By Scott Mitchell
This weekend, there will be a bit of competition for your indie film appreciation.
While the Oak Cliff Film Festival takes over West Dallas, the inaugural Dallas Indie Film Festival will be going down this weekend from June 19 to 22 at the Bath House Cultural Center at White Rock Lake, though this fest has a purely local flavor.
There'll be live music and food trucks at the festival, but film definitely takes precedence at this melting pot of the arts. Here's a few recommendations film you should catch.
On Thursday, the short film Odds or Evens by Jay Gormley, starring Charles Baker -- you may know him as Skinny Peat from Breaking Bad -- will be one you don't want to miss. This exploration of forgiveness and redemption centers on a run-down marathoner and a single mother (played by Lydia Mackay, our pick for Best Local Actress in 2008) who help each other on a journey of self discovery. Odds or Evens will also be screening on Saturday.
See also: The Oak Cliff Film Fest is Back; Here's How to Do It Like a Pro
Follow Friday, the film by Erin Faulk, is the one to catch on -- you guessed it -- Friday. In the film, Faulk goes across the country meeting the people behind the twitter accounts following her in the hopes of eliminating the notion of "IRL" and bringing to the forefront that these are real people, not just characters after an @ symbol.
If you're a sports fan, the Dallas Indie Festival has got something for you, too. The documentary 25,00 Miles to Glory, showing Saturday and Sunday, follows three men as they travel across America in a VW Bus to experience the eclectic and excitable NFL Community. Expect lots of beer, face paint and tailgating. Of course, that's kind of what you can expect from the festival too, which thanks to the food trucks and music will feel a little bit like artistic tailgating.
Thursday and Friday of the festival are exclusively dedicated to film. Each day will run you $30 for access to both film blocks or $15 for each two-hour block. If you're frugal, you can get access to both film blocks in advance online for $20. Planning on taking a hot date out to dinner? Go to the festival as a caper and you only need to pay for what you have time to see.
During these two days, film block one is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and two is 8 to 10 p.m. One block will be dedicated to short films while the other will run one feature-length film.
Saturday and Sunday have a bit more in their offerings. In addition to three film blocks, there will be art on display as well as live music from the sultry heartaches of Denton local Jessie Frye on Saturday to the bouncy, jilting tunes of Catamaran on Sunday. And just to ensure you spend all your time and money at the fest, food trucks will be present to help reach -- and probably exceed -- your caloric intake for the day. The art, music and food part of Dallas Indie Festival will run you $10 a day.
Film blocks on Saturday and Sunday will be pay to enter at $15 per block or $75 online for a one-day all access pass. Block one runs from 3 to 5 p.m., two from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and block three from 8 to 10 p.m.
Tickets and more information at dallasindiefestival.com.
