Where Movie Critics Get A Taste Of Their Own Medicine

Is this Hollywood? No, it's Cedar Rapids, Iowa!

by Herb Kane
February 28, 2002

Remember that scene in James Cameron's "Titanic" where Bodine was talking to Lovette about the old Rose Dawson?: "I traced her back as far as the 20's... she was working as an actress in L.A. An actress. Her name was Rose Dawson. Then she married a guy named Calvert, moved to Cedar Rapids, had two kids. Now Calvert's dead, and from what I've heard Cedar Rapids is dead."

Well, Mr Cameron (and Mr. Bodine) - Cedar Rapids is far from dead and very much alive with independent films!

I was watching our local KCRG-TV news program on February 21st and saw an interesting story. A film festival was taking place in my own home town on Feb. 22 & 23! Moments later, I surfed to their official web site (http://www.crifilms.com) to gather as much information as possible. I finally contacted the promoters and learned this was their second event. How did I, the Critic Doctor, not hear about this festival? According to promoters, the first event was pretty low key and this year they didn't start planning until last December. Well, now I know about it and what a wonderful surprise it turned out to be!

Left to right: Eric Dean Freese (Marketing Director),
Ron Niermeyer (CoFounder/Sales Director), Scott Chrisman,
(Co-Founder/Public Relations) and Lisa Bronson
(Writers Guild Director) talk in between movies.

Co-Founders Ron Niermeyer (Sales Director) and Scott Chrisman (Public Relations Director) started "CRI Films" to help producers bring their work to the general public and provide a way for them to sell their movies - an effort to help recover production costs. These two cousins, amateur filmmakers themselves, then launched the first "Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival" to realize their goals. Lisa Bronson (Writers Guild Director) joined them for the 2001 festival, and Eric Dean Freese (Marketing Director) joined the group later that year.

This large behind-screen projection system was provided by
Sound Concepts to showcase a variety of independent films.
MCS (Marketing and Communications Strategies) provided
printed materials used to promote the Festival.

The festival site was in McAuley Hall at Mount Mercy college in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A large behind-screen projection system was set up by Sound Concepts to showcase the movies - which ranged from your basic home camcorder flick to a full blown professional production. No matter how good or how bad a film, people enjoyed the opportunity to watch both amateur and professional movies. It was interesting to see how the average person could utilize a simple camcorder and make a movie (something I've always wanted to do for fun).

Festival attendees wait patiently for theater
doors to open on the first day of the fest.

I entered McAuley Hall eager to watch movies. After obtaining my weekend pass, I browsed the small vendor area and picked up some freebies from the IOWA FILM OFFICE including a nice stitched baseball cap, a coffee cup and the "2002 Iowa Production Guide," an information publication listing companies and services useful for filmmakers in shooting a production in Iowa. There's nothing like free stuff. The festival staff was very enthusiastic and willing to help me in any way possible. These folks have a true heart for film and I think this event will continue well into the future. Now, on to the films presented.