A crowd of people at the Varsity Theatre waiting for the next film screening.
Photo by Kelsey Richmond/The Siskiyou

Lights! Camera! Action!

The annual Ashland Independent Film Festival kicked off its seventh season Friday, showcasing more than 80 feature, documentary and short films from directors all over the country, including nine Oscar nominated films. Films were screened April 3-7 at venues such as the Varsity Theatre, the Historic Ashland Armory and the Ashland Springs Hotel.

AIFF provides opportunities for local youth to create their own films for submission into the festival and a chance to showcase their film-making skills.

Southern Oregon University Bachelor of Fine Arts student Trisha Johansen is not a film major, or even taking film classes, but that did not stop her from winning the Southern Oregon "Launch" contest, a competition between six area counties that gave her the chance to showcase her two-minute short film "Deep Song" in the Ashland Independent Film Festival Sunday.

The Southern Oregon "Launch" contest provides an opportunity for youth in four categories to create and enter a film into the festival. The categories were Kindergarten through 5th grade, 6th through 8th grade, 9th through 12th grade and college.

"It was challenging [making the film]," Johansen said. "But at the same time it was a learning experience."

Johansen took six months to make the film and commented that the process involved "long and tedious hours of work." Her short film "Deep Song" is a two-minute animation about the victim of a shipwreck," Johansen said. It’s about "the desire to escape the chaos of life."

SOU student Casey Pyke also showcased a short film at the festival Monday. The film, called "Mic," is a 16 minute action short about a soldier who goes up against an entire corporation.

Acclaimed filmmakers also came to the AIFF from around the nation. Helen Hunt ("Twister," "As Good As it Gets") attended the Friday showing of her film, "Then She Found Me." It’s an "indie" film she directed, starring Colin Firth ("Love Actually"), Matthew Broderick ("The Producers") and Bette Midler ("The First Wives Club").

Hunt was in attendance for question and answers after the showing at the Ashland Armory Friday night.

Other filmmakers from the festival were locals Gary and Anne Lundgren, whose AIFF film was shot in Southern Oregon in the fall.

Their independent film "Calvin Marshall" was shot at Southern Oregon University, in downtown Ashland and at the Harry and David Baseball Park in Medford. The film stars Steve Zahn ("Riding in Cars with Boys"), Alex Frost ("Drillbit Taylor") and local actors from the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

AIFF systems manager Christie Wruck commented on the success of this year’s festival.

"It’s growing every year," Wruck said of the festival. "A lot of filmmakers are impressed with Ashland and our audiences."

For more information on AIFF and how students can enter the 2009 Southern Oregon "Launch" contest, go to www.ashlandfilm.org.