No Excuses for Being Bored: DuSu Film Fest, Magnolia Salon and Pizza Farm Thursdays

BONUS TRACKS

When we first wrote about the Magnolia Salon at Oldenburg House in Carlton, we announced that their Thursday evening gatherings would run from Feb 1 to Memorial Day Weekend. The weekly discussions (with lite food fare and libations) have been so successful that they are continuing on into the summer. Thursday evenings at 6:00 p.m. Their monthly Carlton Room jazz weekends, Cookin' at the O, have been packed out, and the magnetic Bruce Henry (June 8 & 9) will no doubt keep this tradition going. Head to oacc.us for the full summer schedule, which includes movie nights and a bluegrass festival Looking for a wedding venue? I give Oldenburg House an A++ on that score.

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Jon Sonofmel at last week's Dylan Fest poetry event in the Playhouse.

Word on the street is that a culturally uplifting weekly event has been taking place in Hayward, Wisconsin called Pizza Farm Thursdays. Essentially it consists of spoken word performances at the Farmstead Creamery & Cafe. The word was passed along to me by John Sonofmel, whom many of you will recall from last week's Dylan Fest in which he and Phil Fitzpatrick enacted a sketch in which the late John Bushey returns from the hereafter to pay a visit to Bob Dylan. Sonofmel, with his generous smile and down home demeanor, was also part of the Singer/Songwriter Contest Friday.

The Pizza Farm mission is outlined in this manner: "To build a space for the spoken word in performance (encouraging artists of all ages), as well as facilitate audience participation in the spoken word—both poetry and prose. We’ve been exercising creativity all winter at Farmstead with a Creativity Workshop, now it’s time to put those words into performance and celebrate the writers of the Northwoods!"

Pizza Farm Thursdays will assemble from 6-8 p.m. through the end of August beginning tonight with Frank Zufall and Jen Jenson as featured performer hosts. For more information contact John at 715-699-6023 or by email, sonofmel AT gmail DOT com. Here are your Directions to the Farmstead.

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And finally, Duluth Superior Film Festival is now in high gear. Christa Lawler of the DNT summarizes the films on tap for through the weekend in today's Trib story posted this morning at 5 a.m.

Official Film Festival Website HERE

Feel blocked in? Get out of the cellar and explore a little. 

Life is a Happening. Get into it.

A Plug for 3 Noteworthy Upcoming Events: Blood on the Tracks Express, Battle of the Jug Bands and DuSu Film Fest

"Come along and ride this train..."

--Johnny Cash

Blood on the Tracks Express

THURSDAY EVENING
In the VIP Car Jim Hall will entertain. Appetizers provided by Valentini’s. Music on train going up and back: The 4ontheFloor, Black River Revue, The Basement Tapes Band,  and Father Hennepin. 
The Dylan show in Two Harbors will feature the Rolling Blunder Review with Nate Case of Dirty Horse, Brad Nelson and more. Board at the Depot, 5:30 p.m.. Train leaves the station at 6:00.
 Tickets Here

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS OF NOTE

"All Aboard!"

The M Zone: A Short Story That Could Make an Interesting Short Film

This past week, hard on the heels of our local Duluth Dylan Fest, we were treated to the 5-day Duluth Superior Film Festival. Saturday afternoon I found my way to the Short Films segment, fortunate to have a seat. Certainly the price was right (Free) and the bad weather outside could have played a part, though it's clear by the participation of local film makers and the consistent size of the crowds that Richard Hansen and his film fest team have been gaining traction in our community. Over the years I've enjoyed a lot of original films, and have especially enjoyed the shorts.

Four or five years ago the DuSu Film Fest showed the Adam Fish/Matthew Detisch screen adaptation of my story Episode on South Street. The film came about as a result of my having shared many of my stories on my first website in the 90's. Three of the stories I posted there were translated into foreign languages. Two stories that my daughter wrote when she was twelve ended up in print, which was cool.

Another of my stories, The M Zone, led to my receiving an email that had a 3-4 page screenplay attached. I liked it. A few weeks later, a the short film script had been revised to fill five minutes. I found it interesting how they turned the incident covered in the story into a news story.

Picture the familiar scene with a cameraman focused on a news journalist holding a microphone, staged in front of a scene. In this case, the executive offices for a successful tech firm. The journalist is telling the audience that a something is happening inside and a major story is about to break.

Translating the written word into cinema has many challenges. This past winter a friend and I attempted to convert my Young Adult novel The Red Scorpion into a screenplay treatment. When all was said and done, after many false starts it became a wholly other story, much more dramatic but not at all the story that I'd originally spent many years writing, revising and re-writing.

All this to say that if you're casting about for a story that might work as a short film for next year's film festival season, this one has possibilities.

It begins like this....

