Film Festivals Albuquerque Film Festival
Name of Festival: Albuquerque Film Festival
Since: 2009
When: TBA
Where: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
Website: www.abqfilmfestival.com/
About the Festival: “In 2009, we set out to create a film festival in Albuquerque. It was my dream to screen Easy Rider since it was the 40th Anniversary of the film that I believe set the indie film revolution in motion. Someone once told me to dream big so I dreamed that I was in the Kimo Theater watching Easy Rider with Dennis Hopper. I knew a few people who had some connections to him and I asked them to reach out to him and see if he would accept our invitation to screen the film and to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award.
It took several weeks to hear back from anyone and then the phone rang. It was a friend of mine who was close to Dennis. He apologized but Dennis was not going to be available, but gave us his regards and wished us well. I was disappointed. I really wanted to launch a festival in New Mexico with Dennis since this is where he has lived since making Easy Rider.
A week later, I received a phone call. Dennis had changed his mind! He would do it but he had a limited amount of time- Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson were in town and he had dinner plans. No problem. I called my best friend and production partner and then the press. We were about to experience something special, a rare moment in time when history is created. Ivan Weiner and Reel Solutions delivered!" - Rich Henrich, Founder of Film 4 Change & Director of The Albuquerque Film Festival
2011 Albuquerque Film Festival to open with 'Amigo'; Kicks Off Summer with Screening of The Cool School
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- Details
- Category: Albuquerque Film Festival
- Published on 17 May 2011
- Written by Terry Proctor
Amigo, written and directed by John Sayles and starring Chris Cooper has been announced as the opening night film of the 3rd Albuquerque Film Festival scheduled for August 18st – 21st, 2011.
AMIGO stars Joel Torre as Rafael Dacanay, a village mayor caught in the murderous cross-fire of the Philippine-American War in 1900. When U.S. troops garrison his village, Rafael comes under pressure to collaborate from the blood-and-guts Colonel Hardacre (Chris Cooper) as he tries not to betray his people, especially his brother Simon (Ronnie Lazaro), head of the local Filipino guerillas. A sympathetic American lieutenant (Garret Dillahunt) learns that “hearts and minds” cannot be won at gunpoint. A devious Spanish friar (Yul Vazquez) thwarts communication with his spiteful intrigues and Rafael is forced to make the near-impossible, potentially deadly decisions faced by civilians in an occupied country. Friendship and betrayal, romance, and heart-breaking violence layer the story of AMIGO as a page torn from the forgotten history of imperialism, and is a mirror for today’s unresolvable conflicts. AMIGO debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.
The festival will kick off the season on June 7th by presenting the film 'The Cool School' as a part of “Savor Albuquerque’s” event line-up.
About The Cool School: From 1957 to 1966, the Ferus Gallery was the catalyst of modern art in Los Angeles. Launching the careers of luminaries like Warhol, Ruscha and Lichtenstein, Ferus built an art scene from scratch and transformed the cultural climate of the West Coast.
The Cool School also includes commentary from two other famous transplanted New Mexican artists/actors who are also very close to the festival – the late Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell.
