NAME OF FESTIVAL: Derby City Film Festival
SINCE: 2008
WHERE: Louisville, Kentucky, USA
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Derby City Film Festival was a film festival in Louisville, Kentucky.
From the beginning the DCFF distinguished itself from other festivals by focusing on independent films and filmmakers rather than celebrities and hype. During it's four year run the DCFF proved that quality films do not have multi-million dollar budgets or feature "named" actors. Credit card advances, family loans, selling plasma, doing whatever it takes to get your dream and vision to the big screen are the types of films and filmmakers we showcased. Those are true independent films.
We opened the first year by attempting a Guinness World Record for the largest number of Abraham Lincoln impersonators to recite the Gettysburg Address and in our final year we presented Sci-Fi Veteran Actor Lance Henriksen with a Lifetime Achievement Award. We hosted free panels and workshops for our attendees on filmmaking subjects ranging from Screen Writing to Fight Choreography. Audience Q&A's following the feature films were always a huge hit. We also partnered and sponsored other festivals including Fright Night, Bellewood Youth, The Louisville LGBT, and Jewish in an attempt to broaden the reach of independent film in the region. In all the DCFF screened 217 films including 148 Shorts, 29 Docs and 40 Features. We hosted 31 World Premieres and another 14 U.S. Premieres. 57 films were from right here in the Bluegrass State and 71 were International selections coming from over 25 different countries. If it was a quality film, no matter where its origin we were proud and honored to have screen it.
Alas, it is time to move on and let others take the KY indie film reigns in our stead. But always know we enjoyed our time with you all and met so many wonderful people along the way! So we thank you all; filmmakers, sponsors, attendees, volunteers and media; for your support over the years. It could not have been done with out you!
Viva indie film!
Derby City Film Festival
Louisville natives Scooter Downey & Sean Elliot, and Frankfort filmmakers Todd Sheene, Allen Martin, & Scott Stafford are among the winners of the top prizes at the 2012 Derby City Film Festival which took place February 17th through the 19th. “It’s in the Blood” written by Downey & Elliot, took home the awards for Best US Feature Film, Audience Choice, and Best Actor (Elliot). The film was directed by Downey and also stars Lance Henriksen […]
Louisville natives Scooter Downey and Sean Elliot’s film It’s in the Blood was a big winner at the 2012 Derby City Film Festival. The film which had its Kentucky premier at the film festival in Louisville, KY was awarded Best Picture, Audience Choice Award, Grand Jury Prize, and Elliot was awarded Best Actor (October). Lead actor. Lance Henriksen (Russell) received a Lifetime Achievement Award in front of an audience of nearly 500. Directed by Scooter […]
The 4th Annual Derby City Film Festival opens today Friday, February 17th and will screen 56 films through Sunday the 19th. The lineup includes 24 International films representing 16 countries as well as 8 World Premieres, 5 US Premieres, and 28 KY Premieres. Eight films were produced in the Bluegrass State and another 5 have ties to Kentucky. Legendary actor Lance Henriksen will be the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award Saturday evening before the […]
New Poster and trailer have been released for BELOW ZERO, the closing film of the 2012 Derby City Film Festival. The film will be also screening at the following festivals in the coming months: Derby City Film Festival (Louisville, Kentucky), 6pm Feb 19th Garden State Film Festival (New Jersey), March 24 Indie Horror Film Festival (Chicago), March 24 International Horror & Sci Fi / Phoenix Film Fest (Phoenix), TBA Dead By Dawn (Edinburgh, Scotland), TBA […]
Louisville natives Scooter Downey and Sean Elliot will have the Kentucky premiere of their film It’s In The Blood, a character-driven horror story starring veteran character actor Lance Henriksen, at the 2012 Derby City Film Festival. The public premiere at the festival is 8:00 PM February 18th at the Clifton Center in Louisville. The festival runs February 17th-19th. It’s In The Blood has been nominated for best picture, and Lance Henriksen and Sean Elliot are […]
The documentary Bailout will screen at this year’s Derby City Film Festival. Why? According to the filmmakers, since “Gonzo Journalism” was born at the Derby, it’s only fitting that Bailout will screen at this year’s Derby City Film Festival. The “Gonzo” style deviates from standard factual narratives by altogether jettisoning any pretext of objectivity where the author figures prominently as a character in the story. That definition fits the new feature documentary Bailout like silks […]
A total of 56 films from 16 countries, including 24 International selections, will be screened at the upcoming Derby City Film Festival, February 17th – 19th, but this year films from current and former Kentucky residents are the one’s dominating the field. Of the films who’s filmmakers are from Kentucky, seven of them are feature films, four are shorts and one is a documentary. Another feature film “Sam Steel and the Crystal Chalice” is from […]
