Mountain Meadows

ASHLAND IS FOR FILM BUFFS:
THE ASHLAND INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL April 7-11, 2011

Christine Menefee, Mountain Meadows resident and AIFF volunteer

Ashland is well known for its Shakespeare festival, but did you know that one of the town's biggest "off-Bardway" delights is an internationally acclaimed film festival? Now in its tenth year, the Ashland Independent Film Festival (AIFF) is said by audiences, critics, and industry insiders to be one of the best--not just for the film selection but also for the audiences and the setting. Director Patrick Creadon said, "If there's a film festival in heaven, I'm sure it looks a lot like Ashland." Filmmaker Roger Ross Williams calls us "the best audience in the world." If you love films, you’ll be at home in Ashland.

For the 2011 festival, independent filmmakers from all over the globe have submitted nearly a thousand films -- short and long, documentaries and features -- for consideration, and from those, AIFF staff and volunteers will select 80 of the best. (Chief Programmer Joanne Feinberg has been named the top film festival programmer in the U.S.) During the five days of the festival, films are shown nonstop on the five screens of the deco-style Varsity Theatre and in the Historic Ashland Armory.

There are also panel discussions, parties, and galas. Attendees typically praise the festival's organizers, and its hundreds of volunteers, for smooth operation and extraordinary friendliness. And though it's always a logistical challenge to squeeze in as many screenings as you want, as well as sleep and eat, AIFF's beautifully designed website ticket ordering system makes it fun to explore the offerings, customize your festival, and buy your tickets.

When over 6,000 cinema lovers -- fans, critics, and filmmakers -- converge in Ashland in April, a kind of euphoria seems to take over our small town. Everywhere, you'll find friendly fellow film fans and filmmakers -- in knots on sidewalks, at restaurants, and in the Black Sheep Pub between screenings and after hours -- exploring their shared passion for movies. In 2011 more film professionals will be present than ever; the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has awarded AIFF a grant to bring even more filmmakers here for the festival.

Mountain Meadows residents are members, volunteers, and even leaders of AIFF. Our neighbor, Gerald R. Hirschfeld, ASC, judges AIFF's Cinematography award and serves on the Advisory Council. Script Editor Julia Tucker, who also lives at Mountain Meadows, says “Ashland has its share of very talented filmmakers, starting with students at SOU and ending with fully professional producers, directors, writers, actors, composers, and experienced crew members. I've had the privilege of working with many of them and they rank right up there with the best." AIFF often showcases fine films produced in Oregon and this year will see the premier of Two in a Million, a documentary about local musicians Dave Marston (who often performed at Mountain Meadows) and Robin Lawson.

Beyond the dates of the festival itself, AIFF is a presence throughout the year in Ashland, with monthly screenings and other events. For local area students, AIFF has become a starting-point for many budding film makers. And Mountain Meadows itself is a fine place for film fans. Besides what's offered in Ashland and throughout the Rogue Valley by a variety of film societies and special interest groups, we screen classic and contemporary films, both features and documentaries, right here on our campus, several nights a week.

Ashland Film Festival website