Inside the 2011 Vail Film Festival (w/ exclusive video)

by Stephen Greenwood on


A few weeks ago, I was invited to attend the 8th annual Vail Film Festival to check out Olympus’s new initiatives in digital filmmaking and photography. As someone that loves independent films, experimenting with digital cameras, and snowboarding; the only way I would have been more anxious to pack my bags and fly to Colorado would’ve been if Lindsey Vonn had personally offered to escort me to the slopes and give me ski lessons upon arrival.

I’d never visited any Colorado ski resorts, so all of my preconceptions of the town were summoned from an exaggerated mix of pop culture references to Aspen (think Dumb & Dumber, Southpark or Family Guy). Just before touching down at Eagle Airport, I imagined that I would have to sift through hoards of stiff yuppies draped in mink furs and Burberry scarves scoffing at me for participating in the barbaric sport of the mono-ski.
But after settling into the newly remodeled Sebastian Hotel and taking a walk through the quaint cobblestone streets, I was relieved to find a proportionate balance of twenty-somethings on spring break from the nearby CSU Boulder, mild-mannered family crowds, and even a few polite young urban proffesionals sipping chardonnay and enjoying the afternoon’s aprés-ski.

Olympus came to Vail as one of the primary sponsors of the film festival and host of the 48-hour “PEN Your Short” competition. This contest gave teams of filmmakers the chance to shoot a 3 to 5 minute long video in just 48 hours with the PEN EP-L 2, a compact digital SLR camera that boasts interchangeable lenses and an array of in-camera ‘art filters’. The participants of the contest ranged from tight teams of young but experienced production buffs to a pair of local radio hosts that desperately began to search for a video editor moments after the countdown kicked off.

In theory, it was a great chance for everyone to showcase their ability; a level playing field of equipment, a list of specific shots & techniques to be incorporated in the videos, and the freedom to showcase any topic or narrative feasible within the given deadline.

Shot with the Olympus PEN and Olympus Tough TG-610

After meeting the 48-hour teams & getting familiar with the PEN, the impressive XZ-1, and Olympus’s Tough TG-610, myself and the handful of other journalists had the chance to participate in the weekend’s festivities and catch the various festival events and screenings. In its 8th year, the Vail Film Festival has yet to reach Telluride or Sundance proportions; but the stars that came to support the event and quality of the films shown lead me to believe it will eventually grow to be associated within the weight class of the bigger festivals over the next 5 years.

The films screened ranged from a charming low budget love story titled Falling Overnight, to a quirky Sideways-esque film about a female scientist that refuses to give up control in every aspect of her life, to a fascinating documentary about legendary skier Bill Johnson.

There were festival parties held across several ballrooms inside the Sebastian, with intimate musical performances by artists like Cary Brothers & Meiko. Representatives of films in the festival rubbed elbows with Vail’s socialites and a few celebrities (that had been lured to the festival by handing them awards) like Kate Bosworth, Michael Imperioli & Oscar Nunez; Lindsey Vonn even made a brief appearance, but I got the impression that my ski lessons would have to wait.

One of the biggest highlights of the weekend was chatting with Kris Krosskove, a Hollywood cinematographer and camera operator that had used the Olympus PEN to shoot several of the racing scenes in Disney’s 2010 horse-racing film Secretariat. Krosskove took advantage of the PEN’s small profile to capture angles that wouldn’t have been possible with full sized cameras, using it to shoot fast-paced action sequences that were then intercut with standard 35-mm film shots. It was both fascinating and reassuring to speak with a professional that was using the same tools that everyday consumers have access to; proof that a typically slow-to-adapt industry is in fact willing to incorporate new, inexpensive technology.

The founders of the Vail Film Festival are well on their way to establishing a legacy in Vail, and for travelers interested in independent film but reluctant to join the masses at Sundance it’s certainly a viable mountain festival alternative. The good snow, great venues throughout the town, and an overall charming and pleasant setting to mingle with the creative class and see a unique selection of films will certainly bring me back.

To check out the unique variety of finished films from the Olympus 48-hour film competition, visit the Olympus Youtube channel and see if your favorites match up with the contest winners.

Stephen traveled to the Vail Film Festival on a trip sponsored by Olympus. No editorial content was guaranteed and he was free to openly experiment with Olympus’s cameras while snowboarding, bathing in picturesque hot tubs, and rubbing elbows with A-list celebrities.

A first-timer’s guide to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

by Gadling Staff on

The annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, or simply Jazz Fest, is a massive springtime music and cultural festival that takes place over two consecutive weekends in late April and early May. Many music lovers of all ilk consider it the country’s premier music festival and return year after year. Others have called it the best party in America.

