First Annual Marfa Film Festival Debuts May 1st

West Texas may not be anyone's vision of a cultural mecca, but amidst the desert plateaus and ocotillo plants lies one of the most unique small towns in America. While Marfa, Texas (pop. 2000) has been known for decades as a destination for avant-garde artists and filmmakers, it has recently received much public attention as the backdrop for award-winning films There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men. In a celebration of the town's historic cinematic legacy, including its role as the backdrop for the 1956 classic Giant (starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean), the five-day Marfa Film Festival will debut May 1st 2008.

Festival Director and Founder Robin Lambaria has put together a line-up of new and classic films for the event, including over 40 daytime events. Ironically, Marfa itself has no movie theater and many of the local residents who were cast as extras have never had a chance to see themselves on the silver screen. The opening film of the festival, There Will Be Blood will be projected onto a 40'x20' inflatable outdoor screen at a nearby ranch where the film's set still stands. "We're reaching out to the local cast and crew to come see the movie, some for the first time," Lambaria states in a press release.

Excitement over the upcoming festival, which includes rare opportunities to view the soon-to-be-torn-down sets of the 2007 award-winning films, has only increased after a recent announcement was made that Dennis Hopper would be returning to Marfa for the first time since Giant for a Q&A following the closing-night screening of his legendary 1971 film, The Last Movie. The rarely-seen film will be shown in its 35mm archival print on loan from the Academy Archive.

Festival-goers will be treated to a Cinco de Mayo street party and a closing-day cookout with true West Texas hospitality. A full schedule of events can be found here. 

ADDITIONAL LINKS AND SOURCES:

• MFF homepage
• Marfa Chamber of Commerce
• MFF on MySpace
• Variety Magazine story on MFF
• marfatx
• Marfa blog
• MFF Gallery

(The author of this article is in no way affiliated with the film festival being reported.)