THE M ZONE

The revelation came suddenly. Like an "Aha!"... only it was an "Oh no!"

Richard Busby slumped into his chair, leaned his head back and stared off into space, attempting to make himself deaf to what he was hearing. "This is verified?" he asked, referring to the data in a report that had fallen from his hand.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir," Dr. Frey, Director of R&D, said.

Busby's brain was numb. Even though he begun to suspect it, had himself experienced the effects, he had remained in denial. "Do you realize what this means?" Busby asked.

Frey nodded, the small, thin line of mouth grimly expressionless. His dark eyes scanned the desktop and came to rest on the latest Forbes, which featured the ten most significant men of the first half of the 21st century. There, alongside Bill Gates, the world's first trillionaire, was Richard Busby, developer of the M Zone.

In the instant of Busby's epiphany his whole life flashed. His birthday in 1991. His celebrated experiments in computer design at age twelve. His national awards for innovation in computer aided brain mapping while still a teen. His leadership on the A.I. Research Team at Stanford resulting in the development of silicon implants to improve memory. His discoveries regarding the nature of memory, including his renowned theorem that memory is a series of hyperlinked rooms in an endless hallway, each room filled with neural impressions braiding internal and external stimuli.

His father had been an entrepreneur who distrusted government. Like his father he brought his ideas to the marketplace. Eventually he founded a company of his own with enough venture capital to attract the best minds from around the world. His breakthrough using wet wire connectivity allowed computer hardware to be integrated with brain synapses.

His chief claim to fame had been the development of the M Zone product line. By means of a cerebral probe a person could locate and re-experience memories. Busby verified, in his early research, that each memory is contained in a tiny shell or room within the brain, draped in such a manner as to both reveal and conceal it. When properly stimulated, the full and complete memory is revived and re-experienced.

Connections between man and technology were nothing new. The twentieth century saw the development of pacemakers, cochlear implants, pain relief modules and other forms of embedded electronics. Implantation of chips inside the heads of paraplegics to interpret brain signals and silicon retinal implants to recover sight were ancient history now.

Utilizing the M Zone Activator (MZA) one could safely locate, experience and re-experience the best times of one's life. Once approved by the FDA and BGS the patented MZA took the world by storm. At first it was presented as a means to comfort people in their twilight years. Before long Busby's marketing team exploited the general consumer markets with ads like, "Relive the Best Times of Your Life!" and "Can Memory Be More Real Than Reality? Try It & See" and "Deja View? Yes, You May!"

Read More...

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Meantime, life goes on all around you. Make the most of it. Especially today.

Local Arts Scene: June Events and Happenings...

The June Twin Ports arts scene is off with a bang, beginning with the DuSu Film Festival that opened last night and runs through June 5. According to an article in the Budgeteer, the festival will feature films, panel discussions, and parties at several venues including Zinema, Teatro Zuccone, Clyde Iron Works and the Comet Theater in Cook. Unlike the Minneapolis Underground Festival, which screened over 100 films last fall, DSFF will screen just 17 feature films and 30 shorts, all of which will have some regional influence.

One highlight in the Shorts category is Esther Piszczek's Life & Art Entangled, a beautiful art documentary created by Directors Dave Cowardin and Joe Olivieri of Lola Visuals. Life & Art Entangled tells the story of Piszczek's transition from prosecutor to artist while she covers a studio upright piano with patterns. Jazz pianist Peter Brown's improvisational playing adds a dramatic backdrop to the narrative. This particular film will air Saturday, June 4.

Note: Every film is Free again this year, though donations will be accepted at multiple points around each of the screening venues and special events. Additional details here.

Tim White: In and Out of Context
The opening reception for photographer Tim White's exhibition in the DAI John Steffl Gallery will be Thursday, June 16 from 5 - 7 p.m.  These 5 - 7 events are ideal for the those who have regular 9-5 jobs during the day. A great way to catch events on the way home from the office. White's work will be on display through September 16.

Soul Portraits: Painting From the Inside Out with Sarah Brokke
These DAI classes on painting will be Friday, June 3, 6 - 9 p.m. and Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. You'll find Sarah and the space to work at the Lincoln Building, $95 ($115 non-members)

Friday, June 10, 6-8:30 p.m., Duluth Fine Pianos, 405 E. Superior Street, 2nd Friday Art Crawl, Zentangle (R) Inspired Art by Esther Piszczek, CZT, and nature photography by UMD Professor Ladona Tornabene, Ph.D.; Free parking available behind the building after 5:30 p.m.

Art Openings and Receptions

Thursday, June 2, 6-8 p.m., Beaner's Central, 324 N. Central Avenue, Life House Art Opening with Virgil Cane Talent Show. If you've never heard the Virgil Caine Band, here is a song recorded at Beaner's in February - The Monkey Speaks His Mind.

