Marfa Film Festival
Encyclopedia
The Marfa Film Fesival was a Film festival
held in Marfa, Texas
, celebrating contemporary and classic film, as well as hosting musical events, tours of the area, and various other art related activities. The first annual was held May 1–5. The second annual was held April 29 - May 3, 2009. The third was held May 5–9, 2010.
Though successful by any measure -- called "the best little festival I've ever attended" by the LA Weekly and voted top 25 festivals worth the submission by Moviemaker -- the festival was nonetheless disbanded in 2011 due to the separation of its founding partners. The Cinemarfa Film Festival, a free festival celebrating mostly fine art films, has now taken its place.
A unique experience far away from the traditional festival circuit, Marfa Film Festival was a celebration of both contemporary and classic filims set five thousand feet high on the great Marfa Plateau, a deeply remote land with a fascinating history as an art and film mecca.
Marfa has the interesting position of being the epic location of the films There Will Be Blood
and No Country for Old Men
, 2007's main Oscar magnets, and Giant, the Texas ranch classic. 2008's festival was sponsored by the Texas Association of Film Commissions, Patrón
and Paul Mitchell
Notably, John Paul
and Eloise Dejoria, owners of both Patrón and Paul Mitchell, were the festival's first patrons.
, True Stories
, The Innocents, Man On Wire
, and two music videos directed by Heath Ledger
.
Many of the movies were screened at the Goode-Crowley Building, and some were put on by the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema's Rolling Roadshow. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes traveled to Marfa play their first-ever show with an opening performance by artist Mia Doi Todd
and Antony Langdon with his band Victoria.
The festival proceeds without awards, and screens an eclectic mix of international and regional offerings, including cinema classics outdoors on 35mm. and in its second year was named one of the "25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" by MovieMaker Magazine http://www.moviemaker.com/festivals/article/25_film_festivals_worth_the_entry_fee_2009_20090414/.
There was a steak dinner and award presentation, and then a screening of "The Last Picture Show" outdoors under the stars. Polly Platt and Dianna Ossana were also in attendance. Other outdoor screenings (facilitated again by the Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow) were "The Red Shoes" and the 40th anniversary of "Midnight Cowboy."
The Swedish band Life on Earth (a side project of the band Dungen
) flew from Stockholm to play a special Friday night show at the Crowley Warehouse.
's feature film The Sentimental Engine Slayer
, entirely shot in El Paso, Texas. The iconic artist Lou Reed
attended the festival for the North American premiere of his first film Red Shirley.
The event hosted outdoor screenings at the eclectic El Cosmico (a multi-faceted space that includes vintage Airstream trailers, a teepee and fire-heated hot tubs). The films exhibited were The Athlete
or Atletu, directed by Davey Frankel and Rasselas Lakew, the 1972 classsic The Harder They Come
by Perry Henzell
, and The Sun Ship Game, a rediscovered gem shot in 1969 in Marfa by Robert Drew
the American documentary filmmaker known as the father of cinema verite, or direct cinema.
Musical guests included Roberto Carlos Lange of Asthmatic Kitty
records, interactive sound artist Lazaro Valiente of Mexico City, and Gift Horse Project featuring members of Spacehog
and Rain Phoenix
. Amalia Castro, Mexicans At Night and Frontera Bugalu all from El Paso and Ciudad Juarez also played throughout.
For a full line up of the 2010 program: http://marfafilmfestival.org/2010/films/
2011 -
The festival co-founders split up and the festival has disbanded.
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
held in Marfa, Texas
Marfa, Texas
Marfa is a town in the high desert of far West Texas in the Southwestern United States. Located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, it is also the county seat of Presidio County. The population was 1,981 at the 2010 census....
, celebrating contemporary and classic film, as well as hosting musical events, tours of the area, and various other art related activities. The first annual was held May 1–5. The second annual was held April 29 - May 3, 2009. The third was held May 5–9, 2010.
