Audience involvement encouraged during Presentation

by Megan Kortemeyer

When most people go to a movie, they expect to sit back with a tub of popcorn while becoming completely absorbed in the action onscreen. Talking during a movie is usually greeted with dirty looks and impatient reprimands.

But because of filmmakers Kate Haug and Melinda Stone, during this year's Athens International Film and Video Festival, audiences will get the chance to both watch films and interact with one another at the same time.

Haug and Stone are two guest artists attending the festival this year. Aside from being filmmakers, they share a common goal of wanting to increase audience participation.

"Kate and I share a lot of the same interests, and one of these was finding ways to get the audience more involved," Stone said. "One of my main concerns was that when people go to the movies, they sit and take things in, but they don't necessarily get things out."

The two women will present The Cinema of Attractions: Cycle One - Spring, an outdoor performance celebrating the mysteries and passions of spring.

"We are premiering this piece at the festival," Stone said. "We actually made it unique to Athens, in that we thought everything in Ohio right now is in full bloom, and it creates a sexually charged atmosphere. After we leave Athens, I will be showing this presentation in Shreveport and Houston."

While the audience participation is not scripted, it isn't completely improvised.

"All of the participation is carefully thought-out and intricate to the piece," Stone said. "However, I always say the more scripted something is, the more it is screwed up, so there are some spontaneous moments."

This will not be Stone's first experience with the Athens festival.

"I started making films six years ago, mostly doing experimental documentaries. I entered into a lot of film competitions and was rejected by many of them. The Athens festival not only accepted me, but I won first place in the documentary competition. Because of that, Ruth Bradley (the festival director) and Athens hold a special place in my heart."

It is not just Stone who has a connection to the festival.

"Kate actually met Ruth when she edited Wide Angle, a magazine (Bradley) puts out," Stone said.

Although ••Spring•• will be premiering here, the concept behind Haug and Stone's audience participation idea started a while ago.

"We started this at the Super Super 8 Film Festival six years ago," she said. "We did a lot of stuff with the audience there, from sing-alongs to bingo. We actually plan to open our presentation here with a sing-along. We also will be giving away prizes and playing a game of Twenty Questions."

Despite the unusual nature of their idea, Stone insists potential audience members should not be intimidated.

"By no means should this be nerve-wracking. It should be fun," she said. "People are surprised afterwards at how they feel they have contributed to the meaning of the film. Also, interaction can provide some very poignant moments."