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Highlights From the First Annual
Dahlonega International Film FestivalThe Dahlonega International Film Festival presented a screening of Highlights from its first annual festival at the Echo Lounge in East Atlanta on Monday, September 3rd, 2001.
Main Room:
Selected international and local shorts from the 2001 Awards List and the Official Selections List. This program dwelled mostly on the bizarre and comic material that was screened in Dahlonega, Georgia in the summer of 2001
In the Lounge:
“De Zee Die Denkt” (The Sea That Thinks) 100 mins. This work won the DIFF Award for Experimental Feature. A writer is caught between the fantasy of his novel and the reality of his life. Astoundingly sneaky camerawork and beautiful special effects..Official dates for the 2002 Dahlonega International Film Festival will be announced soon.
Contact:
Michael Williams
michael@d-i-f-f.com
www.d-i-f-f.com
SUNDANCE IN
NORTH GEORGIA?
The first annual Dahlonega International Film Festival
exceeds all expectations
Organizer Michael
Williams compares the first Dahlonega International Film Festival to the
early days of the renowned Sundance Festival. If so, it’s off to
a great start.
“We intend to establish a
new mainstay on the world festival circuit”, he claims, “that
is custom- tailored to supporting the micro-cinema makers that are on
the fringes now . . . [who] will create the next waves to come.”
The organizers’ plans are ambitious, with a focus on building a reputation
as the most maker-friendly festival in the world.
In the span of one weekend, the
picturesque small town in the Appalachian foothills of north Georgia,
site of the first American gold rush, screened 162 films from 18 countries,
including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Canada, the Czech
Republic, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Portugal,
Russia, U.K. and the U.S.A.
Why Dahlonega? The Festival’s
Executive Director Barry Norman, in an interview with local newspaper
The Dahlonega Nugget, described how when he visited the North Georgia
town last year it reminded him of a Portugese village he had experienced:
“At the festival in Portugal, there was a community feeling. In town,
everything was within walking distance and everyone, including the people
who lived there, was truly friendly.” The historic town square and
the community-owned Holly Theatre in Dahlonega have the same spirit.
In addition to dedicated film buffs, the festival attracted jaded city-dwellers
who are familiar with the North Georgia town for an inexpensive weekend
getaway with mainstream motels, romantic bed and breakfast inns, tons
of outdoor activities and above average restaurants. Instead of themeparks
to entertain the children, there are opportunities to pan for gold - few
things brighten a child’s face quicker than “striking it rich.”
This special weekend with iits plethora of films of all sorts was frosting
on the cake!
For a retrospective of the First Annual
Dahlonega International Film Festival and a glimpse of things to come, explore
the festival’s webpage: www.d-i-f-f. To learn about other exciting events,
visit the Chamber of Commerce webpage: www.dahlonega.org, or call 706.864.3711.
Dahlonega's Holly Theatre, principal venue of the film festival, may look like an average small-town movie house, but it has a story of its own to tell. Several years ago local residents formed a not-for-profit group to purchase the crumbling theatre and rescue it from decay. It is now a very active home to live theatre, music and film, a focus of community pride and many local activities. It is still community-owned and run.
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