Welcome back, celluloid daze

Thursday, June 05, 2008

By Ben Cannon

Thursday kicks off the return of what to some is one of the most memorable and coveted events of the year - the Jackson Hole Film Festival.
Now in its fifth year, the film fest - the premier program of the Jackson Hole Film Institute - is a happening that has grown annually in terms of attendees, the breadth of films and, not least of all, prestige.

For all of Jackson Hole’s quality of life indicators - community involvement, a strong library, variety of restaurants, Pathways, proximity to some of North America’s great natural reserves, to name a few - this valley remains a rather low-key place. We don’t harp on celebrity as much as, say, Aspen or even Vail does. And that is part of the charm: glorious surroundings and more than a modicum of modesty.

But this weekend, even amid eclectic throngs of summer visitors, the valley will feel a bit different than it does the rest of the year. Unfamiliar faces - and not necessarily of the ‘up from Dallas’ variety - will saunter up and down Pearl Street and wander back and forth across the Town Square. But what might identify them from the packs of visitors is often a purposeful look of direction and intent to get somewhere - not to mention a laminated film pass hung around their necks.

The Jackson Hole Film Fest is an extraordinary opportunity for both residents and visitors alike to commune with one another, with nature and, of course, the magic of cinematic storytelling.

This year’s film fest will see the attendance of some very heavy hitters of myriad venues of the world’s stage.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, originally of South Korea, and some of his top cabinet members, will be on hand to deliver a keynote address Friday at the Center for the Arts. Throughout the weekend, top U.N. officials will meet with film industry leaders to talk about ways to bring some of the world’s real human dramas - war, hunger, climate change and other, unimaginable brutalities - to the big screen.
And film is among the most powerful and effective of media, one that can cross international and cultural boundaries in a way few other creative forms can.

Radhika Coomaraswamy, a U.N. special representative for children and armed conflict, told me the secretary-general was highly affected by the 2006 Academy Award nominated film Blood Diamond, about African civil war and the violent battles fought over control of diamonds. The film touched the secretary-general, made it more real, and attainable, than it had been before.

And while the film fest has a real humanitarian vein to it, there will also be plenty of fun to be had. If you have an opportunity to attend one of the big, evening parties - Thursday at Spring Creek Ranch and Saturday at Q Roadhouse - by all means, go. They are among the best soirees of the year.

And whether you are a seasoned local or a visitor here for the first time, don’t be afraid to extend a hand and say ‘Welcome to Jackson,’ or ‘Hey, can you tell me about this?’ You’ll be rewarded if you do.
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Welcome back, celluloid daze | Planet JH News Article: General News

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