The Big Screen

Festival fever

I'm happy to announce the lineup of the 2007 Alive Deep Focus Film Fest. Followers from the first two years of the festival will notice that for '07, we've expanded the number of screens, we've got more events planned and we've added a new program of special presentations, including a few old favorites. All screenings take place April 19-22 at the Arena Grand Theater.

New Independents

Opening Night Gala: "Waitress"

From the late actress-turned-director Adrienne Shelley comes a funny, charming fable about a small-town waitress (Keri Russell) whose joys and frustrations come out through her amazing pie-making abilities. Ohio premiere. Screening Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. Join us after the film for a gala party at TBD Tavern.

"After the Wedding"

The Brothers creative team of Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen return to the Deep Focus Film Fest with this Danish, Oscar-nominated drama, in which Mads Mikkelsen (the heavy in Casino Royale) portrays an orphanage worker in India forced to return home and face his difficult past. Columbus premiere. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 5:45 p.m.

"Air Guitar Nation"

Words can't describe the singularly thrilling experience of Alexandra Lipsitz's hilarious yet respectful documentary, following the first American contestants to compete in the World Air Guitar Championship in Finland. Screening Friday, April 20, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 6 p.m. Join us after the Friday show at the Lodge Bar, when local air guitarists will face off to win an actual guitar.

"Broken English"

Zoe Cassavetes makes her filmmaker debut with this romantic comedy in which Parker Posey's thirtysomething New Yorker starts reevaluating her romantic expectations, right about the same time a possible Mr. Right appears. Ohio premiere. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 3:15 p.m.

"Dare Not Walk Alone"

Jeremy Dean uses amazing, never-before-seen archival footage of racial clashes in St. Augustine, Florida, America's oldest city, to spotlight the role the town played in the passage of the Civil Rights Act and take a hard look at the legacy left behind. Ohio premiere. Screening Friday, April 20, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 5:30 p.m.

"Family Law"

From Argentine filmmaker Daniel Burman comes a lighthearted look at a successful man who finds that with the responsibilities of new parenthood comes a need to grow up and develop more respect for his own father. Columbus premiere. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 8:30 p.m. Join our sister publication Fronteras after the film for a Latino dance party at Sugar Bar.

"Fido"

The Matrix's Carrie-Ann Moss and Billy Connolly star in this terrific, retro zombie comedy about keeping up with the Joneses when most of the planet has been taken over by the undead. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 10:15 p.m.

"Maxed Out"

The subject of a recent Nightline segment, James Scurlock's documentary examines America's ever-increasing debt, the predatory practices of credit companies and the personal fallout. Columbus premiere. Screening Friday, April 20, at 9 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 5:45 p.m.

"Paprika"

Satoshi Kon's eye-popping anime feature centers on a device built to enter another person's dreams, but which ultimately has the power to punch holes in the fabric separating dreams from waking life. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 8 p.m.

Closing Night Selection: "The Hip-Hop Project"

Executive produced by Bruce Willis and Queen Latifah, this inspiring documentary captures a New York City program that channels teens' true-life experiences into powerful hip-hop wordsmithing. Columbus premiere. Screening Sunday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m.

Special Presentations

"World's Best Commercials"

This crowd-pleasing program presents award-winning ads from the Cannes International Ad Festival. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 4 p.m.

Modern Classics

To enhance the enjoyment of great film at Deep Focus, we're bringing in a few favorites that are celebrating anniversaries this year.

Friday is "Girls' Night Out" with screenings of the 1987 Oscar winner Moonstruck with Cher and Nicolas Cage and the 1997 not-so-guilty pleasure Romy & Michele's High School Reunion. The evening will also feature cocktail and appetizer specials at the Arena Grand Bar & Bistro.

We've also got a Saturday matinee of Steven Spielberg's 1977 spectacle Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and two more Modern Classics to be announced.

In our "Sports Film Spotlight," online voters chose Remember the Titans as the film they'd most like to see on the big screen. Ask and you shall receive. It'll screen Sunday, April 22, at 3 p.m.

Tickets go on sale today, March 29, at the Arena Grand box office and online at arenagrand.com. Short film selections and other fun stuff will be announced in the coming days. For updates, trailers and more, click to DeepFocusFilmFest.com.

March 29th, 2007