The name Jazz Fest is somewhat misleading, as jazz is only one component of the festival’s musical offerings. Performers represent a wide range of genres including jazz, rock, blues, gospel, R & B, Cajun, zydeco, folk, bluegrass, African, Caribbean and Latin. Non-stop performances take place on a dozen stages scattered around the festival site. In addition to music, there’s a huge selection of regional cuisine, arts and crafts booths, second line parades and numerous other attractions.

Over its seven-day run, the festival typically attracts around 400,000 visitors. Jazz Fest is really big and big-time fun.

When and Where
Most people attend Jazz Fest for only one of two weekends, though some stay for the duration. The first weekend begins on the last Friday of April and runs through Sunday. After a three-day hiatus, festivities begin again on Thursday and conclude on Sunday. The dates for Jazz Fest 2011 are April 29-May 1 and May 5-8. The festival takes place at the Fair Grounds Race Course in the Mid-City section of New Orleans, about three miles from Downtown and the French Quarter. Daily hours are from 11am to 7pm which leaves fest-goers time in the evening to explore the city’s famous restaurants, bars and clubs.

%Gallery-121740%Jazz Fest through the Years
The first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival took place in 1970 in Congo Square, at the edge of the French Quarter. The single-day event attracted 350 people. It was produced by George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island. The lineup for the first Jazz Fest included Mahalia Jackson, Duke Ellington, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, Clifton Chenier, Fats Domino, The Meters and others. It quickly outgrew its original location and moved to its current site at the race track.

In 1975, the first limited-edition silkscreen festival poster was produced. Today, the Jazzfest poster collection is considered the world’s most popular poster series (you can view and purchase posters at www.art4now.com). In 2001, the year of Louis Armstrong’s centennial celebration, Jazz Fest set an all-time attendance record with 650,000 attendees.

Getting to New Orleans
Unless a springtime road trip is on your agenda, you’ll probably be arriving in New Orleans by plane. Discounted flights for Jazz Fest travelers are offered by American Airlines (discount code 2341BT) and United Airlines (discount code 584EZ). Delta Vacations offers combination air/hotel packages. If you’re having trouble finding suitable last-minute flights, consider flying into Houston’s Hobby airport then connecting with Southwest Airlines. Southwest offers numerous daily flights to New Orleans.

Where to Stay
With hotel rooms in high demand during the festival, don’t expect to find a great deal on lodging. Some hotels do offer slightly-discounted Jazz Fest rates. Priceline or Hotwire sometimes have affordable last-minute deals. Most visitors opt to stay in Downtown New Orleans or the adjacent French Quarter where much of the city’s dining and entertainment venues are concentrated. Another option is to stay in the quieter leafy Garden District which connects by streetcar to Downtown and the Fair Grounds.

From the Airport into Town
A rental car will be an unnecessary and expensive burden unless you’re staying in an out-of-the-way location. From the airport, you can get to your Downtown or French Quarter hotel by taxi, airport shuttle or city bus. Taxi fare is $33 for up to two people and $14 per person for three or four people. The shuttle costs $20 one-way ($38 RT). For $2, the Airport-Downtown Express bus (E-2) takes riders to the intersection of Tulane and Loyola in Downtown New Orleans (weekdays only). Board the bus at Entrance #7 in the airport’s upper level.

Tickets
It’s more convenient to purchase tickets in advance than when you arrive at the fairgrounds. Single-day tickets are $45 in advance and $60 at the gate. Tickets for children age 2-10 are $5. Kids under 2 are free. A limited number of VIP tickets are sold which include perks such as parking privileges, access to private viewing areas at some stages, private restrooms and private beverage concessions.
Tickets are available online through Ticketmaster, by phone (800-745-3000) or in person at the New Orleans Arena Box Office. Service and handling fees are extra. Children’s tickets are not available in advance. You can also purchase a ticket when you book the Jazz Fest Express shuttle (see below).

Getting to the Fest
Even if you have a car, driving to the festival is not recommended. On-site parking is only available for those with disabilities or those who bought a VIP ticket with a parking option. Parking in the surrounding residential neighborhoods is not advisable. There are a variety of other transportation options to get to the fairgrounds.

Taxi: Expect to pay around $5 per person for a taxi from the French Quarter or Downtown. The queue for taxis leaving the fairgrounds at the end of the day can be quite long.

Express Bus: The Jazz Fest Express provides round-trip bus service from Downtown and City Park for $62-$77 with a festival ticket or $14-$17 without. It’s cheaper to book in advance, but not required.

