It's May and that means it is time for the Indie Film Jam. 3 days of music videos, short films, and music-themed features during the Florida Music Festival. This is the 5th year of the IFJ and GreenRoomOrlando.com is again proud to be one of the sponsors.
It is a great time to watch films and videos and catch a boatload of bands and performers in downtown Orlando. For those of you that plan on attending the Fringe Festival, that continues on for a whole week after the Indie Film Jam. You can do both and have 2 great weekends of entertainment.
If you have been following the Green Room, you may know that John Theisen has been producing the monthly Film Slam for too many years to count on one hand. He is also the producer of the Indie Film Jam. If you are at the IFJ, stop by and say hello.
Here's the low down. The Indie Film Jam runs Thursday, May 14th through Saturday, May 16th. The IFJ kicks off Thursday evening with the Opening Night JAM. Hang out with fellow filmmakers, photographers, musicians and models. Starts at 8PM and followed by the Music Video Program.
There are two Spotlight Feature Films. They are Where You From and Genghis Blues.
Where You From just played at the Florida Film Festival last month at the Enzian and will screen Friday night at 10PM. Where You From is a story of unlikely dreams in unexpected places. A surprising journey into rural American hip-hop, the film follows a beat far from the urban streets where the music was born. With dense redwood forests, rocky mountain vistas, and the dramatic rhythms of hip-hop as a backdrop, Where You From enters the lives of three extraordinary individuals as it chronicles their pursuit of acceptance, fame, and even salvation. This feature length documentary is a visually stunning, provocative portrait of young men confronting small town life, broken families, and drug addiction– ultimately seeking triumph in their music.
It will be preceded by the Florida premiere of No Good Reason, a documentary about a homeless girl from Boston that wrote a song and had it recorded by other homeless people and singers including Natalie Merchant.
Genghis Blues, celebrating its 10th Anniversary, will screen Saturday at 7PM. A blind San Francisco blues singer's journey to becoming a master of Tuvan throat singing is the subject of Roko and Adrian Belic's Oscar-nominated documentary. Paul Pena became fascinated with the Tuvan art form after hearing it on a Russian radio broadcast; he then met the Mongolian masters on a U.S. tour. The Tuvans were so impressed with Pena that they invited him to Tuva's annual singing competition; his adventures there form the heart of Genghis Blues. Pena gives inspired performances at the festival, composes songs in Tuvan, washes his face in sacred rivers, expresses the disorientation of blindness in foreign surroundings, and makes a human connection with everyone he meets...
Genghis Blues will be preceded by Sam Rivers: Jazz Master of the Moment. Jazz flute anyone? Enough said.
As in previous years, there are 2 short film programs and 1 music video program. You will not want to miss the Awards Ceremony which will be immediately followed by the Wrap Party on Saturday night.
All the screenings are at City Arts Factory. Admission per day is $10 which includes admission into all music venues for that day as well. The better buy is to get the $25 3-Day Pass (4th day free). These ticket prices are only good if you buy in advance. You can get them at wallstreetplaza.net or ticketmaster.com.
Full Schedule
THURSDAY, MAY 14th
8:00PM -- Opening Night Jam (*Come mix & mingle with Filmmakers, Photographers, Musicians & Models at our Festival Opening Party)
10:00PM -- Music Video Program
FRIDAY, MAY 15th
7:00PM -- Shorts Program #1: Smash-n-Grab (*Followed by Q&A with Filmmakers)
8:30PM -- Shorts Program #1: Hit-n-Run (*Followed by Q&A with Filmmakers)
10:00PM -- Spotlight Film: Where You From (Preceded by: No Good Reason)
SATURDAY, MAY 16th
7:00PM -- Spotlight Film: Genghis Blues (10th Anniversary Screening). Preceded by: Sam Rivers: Jazz Master of the Moment
9:00PM -- IFJ Awards & Red Carpet
10:00PM -- IFJ Music Jam & Wrap Party
11:00PM -- Music Video Program
For a full breakdown of the schedule including a list of the music videos and all the short films, go to: http://www.floridamusicfestival.com/indie-film-jam/