Monday, June 6, 5-7 p.m., Zeitgeist Arts Atrium, 222 E. Superior Street, Moira Villard's "Real" Art Show, painting and drawing, "REAL is a retrospective art exhibit featuring iridescent portraiture and surrealism created by Moira Villard, the artist whose present preoccupation is navigating the ins and outs of what it means to be 'real'."

Tuesday, June 7, 7 p.m., Studio 15, 15 N. 3rd Avenue W., Rachel Eisenman & Amber Maffo, Music by Ryan Quintana. "Come share in art, music and fun with two beer loving, loud giggling, painting ladies living in Duluth."

The Tweed Museum of Art is re-opening this month in a big way. Next Thursday Vance Gellert’s journey of environmental exploration is revealed as a photographic essay about the unique visual character of the Iron Range. The camera views were made in communities that include Coleraine, Eveleth, Hibbing, and Virginia among others. Gellert, a St. Paul native and pharmacologist, shares images that reveal the changing technologies of mining, the ever-changing landscape, and the unique personalities that all together represent a complex social and economic interdependency.
Opening Reception: June 9, 2016 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

The Tweed is also feature an exhibition by Susan Coe and Warrington Colescott. The show is titled "All this is True" and will feature prints, watercolors and drawings. Curator John Schuerman states, “The two artists in this exhibition take us on a difficult tour of power gone awry (or mad) and its casualties.”

One of the images shows deer shooting humans and it brought to mind a drawing is did in high school of fish with fishing poles catching humans who were swimming underwater. One man in the drawing had a hook through his cheek and was being reeled in.

Friday, June 17, 6-9 p.m., Red Herring Lounge, 208 E. 1st Street, Collaborative Art Showcase Alluvial with work by Tina Fox (photography and natural shadow boxes), Leah Beltz (photography), and Jim Richardson (photography) and Zine Release Party: Lunacy. Music by MDFY and Tony Dack, after party downstairs to follow opening reception. Show runs June 17 - July 19.

Red Mug, 916 Hammond Avenue, Superior, Lynne Anderson, Photography. You can also find Lynne's beautiful work at Art on the Plaza, 126 Belknap Street in Superior. I have added some of my own work to the Art on the Plaza collection. Check it out. You can also find some of my paintings at The Break Room in Duluth, kitty-corner from St. Mary's Hospital. (The former Twins Bar.) And while we're mentioning places to see my paintings I might as well note that Goin' Postal (on the 800 block of Tower Avenue in Superior, next to the tracks) has a lot of very nice work by local artists.

Pizza Luce, 11 E. Superior Street: There is always amazing art decorating the walls of Pizza Luce.

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Looking to learn new skills? Try Zentangle Patterns with Esther Piszczek, CZT
Wednesday, June 15, 6 - 8:30 PM, Lincoln Building
$25 ($32 non-members)+ $10 materials fee paid to the instructor Anyone can create beautiful, intricate line patterns "one stroke at a time" using the zentangle (R) method of pattern drawing. We will create beautiful art on a 3.5" x 3.5" paper tile using pen and ink with pencil shading. No previous drawing experience necessary. To register, call (218) 733-7560.

Don't forget the annual family event Art Night Out
Thursday, June 16, 5 - 7 p.m. at the Depot.

The Duluth Art Institute is looking for people to host plein air artists from around the country for its July Plein Air Duluth event, July 10 - 15. If you are interested in sharing your home with an artist for a week, the Duluth Art Institute will trade a family membership for the kindness of Northland hospitality. Email: info@duluthartinstitute.org.

And July 23rd there will be a concert with Eric Andersen and Scarlet Rivera and Friends at the Weber Music Hall. Mark it on your calendar.... More info coming soon.

Meantime, life goes on all around you. Especially here in the Northland.

NOTE: Very special thanks to Esther Piszczek without whose efforts these monthly updates would not be possible.

Albert Milgrom's Dinkytown Uprising Connects with Viewers in Duluth

Director Albert Milgrom

In November Albert Milgrom will be 93 years old, numbering him among the oldest emerging film directors in the world, if not the oldest. His first film, Dinkytown Uprising, aired this weekend as part of the DuSu Film Festival (DSFF). In the question and answer period afterwards it was apparent that the film did more than get people thinking. It stimulated conversations and stirred emotions.

Dinkytown Uprising is a documentary about an incident that took place in the spring of 1970. This was the time of Vietnam war student marches and protest actions around the country. In Dinkytown the student-led activism had a twist. The protest was against a corporation coming in and disturbing the community feel of a section of town that housed a collection of small, local businesses. In some ways, this became a battle against the times we live in where bigger, well-financed powers impose there will on smaller powers, whether it be communities or countries as in Southeast Asia.

