Seattle filmmakers Geoff Klein and Mo Fine presented the Tumbleweed Film Festival’s ‘Best of Fest’ over two nights at the Rockwall Winery in Omak on Friday, March 25 and Saturday, March 26. The festival was well attended and most people seemed to en
OMAK – Omak was the scene of the Tumbleweed Film Festival’s”Best of Fest” featuring two nights of short films from around the world thatwere drawn from the annual film festival held in Oroville the previous August.
The Best of Fest took place at Rockwall Cellars, a popularwinery located just outside of Omak, with winery owners Doug and Sandy Sheetsacting as the evening’s hosts. Seattle Filmmakers Geoff Klein and Mo Fine, withthe help of their friends here and on the west side, began the Tumbleweed FilmFestival in Oroville last year as a way to feature local wine and beer withshort films from around the world. The festival, with a full slate of newfilms, will return to Oroville for three nights this year, Aug. 4, 5 and 6 andwill take place at three venues, Veranda Beach Resort on Thursday, EstherBricques Winery on Friday and Alpine Brewery on Saturday. Tickets are availableonline at http://www.tumbleweedfilmfest.com/ and at the door.
The Friday night line-up featured films from the U.S.,France, Holland and Korea. The evening started with a stunningly visual look atwater in Follow the Flow by Bill Phillips of the Seattle area. Ananimated Short from France, Mei Ling, was next. Baxter’s Big Dayfrom Klein and Fine was a comic look at what happens when your car breaks downand your dog goes in to make the big presentation at work for you. Dishonesty,was a funny, yet serious, look at the relationship of a couple that can’t seemto tell each other the truth. True Beauty this Night, also from theU.S., was one of the more popular shorts of the evening. Estes Avenuefrom England generated a few laughs. For a Few Marbles More from Hollandwas a comic look at what happens when three kids, led by the neighborhood toughkid, take on two adult bullies to take their park back. And finally, TheWonder Hospital was a quirky, beautifully animated feature from Korea thatleft more than a few movie-goers looking for the deeper meaning in the film.
Saturday’s line-up had films from the U.S., Canada,Ireland, Germany and England and started with another Bill Phillips visuallypleasing look at our world in The Dream, Adelaide, a darkly comicshort featured Adelaide, a hypochondriac who finds apparent true love with apharmacist turned EMT. Mugs morphed the mug shots of dozens ofwell-known celebrities who’ve had brushes with the law. When Life Gives youLemons was a Canadian short that was cute featuring rival lemonade standsin suburbia. The Crush from Ireland was also darkly comedic in its lookat a young boy’s over-the-top crush on his teacher. Sacred Symphony wasanother blend of music and beautiful visuals by Bill Phillips. Ladenhueter,was a funny glimpse at a family of sorts that forms around a convenience storeand what to do when the owner suddenly goes on holiday without telling anyone. LastHand Standing, from England, asks: Can you really find true love in acontest to win a car by being the last one to take your hands off it? AnimalControl was a strangely comic look at a hobbyist taxidermist who trades hisstuffed road-kill for short-lived friendship with a foundling and not-so-deadpuppy.
Each night started with a new trailer for In additionto the main event, the annual Tumbleweed Film Festival in Oroville, there aretwo other “Best of Fests” planned. The next Best of Fest will be held atTagaras Winery in the Tri-Cities on April 16 and another one in is slated forOsoyoos in September.
For moreinformation on the festival see www.tumbleweedfilmfest.com/or contact organizers by email at mailto:info@tumbleweedfilmfest.comor telephone (206) 478-9074.
