The Ranger Online

Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: Premiere

Instead of watching repetitive, overdone blockbusters, think outside the box and let independent filmmakers blow your mind with insightful movies and gory details at the San Antonio Local Film Festival.

The festival, sponsored by the San Antonio Film Institute, will showcase several short films by local filmmakers at 7 p.m. today at Aztec on the River, 104 N. St. Mary's St.

"I believe the audience will be very surprised by the excellence in film production happening around the City of San Antonio," Dar Miller, managing director of the festival, said.

The Grand Jury Prize was awarded to "Crush," directed by A. J. Garces, a beautiful production that explores a young woman's encounter with her soul mate.

"Nunca Sabes," directed by Bryan Anthony Ramirez, is a tale of a hard-working businessman who plans to buy a ranch, but in a twist of fate, he is kidnapped and blamed for a crime he did not commit, all because his capturer thinks he is a migrant worker.

In "Mars Needs Bibles," directed by Pete Barnstorm, a media lecturer at Northwest Vista College, a sexually confused astronaut expects the thrill of an exotic mission when he is sent to spread the Good Word to the Red Planet, but instead, he finds an acceptance that will result in disaster.

"I wanted to make a parody of the old science fiction movies like 'Mars Needs Women,'" Barnstorm said.

Barnstorm has worked for several national TV stations covering sports, and for the last eight years has finally been able to focus on what he really wants to do.

"I've been doing TV since college. You take jobs where you can find them, but now I get to do something crazy, something I really want to do," Barnstorm said.

"Mars Needs Bibles," has traveled quite a lot, from Philadelphia to Seattle and points between, and will be in Costa Rica in November. It has won awards, and Barnstorm has been honored with this year's Chez Bernard Endowment for Media Arts.

Other films to be screened at the festival include "The Second Coming," "Roses and Graves," "Goodbye Digital," "Heinz It's Worth It," "Reflections," "EVOL" and "Doctor 'S' Battles the Sex-Crazed Reefer Zombies."

Before the screening of each film, the directors will address the audience.

The mission of the San Antonio Film Institute, a nonprofit organization established this year, is to assist in the development of local filmmakers and raise worldwide awareness of San Antonio as a filmmaking destination.

Doors open at 6:15 p.m. and tickets are $10. For more information on movie times,
call 227-3930.

Here is an example of the creativity you will find at the festival.

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