The film was introduced by Richard Hansen, founder of the film festival here in the Twin Ports. It's a film Hansen himself had a hand in fifteen years ago when he helped Milgrom convert the raw 16 mm footage to a digital format. Hansen was honored to help bring this film to the DSFF in part because, "He (Milgrom) is my mentor and taught me everything I know."

Milgrom, who was founder of the Mnpls./St. Paul International Film Festival, like many directors had an early interest in photographer and learned to develop film at the age of ten. From the first his photography exhibited an artistic urge. After WW2 the film Rashamon made a huge splash and the power of early Kurasawa films made an impact on Milgrom, who was doing journalism at the time. These and the new wave of French directors showed the power of film as a form of literature, Milgrom stated in a poat-film interview. "The Ffties... if you were half alive you couldn't help be aware of what was going on in film." Italian neo-Realism was another source of inspiration as well as Cinema Verite.

As a result of these influences Milgrom founded the Film Society in 1962. "I wanted to see a lot of these films myself," he said. Eight years later he would take footage of the Dinkytown Protest using techniques internalized from his heroes of film making.

Rallying community support for the students.

The film follows the story of the two month confrontation between protesters and police by following seven protagonists in a then and now story. Being the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War this seemed an especially good moment in time to reflect on the events of that time.

There are many Duluth connections in the film. Bob Dylan, who was born here, lived above Gray's Drug Store in Dinkytown for the short time he attended U of MN when he left his Iron Range home before heading to New York. One of the protesters followed in the story later went on to found a domestic abuse intervention project in Duluth that has now become a worldwide model for dealing with the issue of domestic violence.

The film excelled in reflecting the times that birthed it. Youthful ideals met the powers that be head on, and though the battle was lost there were many things gained. In the discussion period afterwards someone expressed the feeling that the film made fun of the kids' idealism. Another defended the film maker stating that the words "unrealistic idealism" came out of the mouth a character, and was not necessarily the assessment of the film maker.

The music used in the film worked smoothly, especially Dylan's Dear Landlord. "Please don't put a price on my soul," he appeals as we see footage of the struggle in a moving sequence.

Dan Geiger, who served as an assistant on the Coen brothers' Fargo, was the fourth editor to help tackle the project. Geiger was also on hand to answer questions. Two years ago he was asked to pick up the ball after it had stalled again and from August to present he worked 24/7 to complete this undertaking.  He stated that he believed the film is a valuable record of the times.

I think that this assessment will stand as more people have an opportunity to see it.

For more information on Al Milgrom and his Dinkytown Uprising, visit www.almilgrom.com

Richard Hansen Shares His Passion for the DuSu Film Festival

Over the past 100 years movies have become a significant art form. One outgrowth of this phenomenon is the emergence of film festivals, which offer an extended presentation of films for the purpose of introducing new work and gaining feedback, or just providing a shared experience around a theme.

When Richard Hansen brought his love of film to the Twin Ports in an effort to give birth to a new film festival I was really unaware of how extensive these festivals were. Nearly everyone is familiar with Cannes and Sundance, but since the emergence of our own festival I have learned of hundreds of others and Wikipedia states that there are more than 3,000 active film festivals worldwide.

Next week will be the sixth year of what is now been tagged as the DuSu Film Festival. Opening night of the four day event is June 3 at Clyde Iron Works. Here's an interview with Richard Hansen, the primary force behind this exceptional event.

EN: How many years have you been conducting the DuSu Film Festival and how has it evolved from its initial vision?

Hero Cove

Richard Hansen: This will be year 6 of the festival. We changed the name between year 3 and 4 as we felt it was a better match for the region. It has really evolved into a much more regionally based festival with many of the titles being shot in and around the region. Much of this has to do with the rebate and incentive program that has allowed filmmakers who produce in MN to get a MN rebate of 20-25% and if you shoot up on the range IRRB adds an additional 20%. These incentives have encouraged producers and directors to make their films in MN...which means DSFF gets a chance to screen these high quality productions at our festival. Filmmaking in MN and particularly The Arrowhead has really blossomed in recent years, and while we cannot take credit for much of that, there are many factors that go into having a great filmmaking community, we can say that we have been a significant factor in helping to profile the great work that is happening around in MN.

EN: I noticed that you’ve included Eveleth in this year’s set of venues. How did that happen?

"Fantastic" is a post-modern riff on Disney's "Fantasia."

