The first-ever
Connecticut Film Festival will take place Tuesday through
Sunday, Oct. 3-8 at locations in Bantam, Bethel, New Haven,
New Milford, Norwalk, Stamford, Waterbury and Westport. More
than 70 films will be screened and more than a dozen festival
gatherings will be offered.
The festival was established to create a lasting cultural
tradition for the state by celebrating the art of filmmaking
by bringing independent and international film to the area,
according to its organizers.
"I'm thrilled that we are creating a brand new arts
experience for Connecticut, one that residents and visitors
alike can look forward to each fall," said Tom Carruthers, the
founder and executive director of the Connecticut Film
Festival. "It's like eight festivals for the price of one.
This event will bring us to new heights in arts and culture,
and will attract tourism and drive economic development. From
the screenings to the parties to the panels, it's tailored for
cinema aficionados."
The festival will open Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m., at the
Garden Cinemas in Norwalk. A screening reception with the film's director and actors
will follow at The Black Bear Saloon on Washington Street in
Norwalk.
The festival will include films made by, and featuring,
local talent. The Carriage Barn Arts Center, in New Canaan,
announced that the Connecticut Film Festival will be hosting
the world premiere of the new documentary film, Art in the
Face of War.
Described by festival organizers as "beautifully and
movingly told," the documentary features eight local area
artists who are veterans of World War II.
The first screening of the film will be Friday, Oct. 6, at
7:30 p.m., at Saugatuck Elementary School in Westport. A
second screening will take place in Bethel Saturday, Oct. 7,
at 3 p.m., at the Bethel Cinema. The film runs 76 minutes.
Tickets for both venues can be purchased at the door or online
at www.ctfilmfest.org.
Art in the Face of War was developed in connection with the
Carriage Barn Arts Center's October 2004 exhibition "WWII
Artists -- Front Lines to the Home Front," which featured
images of World War II by 14 area artists involved in the war,
including the eight veterans in the documentary.
Cecelia M. Barnett, who is the film's executive producer,
curated the exhibition. The film was directed by David E.
Baugnon, and shot and edited by Ed Holt, independent
filmmakers from New York. The film has also been accepted into
the New Hampshire Film Festival and the American Artist Film
Festival in Kansas City, Mo. An additional screening at the
Carriage Barn Arts Center is being planned for Veterans Day,
Nov. 11.
In the documentary, the artist-veterans recount their
service experience, but Baugnon explains that "the film's
focus is on their use of art in journalism, as a tactical
tool, and to preserve their own sanity." Baugnon was
originally drawn to the project by his desire to comprehend
the truth of war and to explore its effect on the artistic
spirit.
As in the original exhibition, the documentary examines the
war through the lens of the artists' imagery rather than
historical analysis. Their images of the war - some done
"on-the-spot" and others done recently from haunting memories
- are highlighted in the film.
The featured artists are Victor Dowd (Westport), Syd
Greenberg (New Canaan), Doug Leigh (Huntington), Howard Munce
(Westport), Clark Robinson (Wilton), Arthur Shilstone
(Redding), Tracy Sugarman (Westport) and Ed Vebell (Westport).
All are combat veterans. After the war, each went on to a
successful career in the arts. All are active artists today.
A DVD of Art in the Face of War is available for purchase.
In addition to the feature documentary, the DVD's additional
material includes a remarkable "stories" segment that could
not be included in the main film because of time constraints.
In the "Today's War" segment the veterans express their
opinions about the current conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Speeches by Munce and Sugarman at the exhibition's closing
event are also included, as is a "slide show" of all the
images from the 2004 exhibition. The disc can be purchased at
the Carriage Barn or by calling the gallery at (203) 972-1895.
|