Mid America Filmmakers and Downtown South Bend have joined forces to sponsor the First Annual River Bend Film Festival at the Century Center on May 1 & 2.  The official kick-off will be at Mid America Filmmakers’ annual evening of locally produced films and screenplays on Friday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m. at the Century Center’s recital hall.  Admission is free.

The night will consist of a series of locally produced short films from M.A.F. members and the Michiana area, as well as a few from out-of-state, followed by a Q&A session with attending filmmakers.

Five screenplays written by members of their screenwriters group will have a staged reading after which the audience will vote for one to be made into a short film. Last year’s winner “Valentine’s Day”, written and directed by David Boyer, will have its world premiere at this event.

For an interesting writing exercise this year, each screenwriter had to write a script about a blind date done in the style of famous filmmakers, such as Tim Burton, George Lucas and the Coen Brothers.

Read on for the complete list of film selections.

FILMS

“Tea? Mr.Rufflefluff” directed by Brett Fountain
(comedy, 4:22 min., South Bend, IN )
This day with the Teddy Bears is no picnic…

“Dark Secrets” Trailer directed by Scott Dokey**
(horror, 45 sec., South Bend, IN)
The family that kills together, stays together.

“Prombies”
(comedy/horror, 7 min., Florida State University Film School)
Zombies VS. The Hormone Monster!

“A Word From Our Sponsor” directed by Travis Pruitt
(sci-fi, 4:41 min., Indiana)
Big brother is now making you listen!

“Meat is Murder” directed by Devi Snively**
(comedy, 9:02 min., Mishawaka, IN)
No joke – meat CAN kill you!

“The Dinner Guest” directed by Joe Gleason
(drama, 7 min., Notre Dame, IN)
One afternoon members of a widowed family anticipate the arrival of their mother’s new suitor.

“Swagger” directed by Casey Stone**
(drama, 6 min., South Bend/Mishawaka, IN)
A body is never just a body to somebody else…

“First They Came For…” directed by Kate Chaplin
(drama, 5 min., Indianapolis, IN)
Based on the poem by Reverend Martin Niemoller.

“Harvey Putter” Previews directed by Tim Richardson** with Michael Kouroubetes**
(comedy, 11 min., Edwardsburg, MI/South Bend, IN)
See the trailer, meet London actor Kiran Shah, and sit in for Professor Snake’s lotion class.

“Cannibal Lovers” directed By Tara Eary**
(romance/horror/comedy, 8:30 min, Goshen/Mishawaka, IN)
Can love survive when it’s ‘What’s for dinner’?

“Crop Dusting Indiana” directed by Terrence Cook
(documentary, 6:25 min., Attica, IN)
The thrills and dangers of crop dusting in the Midwest.

“I Spit On Eli Roth” directed by Devi Snively
(comedy/horror, 6 min., Mishawaka, IN/Bethel park, PA)
Friends don’t let friends denigrate the horror genre.

“Billy and the Corpse” directed by Tyler Mitchell
(comedy/horror, 5 min., Indiana)
When Billy is once again neglected by his father, he finds a loyal and lovable companion in a corpse.

“Valentine’s Day” directed by David Boyer
(comedy, 4 min, Mishawaka, IN)
The original and the remake! Our 2008 M.A.F. Screenwriter’s Group $100 Movie Idea Winner

     ** – MAF Member

SCREENPLAYS

“Thanks For…”  byTara Eary as Wes Craven  (“Nightmare on Elm Street”)

“Doomed”  by Rose Waldeschmidt as George Lucas  (“Star Wars”, “Indiana Jones”)

“A Burton Blind Date” by Michael Kouroubetes as Tim Burton  (“Edward Scissor-hands”, “Ed Wood”)

“5 CM Peter” by David Boyer as Judd Apatow (“40 Year Old Virgin”)

“Dating Scaloppini” by Trisha Miller as the Coen Brothers  (“Fargo”, “Burn After Reading”)

This entry was posted on Monday, February 16th, 2009 at 8:40 pm and is filed under Announcements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.