln Center was when we did a special screening of STOP MAKING SENSE and got to meet David Byrne. He was soft spoken, polite as hell, generous with his time and thoughts, and it was just the best thing all he way until we said good night to him and he rode off down Broadway on his bicycle.

Here’s the official goods on the film: Talking Heads singer David Byrne plays host to this bizarre patchwork of tabloid-inspired tales, set in the fictional town of Virgil, Texas. Cruising the streets in his cherry-red drop-top, Byrne introduces viewers to the local eccentrics gearing up for the town’s 150th anniversary. They include a community leader (Spalding Gray) with a thing for veggies, a woman (Swoosie Kurtz) so lazy she won’t leave her bed, a lovelorn country singer (John Goodman) and more! Everyone always brags about the fact this one was shot around here for a reason – it is weird, eccentric, and awesome.

 

Jamie Patterson’s TUCKED

I met Jamie Paterson and April Pearson at the Naples International Film Festival and they were a delight and the best film ambassadors you could hope for – funny, engaging, and talented. This one’s a winner.

And the movie.. When veteran drag queen Jackie Collins receives a diagnosis with six weeks to live, all he wants to do is perform his long-running act and behave as if all is normal. But between a surprising new friendship with a rising young queen and unfinished business with his estranged daughter, he may just have the most eventful month and a half of his life. An award winner at the Naples International Film Festival and OutFest, this one is a can’t miss.