RH: Two years ago we implemented a 'Reunion Screening' line of programming for the festival. The great Riki McManus of The Upper MN Film Office suggested that we profile a film that was shot in the region in the past and bring the cast and crew together for a bit of a reunion. That year we screened Iron Will and had star Mackenzie Astin come and be a part of it. Last year it was the 1972 Glensheen Mansion location set You'll Like My Mother with Patty Duke in attendance. This year, because it is the 10 Year Anniversary of North Country, we decided to screen that. We thought it would be neat to expand our operation out to the range, and especially because some scenes in the film were shot at The Eveleth Auditorium, we felt it was apropos to show the film there as our Closing Night Event. IRRB and the City of Eveleth were all very supportive and even excited to have it there so we thought it best to include the range into our programming locations. We will have music, food, and Actor Chris Mulkey (Whiplash, Captain Philips, North Country and television's Twin Peaks) is coming in as our special guest for that screening. We think it will be fun, even with the heavy subject matter of the film.

EN: Why is film such an important medium still today?

Heart of Wilderness

RH: 'Still today' is kind of a funny thing, only because I think film is still in it's infancy. The moving image is the most recent of all the art forms, so I think it's generally considered the new bad boy, least respected, but most popular of the art universe. I think it's fascinating to people on many different levels and it functions in people's lives in a number of different capacities. Movies pervade our existence, as our favorites define our personalities, and because of the massive nature of the industry we are inundated with their presence. But the great thing about that is that there is such an incredibly wide range of options available that we can niche our interests and still have access to just about any level of obscurity we like. From the major studios ...which are some of the largest corporations in the world; to Netflix, Amazon, and a dozen other on demand services; to film festivals big and small; to YouTube and Vimeo; to the guy from your hometown who made a very cool documentary about an artist that you personally know...there is a reason this movie shit is so popular. Something for everybody.

EN: How do you go about choosing the films that will be aired each year?

Wicker Kittens

RH: Something that I figured out pretty recently is that I cannot define what the festival will be from year to year... it always chooses to define itself. We literally have to wait to see what is going to become available and then figure it out from there. We... me, film programmers, hospitality coordinators, volunteer coordinators, event planners, and venue managers, all literally wait to see what opportunities present themselves as the year turns from the last to the next. We wait to see what pops up at Sundance and SXSW, we watch for festival hits, we see what has been shot around the region that is making national and international waves, we see if a local guy we like has got something ready by April, we wait to see if a film we really want is gets a distributor or if it will play Duluth before the festival...it is purely a juggling act. We have people all around the country looking at films that they think might work for us. But in the end... it mostly comes down to me and the festival programmer (this year Tyler Johnson at Zinema) picking what we think will work. We are a boutique festival... just 18 feature length films and 15 or so shorts, so we have the benefit of just hand picking what we like and what we can get.

EN: Do you have a personal favorite for 2015?

RH: Oh man... don't make me choose. Cop out answer is that everything is good... and that is no BS. We are a boutique fest so there is not a clunker in the mix. These are all films that have performed well at other festivals around the world and some which will be distributed world wide later down the road. Some have particular regional interest and are entertaining regardless of of what happens after we show it.

The festival director in me tells you that the opening night film What We Do In The Shadows has a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes...can't go wrong there. We are all obviously looking forward to the North Country screening... I've actually never seen it.

What We Do in the Shadows

My film artsy side can't say enough about Tired Moonlight, Metalhead, and Tales of Hoffmann... all incredible works of art.

Every film in competition is outstanding. Six films that all have a special reason to be at DSFF this year and they are all inspiring and compelling to me.

You won't want to miss the message documentaries, Good Things Await, Beyond The Divide, and The Dinkytown Uprising.

Finally, the hometown heroes get outstanding profile in Adam Swanson's Spirit Mountain Mural (Artist Adam Swanson-World Premiere) and Closer Than That (Low) with Superior Elegy will uncover some unseen Duluth music history. Not to be missed.

EN: Where can people find your full schedule for when and where things will air this year?

Tired Moonlight

RH: Check the interwebs and The Twitter-Books. Festival programs will be at Zinema on May 27 (today). You can also see a poster at The Electric Fetus. Plus on TV... and in radio ads. Also billboards. And a banner. Oh, and the trailer plays before every screening at Zinema. MPR and WPR. Did we mention every film screening is free. Maybe just show up early and watch some good films. June 3-7, 2015. www.ds-ff.com

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You can tell Richard loves what he's doing. And so do we.

Duluth Superior Film Festival Begins Tomorrow

The first couple years one could see all the films by buying a $50 pass, or paying for individual showings a la carte. This year the Du-Su Film Festival has opened wide it arms and made their entire catalog free for all. What an amazing gift.

The featured film for Wednesday's opening at Clyde Iron Works is Expedition to the End of the World. The film will air at 8:00 p.m. and the program will be underway, with a range of films on various themes airing through Sunday, the majority being screened at Teatro Zuccone and the Zeitgeist theaters. Friday evening there will be a number of short films and music videos premiering at The PROVE Gallery starting at 7:00 p.m.

