Wild Bill is calling for short films to headline his first-ever film fest at The Box Performance Space this Saturday.
The festival is the brainchild of Chris Walsh and Matt Garcia of Amigo Productions, a local film company. Central to the event is audience participation, in that the attendees decide which films to watch and which to skip.
"We allow the audience to let the film play, or boo it off, depending whether they like it or not," Walsh said. "The best movie at the end, the one that got the most applause, will win the festival."
Each film will play for at least two minutes, and if the audience likes the film, Wild Bill, the event's costumed mascot, will let it finish.
But if the audience hates it, Wild Bill will blast the film off screen with his six-shooters, and then question the filmmaker about his or her directorial decisions.
Walsh and Garcia are both professionals in the film world and have won awards, such as one for Best Advanced Video Production at the 2005 Duke City Shootout.
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"We've been really pushing to create more above-the-line jobs, you know, writers, directors and producers," Garcia said.
Walsh and Garcia said the festival is still accepting short films, with a $5 entry fee, and everyone is welcome to contribute. Films will be accepted up until 15 minutes before the start of the festival.
"We're looking for anything under 10 minutes," Walsh said. "Basically, it's a great chance for filmmakers to test out materials for their movie, or maybe they have something in the bottom of their drawer they have never shown anybody and they think it might get a laugh. It's basically a chance to test out anything you have."
Garcia and Walsh said they will keep the festival low-key and informal to allow everyone to participate.
"There aren't a lot of venues for people to show their local work," Walsh said. "It's a response to film festivals like the (48 Hour Film Project) or the Duke City Shootout, (where) you have to be in a club, or pay money. With us, you just have to have a film."
So far, two filmmakers have submitted films for the festival, and Garcia said he expects to gather more as word gets out. If the festival is still lacking, the two will pull from their repertoire, and that of their students, to flesh the festival out.
"Right now me and Chris are running a summer film camp with teenagers from around the city who are all producing their own short works," Garcia said. "At the end of the day, we may end up including many of their films, just to add to the collection."
Garcia and Walsh said they encourage the filmmakers to invite friends and family to the screenings of their work.
"Of course, the film festival is all audience-driven," Garcia said. "So the big emphasis is if your film's been entered into the festival, bring your friends because they have a direct impact on your film."
Walsh and Garcia said the festival is also a great way to get the community more involved with filmmaking.
"I want it to be something that filmmakers from the city can bring in short films, unfinished works and scenes or sequences from larger works they are working on," Garcia said. "So that way they can have some sort (of) audience to showcase their work to, so they can see (whether) this is working for them, or will they need a better cut?"
The duo plans to host a similar type of festival again later in the year, Garcia said.
"I want it to be sustainable, I want it to be something that we can have every month, and it's a resource for filmmakers in the city," he said.
Wild Bill's Film Fest
The Box Performance Space
1025 Lomas Blvd. N.W.
Saturday, July 25
8 p.m.
Submission Price: $5, also includes admission to the fest