The indie film “Below Zero,” will close the 2012 Derby City Film Festival. The film is also a festival finalist for awards in the BEST FEATURE, BEST ACTOR (Edward Furlong), and BEST ACTRESS (Kristin Booth) categories. International indie sensation “Below Zero,” (www.belowzeromovie.com) starring Edward Furlong (Terminator 2, American History X, The Green Hornet), Michael Berryman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Hills Have Eyes, Scooby Doo, Weird Science), and Kristin Booth (Young People F*cking, […]
Legendary actor Lance Henriksen will be the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2012 Derby City Film Festival in February. Henriksen, who’s career spans 4+ decades and includes credits in nearly 200 films, television shows and video games, will be attending the festival in support of his role in the film “It’s in the Blood”. Henriksen is probably best known for his role as Bishop in the “Aliens” and “Aliens vs. Predator” films […]
With the festival opening in lass than a month, the organizers of The Derby City Film Festival have announced the award finalists for the 2012 edition. Awards will be handed out in 7 categories; US Short Film, International Short Film, Student Short Film, Documentary Film, Feature Film, Best Actor and Best Actress. The festival has also partnered with York Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, who will offer distribution to one or more of the Feature Films and IndieFlix, based in Seattle, who will hold an on-line short film contest the week before the opening of the festival. Three films with Kentucky ties are among the finalists. One, the short film “Bizarnival: Tuxedos in the Attic” from filmmakers Todd Sheene, Allen Martin, and Scott Stafford screens Saturday February 18th at 4:00 PM with Shorts Group C. “Bizarnival” is a pseudo-experimental film which follows three men who seek the key to a magic suitcase, guarded by a mechanical man, and takes them on a journey through the ridiculously fantastic world of Bizarnival. “Bizarnival” is nominated for Best US Short Film.
James Sheldon who stars as the title character from Alex O. Gaynor’s “Wid Winner and the Slipstream” is nominated for Best Actor. ‘Wid Winner & the Slipstream’ is a poetic, blue-collar story of a disenchanted auto parts store clerk and the road trip that will change his life. “Wid” screens Friday February 17th at 7:00 PM.
“It’s in the Blood” from Louisville natives and Ballard High School graduates Scooter Downey & Sean Elliot is up for three awards including Best Feature Film and two Best Actor Nominations for the film’s stars Sean Elliot & Lance Henriksen. “Blood” tells the tale of a father and son who become stranded in the wild and must confront the horrors of their past to escape with their lives. However, this wilderness is not what it seems, and as they deteriorate, so to does their concept of reality: horrifying creatures, ghostly apparitions, is it all in their heads, or could the truth be far more terrible? “It’s in the Blood” screens at 8:00 PM on February 18th with the short film “Endless”.
Another film up for three awards is the closing film of the festival, the Edward Furlong film “Below Zero”, which will screen at 6:00 PM on Sunday February 19th. “Zero” follows screenwriter Jack “The Hack” (Furlong) who, facing writer’s block and a crucial deadline, decides to remove himself from all distractions by locking himself in the freezer of an abandoned slaughterhouse, where fiction and reality blur. Inspired by true events, method writer Signe Olynyk’s BELOW ZERO is a twisty story within a story, within a real-life story. The film also stars Kristin Booth and Michael Berryman. “Zero” was directed by Justin Thomas Ostensen who’s film “By the Wayside” screened at the inaugural DCFF in 2008. “Zero” is nominated for Best Feature, Best Actor (Furlong) and Best Actress (Booth).
All 9 of the Short Film Finalists (US, International & Student) have also been invited to take part of the DCFF-IndieFlix on-line film contest which will run February 10th-16th. All films will be available to watch on-line and the public can vote on their favorite. The winning film will receive a one year subscription to Videoblocks & The Footage Firm, an online library of downloadable production material, video clips and royalty free music. A link to the IndieFlix film contest will be available on the DCFF website starting February 10th.
York Entertainment has invited 4 films to be considered for distribution. Included among the finalists is “Overtime” from Louisville filmmakers Matt Neihoff & Brian Cunningham. The other three are “Below Zero”, “Blind Turn” & “It’s in the Blood”. Any agreement will be between York and the selected film(s) and the festival will not be part of the negotiations
The 2012 Derby City Film Festival runs February 17th – 19th at the Clifton Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The full festival schedule and film descriptions are available on the festival website. Tickets for all films and screening groups are also on-sale through the website. More information on the festival can be found at the festival website: www.derbycityfilmfest.com or by calling the DCFF office at 502-454-7801. Additional details about the upcoming festival will be released in the coming weeks.
