FALLBROOK: Organizers gearing up for local film festival

By: TOM PFINGSTEN - Staff Writer
Tickets go on sale April 1 for screenings, special events | Monday, March 24, 2008 1:09 PM PDT ∞

FALLBROOK ---- Tickets and passes for the first independent film festival in Fallbrook will go on sale April 1 at the Mission Theater, organizers said Friday.

The festival, planned for the weekend of April 25-27, will feature about 80 films from amateur and professional filmmakers all over the world, said Brigitte Schlemmer, director of the Art Campus at Fallbrook and a film festival organizer.

"The quality (of the submissions) is unbelievable," Schlemmer said.

"Even some of the student films ---- the beautiful cinematography, the landscapes, the characters and stories" are amazing, she added.

Tickets for the festival will be available through the Mission Theater box office beginning Tuesday, April 1.

Schlemmer said the cost for tickets is $10 for an individual screening, which includes a minimum of two hours' worth of films, some short and one feature-length.

Day passes cost $30 for all screenings in any given day, and a three-day pass costs $75, which would provide access to all of the films being screened.

The last option is a $150 "all access" pass that includes all films and events, including the opening night ceremony at the Art Center at Fallbrook, a lecture with "Talladega Nights" director Adam McKay and four workshops being held that weekend at the Art Campus.

Individual tickets for the workshops must be purchased through the Art Campus. For information, call (760) 728-6383.

The event that may draw the most people is a free screening of the documentary "D.O.P.E." that will be held at the Art Campus on Saturday night, Schlemmer said.

The subject of the film, former skateboarding star Dennis Martinez, will be in Fallbrook for the screening. A live band will also be featured.

While the weekend will be packed with extra-curricular events, Schlemmer said the films are what the festival is all about. The works range from full-length documentaries about globe-trotting humanitarian workers to funny animated "shorts."

"Some of the stories that are being told are classics with modern twists and using new technology," she said. "It's just astounding what people can do on small budgets."

In addition to primary screenings at the Mission Theater, films will also be screened at the Cafe Des Artistes inside the Art Center, as well as at J.J. "Purty" Landers pub.

Screening passes are free to all active and retired military personnel, and tickets to the special events ---- with the exception of the filmmaking workshops ---- can also be purchased individually through the Mission Theater box office on Main Street.

Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 740-3516 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com.

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