Who says you have to fly all the way to Cannes to watch award-winning films? This weekend, the 2nd Annual Talking Pictures Festival will screen documentaries, independent films and even Oscar-nominated shorts-all within blocks of Northwestern’s Evanston campus.
Talking Pictures is different from a traditional film fest in that it is a community-wide event relying heavily on volunteers. The festival is presented by Percolator Films, a non-profit arts organization that aims to produce and present films that “wake you up” and ignite inspiration and discussion among members of the audience, says Ines Sommer, the co-founder and executive director of Percolator Films.
Percolator Films is the extension of the Reeltime program, a monthly film screening and discussion that has taken place in the Block Museum and the Evanston Public Library for more than 10 years. As Reeltime grew in popularity, it became necessary to expand the program.
“If you want to grow and do bigger things like a festival, you can’t run it with a library program,” Sommer says.
Sommer anticipates this year’s festival will surpass last year’s success. “The hope is that it really becomes a film festival that draws the whole community in many different ways,” she says.
Of the 250 entries, only a handful made it to Talking Pictures’ final schedule. Here are a few of the festival’s must-see features:
Windfall: As Evanston grows closer to developing a wind farm, it’s becoming increasingly important to learn about both sides of the issue. Windfall, a documentary that is already generating buzz from the press and public alike, highlights the darker consequences of wind energy and shows that going green isn’t as easy or flawless as it seems. May 8, 11 a.m., Next Theater at Noyes Cultural Arts Center
Happy Ending: In this Japanese comedy, life is peachy keen for Momoko, a cinephile who favors gory horror films to predictable romance stories-that is, until the owner of a movie rental store develops feelings for her and Momoko looks no further than those pesky romcoms for guidance. May 8, 7:30 p.m., Hinman Theater at Hotel Orrington
2010 Oscar Shorts-Animation: This medley of eight Oscar-nominated animated short films is sure to appease the kid in all of us. “Logorama,” the short that took the Oscar home last year, is a satirical feature that illustrates just how much branding affects our daily lives. May 9, 2:15 p.m., Next Theater at Noyes Cultural Arts Center
Whiz Kids: A film all McCormick students can relate to, Whiz Kids is a coming-of-age documentary that follows three teen scientists and their unique stories in their attempts to win the Intel Science Talent Search, one of the nation’s most prestigious science competitions. And you thought it was hard to juggle Keg Mondays with midterms? May 9, 2:30 p.m., Hinman Theater at Hotel Orrington
The festival opens tonight and films will run until Sunday. For more information and a complete schedule, visit http://
