Here is the story: http://www.omahafilmfestival.org/tickets.html

Omaha Film Festival 2009 - Special Screenings and Short Films Announcement!
Hey, If you are ANYWHERE near Omaha, please come see our movie and support the OFF as much as you can in 2009! This is the PREMIERE showing of GRAPES to the public, and we'll be part of a Cast and Crew Question and Answer session afterwards! Thanks for Your Support! Rhett, Jake and the cast and crew of GRAPES!
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Omaha, NE—The Omaha Film Festival today announces the line-up of Special Screenings and Short Films for the 2008 Omaha Film Festival. The Omaha Film Festival sets out to deliver a fresh and innovative cinema arts experience through the exhibition of independent film and the growth of the festival's film education program. In the words of Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey, “the Omaha Film Festival is quickly becoming a staple of Omaha's developing cultural identity, and we hope it will continue to grow for many years to come.” A complete list of films and show times is on the website, and tickets and passes are currently available for purchase at www.omahafilmfestival.org.

The Omaha Film Festival will be showing 36 in-competition short films from ten different countries in four short film blocks. Subject matters range from comedy to horror to documentary, with six animated films and nine films from Nebraska filmmakers. Check the website for the list of films, screening times, and to purchase tickets.

Five Special Screenings are also being shown through the course of the festival, including our Filmmaking Conference special screening on Saturday, February 21st at the Omaha Community Playhouse. The film is TBA and tickets can be purchased on our website for $10 each, or you can guarantee a seat at the film and at the special reception before the film by purchasing a Filmmakers Conference Badge for $45.

The film festival will kick off on Monday, February 23rd at 6:30 with our opening night film “The Great Buck Howard” starring Colin Hanks, John Malkovich and Tom Hanks. The film will be theatrically released on March 20th, but we’re honored to be able to bring it to the OFF a month before the rest of the country gets to see it. Mayor Mike Fahey will once again give the opening remarks so we’re thrilled to have him back for the fourth year in a row!

--Law-school dropout Troy Gable answers an ad for a “personal assistant to a celebrity performer,” hoping it will catapult him to a glamorous career in the entertainment industry. Little does he know that performer is Buck Howard, a "mentalist" infamous for his 61 appearances on The Tonight Show, who has been reduced to a has-been magician in need of a pretty big trick to get him out of this slump. Writer/director Sean McGinly does the near impossible by successfully encapsulating a whole era of entertainment in one outrageous character. Played with perfection by John Malkovich, Buck is a bigger-than-life mix of ego, sweetness, and delusion packaged in a flamboyant style. As Troy, Colin Hanks does a remarkable job of holding his own, even when deflecting Buck's diva-esque tantrums. In an inspired bit of casting, Tom Hanks plays Troy’s father, who ironically disapproves of show business, and Emily Blunt is the fiery publicist hired to stage the comeback of a lifetime. McGinly’s secret is that he never allows the film to wallow in sentimentality because Buck doesn't need our pity. He has confidence in his stage presence, and he may even have some authentic magic powers up his sleeve. The true magic of The Great Buck Howard, however, is remembering the power of staying true to yourself even if the world around you has changed.

Our third Special Screening is “Heart of the City,” written and directed by Jeff Saxton and shot locally in Omaha. The film will be shown on Wednesday, February 25th at 6:30pm and will have many of the cast and crew in attendance (including yours truly).

--Jason Collins is a tough kid from a single-parent home who has found himself entangled in a life of crime and darkness. Steve Mercer is an increasingly frustrated minister at a well-respected church in town. One night, as Steve is confronted by Jason and his friends, Jason’s words cut deep. Steve cannot forget the truths that came from this skateboarder “punk”, so he decides to make Jason and his friends his new heavenly assignment. Unfortunately, Steve’s congregation is not as excited as he is about reaching wayward youths. Steve and Jason are on the same road, confused and unsure about their futures, as they begin a friendship that is about to bring changes they could not have possibly imagined.

Our fourth Special Screening is “Sunshine Cleaning,” a dark comedy starring Alan Arkin, Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Steve Zahn. The film will screen on Saturday, February 28th at 1:30pm and will see a limited theatrical release on March 13th, so come to the festival and see it first! It premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.

-- Once the high school cheerleading captain who dated the quarterback, Rose Lorkowski now finds herself a thirty something single mother working as a maid. Her sister Norah, is still living at home with their dad Joe, a salesman with a lifelong history of ill-fated get rich quick schemes.

The last of our Special Screenings closes out with “Grapes: the Story of an Aspiring Serial Killer,” written and directed by Lincoln’s own Jake Hull, screening on Saturday, February 28th at 3:30pm. The cast and crew of this film will be in attendance and there’s sure to be a rousing Q&A.

--Grapes is a dark comedy that analyzes the scary humor behind the ambitions of a bright yet troubled college student. William Atwood the Second (nicknamed Grapes) is a young psychology student who aspires to become a great American serial killer. Both the authorities and his invalid grandmother have questions about Grapes and his schoolwork. When a real murderer moves into his small college town and begins to kill the local college students one by one, Grapes’ sense of competition pushes him to try his hand at the murder game. A wrench is thrown into his plan when he finds out that his first victim could very well be the College Killer’s next. Grapes is a true Nebraska Independent feature. It was shot on location in the creators’ hometown of Wahoo and on the campus of their alma mater, the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Director Jake Hull also wrote the screenplay and produced the film, arranging a 10 straight day shoot on a budget well under $10,000. Director of Photography Rhett McClure utilized a Panasonic HVX-200 camera and shot DVCPROHD files at 720 progressive native 24fps. Producer Seth Requenez with AB Productions arranged catering, set design, transportation and all other production at both set locations.

