Go to the movies, and be a part of Walla Walla History!
2 days. 13 hours of programming. 11 World Premieres. 88 short movies… all new to you. Dozens of award-winners, including an Oscar® nominee. The 1st annual Walla Walla Movie Crush, America’s most intoxicating blend of short cinema, coming to the Gesa Power House Theatre on Saturday and Sunday, July 1 and 2.
See and hear Stephen King (THE SHINING), Tituss Burgess (THE UNBREAKBALE KIMMY SCHMIDT), Jennifer Lawrence (THE HUNGER GAMES), John Turturro (DO THE RIGHT THING), Lena Dunham (GIRLS), Mary Elizabeth Ellis (IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA), Stephen Dorff (BLADE), Casey Wilson (SNL), Sam Elliott (WE WERE SOLDIERS) and Bobby Cannavale (BOARDWALK EMPIRE).
Renowned short film expert Warren Etheredge has watched hundreds of short films and selected the very best for you to view, packaged in hour-long programs with time for conversations about the content with visiting filmmakers. The films range in length from one to 30 minutes, with most less than 10. Highlights include programs dedicated to veterans’ issues, sports, music, mothers, social mores, political discourse and, of course, romance… when it goes oh-so-right and oh-so-wrong.
If your tastes run a little wilder, check out Walla Walla After Dark: The Crushening, a special program of the weird, the wild, the bawdy and the bizarre on Saturday, July 1st at 10pm at El Corazon (37 S Palouse St).
On Sunday night, join us for 10 brand-new short films created specifically for the Walla Walla Movie Crush by these critically-acclaimed directors and filmmaking teams: The Adams Family (HALFWAY TO ZEN), Genevieve Anderson (TOO LOUD A SOLITUDE), Wendy Jo Carlton (EASY ABBY), Rick Castaneda (CEMENT SUITCASE), Mtume Gant (WHITE FACE), Jadoliv Studios, Josh Lunden (MODERN DARK), Joshua Seftel (WAR, INC.), Jacob Strunk (VALHALLA), and Caveh Zahedi (THE SHEIK AND I). When these films hit the screen, it will be the first time anyone has seen them, including the festival staff. The Walla Walla Movie Crush Challenge will be followed immediately by the festival’s Closing Night Awards Ceremony.
For the full schedule and line-up visit: www.wallawallamoviecrush.com
Tickets will be available online through June 30, and at the door based on availability.
The Walla Walla Movie Crush receives support from The City of Walla Walla, the Walla Walla Public Library, Gesa Power House Theatre, and Washington FilmWorks. All proceeds from the Walla Walla Movie Crush go to support The Red Badge Project.
Festival Highlights:
Saturday, Noon — IMPROPERLY VETTED: Unfortunately, just because one serves their country doesn’t mean their country serves them. Soldiers may lose their lives on battlefields, but those who survive may face even greater losses on the home-front. These shorts examine the impact of war on those who fight them and how civilians may better serve those who defend their ways of life.
Saturday, 4pm — JOCK & JILL: You needn’t go pro to love sports — heck, that’s the root meaning of amateur. Those who play for the love of the game always prove themselves champs on the rink, on the courts, in the church, in the crowd, in the pinball arcade and even in Bryant Park. They shoot, they score. You watch, you win!
Saturday, 7pm — BLACK LIVES, MATTERS: The black experience is not monolithic; instead it is as varied as the color spectrum. In order to appreciate the sanctity of individuals, we must first embrace the wondrous diversity and emotional commonality of the human race. A rodeo star, a music icon, an aspiring astronomer, a grieving mom, a grave-digger, a hopeful boat owner and a renowned falconer represent just a small sliver of the possibilities.
Sunday, 2pm — STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND: Home is where the heart is, but what about when we have to relocate? Then what? These refugees seek shelter and a new start in unusual environments and with uncommon dignity.
Sunday, 4pm — HIGHLY ATTUNED: Summer’s here and the time is right to thank those who make the music that has us dancing in the streets, grooving in the sheets and marching to very different beats. Bowie, Cobain and the Allmans appear on this short soundtrack as do a few folks — real, surreal and animated — who you’ve never heard before, but will be humming for years to come.
