Share
Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
FORT WORTH — The third edition of the Lone Star International Film Festival got off to a smooth start Wednesday night, with a screening of an indie comedy called The Scenesters at the AMC Palace in downtown Fort Worth.
Between the elegantly lit red carpet outside the theater and the long lines inside, you might have easily thought you were at a much bigger and more-established event. The festival, which often seemed harried and slapdash in its first year, has steadily matured into a highly polished operation. The auditorium was about 80 percent full. Even more impressive was the number of viewers in their teens and 20s — an age category that local film festivals often have trouble reaching. As with most opening night events, there was a long litany of thank-yous from the fest organizers before the screening. But this litany at least featured some breaking news: Sundance Square Management CEO Johnny Campbell announced that, as part of the lead-up to the festival, the AMC Palace upgraded all its projection facilities to digital, including 3-D capability in a number of auditoriums. (Sundance Square is one of the chief sponsors of the Lone Star fest.) Last year, the festival opted for a higher-profile title on opening night (Sunshine Cleaning, starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt), even though none of the filmmakers could attend. They took the opposite route this year: a smaller film whose producers were happy to turn up for the screening. That choice yielded mixed results. It was certainly nice to see local-grown talent being feted with the gala treatment. (Kevin Brennan, an actor and a producer of The Scenesters, grew up in Keller; the cinematographer, Helena Wei, grew up in Grand Prairie.) But the film is a self-referential story of Los Angeles filmmakers on the make. It didn’t seem to have much resonance with the Cowtown crowd. The festival continues through Sunday. For more coverage, go to dfw.com/movies.Christopher Kelly is the Star-Telegram film critic, 817-390-7032
@Nyx.CommentBody@