Anyone else getting tired of the amount of big-budget remake films that are out nowadays? Well, at the Tucson Film and Music Festival you can expect to see something different.
The festival, which began yesterday and will end Monday, is back for its fifth year. Taking place at various locations throughout Tucson, including The Loft Cinema, The Rialto Theatre, Cinema La Placita and Crossroads Festival Cinema 6, the festival will showcase a mind-numbing array of new films and music videos. Festival director Michael Toubassi guarantees attendees will get a “”really eclectic mix of documentaries and features.””
This year the Tucson Film and Music Festival received the highest number of submissions ever, with close to 150 for film and 100 for music. This includes submissions from Tucson natives and UA alumni. Miko Marks, a Tucson native and up and coming Nashville artist, will premiere the music video for her song “”Locked and Loaded,”” directed by Edward Rosenblum, another native Tucsonan. UA alumni Chelsea Coles and Keith Ozar will be premiering music videos at the Music-Videorama event on Sunday.
Toubassi, a UA alumnus, said the Tucson Film Festival started with the launch of his film “”High and Dry,”” which showcases music in Tucson. It was not long after that, that the festival grew to fulfill its mission of highlighting local talent.
If you are interested in filmmaking, directors and artists will be there to answer your questions. If you are interested in partying, the festival will have its opening and closing night ceremonies at Hotel Congress (“”Largo”” will premiere there today) and the Rialto, respectively (“”Rock Prophecies”” will be shown there Monday). One of the new features this year is an after party, which will be held at The Hut on Monday.
If you’re a “”Twilight”” fan, there’s something in it for you, too. Michael Welch, who plays Mike Newton in the movie series, will be starring in “”Lost Dream,”” which makes its premiere at the festival.
You can’t help but be entertained by all of the festival’s offerings — and you’ll be among the first to see them.
