Two Iowa cities host film festivals

Budding Spielburgs get their shots at fame in two Iowa cities hosting film festivals this weekend. About 20 movies are showing at the Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival and another 20 are playing in Des Moines at the Black Mariah International Film Competition and Festival. Lisa Bronson is organizing the festival in Cedar Rapids and says this type of event is a great springboard for local talent to get noticed. Mike Crall is spokesman for the Des Moines Arts Center, which he says is the ideal venue for artists who work in film. Black Mariah takes its name from the world’s first film studio, built by Thomas Edison in New Jersey. The capitol city fest features animation, documentary and experimental films. The works of two Iowa filmmakers will be featured at the Black Mariah Festival — among them, “Pink Socks” by Leighton Pierce of Iowa City. Crall says it’s a five-minute short. Crall says the other Iowan is also from Iowa City — Andri Silva directed “Beelzebub’s Bathtub” which runs 16 minutes.The longest film runs 53 minutes while the shortest runs only three minutes. The fest starts at one p-m. For more information, surf to “www.desmoinesartcenter.org”. The Cedar Rapids fest runs from 10 AM until 10 PM today in Cherry Auditorium at Coe College. For details, surf to www.crifilms.com.