The Indie Memphis Film Festival kicks off on Halloween night this year. More than 40 movies will be screened as part of the festival.
John Beifuss, film critic of the Commercial Appeal, shared some of his top picks for the festival, which are listed by day.
- "Escape from Tomorrow," 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, Playhouse on the Square -- The movie was shot on the sly at Disney World. The filmmaker's websiteincludes a countdown clock which adds up the "Number of Hours that We Haven't Been Sued." Beifuss wrote an article about the film, which you can read here.
- "August: Osage County," 6:15 p.m. Friday at Playhouse on the Square -- This black comedy about a family in Oklahoma earned Tracy Letts a Pulitzer Prize. Beifuss says that stars Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts are getting Oscar buzz for their performances.
- "Charlie is My Darling," 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, Studio on the Square -- This documentary uses newly discovered, behind-the-scenes footage from a 1965 Rolling Stones tour of Ireland.
- "What I Love About Concrete," 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Circuit Playhouse -- Local directors Katherine Dohan and Alanna Stewart use homemade special effects, an original score and friends and family members to create this quirky, homespun high school comedy. Beifuss says he can't review the film because he has a cameo in it, but he says the story is worth seeing.
- "Meanwhile in Memphis: The Sound of a Revolution," 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, Circuit Playhouse -- Beifuss says this sprawling documentary about Memphis music picks up where Stax and Sun Studios left off. The film tracks the history of the city's indie underground, with interviews from figures such as Jim Dickinson, Al Kapone, Tav Falco, and others.
- "Good Ol' Freda," 12:45 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, Playhouse on the Square -- This documentary is about Freda Kelly, a Liverpudlian teenager who went from being the head of The Beatles' fan club to becoming the band's long-time secretary. With the permission of the Beatles, Kelly told her story for the first time in 50 years.
- "Being Awesome," 12:45 p.m. Sunday, Circuit Playhouse -- Beifuss says this is probably the most well-produced of the local indie films. The story is about two depressed friends who make it their new goal to be "awesome." Actor Drew Smith may be familiar to locals as the water cooler guy in the popular Memphis Tigers add campaign.
- "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom," 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, Playhouse on the Square -- Based on the biography of Nelson Mandela, the film chronicles his early life, education and 27 years of imprisonment.
