Students and filmmakers from countries as far away as Israel and from cities as close as New Orleans submitted more than 100 films into the fourth annual Jamfest Indie Film Festival, according to Festival Director Alan Marsh. The festival, which will only feature 59 of the films that were submitted, will be held in the Pottle Auditorium and the Pottle Recital Hall from Friday, Oct. 28 to Saturday, Oct. 29.
The screenings will be shown simultaneously between the two auditoriums. The idea for Jamfest Indie Film Festival was conceived by Ruth Rolling and Ted Hudspeth, two board members of the Northshore Regional Endowment for the Arts (NREA).
“It was an idea of Ruth Rolling and Ted Hudspeth,” said Marsh. “They tapped me and Martie [Fellom] on the shoulder and wanted us to do Graves.”
“It’s always an honor to receive recognition for one’s work. Douglas Francis (my partner in making this film) and I are very appreciative of having ‘The Letter of Marcus Graves’ screened at the festival,” said Pfeil. “A large portion of the other entries have come from abroad, so it’s nice to think that we local students are contenders on a more international minutes.”
Films screened on Friday include “Puker,” which is a documentary about Washington D.C. skateboarder Tim “Puker” Whistler. The documentary chronicles his career and his present-day return to the sport of skateboarding. Another film, titled “Unsigned,” follows a band’s journey to find recognition in the music world with the ultimate goal of becoming signed.
On Saturday, a documentary short named “Man Eshghbazam (I am a Lovemaker)” takes a look at cockfighting in Iran. Another takes a look at Louisiana State University’s Alex Box Stadium and the story behind the name.
For a full list of screenings, plus the list of guidelines, visit www.strawberryjam.org.