THE RETRIEVER WEEKLY FEATURES May 1, 2001 PAGE 17 Festival Maximus: A Look at Maryland FilmFest 'Ql RYAN BLOOM detailing the true-life tragic and inspiring Retriever Weekly Siaf!Writer story of mythical runner Steve Prefontaine. By bringing in top filmmak­ Most college students living in the· ing talent, the festival organizers hope to Maryland area now hear the words festival spark interest in our fair state to become a and May and automatically think of the more often used production locale. local annual rock bash known only as the This year's festival will showcase sev­ HFStival. Outside the film community it eral people from our very own UMBC would seem that not very many people family. In the feature length category, ex­ have yet discovered the "other" area May UMBC professor Kon Pet Moon will show festival. Even though some 8,000 people his decade in the works piece Two attended the first year's festivities, many Unknown Photographers. The film mixes seemed to be drawn only from the "in" documentary and experimental styles crowd. Regardless of who you are and while it attempts to chronicle the mystery what you think you know about ftlm, read of two sets of rather interesting photo­ on to learn every excruciating detail of graphs that lay unretrieved in a closing San Jeremy Wustner-Brown I Retriever Weekly Staff exactly what you've likely been missing. Francisco photo shop. UMBC fllm pro­ Cuanto Cuesta? The Latin-American Fair, held on the UC Plaza last For the past three years, Maryland - fessor Hollie Lavenstein will have her Wednesday, featured food and cultural items. more specifically Baltimore - has held its short film Cleave shown on May 6 as part own special exhibition of a wide variety of of the "Short Shorts" program. Also new and old films all under the appropri­ showing in the same program is UMBC ately titled Maryland Film Festival student Kristen Anchor's effectively upse~­ Get "Burly" With It moniker. In its short life span, the festival ting portrait, In My Room. has already seen the likes of hometown The festival will be held fro Top Rated Network Adds New Programming hero Barry Levinson speaking on his Thursday, May 3 to Sunday, May 6. Many Baltimore based movie Diner Guys, peren­ of the shows will take place at various the­ DANIELLE BEST Burly Bear lets comedians out on the loose nial speaker John Waters, screenwriter ater type establishments on North Charles Retriever Weekly Contributing Writer to mess with unsuspecting students and Neil Gaiman, actor Giancarlo Esposito, Street, but several will also be screened at locals. For all the extreme sports fans out and the writers of the Blair Witch Project,. the Senator Theatre,. the National Burly Bear Netw<n:l4 notorious for its there,. Overkill is sure to satisfy that crav­ Eduardo Sanchez and Dan Myrick. That's Aquarium, Heritage Cinemahouse and off-the-wall, eccentric programming, has ing for adventure. Kate Milliken, host of quite a list of celebrity talent for our little Bengie's Drive-In. Opening night tickets just thrown five new shows into the mix. the show, travels to the world's most dan­ town. What's even more interesting is that for Investigation of a Flame and the party The network, which gears its content to the gerous locations to catch some of the most many of those mentioned above not only to follow at Evergreen House will sell for college crowd, reaches more than five mil­ intense extreme sports footage ever, attend our festival, but also hail from our $50. Tickets for all normal screenings will lion students at 570 universities across the including sky surfing, snowboarding, wake fair city of love. cost $10 ($8 for students and seniors) and country, and is expanding every day. boarding and more. Another show that's The festival's self-proclaimed goal is to be available at the Charles Theatre box The network is the proud papa of shows bound to be a hit is Sexology. Hosted by create a unique fllm festival experience office. Midnight shows will be $5. Passes such as Press Junky, an best-selling author and syndicated sex that constantly adds something new to the that allow you to attend any three shows entertainment/news show hosted by columnist Tristan Taormino, the provoca­ mix. Features such as the Guest Host on a given day will be sold for $20. Dannah Feinglass, and Half Baked. The tive program features students talking can­ Program allow for the unusual chance to Closing night tickets for Coach Billick's latter is the number one-rated college tele­ didly about their favorite topics - rela­ hear people in high positions outside of the showing of Unforgiven will be $25 vision show and is quite appropriately tionships, love and sex. film industry talk about what certain films payable at the National Aquarium door. named. It's hosted by Matt Fry- no pun "The network is looking to push the mean to them. This year will see Raven's For those wishing to stake out every aspect intended. Adding musical guests and live standard boundaries of TV, and our main Super Bowl Champion coach Brian Billick of the festival, parties and all, there will be performances to the picture, Half Baked goal is to deliver programming dedicated presenting one of Clint Eastwood's private an all-access pass on sale for $250. gives cooking a new style: slacker style, to the college audience," said Howard prints of his award winning film It's rare that the Maryland/Baltimore with such classics as baked Alaska, where Handler, chief executive officer of Burly Unforgiven. Another aspect of the festival area has something special going on that that golden-brown look was achieved not Bear Network. "Burly TV is a place to find not usually seen at other similar events is we can call our own, but with this festival with a flame torch, as you would expect, the next big things in music, comedy, ani­ the Advocating for Movies program. What we have just that. A wee.}cend where peo­ but with hair spray and a lighter. mation and film before they hit big." this does is give critics from all over the ple can rub shoulders with some of Dave Manheim, host of Shuffle, a show The network also provides program­ nation a chance to voice their opinions Hollywood's current A-list talent and focusing on today's hippest music, says the ming and entertainment on the Internet at about fllms that they believe were of the some of the new generation of directors­ network's goal is to "try and encapsulate Burlybear.com. In addition to program­ highest quality, but have somehow been to-be. A weekend where everyone, no the feeling of youth in general, and to send ming, Burly Bear hosts on-campus events, overlooked by the general public and matter what your film experience is, can out a fun, cool vibe of television not seen such as the Burly Bear Network Comedy media. The first festival gathering saw enjoy the unusually fresh air put out by anywhere else." In keeping with its mis­ Film Festival, along with contests and pro­ Chinatown scribe Robert Towne's then lat­ such a locally engaging event. A weekend, sion, the network added five edgy new motions. "At Burly Bear, all we can hope est writing/directing effort Without Limits. where if all else fails, the city of Baltimore shows to its .spring 20011ine-up, including for is continued growth and a good, posi­ He and local Baltimore Sun critic Ann and all of Maryland for once has a real rea­ Burly Bodies, Forbidden Video, Imposter, tive reception from our audience," said Hornaday discussed his masterful film son to party. Overkill and Sexology. Manheim. "I see Burly Bear as one day Burly Bodies is a sexy aerobics show becoming the most watched youth-based with bad-girl fitness instructors that com­ channel on earth." anna is the features editor. bine exercise and lust with comical on­ Although the original goal of the net­ screen fitness factoids. Forbidden Video is work, established in 1994 by five under­ what happens when America's Funniest grads, was to create programming specifi­ Home Videos meets COPS. This new show cally for college students, its distribution anna is cool. captures accidents, weird behavior, riots since then has grown exponentially and the and disasters on film at college campuses network now has a much broader reach. nationwide. Keeping up with the times, no Burly Bear can be checked out on UMBC's anna needs writers. network would be complete without a real­ channel 9, Monday through Sunday from ity-based show. The new show Imposter is 8-11 a.m. and p.m., 12-3 a.m. and p.m. and an undercover peek at what happens when 4-7 a.m. and p.m. you can be as cool as anna. fill out an application in UC 214. it will make anna cool and happy. .