Maryland Film Festival kicks off with variety

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Where can you bump into John Waters, discuss the concept of “television as literature,” with Wire writer David Simon or shoot the breeze with the first assistant director of “Napoleon Dynamite”? If you attended the opening day of the Maryland Film festival at the Charles Theater, you could do all of the above, and even take in a movie, if you have time.

Jed Dietz, Maryland Film Festival director, said the mix of short film, celebrities and seminars is intentional. “It’s the most eclectic film festival in the world” said Dietz. “Name another festival that screened ‘Predator,’ ” said Dietz referring to the celebrity picks program where local sports stars and politicians pick there favorite film. “Predator,” the cyber carnage classic, was the choice of former Orioles baseball pitcher Scott Erickson at a past festival.

Simon, who regaled assembled film enthusiasts with insights on his critically acclaimed series “The Wire,” said the film festival is not only about film, but Maryland’s effort to bring more film makers to the state. “There’s a price war going on,” Simon said, speaking on the topic of incentives offered by other states to lure filmmakers, “The festival is essential to letting the industry know about Maryland.”

And while you missed your chance to meet Simon, there’s still time to see plenty of interesting movies for film aficionados, the curious and the average moviegoer. Here are a few flicks to check out.

John Waters will host a screening of “Head-On,” a accident-prone love story that Waters describes as a “feel bad, extreme picture.”

“It’ll make you want to date an alcoholic,” Waters promises.

Looking for a new perspective on current events, check out “My Country, My Country,” a documentary on a Iraqi doctor’s efforts to campaign for a seat in the country’s newly formed parliament. For pure star power, Matthew Modine will host a screening of Stanley Kubrick’s, “Full Metal Jacket,” a tense, surreal drama that explores the psychological carnage of the Vietnam War. A series of avant-garde shorts offers brief glimpse of cutting-edge art, including one film, “Everyday Bad Dream,” briefly described as “like picking broken shards of glass out of pile of carpet.” Finally, for a dose of off-beat humor, check out “Sasquatch Gang,” the directorial debut of Tim Skousen, a 30-year-old filmmaker who got his big chance working as the first assistant director on the comedy hit “Napoleon Dynamite.” Skousen describes his movie as an off-beat comedic take on the weird people he encountered growing up in Florida, thrown together by a discovery that proves Bigfoot exists.

Film Festival Recommendations

A few quick picks for those that want to immerse themselves in the Maryland Film Festival’s weekend offerings. For a full schedule, check online at mdfilmfest.com.

» “Mentor,” 3 p.m. Saturday Falvey Hall. Home-grown production charts the destructive course of a literally love triangle.

» “Hamilton,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday Charles Theater 5. Stark tale of a Baltimore teenage mother’s search for her baby’s father.

sjanis@baltimoreexaminer.com

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