The fifth annual Louisiana International Film Festival begins Thursday, April 20, at 8 p.m. with the boisterous dramedy following an overweight, white, female hip-hop artist from New Jersey fighting for her break in “PATTI CAKE$.” The festival will offer University students an insight into the movie industry’s most talked-about films for the upcoming movie season and an experience unlike anything else in this region. 
The festival will take place at Cinemark in Perkins Rowe and will screen more than 50 films from around the world in addition to Q&As with directors and actors.
Students interested in the film industry should take advantage of the mentorship programs offered throughout the weekend, free to RSVP for on the festival website. The festival offers programs from casting and acting to a look at the future of Louisiana’s film industry. 
Program Director Ian Birnie said he is enthusiastic about the growing scene around the fledgling film fest, noting that each year they see attendees watch more and more films throughout the weekend. Birnie described this as a true festival experience, saying it is “half about the buzz and experience and half about seeing so many films.”
For the selection process, Birnie said he wanted to include a diverse array of films, which he describes as the most difficult part for a relatively small festival. Being an international film festival, “It’s about not showing bad films or too many local ones.” However, prospective festival-goers should not confusethe two. 
Some standouts of the festival include Louisiana-specific films such as “Tell Them We Are Rising,” directed by Stanley Nelson, which depicts the fight and success of black colleges and universities established after the Civil War.
“When the Rivers Rise,” a local film by Louisiana filmmaker Paul Catalanotto, shows how volunteers from Springfield Fire Department tool immediate action  during and after South Louisiana’s August floods.
Birnie spoke ardently about several documentaries showcased in the festival including “Obit,” a look inside the staff obituary writers of The New York Times, and “The Force,” by Peter Nicks, who joined the Oakland Police Force to observe its relationship with the community at a time when tensions between the two groups reached a historic boiling point.
For international films, Birnie wanted to explore complex yet universal emotions that can connect viewers’ experiences around the world. “Frantz,” by François Ozon, is a black and white French film  on the immediate aftermath of WWI, exploring feelings of loss in an intricate and not altogether pitiful way. 
“Kedi,” directed by Ceyda Torun, follows seven of the hundreds of thousands of cats in Istanbul who reveal not only the nuances of a strange, new world but also a deeper insight into our own. “Everyone is either a dog or a cat person,” Birnie said, figuring half the world would want to see this movie.
A new category of the festival is New Voices/New Visions, including everything from “Unrest,” Jennifer Brea’s expose of the controversial Chronic Fatigue Syndrome she and others live with, to “The Lure,” a highly commentated Polish film about two killer mermaids who become the world’s slimiest nightclub strippers. 
“Glory” is a particularly dark comedy set in Bulgaria, which Birnie describes as “not necessarily your mother’s movie.” Birnie admitted this group of films is a bit more risky, but said he sees them as an opportunity for viewers to connect with unknown experiences.
These new experiences of the Louisiana International Film Festival are an opportunity that should not be missed. Being able to see acclaimed films that may never show again in Louisiana while also encountering a world of cinephiles is delightfully singular.
Tickets for all of the films can be purchased from the Louisiana International Film Festival’s website, along with passes to the mentorship programs, which are free, and festival events. 

Gallery • 2 Photos

Hunter Kirkland

The fifth annual Louisiana International Film Festival will kick off Thursday, April 20.