Movie buffs may find the next big thing at Naperville film fest

Hundreds of miles away from Hollywood, Naperville has made a name for itself in the indie film world.

For a decade, the Naperville Independent Film Festival has given movie lovers a chance to revel in creative cinema while granting independent professional and student filmmakers a chance to shine and catch the eye of distributors, said Al Eisley, awards jury coordinator.

The festival celebrates its 10th anniversary with eight days of screenings and events beginning today and concluding with awards Sept. 30.

"It is an avenue for brand-new filmmakers to get a reaction to how they're doing," Eisley said. "Most of the filmmakers are either very inexperienced or students of film. A lot of the others are further along."

This year's crop of 38 films, chosen from more than 100 submissions, includes feature-length movies along with documentary, narrative and animated shorts. Moviegoers will see a combination of shorts and features at most seatings.

The closing awards gala begins with a 6 p.m. cocktail hour followed by a 7 p.m. awards presentation.

A panel of eight judges evaluates the submissions, taking into consideration the quality of overall production, direction, storyline and acting, Eisley said. The long list of titles is whittled down over a period of more than six months, he said. Audience votes help determine the award winners.

Writers, directors and actors will attend screenings and discuss their film projects with audience members, Eisley said.

The festival opens with two sets of shorts and two features. The 8:15 p.m. feature, "The Last Compartment," is the story of survivors of a train wreck in the Alps, a film nominated for best feature. Actress Anna Fischer is also nominated for top honors. The screening will be preceded by the 30-minute short "Forest of Echoes," a best student film nominee.

The week's offerings include a romantic fantasy short, a documentary about prisoners in China, a feature about an accidental fugitive and an animated short.

A full schedule is available on the festival's website, naperfilmfest.org.

Winners of the European Independent Film Festival also will be shown throughout the festival, hosted for the second year at Hollywood Palms Cinema, 352 S. Route 59, Naperville.