Tickets and All Access Passes are now on sale for all films. See attached for the pass order form, or go to the website.

The Omaha Film Festival would also like to invite you to attend the annual INTRO TO SCREENWRITING session with presenter Sally Walker. See attached for more information and support this excellent learning opportunity.

More information regarding the conference and special guests coming soon. Support art in Omaha!

Marc Longbrake
Omaha Film Festival
Program Director
www.omahafilmfestival.org

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AND GO TO THIS: Omaha Film Festival 2009- Filmmakers Conference! Feb 21 and 22

Omaha Film Festival 2009 – Filmmakers Conference

What?

The fourth annual Omaha Film Festival is proud to present the 2009 Filmmakers Conference, an event that’s open to the public for anyone interested in films and learning about the filmmaking process.

When?

The conference will be held from 9:00am to 5:00pm, Saturday and Sunday, February 21st and 22nd. A Special Screening of the film Shimmer 2 will screen Saturday night at 7:30pm with a filmmakers reception party starting at 6:00pm

Where?

Saturday and Sunday panels are at Creighton University, Hixson Lied Science building. The Saturday night special screening will be at the Omaha Community Playhouse in the main theater on 6915 Cass Street.

How?

Information for all films, events, tickets, passes, and pricing is available at www.omahafilmfestival.org

Who? (our confirmed panelists – all appearances are schedule permitting)

Daryl Sabara - An American film and television actor, Sabara is perhaps best known for playing Juni Cortez in the Spy Kids trilogy. As well as starring Spy Kids, Sabara has made numerous other television and film appearances, including Halloween, Father of the Pride, The Polar Express, A Christmas Carol ’09, and Keeping Up with the Steins.

Mauro Fiore, ASC – One of the industry’s top working Cinematographers with film credits such as Avatar, Training Day, The Kingdom, The Island, and Tears of the Sun.

Neil Krepela, ASC – A two-time Oscar nominated Visual Effects Supervisor whose credits include Bolt, Heat, Outbreak, Cliffhanger, 2010 and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Andrew Robinson - writer/director – April Showers
Jenna Edwards & April Wade – producers from Women on Top Productions – April Showers

Nik Fackler – writer/director of Lovely Still
Dana Altman – producer from North Sea Films - Lovely Still

Lew Hunter – One of the most revered and beloved screenwriting instructors in the country.

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Saturday, February 21st

9:00am – 10:30am
TELL YOUR STORY - working as a professional actor in Hollywood.
Panelist – Daryl Sabara

Daryl will recount tales of growing up in front of the camera and working with directors like Robert Rodriguez, Robert Zemeckis and Bobcat Goldthwait.

10:45am – 12:15pm
BEHIND THE LENS – A cinematographer’s look at filmmaking
Panelist – Mauro Fiore, ASC

Film clips and discussions with a view from behind the lens on big budget Hollywood films.

1:30pm – 3:00pm
VISUAL EFFECTS IN HOLLYWOOD – Filmmaking through the eyes of a Visual Effects Artist
Panelist – Neil Krepela, ASC

An inside look at visual effects with an in depth look at the making of the film Dinosaur.

3:15pm – 4:45pm
SCRIPT TO SCREEN – APRIL SHOWERS - Making an independent film in Nebraska
Panelists: Andrew Robinson, Jenna Edwards, April Wade

Discussions on the process of writing the script, preproduction, casting, being on set, post production, distribution, etc. A frank look at the collaborative effort between a writer/director and the producers.

6:00pm – 7:00pm
Filmmaker Conference Special Screening reception at the Omaha Community Playhouse.

7:30pm – 9:30pm
Filmmaker Conference Special Screening of the film “Shimmer 2” with cast and crew in attendance with a special Q&A after the film.

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Sunday, February 22nd

9:00am – 10:30am
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION MOVIES
Panelist – Neil Krepela

Working on the set of big budget action movies in Hollywood.

10:45am – 12:15pm
THE DIRECTOR/ACTOR RELATIONSHIP. A discussion on the creative collaboration between a director and an actor.
Panelists – Andrew Robinson, Daryl Sabara, Sean Durrie, Rachel Lein

A discussion on the process of working on "April Showers" with insights on auditioning, casting, developing a character, and collaborating on the overall film.

1:30pm – 3:00pm
THE OSCARS AND YOU: PICKING AND PRODDING – A discussion about the Academy Awards
Panelist – Lew Hunter

Discussions from behind-the-scenes about the Oscars from an insider.

3:15pm – 4:45pm
SCRIPT TO SCREEN – LOVELY STILL - Making an independent feature film in Nebraska.
Panelists – Nik Fackler, Dana Altman

A discussion on the process of writing the script, getting the film optioned, preproduction, casting Oscar winning actors, filming, post production and distribution.