Friday, May 3, 2013

Beatles Help DuSu Film Festival

Help! I need somebody.
Help! Not just anybody.
Help! You know I need someone.
Help!  ~ Lennon/McCartney

In 1965 The Beatles starred in their second full-length feature film titled Help. The rating for this film at imdb.com is 7.1, which means it has a lot of likes and not that many critics. I s'pose this is because the film actually had a plot. It's popularity was not due to the acting. But you already knew that, right?

The film was a vehicle for developing and dispersing some new Beatles songs, and to attract a little cash. This morning, the movie is a vehicle for sharing some information about this year's Duluth Superior Film Festival, and (hopefully) to attract a little cash for the festival's Kickstarter campaign.

Disclaimer: I receive nothing from this blog entry.

The correct title for this post should read, Beatles' Help; DuSu Film Festival.

But it is what it is. As is the film festival, now in its fourth year.

The Duluth Superior Film Festival is in fundraising mode, currently running an active Kickstarter Campaign to raise funds for this year’s festival. Evidently they are not wanting to lean too heavily on their many sponsors and, I suspect, the Kickstarter Campaign

can be a form a getting the word out.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1498114599/the-duluth-superior-film-fest-advises-you-to-take

They're not trying to raise millions to produce a film. They're looking for a modest amount to properly show the films, $2000 to help make this event a more complete experience. Unlike your typical cinema visit, the DuSu and similar film festivals will have directors, producers, screenwriters and actors on hand to give more insight to the film they created or were part of. The Q&A sessions after many of the films are worth the price of admission. The extra money helps fly these industry professional here for these first-hand encounters.

The Kickstarter Campaign winds up at the end of this weekend.  Festival director Richard Hansen has indicated that they have a great list of benefits for contributing…not the least of which is an All Access Pass for $25, which I personally consider a steal since we were paying $50 for that same pass the past three years.

Some of the films we've seen here the past couple years were later picked up by HBO and other cable channels. It's a serious, annual 5-day event, screening numerous independent films, producing multiple music performances, and hosting parties in celebration of film, music and art. I don't think The Beatles will be here, but who knows, maybe the next Beatles will be featured here in one of this year's films. Imagine. Stranger things have happened.

Here's my interview with Richard Hansen in advance of last year's Duluth Superior Film Festival.

And here's a link to the DSFF Kickstarter page.

This month we're celebrating the North X North Music and Arts Experience here in the North Country. This week the Homegrown Music Festival has been busting out walls. Next week will be Visual Arts/Gallery Week,  week, followed by Theater/Ballet/Symphony week and Dylan Days, and ending with the Duluth/Superior Film Festival to bookend a fabulous month of arts excitement.

My recommendation: try something new, something you've never done before. Eventually you might want to do it all.

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