One of the most interesting festivals in the film world is turning into something of an institution. Now entering its fourth season, the Wayne Federman International Film Festival, which convenes for a week each March at Los Angeles' Cinefamily Theater, the gathering offers patrons a uniquely personal look at the artistic passions of America's greatest comedians.
Launched in 2012 as the passion project of veteran comic actor/comedy writer/entertainment historian Wayne Federman, the festival gives comic giants such as Gary Shandling, Sarah Silverman, Paul F. Tompkins and Kathy Griffin a chance to screen their favorite films and discuss them with a room full of cineastes.
This year's schedule, announced today, lives up to the WFIF's illustrious history. Beginning March 5th, the line-up is as follows (exclamation marks courtesy of source):
Thursday, March 5th, 7:30pm: Klown (presented by Sacha Baron Cohen!)
Friday, March 6th, 7:30pm: Doug Benson Movie Interruption: Breakfast At Tiffany”s
Friday, March 6th, 10:30pm: Ghostbusters (presented by Paul Scheer!)
Saturday, March 7th, 7:00pm: Fletch (presented by Chris Hardwick!)
Saturday, March 7th, 10:15pm: MacGruber (presented by Will Forte!)
Sunday, March 8th, 7:30pm: Big (presented by Lauren Lapkus!)
Sunday, March 8th, 10:30pm: The Descent (presented by Kumail Nanjiani!):
Speaking by phone today about the announcement, Federman recalled his favorite nights of festivals past as those which revealed the passions and inner workings of comedians. He remembered last year's screening of WC Fields' “The Bank Dick” presented by TJ Miller, “I felt I really got to know about TJ Miller's comedic ethos by not only watching the movie but the way he reacted to it. In the most absurd moments in the movie he was cracking up. Something would be established, never followed up and he'd just say, “That wasn't working so he walked away from it.”
Margaret Cho's 2012 screening of the 1965 Swinging UK classic “Darling” also stood out to him as a high point. “Her knowledge and passion about that movie and that time – everyone who was there was blown away by how completely immersed she was by not only the filmmaking style of the time, but by the history and culture of mid-60″s England.”
Tickets are available now at the Cinefamily website.