Streetcar or City Bus: For cheap transportation, a streetcar or city bus costs $1.25 each way. Board the 47-48 Canal Street Streetcar marked City Park/Museum either along the river in the French Quarter or at any stop along the route and take it to the end of the line. From there, the festival entrance is eight blocks away. For bus transport, take the 91 Jackson/Esplanade line.

Bicycle: A great option, popular with many locals, is to bike to the Fest. Bike racks are available in a secure guarded location near the Gentilly entrance. Biking is also a convenient way to get around the French Quarter. Bicycle Michael’s, located on Frenchman Street, rents bikes for around $25-$35 per day depending on the length of rental.

What to Bring
Travel light but travel smart. Be prepared for hot weather. Shorts and short sleeves are de rigueur. So are sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen. Wear comfortable shoes or sandals as you’ll be doing a lot of walking. Walkways get muddy after rain showers so leave your sparkling white tennies at home. Carry a pocket-size disposable rain poncho. You can pick one up in the French Quarter for a buck or two. Earplugs are at your own discretion. Don’t forget cash and a camera.

You can bring in one sealed plastic water bottle and refill it throughout the day. Neighborhood entrepreneurs sell them for a dollar on the street near the entrance on Gentilly Boulevard or you can pay more inside. Bringing alcohol into the fairgrounds is not allowed. Packs and handbags are searched at the entrance. For a list of other prohibited items, see this pdf.

The Layout
There are a dozen stages scattered throughout the 145-acre festival site. Five of these are inside tents and offer seating and protection from the elements. At the other stages, be prepared to sit, stand or dance on grass, dirt or on a blanket if you have one. The Acura and Gentilly stages are the largest and are located at opposite ends of the infield. This is where the big-name headliners usually perform.

There are two main food areas and a smattering of other food and beverage concessions scattered around the grounds. There are also two main areas to purchase arts, crafts and souvenirs. Elsewhere, you’ll find a CD store, bookstore, T-Shirt booth, poster shop and a variety of other concessions.

If you need a break from the heat or crowds, head to the air-conditioned grandstand where you can get a refill of cold water, view a fascinating museum exhibit, take in a cooking demonstration and partake of indoor plumbing. The Lagniappe (Lan’-yap) stage, in the inner courtyard, is seldom crowded.

The Music
The quantity and variety of high-caliber musical performances that run continuously throughout the day is, quite simply, mind-boggling. It’s helpful to begin each day with a general plan, but keep in mind that flexibility and spontaneity are often rewarded.

Start by printing out a copy of “the cubes,” a graphic depiction of the musical line-up for each day from www.nojazzfest.com. Undoubtedly, you’ll discover that several of your “can’t-miss” bands are playing at the same time in different locations. Ah, life can be tough.

As you put together your daily Jazz Fest itinerary, be aware that good viewing real estate is in high demand for the big-name headliners, especially on Saturdays and Sundays at the Acura and Gentilly stages. Unless you’re willing to stake out a spot far in advance, you’ll likely end up viewing these high-profile bands from a different zip code.

No worries. Seasoned Jazz Fest aficionados will often tell you that their most memorable experiences took place seeing local, obscure or up-and-coming bands steps from the stage at the less populous venues.

With that in mind, the Fais Do-Do (Fay’ Dough-Dough) stage seldom has large crowds and often features foot-stomping, homegrown Cajun and zydeco music. In addition, the venue has a small grandstand where you can rest your feet or chow down on a po’boy in relative comfort.

For a unique Jazz Fest experience, take in a performance of Mardi Gras Indians at the Jazz & Heritage Stage. Make sure your camera battery is charged up. You haven’t really done Jazz Fest until you’ve experienced a set in the Gospel Tent. The vibe is otherworldly.

If the music isn’t doing it for you at one stage, don’t hesitate to move on. Another band is rockin’ it just a few minutes away.

Sustenance
While great music will feed your spirit throughout the weekend, you won’t be lacking for physical sustenance either. If the music was removed from Jazz Fest, it would still be a pretty damn good food festival. The plethora of food options are largely Southern-inspired with some international flavors thrown in the mix. You won’t find a corn dog at Jazz Fest, but you’ll find jambalaya, gumbo, po’ boys, crawfish, alligator pie, boudin balls and bread pudding.

There is very little turnover of food vendors from year to year, meaning the available choices are proven crowd-pleasers. While everyone has their favorites, dishes with especially large and vocal devotees include the pheasant, quail & andouille gumbo, soft shell crab po’ boy, cochon de lait po’ boy and crawfish Monica. In general, food is portioned and priced to allow you to do copious sampling throughout the weekend. Leave your diet at the gate. Indulge and enjoy.

