​There is a ton of young talent at the festival this year, and Paige McCay and Bri Palmer are no exception. McCay is the director and Palmer is the writer of “Stay”, a student narrative. Both women are students at UNA. The film is set in Florence, and is about a young woman who wants to leave her hometown. She struggles to explain this desire to her boyfriend, who has no desire to leave.
“Stay” made me consider my own relationship with the town I grew up in. I did not want to ‘stay’ in my hometown, and I do not care to go back. So I found the film incredibly relatable, and I think everyone can relate to the love/hate relationship the main character has with her town.
I saw the film screen at the Mane Room on Friday, and after the screening the audience had time to ask McCay and Palmer questions. During the Q&A, they said they were both from small towns, coming to Florence was there escape from them.
Whether you love or hate your hometown, “Stay” is a wonderful escape from it.

​-Kaitlyn Davis  

Last night after the Kick-Off Party we screened “No. 2: Story of the Pencil” by director William Allen. It was a delightful account of the history of the No. 2 pencil, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The film questions the future of the pencil, and it made me think about all the ways in which I use this old writing utensil. I bubbled in my answers to the ACT with a pencil, my score got me into UNA. In a sense, the pencil got me into college. I used to play classical piano, when I was learning a new piece I would scribble all over it in pencil. The pencil helped me translate the great works of Beethoven and Bach. When I need to write something down in a hurry, if I have the choice between a pen or a pencil, I choose the latter. It is trusty and reliable; I don’t have to risk it running out of ink.    
I spoke with the filmmaker before the screening at the Kick-Off Party. He told me, through this film, he discovered a whole underground community of pencil lovers. The film featured several of these pencil fans including the owner, Caroline Weaver, of the world’s only pencil store, C.W. Pencil Enterprise. After the screening, I went home and looked her store up online. I was pretty jazzed on “No. 2: Story of the Pencil” (and okay, maybe a little sleep deprived) I bought 20 bucks worth of pencils on her online store.

​If a film can make a college kid part with 20 dollars, it must have a powerful story to tell.

As we’ve said before, filmmakers from all over the world will be attending the festival and Marnix Ruben is one such guest. Ruben is a filmmaker from the Netherlands. His film “Across” follows the story of Freek de Jonge, a young poet struggling with convention and morals while being seduced into adulthood. “Across” will be screened Saturday, March 5th at 1pm in UNA Communications Building 124.  We are excited Ruben will be visiting and sharing his compelling film with us. Spend this Saturday afternoon experiencing a film from the other side of the world! In the meantime, Marnix stop during his travels to Florence to share a few things about work with us.
 
Are you excited to be traveling to the States to show “Across” at the George Lindsey Film Festival? If so, why?
I have just arrived at my gate at Amsterdam airport; it's 6.30 am over here so it was an early call. I'm very excited, first of all I've never left Europe before. Second I've never traveled like this all alone before. But most of all, I'm very excited my film will be shown at the other side of the world! 'Across' the ocean. It's great to see it doesn't only connect locally!
What was your inspiration for "Across"? 
It's based on a short story written by (probably) Holland’s greatest and most influential comedian. When I read the original story it was fantastic to find out this great man had enjoyed my birthplace this much when he was young. He went to all the same places I did and acted and thought the same way, only it was at least 4 decades before me. It was as if my own youth was transported to the early sixties. 
Why did you choose your birthplace, Terneuzen, the Netherlands, as the setting for “Across”?
I think that when you tell the most personal story possible it won't get any more universal! 
How has film impacted your life?
A very great deal! I'm going across the world! People really react extremely good to it and yesterday in Amsterdam I've met with a great producer who wants to produce my first feature!
It raised me to be the person I am. I've learned so much about life through movies! Film has the power to enhance human insight, to understand why the most horrible acts happen. If everyone would understand each other’s actions there would be no more hate.
 How would you like your films to impact others?
As if they have experienced something like they were there and want to go back to re-experience it because they had such a great time. It may be something that reminds them of their own experiences or may inspire them to live their own life! My ambitions reach further than that, but for this film that's about it. :)

     Filmmakers and film lovers from across the world are coming together on Thursday March 3rd to celebrate the art of film and (very importantly) eat good food - Odette’s food! We’re starting the festival off right with a Kick-Off Party at 116 Mobile in downtown Florence at 6:00. Odette is catering the event so come out, watch great films, and eat great food.
     Film is not just for the artsy critics. Film crosses all barriers and acts as a universal language. It brings people from all over the globe together, even uniting them in Florence, AL. We think George Lindsey would be proud to see people from all walks of life, globally and locally, uniting for a good time in the name of film.
     We will be screening “Undeniably Donnie” by director Mark Slagle at 7pm at the Kick-Off Party. The film follows the story of Donnie Fritts, a local music legend and keyboardist for Kris Kristofferson. The film incudes narration by Kristofferson.
   So stop by and treat your tummy to delicious food and your eyes to a wonderful film about a local music artist at our Kick-Off Part