Patrinell: The Total Experience screened at four film festivals during the past week, and somehow the Patrinell Team managed to attend all of them!
On October 11th, the Social Justice Film Festival screened our film in Seattle’s Central District at the Northwest African American Museum before an enthusiastic audience. The focus of COURAGE: the 8th Social Justice Film Festival was on showcasing “fresh voices and brave storytelling that demonstrates courage in action.” Raising some of the most important issues to the screen, the festival brings together cinema and conversation for the common good. Director of Photography Katya Palladina and co-director Andrew Elizaga attended along with the film’s “storytellers”, Patrinell Wright, Gregory Staten, Robert Stephens Jr., and Jai Howard. Patrinell Wright sang “What the World Needs Now” prior to the Q&A. We were thrilled and honored to take home the Director’s Choice Award!
The same evening, producer/co-director Tia Young was at the Parkway Theater in Baltimore screening the film for the Baltimore International Black Film Festival. It is very encouraging to see audiences across the country respond positively to the film despite its focus on Seattle history!
The next day on October 12th, Katya and Andrew attended the 5th Tulsa American Film Festival. The festival is based in the Circle Cinema, Tulsa’s only nonprofit and historic art house theater which originally opened in 1928 right off of Route 66. Founder and executive director Ben Arredondo says that TAFF features “American stories”, independent works with special attention to Latino American, Native American, Oklahoma-based and student filmmakers. A few local filmmakers were in the audience and approached us during the after party to tell us how impressed they were with the film!
By far the biggest crowd Patrinell played to last week was at the United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) in Palo Alto on October 17th. Patrinell screened on opening night, following a speech from the mayor of Palo Alto Eric Filseth and a screening of dissident artist-in-exile Ai Wei Wei’s new documentary, Yours Truly. The theater was completely packed and they had to bring in extra rows of chairs! Tia Young, Patrinell Wright, Gregory Staten, and Robert Stephens Jr. were in attendance.
Taking Patrinell to film festivals has been an exhilarating whirlwind experience!
NEXT STOP: St Louis International Film Festival!
Patrinell: The Total Experience 