INDEPENDENT THE FIRST-EVER RAPPAHANNOCK INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL IS COMING TO FREDERICKSBURG 'HOT' TICKET Interview with filmmaker Sarah Knight
The first-ever Rappahannock Independent Film Festival heads to town
Date published: 9/11/2008
BY BEN SELLERS
Six college friends reunite in Montana at the behest of a dying woman.
A gang of Dutch kids teams up to reclaim a playground from drunkards.
A group of Holocaust survivors in New York's Catskill Mountains debates whether to sell their home.
And three middle-age ladies from the Fredericksburg area strive to dispel preconceived notions in the music industry.
Each of these scenarios finds people coming together--whether through joy or adversity--in the most unusual of circumstances. Yet not only do the subjects of these tales share a common bond, the stories themselves are united through one thing: cinema.
Next week, these four tales--and 26 others like them--will take the spotlight at the inaugural Rappahannock Independent Film Festival, presented by the Fredericksburg Athenaeum.
THE SCENE IS SET
For RIFF creative director Ryan Poe, the vision of bringing Fredericksburg its own film festival became a reality early this year.
"The scope of the festival changed as we were planning it," Poe said. "Initially, we thought maybe it would just be a small gathering of friends, and it kind of grew from there."
Once Poe and his fellow organizers--including Athenaeum executive director Paul Lewis--decided to go forward with a film festival this year, things happened pretty fast, he said.
In April, Lewis headed to Rhode Island to meet with the director of the Newport International Film Festival, one of about half a dozen festivals RIFF modeled their approach after.
Lewis brought back with him a new philosophy to "let the films take the lead," Poe said.
"[H]e was optimistic that, if we promoted the films and took care of the filmmakers, the rest would fall into place."
Another important consideration was when to hold the festival, which will take place next Thursday through Sunday.
Poe said he didn't want to compete with similar area events like the D.C. Shorts Film Festival, which runs today through next Thursday, or the Virginia Film Festival, which kicks off in late October in Charlottesville.
"The timing was one of the big things--and our requirements for the films," he said.
| New York-based filmmaker Sarah Knight is a finalist in RIFF's best-of-show competition with her 40-minute documentary on a subject close to the hearts of many in Fredericksburg: the ladies of Saffire--The Uppity Blues Women.
Knight spoke with Weekender about the film, "Hot Flash," and her journey to becoming a filmmaker. The abridged transcript follows.
When did you decide to become a filmmaker?
I had studied dance very seriously for many years when I was younger--but I always knew that, even though I had a talent for that, it wasn't really my passion. I always wanted to skip class and go to the movies. So, I quit dance when I was about 17, and studied film and broadcasting where I'm from, which is Lincoln, Neb. And then I just moved to Los Angeles after I graduated and was lucky enough to get a production-assistant job on a studio film.
Were you working in the traditional film industry then?
Yes. My first job on a film called "Diggstown," and from there, I went on to work on pretty much exclusively large-budget--I worked on "Batman 3" (the Val Kilmer one) for about two years, and I worked on "Under Siege" and "The Fugitive"--all these very big-budget studio films, which was great as an education to see how movies are made. On the side, on weekends and during my downtime, I made short films, often with some of the same people, who would give me a free camera or free short-end film. So, it worked out well.
How were you first introduced to the music of Saffire, and what, consequently, made you want to tell their story?
When I was working in film production in early '90s, that was when they were at the height of their press, and I must have heard about them from 'Entertainment Tonight' or People magazine or one of those articles, and followed them consistently since then. But at the time, their life-rights had been optioned by another film company. They just became available again probably 2, three years ago--that's when I re-approached them. And I just fell in love with their music, but also their story--what originally caught my eye is how unusual that these women started out when most people wouldn't think that you could do that, in their mid-40s.
As an artist yourself, did you relate to the struggles that you documented in "Hot Flash"?
Certainly financially--there is a section near the end of the film where [Saffire co-founder] Gaye Adegbalola breaks down how much money they actually make from a concert. I don't think people understand how little most people make working in the arts--if they can even support themselves in the arts. As Saffire said in an interview, the Top 40 is just that--it's 40 songs, 40 artists at a time. Some people make a lot of money, of course--but most people struggle. And I certainly relate to that.
Did you face similar challenges early on taking that leap of faith to pursue filmmaking full time?
On a personal level, no, because I have two parents who are actually gonna come out from Lincoln to be with me at the festival. My father's a pharmacist, my mom works on the election board--but they are huge supporters of the arts. They couldn't think of a more noble way to spend your life than pursuing artistic endeavors, and that's very helpful. And I know there are a lot of artists who are struggling who don't have that family support--so, I just grew up thinking that was completely normal.
--Ben Sellers
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| What: The Rappahannock Independent Film Festival features screenings, guest speakers, workshops and more
Where: Downtown Fredericksburg locations including The Third Floor, 810 Caroline St.
When: Thursday, Sept. 18, through Sunday, Sept. 21
Cost: Single-day tickets are $10 to $20; full festival and all-access rates available.
Info: 540/373-1311
Web: For complete schedule, film and ticket information, visit rifilmfestival.com. |
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Date published: 9/11/2008
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