As Sam has already indicated over the past few weeks, on Thursday, May 11th Wonders in the Dark will be hosting a 16 day Allan Fish Online Film Festival (Allan Fish OFF). Each day will see a new chairman host the festivities and select a film that is available to be watched by anyone, online for free from a popular streaming site (youtube, vimeo, dailymotion, etc.). The host for that day will decide how the film they chose will be presented; an essay, a sparse teaser introduction, or ‘other’ (the creativity seen on the blogosphere for film commentary knows no bounds as we all know). Thus, conceivably the film festival could be nearly real; people anywhere on the globe watching the same film, at roundabout the same time. It’s named in honor of our dear friend and film scholar Allan Fish, whose birthday was May 11th, and will be an annual event from this day forward. He found so many of his treasured Obscuro’s doing just what we’re setting out to do with this Festival, so it seemed the most fitting way to remember him. The countdown will commence with this lineup in place:
May 11 – Jamie Uhler
May 12 – Sachin Gandhi
May 13 – Dean Treadway
May 14 – Roderick Heath
May 15 – Bob Clark
May 16 – Patricia Perry
May 17 – Maurizio Roca
May 18 – Robert Hornak
May 19 – James Horsefall
May 20 – Adam Ferenz
May 21 – John Grant
May 22– Joel Bocko
May 23 – Jon Warner
May 24 – Marilyn Ferdinand
May 25 – Aaron West
May 26 – Brandie Ashe
May 26 – Sam Juliano
Below (and above) you will find supplementary materials for advertising the festival. Please feel free to take all, or just one, and use at your blog or site to promote the festival online. An 11″ x 22″ poster in printable, PDF form is also available to anyone who would like to commemorate the event. Please just leave your email in the comment thread and I will email you it personally.
Wow Jamie, I can’t tell you how utterly fantastic this presentation is. Allan is no doubt looking down humbled and grateful for the respect he has earned for many years as the ultimate of film scholars – a man with incomparable talent and encyclopedic knowledge. I love the way you set up the options for all the contributors to choose from and it will make for a diversely thrilling project.
A message to readers. If there is anyone who was either left off the master list accidentally or anyone else who now would like to join in we certainly can extend a few days.
Fun times again at Wonders in the Dark! Jamie, thank you so much! This is awesome! I am sitting here in a classroom tearing up.
What a spectacular poster too!! Wow!
Well, that’s not the poster poster, just a facsimile for online use. The real thing looks a little different and has more content (like the contributors).
Much looking forward to this fiesta. I’ve just given it a plug on Noirish.
John, as always your enthusiasm and sponsorship in our behalf is above and beyond and I thank you so very much my great friend!
This will be fun – I am in the middle of moving, so decided I better not make any promises about participating, but I am looking forward to it very much…
Stephen, thank you so much! I did figure you were tied up when you were unable to respond, but following along is just as vital to this project. And I know your heart is there as profoundly as anyone. Good luck with the moving. We will be staging a Top 60 television countdown beginning on July 1st, and anticipating the almost definite placement of Ken Burns’ “The Civil War” I am assuming there is nobody else but you for that!
This should be a wonderful event. I’m glad it is to be an ongoing annual affair honoring Allan’s legacy and his great love of cinema.
Thanks as always so very much Duane my excellent friend. Your enthusiasm, passion and support is above, over and beyond, and your film expertise on the highest level. We are indeed planning to make it an annual affair.
Wow! What a wonderful honor to Allan’s legacy and your friendship with Sam, and fellow contributors of this page. I look forward to viewing and taking part in this wondrous addition to Wonders In The Dark!!
I read about your other little experience Sam even though it has been removed from here email post still can be read. You are one of the most loyal and honest people I know… and there are always bumps in the road! Best you and the team here !!
Thanks so much for that Jeff! The AFOFF is a way to keep Allan’s memory alive at the place where he wrote for a good eight years after co-founding the site back in 2008. I’m sure that this two week venture will yield some wonderful discoveries in the Allan Fish tradition. Yes that other dark experience was truly unfortunate, though as you note I removed the post so as not to compromise the positive energy we want running unabated. It was quite the disturbing episode and one wrought out of false assumption. Terribly unfortunate. Again thanks so much my friend!
I am truly excited about this film festival. The idea is unique and a splendid way to “screen” films for a virtual audience. It is a wonderful tribute to Allan and extends his intense curiosity to new and veteran cinephiles alike. I can’t wait to see what films we’ll be exploring.
Marilyn, I am so thrilled at your great enthusiasm and agree the approach here is quite unique for WONDERS IN THE DARK. Like you I am also eager to see what direction it goes, but it is surely the kind of celebration consistent with the manner Allan discovered so many of his rarities, and as you note it is exclusively interactive! Thank you so much my friend!