Idyllwild Film Festival opens today
The Idyllwild Film Festival, featuring nearly 100 movies, documentaries and short films, will get under way today.
“We believe 2013 will deliver on the promise of high-quality films and a great overall visitor experience,” said festival Chairman Phil Calderone.
He said a total of 96 productions will be screened during the third- annual festival, which closes on Sunday. On the schedule are films from Australia, Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Iran, Italy, Russia and a host of other countries.
Last year’s festival featured screenings of 67 U.S.-made and foreign films. Organizers said the slate’s expansion reflects growing enthusiasm for the event, which coincides with the Palm Springs International Film Festival, also wrapping up Sunday.
This year’s Idyllwild picks include the American-made horror film “Nailbiter,” about a mom and her three daughters who take shelter in a house during a tornado, only to learn that something else occupies the dwelling — and doesn’t want them there; “Guests of a Nation,” a British short film about Ireland’s War for Independence; and the documentary “Bound by Flesh,” about Siamese twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, who were sold to a carnival at birth.
Along with the screenings, the festival will host a Thursday night “Networking Party,” giving attendees the opportunity to hobnob with filmmakers. An awards ceremony is planned at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Showings are scheduled at the following venues: Astrocamp Theatre, 26800 Saunders Meadow Road; Caine Learning Center, 54385 Pine Crest Ave.; and the Rustic Theatre, 54290 North Circle Drive.
