Holy cow, this week is absolutely flying by! That’s perfectly fine with me because I’m excited for the fun-filled weekend ahead. I’m volunteering at Middle Coast Film Fest and can’t wait to see some amazing movies and meet lots of new people. This is Middle Coast’s third year in Bloomington, but the first year I’ve been able to attend. This will actually be my first-ever film fest! A good friend of mine helps plan and run the event and hearing her talk about it piqued my interest.
The goal of the festival is to bring unique films to the Midwest and make Bloomington a true film destination. In addition to movies, the festival features panel discussions, Q&As and AFTER PARTIES. My favorite types of events are those that expose me to new perspectives and experiences and it sounds like that’s exactly what Middle Coast is all about.
The list of feature-length and short films on display this weekend is impressive. I’m looking forward to checking out movies I might not otherwise take a chance on. I’m no film critic, but here’s a list of the movies I’m looking forward to seeing most this weekend:
The Fits
I’m especially excited for this film after hearing the NPR piece on it earlier this summer. The movie centers around Toni, who trains with her brother at a boxing club in Cincinnati. She becomes interested in a dancing group that practices in the same building and eventually ditches boxing to dance. Not long after making the switch, Toni starts to witness an odd trend: girls in the group keep having episodes where they pass out or start shaking.
Krisha
This trailer looks so good. And, it’s being applauded by critics. It won the Grand Jury and Audience awards at SXSW this year. The story follows a former addict’s return home and the impact her absence and reemergence have on her family. The lead actress in the film, Krisha Fairchild, will be at Saturday’s screening of the movie and will stick around to interact with festival-goers. It’s a rare opportunity to get to hear about the film from someone so involved in the process.
Hunter Gatherer
I’m always fascinated by any stories involving prison or life after incarceration, so I’m intrigued by this film. It follows a man named Ashley Douglas after he’s released from prison. With no support from family and friends, he has to start over. He tries to win back his girlfriend and, along the way, gains a new friend.
Lady Parts
Middle Coast will show several shorts from this project, which started as a blog. A NYC-based actress started chronicling the awful, sexist casting calls she went on and eventually transformed her experiences and those of other actresses into short videos. The project aims to call out stereotypes and the exploitation of women in the entertainment industry. And, the videos are pretty darn funny.
There’s much more planned for the weekend; you can find the full Middle Coast schedule here.
If you’re heading to the festival, what films are you most excited to see?