A limited variety of alcoholic beverages is available. Beers of the standard light lager variety are sold throughout the site. For more discerning tastes, Pilsner Urquell and Blue Moon can be found near the Blues Tent and Gentilly Stage. Several booths sell wine and champagne. A few stands sell daiquiri-type drinks that come in colors that don’t occur in nature. Consume at your own risk.

The Post-Fest Party
If you intend to sample one of New Orleans’ well-known restaurants – and you should – make a reservation in advance. When Jazz Fest ends each day, the clubs fill up as festival performers descend on the city’s abundant music venues for evening gigs that continue well into the wee hours. If you have the stamina, you’ll have amazing options for an evening on the town. Some shows require you to purchase tickets in advance. The Jazz Fest Grids is a great resource for club listings.

New British beer is first to contain Viagra, commemorates Royal Wedding

by Laurel Miller on

Prince William may be losing his hair, but it seems a bit presumptuous to assume that he’s lost his mojo, as well. But that won’t stop Scottish craft brewer BrewDog from releasing Royal Virility Performance on April 29th. The world’s first beer to be enhanced with Viagra, the 7.5-percent ABV India Pale Ale also contains purported natural aphrodisiacs Horny Goat Weed and chocolate, as well as “a healthy dose of sarcasm.”

The beer was specially created to honor the upcoming Royal Wedding, and features a label with the words, “Arise Prince Willy,” and “Celebrate Big Willy Style.” BrewDog has sent several bottles to Prince William for the wedding night (no comment yet from the Royal Family, but one senses the brewery should perhaps have targeted Prince Charles, who is in a more appropriate age demographic).

Just 1,000 bottles of the ale, which retails for £10 a pop, will be produced for the time being (available here; one bottle limit per customer), although production will continue if it’s a uh, big success. All proceeds go to the charity Centrepoint, which Wills supports. According to James Watt, co-founder of BrewDog, says, “As the bottle says, this is about consummation, not commemoration.”

BrewDog claims that consuming three bottles is equivalent to taking one Viagra. No comment on how sexually attractive you’ll be with that beer gut.

Groundbreaking held for George Washington’s presidential library at Mount Vernon

by McLean Robbins on

Our first president is finally getting his own library. The building, to be located on the grounds of his historic Mount Vernon estate, a short drive from DC, will open in 2013.

Destined to be a George Washington “think tank,” the 45,000 square foot National Library is expected cost $47 million.

The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington will be located on a 15 acre site within walking distance of Washington’s home. It will house more than 15,000 items including 2,500 rare 18th and 19th century books, 87 books that were owned by Washington, and 500 letters, ledgers, and account books that bear George Washington’s writing or signature

“We expect to create the world’s intellectual headquarters for everything to do with George Washington,” said Mount Vernon’s president, James Rees. “By encouraging new research, aggressively reaching out to families across the nation, and hosting conferences that stress Washington’s leadership as the gold standard, we hope to touch the hearts and minds of each new generation.”

A modest residence for visiting scholars, authors and interns will be constructed next to the National Library.

The larger education wing on the east side will provide spaces for seminars, lectures and training programs on George Washington’s life, times and remarkable leadership. Offices in the west wing and on the second floor will supply work spaces for visiting scholars and staff members.

A picturesque drive to the southern end of the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway, Mount Vernon is located just 16 miles from the nation’s capital. The early spring is a pleasant time to visit Washington’s home, as the weather is often warm enough to stroll about the extensive grounds.

Video: Arcade Fire at Coachella

by Elizabeth Seward on

Music festivals are one of the best ways to spend your sweet summer time. Although we’re still a ways off from the official launch of summer, many music fans consider Coachella the beginning of summer… or, at least, the beginning of summer festivals. As the season of love via live music swings fuller into gear, I’ll help you navigate as many music festivals as I can. But for now, lets talk about Coachella.

Coachella is one of the bigger USA music festivals each year and it’s safe to say that the festival acts as a vacation destination for people across the globe. With 225,000 attendees last year, this year’s festival had a whole lot of hype leading up to its launch. Coachella just wrapped up last night and in case you haven’t heard, it seems as though there might have been some desert-style drama at the event, both good and bad.

Kanye West slammed the event and other event performers. Cee Lo Green showed up late and blamed the festival for his tardiness. But on a more positive energy note, Arcade Fire illuminated their audience with a set you can check out in the video above.