We are proud to announce the upcoming Virginia Indie Film Festival presented by the VA Film Office, Virginia Production Alliance, RVA Magazine and RVA TV! Its this weekend at the Bryd Theatre.
Zombies attack a crew filming a zombie movie. While the zombie actors chew the scenery, real zombies chew the actors. But what’s really gnawing at them can’t be outrun. We interview Director Brian Wimer of the Charlottesville crew of Amoeba Films & The Filmmakers Republik….
We are proud to announce the upcoming Virginia Indie Film Festival presented by the VA Film Office, Virginia Production Alliance, RVA Magazine and RVA TV! Its this weekend at the Bryd Theatre.
Zombies attack a crew filming a zombie movie. While the zombie actors chew the scenery, real zombies chew the actors. But what’s really gnawing at them can’t be outrun. We interview Director Brian Wimer of the Charlottesville crew of Amoeba Films & The Filmmakers Republik….
What lead you to horror zombie comedies? And how has your past projects led to this current film?
The film Return of the Living Dead came out just when my adolescent brain was making some key developments. Horror, humor and full frontal nudity. That’s a lot for a whitebread kid from the suburbs. It was also the heyday of the slasher film Renaissance. Can’t ignore your roots, even if they’re soaked in blood. So embrace them. That’s what MANTRA was about. Somehow rationalizing this obsession with desire and suffering and translating it through metaphysics. DANGER ZOMBIES RUN approaches similar issues of fight or flight philosophically. Why do we run? Why do they chase us? And what’s with a unicorn on a bicycle? All the eternal questions.
What’s the secret to creating low budget horror films?
Making a movie is like being Moses, without having God on your side. You have to convince a bunch of people to follow you away from their comfort zone to some unseen destination that might very well be a barren wilderness. It’s a leap of faith. So you have to have a very concrete vision and a loud voice. It also helps to have a magic staff that turns into a serpent. Plus you have to constantly adapt to emergencies with split second solutions. Part seas. That sort of thing. With what you might find in an average garden shed. OK, it’s Moses meets MacGyver … on a dedadline. More than anything you have to keep momentum going. It’s a minor miracle when a film actually gets made. Look at all the shelved projects in Hollywood. And they have money. If you see an opportunity, make it. And feed your crew. (Also, the formula for cheap fake blood is corn syrup, red food coloring and chocolate sauce).
How do you value the importance of local film festivals like the Virginia Indie Film Festival?
Independent filmmakers rarely get to see their films on the big screen. Theatrical distribution is just not going to happen, barring an uncle named Weinstein. So it’s a chance for upcoming talent to show their films as they were meant to be seen. It’s also a chance for audiences to see these unusual films. Hollywood has its formulas. But indie film is always reinventing, and influencing the formula. It’s where heavyweights like Darren Aronofsky and Christopher Nolan started. (Don’t get me started on Blair Witch.) No, you’re not going to see George Clooney or the planet Pandora. But you might chance upon the early work of a future Kubrik (who happens to barista at your favorite coffee shop). Or maybe just see a unicorn riding a bicycle, which is the well worth the price of admission.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT DANGER. ZOMBIE. RUN.
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FEBRUARY 26 & 27
BYRD THEATRE
2908 West Cary Street
Richmond, VA
The Virginia Film Office and the Virginia Production Alliance present the 2011 Virginia Indie Film Festival, a two day festival of independently produced documentaries, short films and features from Virginia filmmakers.
Saturday Feb. 26th
1pm-4pm 3 Docs-$7
4pm-6pm 6 Shorts-$7
Sunday Feb. 27th
4:30pm-8:30pm 3 Features-$7
2-Day Festival Pass-$14
Students with ID-session tickets for only $2!
The subjects of these films range from zombies to baseball and take place in settings as far away as the Himalayas or as close to home as a camera truck in Richmond, VA.
All films screened are eligible for Audience Choice awards and filmmakers will participate in Q&A sessions after their films.