Though successful by any measure -- called "the best little festival I've ever attended" by the LA Weekly and voted top 25 festivals worth the submission by Moviemaker -- the festival was nonetheless disbanded in 2011 due to the separation of its founding partners. The Cinemarfa Film Festival, a free festival celebrating mostly fine art films, has now taken its place.
History
The Marfa Film Festival was founded in 2007 by festival director Robin Lambaria and filmmaker Cory Van Dyke.A unique experience far away from the traditional festival circuit, Marfa Film Festival was a celebration of both contemporary and classic filims set five thousand feet high on the great Marfa Plateau, a deeply remote land with a fascinating history as an art and film mecca.
Marfa has the interesting position of being the epic location of the films There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood
There Will Be Blood is a 2007 drama film written, co-produced, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. The film is based on Upton Sinclair's 1927 novel Oil!. It tells the story of a silver miner-turned-oilman on a ruthless quest for wealth during Southern California's oil boom of the late 19th and...
and No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men (film)
No Country for Old Men is a 2007 American crime thriller directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, and starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin. The film was adapted from the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name...
, 2007's main Oscar magnets, and Giant, the Texas ranch classic. 2008's festival was sponsored by the Texas Association of Film Commissions, Patrón
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
and Paul Mitchell
John Paul Mitchell Systems
John Paul Mitchell Systems is the company known for Paul Mitchell hair care products and styling tools. It was founded by John Paul DeJoria and Paul Mitchell in 1980 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills. Paul Mitchell also has beauty schools in multiple locations. The company sponsors a martial...
Notably, John Paul
John Paul DeJoria
John Paul Jones DeJoria is famous as a former homeless person who went on to become a billionaire businessman. According to Forbes magazine, he is worth US$4 billion.- Early life and education :...
and Eloise Dejoria, owners of both Patrón and Paul Mitchell, were the festival's first patrons.
2008
The most notable event of the 2008 festival was the opening of the festival screening of There Will Be Blood on the set of Little Boston. 400 attendees (many crew members and extras who had yet to see the film) were shuttled to the shooting location on a ranch 20 miles outside of Marfa. Other movies included Night of the HunterThe Night of the Hunter (film)
The Night of the Hunter is a 1955 American thriller film directed by Charles Laughton and starring Robert Mitchum and Shelley Winters. The film is based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Davis Grubb, adapted for the screen by James Agee and Laughton...
, True Stories
True Stories (film)
True Stories is an American film that spans the genres of musical, art, and comedy, directed by and starring David Byrne of the band Talking Heads. It co-stars John Goodman, Swoosie Kurtz, and Spalding Gray. Byrne has described the film as, "A project with songs based on true stories from tabloid...
, The Innocents, Man On Wire
Man on Wire
Man on Wire is a 2008 British documentary film directed by James Marsh. The film chronicles Philippe Petit's 1974 high-wire walk between the Twin Towers of New York's World Trade Center. It is based on Philippe Petit's book, To Reach the Clouds, recently released in paperback with the new title...
, and two music videos directed by Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
.
Many of the movies were screened at the Goode-Crowley Building, and some were put on by the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema's Rolling Roadshow. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes traveled to Marfa play their first-ever show with an opening performance by artist Mia Doi Todd
Mia Doi Todd
Mia Doi Todd is a musician from Los Angeles, California, United States.Mia has collaborated with rock, electronica, and hip-hop musicians, contributing her voice to works by Dntel, Beachwood Sparks, Nobody, Adventure Time, Frausdots, Folk Implosion, The Mission, Saul Williams, Prefuse 73, Flying...
and Antony Langdon with his band Victoria.
The festival proceeds without awards, and screens an eclectic mix of international and regional offerings, including cinema classics outdoors on 35mm. and in its second year was named one of the "25 Festivals Worth the Entry Fee" by MovieMaker Magazine http://www.moviemaker.com/festivals/article/25_film_festivals_worth_the_entry_fee_2009_20090414/.