For many, if not most, there will be a guest or guests accompanying the films. In past years we've heard directors, producers and actors talk about their work in various films and this year will be no different.

You can see the full schedule of events and airings here along with trailers.

There is one event that will involve payment. Patty Duke is visiting the Northland and the public is invited Friday evening to meet her at the Sheraton. You can get all the details at the 2014 Duluth Superior Film Festival website.

Maybe we'll see you out on the town! Enjoy the shows.

NxN Finishes Up with DuSu Film Fest IV

It hasn't been much of a month weather-wise but NxN, our regional month-long celebration of the arts, has provided us with an excellent basketful of activities to explore. Despite the late spring, there was plenty of music, art, theater and more. This week is the fourth annual Duluth-Superior Film Festival, which kicked off last night at the Clyde Iron Works with The Last Gladiators, and an opening night reception with numerous former NHL hockey players on hand.

For a full listing of films that will be featured this year visit this DuSu Film Fest page. Be sure to scroll all the way down... There is a lot to see.

McKenzie Astin as Iron Will

One highlight will be a special "Iron Will" Reunion Screening and Reception. In 1993, when Disney & company arrived in Duluth to film this winter saga of a legendary dogsled race the whole process made quite an impact on the local community. Hollywood does have a "power" that mesmerizes, and the production put thousands of us in contact with this power in various ways, from building sets to dressing up as extras. (Trivia: My friendship with John Heino began in the holding area for extras in the Ballroom Scene which was shot downtown, next door to where you can catch his vibe on the piano every Thursday evening accompanying the Maxi Childs Trio. That's tonight, fwiw.)

This will be a FREE community event, held at The Underground in the Historic Duluth Depot and Arts Center, 5:30 p.m. Sunday. McKenzie Astin, one of the film's stars, will be present. You may recall the pivotal role Kevin Spacey played in this film before emerging as an Oscar-winning superstar.

There's plenty more going on, but I have a day ahead of me and it's time to slip into my uniform. To see what else is happening, catch the Wave.

Oh, and if you still can't decide, there's an end of the season Roller Dames event at the DECC with our home town favorites in action, including Killah Cletah and Jilly Nilly. Go team!

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.

Best Bets and Kudos

Thursday's Wave in the Duluth News Tribune is a good way to catch ideas for things to do here in the Twin Ports. Here are a few activities to be aware in case you don't see them there, with kudos to some of the people involved.

Fund Raiser for the Film Festival
Tonight the Duluth Superior Film Festival is putting on a Silent Auction and Kickstarter Launch Event at the Prøve Collective, 5:30-8:30 PM. They will be sharing an abundance of food from Hanabi Sushi and Tycoons Alehouse and Eatery with free cocktails, free beer and free admission. Richard Hansen has pounded the pavement to bring in some valuable auction items from the Duluth Playhouse, Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of the North, Renegade Theater Company, UMD's Theater and Music Departments, Minnesota Ballet, Zinema 2, Film Festival All Access Passes, Guthrie Theater, Duluth Airshow, artwork from local artists, GCs from great restaurants, plus other works by local artists and photographers. Sounds grand.

Kudos to Richard Hansen for the energy he brings to the local arts scene.

'ImPULSE' art exhibition at the PRØVE
I've been waiting eight months for this show that will feature new work from Jen Dietrich and Sandy Gillespie, April 12 - April 27. Mark your calendars for Friday April 12th, 7-11pm. The write-up for this show is intriguing. "As politically engaged feminists, Jen Dietrich’s work often addresses the personal thru the political—with Sandy Gillespie’s, the reverse. Gillespie’s work still holds to the early feminist principle that the personal is political. We are each interested in experimenting with media, texture, and color -- materials -- as well as content. We are both abstract artists, though Dietrich’s abstraction is representational. Gillespie’s is seldom representational." What I have found in my readings of recent years is that feminism is often miscast as a singular perspective when in reality it is as varied as Christianity's diverse denominations.
 
Kudos to Jen Dietrich for the manner in which she's rolled up her sleeves to do so much for the arts locally while continuing to pursue her own self-expression.

Congressman Rick Nolan at the Zeitgeist
Tomorrow evening Twin Ports Arts Align is hosting a mixer with 8th District Congressman Rick Nolan from 5-6pm at the Zeitgeist Arts Atrium in Downtown Duluth. Wine and cheese provided. It's a good opportunity to share the many good things happening in the local arts community. I heard him sing last year at a fund raiser for the heart association, too, and he isn't half bad...

Kudos to Crystal Pelkey for your leadership in the TPAA. Keep it going.

Seeding the Next Generation
Phantom Galleries Superior is hosting a student art show with works from high school art students of Superior and Maple in a vacant storefront. The event will be Saturday April 13 from 1-5 at 1412 Tower Avenue. There will be an artist talk at 3:00 PM.

