Denton film fest to show environmental documentaries

by Katherine Grivna of North Texas Daily

Documentary fans can get a full day of fun Saturday at a mini film festival in Denton.

The mini-fest will feature four documentaries by Pare Lorentz, the first filmmaker to receive money from the government to make a documentary about an environmental issue, such as the Dust Bowl, festival director Joseph Butler said.

The event will be held at the Fine Arts Theater.

The Thin Line Film Festival, an international documentary film festival in Denton, and the International Documentary Association will present the event.

The Lorentz documentaries give the audience a wider perspective through the lens of a man dealing with similar content in the 1930s as we are now, Butler said.

The other four documentaries are more recent and also address environmental issues.

Because news segments only show tidbits of information, a documentary creates a good avenue to disburse information because it gives a bigger picture and more rounded view, he said.

“It’s important for people to become aware of these things,” he said.

The event costs $2 or a donation of three nonperishable canned foods per session. There are four sessions, with two documentaries in each.

To see all eight documentaries, the cost is $8 or a donation of 12 canned foods.

Foods will be donated to the Our Daily Bread Community Soup Kitchen.

Admission money will be used to cover the cost of renting the location, Butler said.

The Thin Line Film Fest is a program of the Texas Filmmakers organization. It is the only documentary film festival in Texas, held Feb. 17 to Feb. 21.

“The whole thing is an experience,” Butler said.

Kim Stanton, a board member of the Texas Filmmakers and UNT digital media librarian, said the documentaries bring up relevant social issues and will hopefully start a conversation between community members.

Lorentz’s films are an interesting tie-in with what is going on in the country today, she said.

The Saturday event will also invite people to get together instead of just sitting in their living room, she said.

Sofia Mejia, a radio, television and film senior, is a documentary fan and saw flyers for the event. While Mejia isn’t familiar with Lorentz, film festivals are important to Denton, she said.

“The film and music community is a big deal here in Denton. It is kind of what gives it its personality,” she said. “It wouldn’t be the same without it.”

The first documentary will begin at 10 a.m. Attendees are not required to stay all day. For more information, visit www.thinlinefilmfest.com.