2009
The second annual Marfa Film Festival had a mix of accessible, eclectic and classical films. Most notably, Larry McMurtry http://blogs.indiewire.com/mikejones/archives/marfa_fest_gets_mcmurtry/ made a rare appearance to accept the first "Texas Screen Legend Award" presented by Marfa Film Festival in Association with the Texas Association of Film Commissions.There was a steak dinner and award presentation, and then a screening of "The Last Picture Show" outdoors under the stars. Polly Platt and Dianna Ossana were also in attendance. Other outdoor screenings (facilitated again by the Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow) were "The Red Shoes" and the 40th anniversary of "Midnight Cowboy."
The Swedish band Life on Earth (a side project of the band Dungen
Dungen
Dungen is a Swedish rock band based in Stockholm. Often classified as progg or psychedelic rock, Dungen is also influenced by Swedish folk music, classic rock, progressive rock, garage rock and alternative rock....
) flew from Stockholm to play a special Friday night show at the Crowley Warehouse.
2010
The third annual Marfa film Festival was held May 5–9. The festival in only its third year was hailed for attracting a strong lineup of films and their makers, such as Omar Rodríguez-LópezOmar Rodriguez-Lopez
Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, writer, actor and film director who was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico...
's feature film The Sentimental Engine Slayer
The Sentimental Engine Slayer
The Sentimental Engine Slayer is the directorial film debut of Omar Rodríguez-López, songwriter, guitarist and producer of rock group The Mars Volta. Rodríguez-López wrote, produced and scored the film, as well as starring as its protagonist, Barlam...
, entirely shot in El Paso, Texas. The iconic artist Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
attended the festival for the North American premiere of his first film Red Shirley.
The event hosted outdoor screenings at the eclectic El Cosmico (a multi-faceted space that includes vintage Airstream trailers, a teepee and fire-heated hot tubs). The films exhibited were The Athlete
The Athlete
The Athlete is a 2009 Ethiopian drama film directed by Davey Frankel and Rasselas Lakew. The film was selected as the Ethiopian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards, but it didn't make the final shortlist...
or Atletu, directed by Davey Frankel and Rasselas Lakew, the 1972 classsic The Harder They Come
The Harder They Come
The Harder They Come is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell.The film stars reggae singer Jimmy Cliff, who plays Ivanhoe Martin, a character based on Rhyging, a real-life Jamaican criminal who achieved fame in the 1940s...
by Perry Henzell
Perry Henzell
Perry Henzell was most famous for being the director of the first Jamaican feature film, The Harder They Come , starring Jimmy Cliff....
, and The Sun Ship Game, a rediscovered gem shot in 1969 in Marfa by Robert Drew
Robert Drew
Robert Lincoln Drew is an American documentary filmmaker known as a pioneer of cinéma vérité, or direct cinema, in the United States....
the American documentary filmmaker known as the father of cinema verite, or direct cinema.
Musical guests included Roberto Carlos Lange of Asthmatic Kitty
Asthmatic Kitty
Asthmatic Kitty is an American independent record label founded in 1999 by a community of musicians from Holland, Michigan led by musician Sufjan Stevens and his stepfather Lowell Brams. Some were Holland natives, and others had come to attend local colleges and universities...
records, interactive sound artist Lazaro Valiente of Mexico City, and Gift Horse Project featuring members of Spacehog
Spacehog
Spacehog is an English rock band formed in 1994. Their music is heavily influenced by David Bowie, Queen, and T.Rex.-Members:* Royston Langdon a.k.a. "Ray Sprinkles" – bass and vocals...
and Rain Phoenix
Rain Phoenix
Rain Phoenix is an American actress, musician, and singer. Phoenix has four siblings: two brothers, actors Joaquin and the late River Phoenix, and two sisters, Summer and Liberty.-Early life:...
. Amalia Castro, Mexicans At Night and Frontera Bugalu all from El Paso and Ciudad Juarez also played throughout.
For a full line up of the 2010 program: http://marfafilmfestival.org/2010/films/
2011 -
The festival co-founders split up and the festival has disbanded.