Lights, camera, action! How do you make a girl feel fancy? Send her to one of the nation’s top film festivals, of course! This past weekend was one of Boston’s top calendar events: the Boston Film Festival. With seven world premieres, a few advanced screenings, and a promised appearance by Chris Evans, there was a lot of action surrounding the event.
It all started on Thursday (September 20th) with Butter, a movie with more celebrity names than the cover of People Magazine. Even though the movie is about a young girl’s butter-carving talents, the film isn’t half bad. There are a few funny moments scattered throughout the film and even a girl-on-girl kiss between Twilight’s Ashley Green and Olivia Wilde. But despite all that steamy action, the movie of the night was Head Games, a film about the reality of an athletes face after experiencing sports-related head injuries. The film took home the award for Best Documentary at the end of the festival.
Cast and Crew of the ‘Boston Strangler’ film with Chris Evans.
Fast forward to the next night on the red carpet. Actors, directors, and producers flocked to the carpet to discuss the three major screenings of the night: Broadway’s Finest, To Redemption, and A Dark Truth. Notable figures on the carpet were Stephen Marro (director), James McCaffrey (Max Payne ), Chris Riggi (Gossip Girl), and Adam Storke (Mystic Pizza). A notably absent Eva Longria starred in the night’s hot ticket and winner of the Best Director category, A Dark Truth. The movie’s complex story line features a corrupt government cover-up over the water rights in third-world countries.
Chris Evans.
Taking home the Best Screenplay Award was To Redemption. The movie’s tight-knit family encounters some major drama in the film, but on the red-carpet the cast was anything but. During interviews with actors John Faughnan, James McCaffrey, and Giuseppe Penasso had nothing but praise for the cast and crew.
Saturday was the day for short film and a night of world premieres. The two major players of the night were the films The Citizen and The Oranges. If one movie stood out in the entire festival it would have to be The Citizen. The film’s story follows an Arab immigrant who arrives in the United States the day before the 9/11 attacks. The movie was deeply emotional and walked away with both the Mass Impact Award and Best Ensemble Cast Award.
The Cast of To Redemption.
Another round of short films and a few advanced screenings brought us into Sunday night. One of the highlights of the night included a special screening of the film The Sessions. The movie told the story of a dying man trying to lose his virginity at the age of thirty-eight. This film took home a slew of awards including Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress. To end the night, the festival premiered a restored version of the legendary horror movie, The Shining.
Two words were on the lips of several fan girls and photographers during Monday night’s red carpet: Chris Evans. The sexy star visited the festival to promote his new film, Stranglehold: In the Shadow of the Boston Strangler. The Boston native narrated the part documentary, part historical film and wasn’t shy about posing for photos. The fan girls melted in front of him and, well, so did I. Overall, the festival was, as always, a success and an experience this fan girl will never forget.