The Fab Four

How to build a film fest

A A A Comments (0) By M.V. Moorhead Thursday, Oct 1 2009

“The opener, the closer, the French film, the Italian film.”

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According to Amy Ettinger, director of the Scottsdale International Film Festival, these movie types are the bread-and-butter in an international fest. Even audience members who loathe subtitles, Ettinger explains, will usually turn out for a French or Italian flick.

Ettinger would love to talk about 2009 selections like Uruguay’s Matar a Todos (Kill Them All) or Turkey’s Three Monkeys (“A very strong neo-noir”) or, indeed, any of the Festival’s nine contenders for the most recent Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. But she’s a realist. So:

The festival opener, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 2: Serious Moonlight, starring Meg Ryan. Ettinger: “Those who like her will continue to like her, and those who’ve been a little dubious will be surprised.”

The closer, at 8:25 p.m. Tuesday, October 6: The Boys Are Back, with Clive Owen. Ettinger: “We like to go out on a light note.”

The French film: Martin Provost’s Seraphine. Ettinger: “This is a best bet. If you’re stymied by the schedule, this is a good place to start.”

The Italian film: Gianni Di Gregorio’s Mid-August Lunch: Ettinger: “It’s a comedy. It’s darling.”

Oct. 2-6, 2009