The Yellow Springs Film Festival is back for its second year with an impressive lineup of films, music and comedy to fill the small, artistic village east of Dayton with film buffs and events fitting for a major city. A few highlights include a performance from singular comedian/musician Reggie Watts, a talk with legendary cult favorite writer and director Jim Jarmusch, the YSFF’s first world premiere and so much more.
The festival kicked off last year with sellout showings, special appearances and a tribute to Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and Yellow Springs resident Julia Reichert. A spring edition last April was another success and hinted at what was to come.
This year’s festival is looking to carry the same spirit as last year, while building on the foundation of the first two outings. Filmmaker and founder/programmer Eric Mahoney tells CityBeat, “It’s a little bit similar to last year. We have a really eclectic mix where we are definitely programming films that just had their world premiere at major festivals like Cannes or SXSW or Tribeca. So, we have narrative and documentary features that are on the festival circuit. We’re trying to always incorporate comedy, music, brand new festival films and as many opportunities to hear from directors afterwards, as possible.”
The festival will start with live comedy from Watts just as it did last year when comedy great Fred Armisen kicked things off.
“The vibe around it was just great,” Mahoney says. “I just kind of love having that start the festival in a really celebratory, fun way and I was thinking, who else does music and comedy and blends them? Well, Reggie Watts, he’s the perfect example.” He continues, “I’ve just thought he’s an exceptional comedic mind, for years.”
Film programming includes a screening of opening night film The Uninvited, which will feature a talk with the film’s director, Nadia Connors, in person and star Walton Goggins over Zoom, and Eno, the new documentary discussing influential musician and producer Brian Eno, which will feature a talk with director Gary Hustwit, moderated by filmmaker Steven Bognar, afterward. This year also marks the festival’s first world premiere, Legion 44, which, in addition to a talk with director Leila Conners, will feature live music from one of the musicians responsible for the score, Joe Minde-Berman. “Ironically, some of the music from the film was done by a musician that’s born and raised in Yellow Springs,” Mahoney says. “So, he’ll be back doing some walk-in music as people are coming in for the film.”
The festival will close out with a talk and live Q&A with Jarmusch for the 25th anniversary showing of his film Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. Mahoney tells CityBeat about his connection to Jarmusch, “I met Jim, almost 20 years ago. When I moved to New York I interned for Jim. So, I’ve always been a big fan of his. I’ve known him a little bit over the last nearly 20 years and yeah, he’s been really supportive of the festival, which is really flattering for me. Jim is just a wealth of really amazing anecdotes, always, from all the different people and collaborations he’s had over the years. So, wherever the conversation takes us, I’m sure it’ll be interesting and funny and a lot of fun to listen to.”
Also, much like last year when Raekwon visited for a film he produced, one of the film’s stars, hip-hop icon and Wu-Tang Clan member RZA will join in on the talk over Zoom.
In addition to a weekend of films and comedy from Watts, actor, comedian and writer Dave Hill will also appear. Hill does comedy that centers on music and will have a backing band put together by Dayton musician Nick Kizirnis. “Nick Kizirnis is a really well-known Dayton musician,” Mahoney says. “He also produces records for people. I think he produced a Lung record for that band in Cincinnati. He’s an exceptional musician. He used to play in a band called The Mulchmen in Dayton a long time ago but he’s still very, very active.”
Kizirnis will also perform at the Pulp Fiction 30th anniversary celebration.
“We wanted to make like a big party with Pulp Fiction,” Mahoney says. “So, walk-in music, we’re having a costume contest to dress as your favorite character, we have lots of door prizes, lots of trivia going on before the film starts, just trying to make it a fun throwback kind of atmosphere for that.”
True to the mission statement of the festival of growth in scope and size, this year features some new additions. There will be a new short film program to start off Saturday. There will also be a free educational seminar for young filmmakers that’s open to the public. The festival will honor Reichert’s memory again this year in a new way with an award for an upcoming female documentary filmmaker.
“We had tons of submissions from all over the country and we’re really proud that we’re able to give an emerging female documentary filmmaker a little assistance, giving a cash prize for their next film,” Mahoney says. “So, that will be a really great event.” Bognar, Reichert’s husband, will screen a new piece on her, as well, for the ceremony.
As a filmmaker who lives locally, it only made sense to ask Mahoney his thoughts on the bid for Cincinnati to host the Sundance Film Festival.
“I came down for that when they were in town and attended one of the events with the Sundance folks and the Cincinnati Film Commission and saw a panel. I think that would be an amazing opportunity for Southwest Ohio to be able to host something that significant. I think Cincinnati is ideal for it, honestly, all prejudice aside. I think it is a really perfect scenario for Sundance because it has infrastructure, and it has an incredible amount of enthusiasm from the community to kind of host something like that. Yeah, it has the walkability and the hotels, an airport. You know, Park City’s tough to get around. When that festival launched, I don’t think the intention was for it be, kind of, the biggest film festival in the United States. So, to put it in a little larger environment with more infrastructure and community that would rally around that and support it, I think, would be really fantastic. And then, obviously, to have close proximity to that, running a festival too would be really helpful and awesome. My fingers are crossed. I’m rooting for Cincinnati in that race, big time. I hope it plays out that way.”
Either way, we have a fresh take on the film festival with the Yellow Springs Film Festival that’s really just beginning. “I feel there’s a tremendous amount of momentum around what we started here a year ago — it feels like people are really, really excited about it,” Mahoney says. “Hopefully we can just continue to kind of scale this and make it a mainstay people can rely on.”
The Yellow Springs Film Festival takes place Oct. 4-6. For more information about the festival, visit ysfilmfest.com.
