Local and international filmmakers are presenting independent movies at the Bloody Hero Film Festival in the Phoenix Center for the Arts beginning Friday.
The inaugural festival will feature independent, full-length pictures and shorts by filmmakers from all over the world, including local directors.
“Most people think we’re about horror films, but our name is actually inspired by the struggle of independent filmmakers,” festival director Chris Martin said.
Martin, who is also a multimedia specialist for the medical center Recovery Innovations, has been working to produce the event since July.
More than 70 films will be featured, with approximately 17 full-length and 60 shorts. The genres range from comedy to horror, and all films are independent from the conventional film industry.
Martin said filmmakers submitted their work through Withoutabox.com from IMDB.com, an Internet movie database. With this service, filmmakers have access to over 5,000 film festivals and can easily submit their films for consideration.
Martin said he approached other filmmakers in Arizona to narrow the list of possible films down to a reasonable number. The selections were given to Abnormal Entertainment podcasters Brian Smith and Jacob O’Neal to judge each film for potential awards.
While most of the selection is international, there are still a few selections representing the Arizona film community.
Randy “R Dub” Rehak, a DJ for Tucson radio show “Sunday Nite Slow Jams,” is presenting his documentary “A.M. Mayhem”.
“It’s a whole new world for me,” said Rehak, whose documentary is his first film project. “I’m super excited about it.”
This is only his second film festival. His documentary, which is about the disappearance of Tucson’s first hip-hop radio station, was nominated for several awards at the San Diego Black Film Festival.
“I did it because I owed a thank-you to my listeners,” Rehak said.
“A.M. Mayhem” is the only film he said he would likely make, though he enjoys attending the film festivals.
“For me, it’s an amazing experience to be among other artists,” he said.
Amanda Melby, a long-time stage actress and acting coach in Scottsdale, is presenting her short film “Kerry and Angie”.
“We’re always happy about showcasing our film,” she said. Melby said she and her colleague Judith Eisenberg based their dark comedy off of a theater play by Gerry Sheridan, who wrote the script. The story is about two women going through a midlife crisis while at a christening.
As a film, television and theatre actress, Melby is a familiar face in the state’s filmmaking community. But “Kerry and Angie” is the first film she has ever produced and directed.
“The curtain goes up, and it’s an adrenaline rush,” Melby said, describing her experience at Phoenix Film Festival last year when she premiered the short.
The Bloody Hero Film Festival will last from Friday morning to Sunday evening. There will be a mixer on Friday night for the filmmakers and industry professionals. The awards ceremony will be on Sunday night.
Tickets to the event are available on the Bloody Hero Film Festival website.
Contact the reporter at jestable@asu.edu
