| Festival History |
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| Written by JD Bridges |
| Thursday, 24 April 2008 21:46 |
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August 1999, playwright Jim Graebner, director Steve Anderson, journalist Anthony DellaFlora, casting director Teresa Neptune and arts activist Patsy Catlett discuss ideas for a film festival to be held in Albuquerque. DellaFlora and Graebner come up with the idea for a film production festival. Graebner, Anderson and Dennis Gromelski soon form an LLC to launch the festival, scheduled for 2001. November 1999, over drinks in a local bar, Graebner, DellaFlora, Gromelski, Bryan Konefsky and Kestutis Nakas cement the idea for a film production festival/competition, which will become the Flicks on 66 Wild West Digital Shootout. The organizers decide to launch the festival in the summer of 2000 instead of 2001. Scripts are solicited during winter of 1999 and spring of 2000. The Flicks selection committee chooses 10 movies to be made. The Flicks on 66 Wild West Digital Shootout and Film Festival kicks off July 14, 2000 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Shooting commences July 16, 2000. On the first day ever of shooting at the Wild West Digital Shootout, an Albuquerque policeman threatens to shoot actress Liz Sullivan on the set of “Jennifer Monroe.” Sullivan surrenders peacefully and shooting goes on. 10 films are made. The final night screening and award ceremony is held on July 22 at El Rey, a former theater turned bar on old Route 66 Approximately 1,000 people attend the screening, with another 200 or more turned away. Australia’s Bruce Griffiths wins both the top prize, the Palm de Grease, and the Audience Award for his comedy short “Plugged.” July 21, 2001, at the second annual Flicks on 66 competition, Kent Kirkpatrick of Santa Fe takes home the Palm de Grease for his Zen western, “Ride,” despite suffering through the most troubled shoot in the history of the festival. His film also foreshadows Martha Stewart’s insider trading scandal. Adam Turner claims the Audience Award for “Free Wheelin’.” Early 2002, DellaFlora and Graebner form the Digital Filmmaking Institute, Inc., a non-profit organization, to oversee production of the Flicks on 66 Wild West Digital Shootout and other festival activities. DFI eventually adds year-round training in movie-making. July 20, 2002, at the third annual Flicks on 66 competition, Steven List and Astrid Neal win the Palm de Grease and the Audience Award for “Shibubu.” They edge out Keith Calder’s “Twenty Questions” in the closest voting in Flicks history. July 19, 2003, at the fourth annual Flicks on 66 competition, Dan Borengasser, wins the Palm de Grease for the comedy “Clown Camp.” Albuquerque’s Michael Flowers wins the Audience Award for his phantasmagoric art film “Babof.” Fall of 2003, the Digital Filmmaking Institute changes the name of the festival to DigiFest SouthWest. At the fifth annual festival, June19, 2004, Hawthorne Flaherty’s “Scarlet Momentum,” a somber tale of a twisted father/daughter relationship set in a mortuary takes the Palm de Grease, while Scotty Milder’s comedy of the undead, “Something Red,” takes the Audience Award. January of 2005, Christopher Coppola’s new media company, Ears XXI and his partner, Elyse Roberts of Digi-Flicks International, officially become presenting sponsors of the newly renamed Duke City Shootout. The festival hosts the first ever Mobi-flicks open short movie competition and cell phone video art competition. On July 29, 2005 at the premiere night gala, Azad Jafarian's drama "Lady Liberty" takes the Palm de Grease, while "Pirates of the White Sand," a comedy by Jerry and Phillip Seeger wins the Audience Award. At the 2006 Shootout, judges gave the thumbs up to "Under My Skin," by Albuquerque's Stanley Ray, a tale of horror involving a mysterious hooded man, a strange skin disease and a power saw. The audience dialed in to Pam Johnson's cell phone comedy, "Talk Me To Death." The 2006 Shootout also launched the Insomnia Lounge, a multi-media extravaganza that featured the music, video, panel discussions and much more. The 2007 Shootout witnessed the production of what many veterans think is the best movie ever made at the festival, "Easy Pickins," by Will Hartman of Los Angeles, which swept the Palm de Grease and the Audience Award. The rest of the fine crop of movies was headed by Richard Dargan's "The Pitch," which the vets think would have won best picture in any other year. |
| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 14 May 2008 22:46 ) |
