Movie buffs of all stripes will find something of interest in this year’s Beaufort International Film Festival, which runs Feb. 18-21 and features 20 films selected by local judges from the 200 entries submitted from 24 countries (including “The Deadbeat,” pictured at right).
The festival, now in its fourth year, is a production of the Beaufort Film Society, which was founded by Ron Tucker and other local film aficionados.
Tucker said he started the society after his retirement from the Marine Corps in 1992, when he fell into film location management and scouting. That interest led him to launch Sandbar Productions.
“Beaufort had the backdrops they were looking for,” Tucker said, “(Occasionally), a movie scout or the (South Carolina) film office would call me. I’d drive that person around – sometimes for days – to try to find what they were looking for.”
Unfortunately, Beaufort wasn’t selected for any of the films Tucker scouted for, usually, he said, because of financing issues or because the production headed to other locations, such as Savannah.
But 1995 saw the release of Sandbar’s “The Making of A Marine,” the first commercially available video about the Marine Corps. That film, produced jointly with a company in Charleston, led to the launch of Good To Go Video, which since 1999 has produced more than 400 films of Marine Corps graduation ceremonies.
Still, Tucker remained determined to bring Hollywood back to Beaufort, so he joined with the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce to create the Beaufort Regional Film Commission, whose goal was to “make it easier for filmmakers to shoot in Beaufort,” he said. “We tried to get all kinds of things started: Making office space available, parking and easier permitting.”
The group’s goal wasn’t necessarily a film festival, but Tucker said “several smaller commissions with no budget, like us,” had been jump-started by a festival. “We formed a committee in 2004,” he said, “but we didn’t get serious about it until 2006.” Though Tucker remained the film commission’s chairman, he admitted most of his time was spent working on the festival, and last year, when the Chamber asked him to take it on.
The first festival in 2007 was “reasonably successful,” said Tucker, noting that it drew about 500 people. But the group learned enough to more than double their numbers in their second year, and nearly double it again in 2009.
Tucker sees “every single movie that’s submitted” before they go to the judging panel. “Some are great, some are not so great and some are really, really bad,” he said, laughing. “Most of the time you can tell. If they have passion, it comes through in their work.”
Many of the festival volunteers are members of the recently formed Beaufort Film Society, a group interested in the “educational aspect” of the art of filmmaking, such as directing, producing and animation. Currently comprising 86 members, the club offers plenty of perks, including invitations to film-related special events, screenings and workshops produced and promoted year-round, as well as discounts at local theaters.
”Any organization is strong if it’s full of passionate people who want to help get things done,” Tucker said. Film society members hope to grow the festival to a weeklong event.
Tucker said his favorite aspect of the film festival is the “creativity of seeing other filmmakers’ work.” He admits to having films brewing in his head, but prefers to help pave the way for young filmmakers “who are growing in the industry,” he said.
Gail Westerfield, Special to the Guide
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Feb. 19
· 8 a.m.: “The Brothers Warner” (90 min., documentary)
· 9:45 a.m.: “Shut Up and Kiss Me” (17 min., student)
· 10:10 a.m.: “Tira Bikal” (25 min., documentary)
· 10:45 a.m.: “The Deadbeat” (21 min., short)
· 11:15 a.m.: “Milites Christi” (25 min., student)
· 11:40 a.m.: “Displaced” (85 min., documentary)
· 1:20 p.m.: “Clones Gone Wild” (17 min., student)
· 2 p.m.: “Letters From Home” (10 min., short)
· 2:30 p.m.: “Mississippi Queen” (64 min., documentary)
· 4 p.m.: “Florida Road” (102 min., feature)
· 6 p.m.: “Bean” (19 min., student)
· 6:30 p.m.: “Reflection” (15 min., student)
· 7 p.m.: “The Hide” (84 min., feature)
· 8:50 p.m.: “Deadland” (107 min., feature)
Feb. 20
· 8:30 a.m.: “Skylight” (5 min., animation)
· 8:40 a.m.: “Gym Lessons” (9 min., animation)
· 8:50 a.m.: “Pete’s Odyssey” (6 min., animation)
· 9:15 a.m.: “Keep The May River Wild” (26 min., documentary)
· 10 a.m.: “Slice of Pie” (35 min., short)
· 10:50 a.m.: “Moonlight Sonata” (102 min., feature)
· 1 p.m.: “Perfect Valor” (91 min., documentary)
· 2:45 p.m.: “You Are Beautiful” (6 min., short)
· 3:15 p.m.: “MacAwesome” (12 min., student)
· 3:45 p.m.: “Severing the Soul” (17 min., documentary)
· 4:05 p.m.: “Blue Bus” (95 min., feature)
All films will be screened at Seaside Vineyard Fellowship Church (formerly Lady’s Island Cinema), 100 Sea Island Parkway, Beaufort.
Film trailers and synopses are available at www.beaufortfilmfestival.com. Tickets for individual films are $5. A pass for all 20 films is $30. A pass for all films, plus reserved seating at the awards gala on Feb. 20, is $50.
Tickets can be purchased online, at the theater, at Spirit of Old Beaufort, 1001 Bay Street, or at the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce Visitors’ Center on Boundary Street.
Saturday night’s awards gala at the University of South Carolina Beaufort Performing Arts Center, 801 Carteret St., has limited free, non-reserved seating.
During the gala, Blythe Danner will receive an Excellence in Acting Award presented by actor Michael O’Keefe, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role in “The Great Santini,” and Pat Conroy will receive an Excellence in Writing Award.
From The Beaufort Gazette, February 18, 2010