The Athens International Film and Video Festival rolls out the red carpet tonight with the screening of Der Sandman — an Austrian film — beginning at 4:30 p.m.
This is the fest’s 38th year of exposing Athens to genres outside the familiar movie listings, said Ruth Bradley, director of the fest.
“These are not on Netflix,” Bradley said. “You probably can’t even watch them on YouTube. This is stuff you can only see here.”
This year, more than 1,000 films were submitted, which were weeded down to just 250 well-rounded films. The Prescreening Committee, which comprises artists, students and community activists, selected the films, Bradley said.
The films include international hits crafted by well-known indie directors as well as three films directed by OU alumni.
Bradley said the group looked for “movies that would speak to the local community, and we always say look for personal involvement with the medium.”
The three returning alumni include Todd Rohal with Catechism Cataclysm, Danilo Serbedzija with 72 Days, and Megan Griffiths with The Off Hours.
The three alumni will present their screenings during the fest, and students are encouraged to engage the artists regarding their work, Bradley said.
“They’re all very friendly,” Bradley said. “I think you just walk up and talk to them. This isn’t Hollywood.”
The films will run through Thursday, April 28, when the winning films will be announced. Anonymous guest jurors will judge the films throughout the fest.
Bradley said it is up to audiences, though, to decide how the films fit together to create an overall picture.
She said, for instance, there are several films revolving around the intricacies of father-son relationships. Whether these screenings really belong in the same genre is not predetermined but decided after exploring the dynamics of the films.
“It’s like big jigsaw puzzles — how do we put them all together,” Bradley said.
Thanks to partial funding by the Arts for Ohio student program, there are a limited number of student tickets per film. Students simply need to present their student ID at the ticket box to receive Arts for Ohio student tickets.
“It’s a fantastic collection of videos from all around the world that’ll broaden your horizon,” Bradley said.
All competition films are free prior to 5 p.m., after which regular ticket prices will rise to $5 and again to $6.50 after 6 p.m. Most of the screenings will take place at the Athena Cinema located on South Court Street.
An official schedule of films can be found on the festival’s website.
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