This week, the annual New Hope Film Festival takes over town, nurturing independent filmmakers, many of whom are seeking world and U.S. debuts and remain overlooked and/or underappreciated by other forums.
A couple months back, Film Festival officials proudly announced their 111 official selections for the 2013 showings (an all-time high!). While there are no doubt many wonderful films to see, we've highlighted five films that look especially intriguing:
Any artist worth his or her salt is willing to take risks, even to the point of wasting an entire life on a pursuit that bears little tangible fruit. This is the central theme The Risk Factor, a portrait of Lambertville, New Jersey artist Paul Matthews.A heir to the Proctor & Gamble fortune, Matthews eschewed the careers that are often expected of a privileged young man — law, academia, business and medicine — and instead used his modest trust fund to support his painting. When starting out, he was certain of his destiny as a famous artist, but time brought him back to earth; this documentary, a retrospective on his life and career, asks a probing question: was it worth it?
Despite his blue-blooded upbringing, most people can identify with Paul Matthews, a careerist who struggled to live up to his own youthful ambitions. It's a film about fame, recognition and missed opportunities. Paul's story is at turns amusing and sad, but ultimately, it's optimistic.
You can watch the trailer here (parental discretion advised): The Risk Factor Preview
Why we think it's worth seeing: The art world is entrenched into the Bucks County community, especially to those living near New Hope & Lambertville. This documentary provides a rare look into the life of one of those people, exploring the “true “value of one's body of work.
Shell Shocked is a documentary about youth and gun violence, the way the environment that inner city kids grow up in contributes to gun violence, and what can be done to help kids growing up amongst this mayhem. The film started as a teenage documentary program four years ago. Five New Orleans youths participated in a class where they were asked to document their lives and share their insights into why there was so much gun violence in the communities in which they lived. All of the participants would be what society would consider “good kids,” but all of them had witnessed either a family member or friend getting shot. This is common for New Orleans African-American youth: the New Orleans homicide rate, annually, leads the nation by a wide margin. What the filmmakers learned from the kids became the guiding principal of the film.
Executive Producer and Director John Richie, along with his clearly passionate team, has produced a powerful piece about a social milieu that cries out for reform. As the film sagely points out, no one wants to be a gang member or live in a violent neighborhood; tragically, many see no alternative. But a film like Shell Shocked is a catalyst for positive change.
Why we think it's worth seeing: With the Sandy Hook shooting and the more recent Zimmerman ruling, there's no denying that gun violence is a major issue in the U.S. This documentary attempts to unveil the hopelessness that leads to such violence.
Autumn
Ten-year-old Autumn (Reagan Frankhouser) lost her father several years before the story begins, and her family and she are still struggling to find equilibrium. The girl's mother Kate and her teenaged sister Amanda are too caught up in their own concerns to pay her much attention, so Autumn throws herself with desire and determination into her favorite pastime, taking photographs, and finds solace in the company of a father figure. But wandering the neighborhood and capturing strangers on camera has its risks, as she soon discovers. Will she remain safe, and if so, will she use that safety to realize her potential as an artist?
The cinematography is this locally produced film makes excellent use of the textures one can find in historic Bucks County, as one might expect in a film so immersed in photography, but there's much more at work than aesthetics here. Director Susan Barry displays a remarkably delicate and sensitive touch as she explores the inner world of an awkward girl whose inability to find answers for big questions propels her to observe and record the people around her. And the biggest strangers she needs to figure out are her own parents.
You can watch the trailer here: Autumn Trailer
Why we think it's worth seeing: Autumn is a film with New Hope roots that easily holds its own among the festivals national and international offerings.
My Way
This wonderfully inspiring documentary begins with the conventional “small-town girl livin' in a lonely (corporate) world” motif. Yet instead of taking the midnight train, Rebekah Starr, the film's Executive Producer and Co-Lead Actor, trades her pantsuit for a Les Paul, grabs her sassy, Estonian, tambourine-banging sidekick, and hits the highway—destination: Sunset Strip.
Then Starr's marriage falls apart, and we realize that her dream is much more than a youthful whim. It's a burning passion for music that comes with its share of real world sacrifices. Thanks to support from newfound rock'n roll legend friends such as Steven Adler (Guns N'Roses) and Rikki Rockett (Poison), Starr commits to her mission and accomplishes what she set out to do.
My Way speaks to anyone who has a dream but is afraid to pursue it—anyone who feels trapped by circumstances. You can learn more and watch the film's trailer on their website: My Way Website
Why we think it's worth seeing: We've all felt like this at one time or another but many are too scared to make the leap. This documentary is honest enough to allow the audience to experience the judgment that first comes to mind when someone sets out on an alternative path, while still revealing the honesty & positivity at the core.
Out of Print
Books have long been essential to human civilization.
Out of Print draws us into the realm of the written word, illuminating the turbulent but exciting journey from the book through the digital revolution. We live in an age where writers, publishers, and readers are all in flux, booksellers are closing, students are confronting new challenges, and librarians and teachers are seeking new responsibilities.
Storytellers Ray Bradbury and Jeffrey Toobin, novelist and Authors Guild President Scott Turow, Amazon.com Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Harvard University Library Director and Digital Public Library of America enthusiast Robert Darnton, and other book world luminaries are interviewed in this essential new documentary by director Vivienne Roumani. Narrated by Hollywood legend Meryl Streep.
You can watch the trailer here: Out of Print Trailer
Why we think it's worth seeing: History is in the making; it's fascinating to take a moment to reflect upon the drastic shift in communication happening right now. The move from print to digital is not only having broad implications for major industries but also shifting the way things work in small communities (specifically with companies like Bucks Happening!). Plus, you can't go wrong with Meryl Streep. Ever.
Harvest
Produced as an undergraduate project in 2012 at University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Harvest is the story of a world-weary farmhand who encounters a supernatural event that forces him to reappraise his worldview. Writer, producer and director Reid Carrescia, who is based here in eastern Pennsylvania, brings a spiritual edge to independent filmmaking, and does so with a Keystone State sensibility and a keen eye for composition.
Local students who want to advance their own filmmaking crafts ought to come out to the Festival and meet Carrescia, who plans to lead a Q&A after the student film show in which Harvest is scheduled. You can watch the trailer here: Harvest Trailer
Why we think it's worth seeing: Not only does this film star our homestate, but viewers will get the chance to speak to the talented students behind the work.
*Please note: Much like the welcoming views of New Hope year round, the film festival offers fair, unbiased acception into the festival by following strict rules (outside of their special events): festival organizers do not invite films into the festival, offer fee waivers, allow personal pitches from filmmakers, distributors and/or their agents, or sanction any other practices they consider preferential treatment. All films are treated equally in the process, which always begins by submitting through Withoutabox.com. Furthermore, content produced by festival organizers is never accepted at the festival, even at special events.
We Are Supported By:
Join Our Community. Click here to learn more