Kudos to Erika Mock, another tireless worker in the Superior arts scene.

First Weekend at the Snoodle
Tomorrow evening from 5:30 PM until Sunday 3:00 PM there will be activities at the Snoodle Ceramic Studio on Grand Avenue near the zoo. A Snoodle Hike and open studio times are planned along with a Family Art Exhibit.

Kudos to Tonya Borgeson for her overcoming attitude in the face of last year's flood damage and her commitment to making art have meaning for the wider community.

Minnesota Book Awards Poetry Reading
One more agenda item for tomorrow evening is literary arts event at the Prøve Gallery downtown.
This year's Featured eBook of the Day: Jim Johnson, Dore Kiesselbach, and Patricia Kirkpatrick are making a stop in Duluth. These poets are sure to kick your weekend into gear with thoughtful, funny, and beautiful words at Prøve Gallery on Friday, April 5. As with all Prøve events, admission is free.

Kudos to Kathleen Roberts for helping blur the lines between the literary arts and visual arts and helping to give poets a viable platform to reach out beyond their usual confines.

And to think, this is but a warm up for the rest of the spring which will be alive with gallery hops, Homegrown Music, Dylan Fest and more. Have a great weekend. There's plenty to do.

Sparhawk, DuSu FF, Celebrity Idol and Artist Kamikaze IV

"There's a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing." ~Eccles. 3:5

If you have been refraining (from embracing the arts), now is not the time. This week is a time to step forward with open arms and take it in. I'm referring here to the Duluth Superior Film Festival (DuSu FF) and all the other happenings here in the Twin Ports as we enter the month of June.

Alan Sparhawk, courtesy Andrew Perfetti

Last night was day two of the film festival, a night with two Sparhawk events. The first was a screening of the Alan Sparhawk film Low: You May Need A Murderer. At nine, Sparhawk and the Black-Eyed Snakes were setting up to perform at Tycoons, the former City Hall of this city on a hillside. Sparhawk and the Black-Eyed Snakes were a highlight of last week's Blood on the Tracks Express, generating so much energy that they nearly knocked the train right off the tracks. Literally. If you were there, you know what I mean.

As I reflected briefly on these things this morning, it seemed the Sparhawk name has something of a superhero quality about it. I can picture one of the Avengers being named Sparhawk. And it may be no coincidence that his name begins with an S and has eight letters like another famous superhero that our generation grew up fascinated with. "Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird... it's a plane.... faster than a speeding bullet... more powerful than a locomotive."

He also knows how to be a ham.

For what it's worth, tonight the first of two local short films programs will air at 9:00 p.m. at the Sons of Norway Hall, one of them being a ten minute documentary/interview with Alan Sparhawk, produced last year by Andrew Perfetti and Twin Ports Underground. Sparhawk's Retribution Gospel Choir contributed a gig for the 2011 Rock Out Autism event at Clyde Iron Works and the performer generously gave a piece of himself to the cameras. (This was my second encounter with the gifted musician whose group that night was comparable to a Hendrix experience.)

All the other short films on the docket tonight involve local film makers, directors or writers including  Kohta Asakura, Jaime Merideth and Brian Barber, Jon Bothun, Zach Anderson, Jerree Small, Kathy McTavish, Ethan Holbrook, Toby Thomas Churchill, Nicholas Sunsdahl and Ed Newman... most or all of whom will be present tonight. I suspect the evening will be followed by a lot of engaging conversation.

Preceding these creative short pieces will be director Michael Neelson's Last Day At Lambeau, also at Sons of Norway Hall, airing at 7:15. Around the corner the PROVE Gallery will also be hopping, a cinema celebration with many film makers and festival guests in attendance. This free event will be open from 7:00 till 10:00 p.m.

If music is your thing, the film festival includes three nights of music gigs at Tycoons. Tonight you can catch Cars and Trucks w/Planemo and tomorrow evening you will find BNLX w/Equal Exchange. Last night, in addition to the Snakes, the film Under African Skies screened to a full theater at Zinema 2. In this film, Paul Simon returns to South Africa 25 years after producing his stellar Graceland album. The documentary juxtaposes then and now footage to reveal the tensions and challenges that nation endured under apartheid. I'm sure this will air ago on HBO or some equivalent station in the year ahead, a worthy addendum to the Graceland story.

As for music, the Twin Ports scene really is a seven-days-a-week venue for performers of all types, but next Wednesday will be a very special kind of show that you will undoubtedly want to attend. It's a fund-raiser by the American Red Cross called Heartbeat Idol. Evidently patterned on the television model, Heartbeat Idol is a celebrity karaoke competition, except the celebs will be performing with a live band, the Bryan Olds Band. (It is a fund-raising event for AEDs, a piece of equipment that saved at least 31 lives last year in Minnesota alone.)