The following includes the full list of award finalists for the 2012 Derby City Film Festival. {jathumbnail off}
56 films have been selected to screen during the three day Derby City Film Festival held February 17th – 19th, 2012. The lineup includes 24 International films representing 16 countries as well as 8 World Premieres, 5 US Premieres, and 28 KY Premieres. Eight films were produced in the Bluegrass State and another 5 have ties to Kentucky. Opening night includes two feature films shot in Kentucky. At 7:00 PM on February 17th “Wid Winner and the Slipstream” will open the fest. “Winner”, which was directed by Kentucky native Alex O Gaynor, tells the story of two men who embark on a cross-country journey to face the past, change the future, and collect enough used-auto parts to build a time machine. The 8:00 PM film, “Sam Steele and the Crystal Chalice” is from New Albany filmmaker Tom Whitus and was shot in Downtown Louisville. The film stars Jacob Hays, Kevin Sorbo, Katherine McNamara & Dee Wallace. “Crystal Chalice” is the sequel to “Sam Steel and the Jr. Detective Agency” which screened at DCFF in 2010. The final film on Friday is the suspense film “Johnny’s Gone” from writer and actress LaDon Drummond. “Johnny’s Gone” tells the story of the unsettling but heartfelt relationship between Sarah and a two year-old she calls Johnny. Sarah hides a dark secret that will take them on a road trip across five states from California to Louisiana.
A full slate of workshops, panels, shorts, docs, and features also happen all day Saturday. Highlights include the world premieres of the feature films “Frames” & “Blind Turn”, Producer and Louisville native John Paul Rice’s latest film “Mother’s Red Dress”, the road trip documentary “Bailout”, four short film groups, and 2 International features, “Znikniecie” and “Meherjaan”. Saturday afternoon there will also be a Filmmaker Symposium and Awards Presentation at Clifton’s Pizza from 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM.
Saturday night features 3 more films with Kentucky roots. Louisville natives, and Ballard High graduates, Scooter Downey & Sean Elliot bring the feature “It’s in the Blood” to their hometown. Featuring Lance Henriksen, Elliot & Rose Sirna, “Blood” tells the tale of a father and son who become stranded in the wild and must confront the horrors of their past to escape with their lives. However, this wilderness is not what it seems, and as they deteriorate, so to does their concept of reality: horrifying creatures, ghostly apparitions, is it all in their heads, or could the truth be far more terrible? “It’s in the Blood” screens at 8:00 PM with the short film “Endless”.
At 10:00 PM on Saturday audiences will receive a double treat from Louisville filmmakers. First Kristofer Rommel premieres the short “Wireface: In the Beginning” starring Josh Loren, Cindy Maples & Joe Chrysler. “Wireface…” is a prequel film which details the slow decent into madness that turns a loving family man into the serial killer known as “Wireface”. Following the short is Matt Niehoff & Brian Cunningham’s feature film “Overtime”, which was shot in Louisville and features Al Snow, John Wells & Sebrina Siegel. “Overtime” follows two hitmen who find themselves caught up in a conspiracy they never imagined which includes alien zombies. Both films are included on one ticket.
Sunday February 19th features, among other films; the World Premiere of “Smells Like Community Spirit” from Cincinnati filmmaker Isaac Stambaugh, the controversial documentary “Israel vs. Israel” and “Legendary: When Baseball Came to the Bluegrass” from Lexington filmmaker Michael Crisp.
The closing film of the festival will be the Edward Furlong film “Below Zero”, which will screen at 6:00 PM on Sunday. “Zero” follows screenwriter Jack “The Hack” (Furlong) who, facing writer’s block and a crucial deadline, decides to remove himself from all distractions by locking himself in the freezer of an abandoned slaughterhouse, where fiction and reality blur. Inspired by true events, method writer Signe Olynyk’s BELOW ZERO is a twisty story within a story, within a real-life story. The film also stars Kristin Booth and Michael Berryman. “Zero” was directed by Justin Thomas Ostensen who’s film “By the Wayside” screened at the inaugural DCFF in 2008.
The following includes the full list of selected films for the 2012 Derby City Film Festival.{jathumbnail off}
Louisville native Greg King and New Albany, Indiana filmmaker Ray Cart are among the winners of the top prizes at the 2011 Derby City Film Festival which was held February 18th through the 20th. Greg King and David Teague’s “Our House” took home Best Documentary and Cart’s “Queens of the Dead” won the Audience Choice award for favorite film. Cincinnati Filmmaker Michael Maney’s film “Meth” took home the award for Best Short Film and Actress […]