Weekend preview: film flam

Folks in the know got a glimpse of the local film industry at a mini film festival sponsored by the 253 Music and Art party last weekend.

And now they will get a full view. The 2010 Tacoma Film Festival starts tonight at an opening gala. The event will have dinner catered by Jonz Catering followed by a movie at Annie Wright School for just $20, or $11 for just the movie. The movie tonight will be Cold Weather, a film featuring Cris Lankenau that was shot in Tacoma’s Hilltop during the winter storm of 2007.

Films run through the weekend at venues around Tacoma. Friday, for example, brings Calvin Marshall at the Blue Mouse at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Saturday will bring Family Shorts
to the Grand Cinema at noon.

Local shorts will be showcases at the Washington State History Museum at 4:15 p.m. Sunday.

Also this weekend is the Tacoma Concert Band’s presentation of the world premiere of “Fantasia for Harp and Band,” with harp soloist Elizabeth Blakeslee of the National Symphony Orchestra. The concert will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Pantages Theater.

The show expands on the “Fantasia” theme, including such works as Fantasy Variations on a theme by Paganini (the same theme as used in Brahms’ famous work for piano), Bach’s Fantasia in G Major, a Greensleeves fantasia, and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” A Nocturne for Harp, a medley of Broadway tunes, and a march or two will round off this evening of music for the family. And it’s not a bad deal for just $15, with discounts for students, seniors and military personnel.

Tacoma’s melting pot heritage clearly has jumped from ethnicity to vocations, since locally made films and music are including other art media elements to barrage the senses.