The host/moderator/MC will be radio personality exemplar Ken Buehler, local weatherman and president of the Duluth Depot. The judges for Wednesday evening's competition at Grandma's Sports Garden will be John Heino of the Centerville All Stars, Tessa Lenneman of the Duluth Playhouse and Mike Herrick of the Superior Chamber. Celebrities slated to perform include the ubiquitous Senator Roger Reinert, Linda Kratt of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, Congressional candidate Jeff Anderson, Ed Newman of AMSOIL, Christa Lawler of the Duluth News Tribune, Steve Greenfield of Greenfield Communications, and more.

I've been told that there are going to be two winners for this event, a Fan's Choice and a Judge's Choice. I also have it on good authority that there will also be one loser, whose body will be dropped through a trap door into a pit of vipers and whose anguished screams will be recorded for use in another local film maker's production tentatively titled Rattled By Adders, to air at DuSu Film Festival IV in 2013.

All that to say it will be pretty competitive, even if I am not myself the competitive type. (Oops, my nose just grew an inch.)

This is an sneak peak of my team's project.

Speaking of competition, you may want to mark your calendar for June 7 as well. Next Thursday will be Artist Kamikaze IV at Pizza Luce, curated by the Limbo Gallery. I will be writing more about this in a couple days but I wanted you to get it on your calendar now. Artist Kamikaze is also a competition in which aritsts who work in different media are paired to see what they come up with. I believe there are at least twenty artists involved this year, including myself. The opening night will include wine and the opportunity to vote for your favorite works. If you can't be there, be sure to grab a lunch or dinner at Pizza Luce during the month of June to check out what everyone has come up with.

Then there's an Ochre Ghost opening June 8 and.... wait... let's not get ahead of ourselves. Hope to see you on the town tonight. Spring really is a good time to embrace the arts. The weather is absolutely perfect. May your weekend be the same.

PS: Speaking of Sparhawk, let's not forget his two night stand at the Duluth Play Ground titled "A Murder In Silk" in which he joins Gaelynn Lea (violin/vocals) to produce music  while silk painter Lee Zimmerman does live painting. Maybe I should compare him to Superman again? Thanks, Alan, for all your contributions here.

Another Plug for the DuSu Film Festival

What a great month it has been here in the North Country, beginning with the Homegrown Film and Art Festival on through last week's Dylan Fest to this week's culmination the Duluth Superior Film Festival (DuSu FF). What a terrific way to usher in the spring.

The DuSu FF opened last night with a hilarious Norwegian film called King Curling. It was gratifying to see a full house at the Clyde Iron Works. It's also nice to watch a film for which a big Hollywood budget or screen star would add nothing to the caliber of the entertainment. There was much laughing out loud throughout the film which combined an original plot with original characters, chief of which was Truls Paulsen, an obsessive curling champion for whom "every millimeter mattered."

Tangier 57

Festival director Richard Hansen began the evening by welcoming all of us and thanking all the sponsors. He then gave a special acknowledgement to Riki McManus, who persuaded Richard to bring his Sound Unseen International Film Festival up here to the shores of Gitchee Gumee. He's never regretted the move. After the film we all moved upstairs for the opening night party with an accompaniment by the popular jazz fusion group Tangier 57.

Richard Hansen

A unique feature of this year's film festival is that it is much more directly tied into our Twin Ports community and its passions. Curling is a Scandinavian export to this region, few of us unaware of its importance to at least someone we know. Tomorrow night's Last Day at Lambeau is about Bret Favre's departure from the Green Bay Packers and the impact it had on that incredible devoted fan base. The other feature films chosen this year have similar tie-ins, such as Wildrose (a woman fighting for independence and identity on the Iron Range) and Northern Lights (about a bitter winter on the Dakota prairie), among others.

There will be two sets of short films with local tie-ins as well, including Andrew Perfetti's "Alan Sparhawk" documentary, Kathy McTavish's "Holy Fool/The Firebird" and a 20 minute film based on my own short story "Episode on South Street," about a troubled painter with obsessive compulsive disorder. Other films by UMD students and local film makers will be amongst those screening late Friday evening and Sunday.

Tonight's feature, "Low: You May Need A Murderer", will air at the Zinema 2 at 7:00. I'm fairly certain you need tickets in advance for this one. This is the only film for which your All Access pass (a steal at $20) does not work.

For more details, venues, times and places, visit DuSuFF.com

Caption top: L to Rt: Steve Larson (director, Holiday Beach), Dan O'Neil, Ian Harvey of Ireland (The Connection) and Peter Minns (director) 

Here's a link to my book The Breaking Point and Other Stories in the event that you would like to read my story Episode on South Street before seeing the film tomorrow evening. $1.99