With 130 films, this year's Park City Film Music Festival, which opens Monday and runs through May 23, promises to be the biggest yet in its seven-year history.
"There are some real gems here," founder and director Leslie Harlow told the Deseret News. "These films will give you real insight into filmmaking."
With so many movies it will be nonstop entertainment, Harlow said. "We've packed all of these movies into seven days. We start on Monday at 9 a.m. and finish the following Sunday at 10 p.m." More specifically, screenings run from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. "And people can come and go as they please."
Films will be shown either at the Egyptian Theatre or the Santy Auditorium at the Library and Education Center in Park City.
Among the offerings are quite a few foreign films from Korea, Africa, Israel, Lebanon, Australia, Germany and England.
There are also some local entries. "We have a good number from Utah filmmakers and composers, including a film on architect I.M. Pei from a group in Heber," Harlow said. "And there are others by filmmakers from St. George to Ogden."
The emphasis of the festival, as its name implies, is on the films' musical scores. "We're the only festival in the United States that's entirely about film music, Harlow said. "Music plays a major role in films. It's important to show films with a focus on the music. We're promoting music and in a sense we're a music festival."
There are five categories of films at the festival: feature films, documentaries, short films, music documentaries and performance/experimental films.
Because the festival is also a competition, there will be awards handed out for the best entry in each of the following categories: the best impact of music in feature films; the best impact of music in documentaries; the best impact of music in short films; performance/experimental/art films; and documentaries on music subjects.
The awards ceremony takes place on May 22.
Harlow is thrilled with the quality of films in each category. "We have some wonderful entries this year," she said. "There are some amazing films. Some are very touching, and some have bizarre music. There is something for just about every taste and interest."
After months spent in screening entries for the festival, Harlow (who, needless to say, is an avid movie buff) has a number of favorites that she believes will make an impact on audiences. "Some of them have been shown at other festivals, including Sundance," she said.
Among music documentaries, Harlow likes "Mwamba Ngoma" from Africa and "Sounds Like a Revolution" from the United States, both of which deal with music activism.
Others in that category that are worth seeing are "For the Sake of the Song: The Story of Anderson Fair," featuring Lyle Lovett interviews and performances; and "Deconstructing Dad," an exploration of the life of composer, bandleader and electronic music pioneer Randall Scott, who is probably best known for his music for scores of cartoons.
The feature film category is very rich this year, Harlow said. Among her favorites are "Against the Current" with Joseph Fiennes; "Delirious" with Steve Buscemi; and the German film "Pope Joan," which will be shown in English.
For synopses and screening times and venues, log on to the festival Web site at parkcityfilmmusicfestival.com.
This is the first year the festival takes place in May. In the past, it always ran around the same time as the Sundance Film Festival in January. "When we started, most of the people who had films at our festival wanted it around Sundance, so they could take advantage of that while they were in Utah," Harlow said. "But Sundance didn't want it at that time."
Having the film music festival during its own time frame is to its advantage. "Parking is a lot easier and Park City isn't as crowded. It also makes the festival more of a Park City event. And May is a great time to be up here."
The festival is in need of volunteers. Anyone interested should contact Leslie Harlow by e-mail at lharlow@pcfmf.com.
If you go...
What: Park City Film Music Festival
Where: Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main, Park City; Santy Auditorium, Library and Education Center of Park City, 1255 Park Ave.
When: May 17-23, times vary
How much: $10 regular admission (per film or shorts group), $5 for Summit County residents; $30 day pass; $200 all-week, all-access pass; at the door
Phone: 435-649-5309
Web: parkcityfilmmusicfestival.com (for detailed listings, synopses, venue and ticket information)
e-mail: ereichel@desnews.com