Actors Harold Ramis, Sophia Bush and D.B. Sweeney all received awards at the 2007 Vail Film Festival.
The Vail Film Festival deserves a Rising Star award of its own. From its humble beginnings in 2004, the festival, masterminded by brothers Sean and Scott Cross, has grown into a viable venue for both renowned and up-and-coming filmmakers and film lovers.
The 2008 festival is just around the corner, April 3-6, and of the 1,000-plus submissions of everything from shorts to documentaries to feature films, the festival’s screening committees narrowed the heap down to about 84 selections.
“Even with the eliminations, we got a little carried away this year,” said Vail Film Fest associate director Megen Musegades. “Last year we had like 60 films. This is the most films we’ve ever had.”
Part of the festival’s growing notoriety is due in part to its history of world premieres: Before Sunset with Ethan Hawke, My Date with Drew featuring Drew Barrymore and the Luke and Owen Wilson collaboration, The Wendall Baker Story, to name just a few.
This year is no exception. The lineup of feature film world premieres includes Gospel Hill, Giancarlo Esposito’s writing and directorial debut starring Chloe Bailey, Adam Baldwin and Angela Bassett and independent films The Collective and Off Jackson Avenue.
The festival is no stranger to big names. Famed writer, director and actor Harold Ramis made a VIP appearance at last year’s festival, as did 2007 Rising Star award winner Sophia Bush.
Rising Star awards for 2008 will be presented to Jesse Eisenberg, who stars in one of this year’s feature films, The Living Wake and another to Olivia Wilde, (of House M.D. fame), who stars in the feature film Fix. Also, keep an eye out for Tim Daly (Private Practice), who will receive the Excellence in Acting Award.
Other celebrity tidbits … this year’s festival is screening The Guitar, the directorial debut of Amy Redford (yes, Robert’s daughter) and Mountaintop Removal, featuring narration by Lost star William Mapother, who happens to be Tom Cruise’s cousin.
Festival organizers have added a new “green” genre to this year’s event, for which a Blue Sky Tribute award will be presented to Adrian Grenier (of HBO’s Entourage) for his production efforts in a new TV show, The Green Life.
Organizers are thrilled with the allure that’s developed around the Vail Film Festival.
“It’s harder now to pick movies than ever,” Sean Cross said. “More and more filmmakers are coming out to support their films and the festival has become so well-known in the film community.”
The Cascade movie theater, although defunct, will still serve as a two-screen venue for this year’s festival, as will the auditorium at Vail Mountain School. The Arrabelle in Lionshead is the headquarters for this year’s festival, and films will be screened in the facility’s ballrooms.
Expect this year’s festival parties to be suitably dolled up with fire dancers and musicians, and keep an eye on vail.plumtv.com for previews, film reviews, filmmaker Q & As, and a full-fledged Vail Film Festival extravaganza.
Video
One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush was in town to accept the Rising Star Award at the 2007 Vail Film Festival. She sits down with Plum's Tim Stenovec to talk about the festival, how she got her start as an actress, and her upcoming projects.
Wow. Jesse Eisenberg, Tim
Wow. Jesse Eisenberg, Tim Daly, Olivia Wilde and the siblings of actual artists. As "up-and- coming" as my 8-year-old's "Little Red Riding Hood" play, although I heard Spielberg's neighbor's gardener's son's girlfriend was there.
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