Film Fest returns to Naperville for third year

The future Steven Spielbergs and Matt Damons of the film industry may very well be honing their craft halfway across the world, but you can meet them over the next eight days in Naperville.

As many as 2,000 filmmakers, actors, producers and genre fans are expected to converge on the city from around the world to attend the third annual Naperville Independent Film Festival, running Saturday, Sept. 18, to Saturday, Sept. 25. Organizers expect to showcase more than 100 entries from 19 states and 10 countries.

"If you give a (hoot) about preserving the great culture of filmmaking, you have to be in Naperville (during the fest)," said co-founder and organizer Edmund Coisson. "For that week we will be host to the who's who and the what's what of the future of the industry."

And this year organizers are expanding their boundaries, having partnered with the 2010 European Independent Film Festival of Paris, which took place in the spring. The Naperville event will show 13 winners from the European event; in return, that festival will showcase the Naperville winners next spring.

During the weeklong festivities, film enthusiasts can attend screenings of features, documentaries, short films, animation and foreign language entries.

In addition, more than 40 cinema professionals will lead panel discussions and seminars for aspiring actors and filmmakers. Among these are screenwriter Dan Decker, author of the book "Anatomy of a Screenplay," as well as acting coach Coral Rose and renowned entertainment attorney Hal "Corky" Kessler.

Venues include the Ogden 6 theater, hosting Saturday's opening ceremony; the Holiday Inn Select, which will screen short films; and Hollywood Palms venue, which will host Sept. 25's closing ceremony featuring film and television legend Patty Duke.

Performer appearances are also scheduled by Larry Thomas, who played the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld, along with James Vallo, John Wesley Norton and Robert Z'Dar.

"It's like throwing a wedding in a different location every day for eight straight days," said Coisson's wife, Glessna Coisson, "There's so much planning involved and running around, but every day turns out beautiful in the end."

And while honoring filmmakers with a trophy ("an Oscar trophy with his arms in the air holding a clapboard") is fun and the basis for the event, Edmond Coisson said he also views the event as an educational and motivational experience, especially for filmmakers whose works may not have been chosen to be screened.

Coisson said he views and critiques every submission and includes his critique when responding to those not chosen.

"I like to think I give them a nice kick - to go forward," he said. "Then they go forward, make more movies, make better movies and get more exposure."

The Coissons are taking the same approach to their festival. They've already begun planning for next year and intend to expand the festival to include a music video category.

"Who said music videos are dead?" Edmond Coisson asked. "They will be alive and well in 2011 in Naperville."

<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p>

<p class="News">The third annual Naperville Independent Film Festival will showcase more than 100 films and offer workshops and discussions from Sept. 18 to 25, with activities at the Holiday Inn Select, 1801 N. Naper Blvd.; Ogden 6 Theatre, 1227 E. Ogden Ave.; and Hollywood Palms Cinema, 352 S. Route 59. Tickets to film screenings are $3; showtimes available online. Info: <a href="http://naperfilmfest.org" target="new">naperfilmfest.org</a>.</p>

<p class="News"><b>Sept. 18:</b> Coral Rose Acting Coach Seminar, 9 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. at Holiday Inn Select; 7:30 p.m. opening film, "Paranormal Calamity," at Ogden 6; 10 p.m. cocktail reception at Holiday Inn Select </p>

<p class="News"><b>Sept. 19:</b> Hal "Corky" Kessler Entertainment Law Seminar, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Holiday Inn Select </p>

<p class="News"><b>Sept. 23:</b> Coral Rose Acting Coach Seminar, 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. at Holiday Inn Select </p>

<p class="News"><b>Sept. 24:</b> Coral Rose Acting Coach Seminar, 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. at Holiday Inn Select </p>

<p class="News"><b>Sept. 25:</b> Coral Rose Acting Coach Seminar, 9 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. at Holiday Inn Select; Dan Decker Screenwriting Seminar, 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Holiday Inn Select; 7:30 p.m., closing awards ceremony at Hollywood Palms; 9:30 p.m. wrap party at Hotel Arista, 2139 CityGate Lane, Naperville</p>