The 12th Annual Virginia Film Festival, TechnoVisions, presents a special treat for fans of classic films and new music: The Melies Project, with live musical accompaniment by Phillip Johnston and the Transparent Quartet. This cinematic/musical event will be held October 22, at 7:30 P.M. at the Culbreth Theatre located on the campus of the University of Virginia.
The Melies Project is a dazzling tribute to the pioneer work of French film wizard, Georges Melies, best known for his 1902 A Trip to the Moon and other classic "trick films." Composer and performer Phillip Johnston sets seven of Melies' short films to an original score with music that is accessible to all generations.
At its world premier on November 15, 1997 at the Walter Reade Theater in New York City's Lincoln Center, both shows played to sold out crowds. Phillip Johnston was dubbed "the H.G. Wells of the jazz world," by Rolling Stone Press, and "potent and frolicsome, one of modern music's more versatile writers" by Billboard. Johnston's Transparent Quartet features the composer and leader on soprano and tenor saxophones, Mark Josefsberg on vibraphone, Joe Ruddnick on piano and baritone saxophone, and David Hofstra on bass and tuba.
Georges Melies, who, along with the Lumiere Brothers, was on of the cinema's earliest directors, created more than 500 short films between the years 1896 and 1912. Fewer than 90 survive. His films, which grew out of the ether of conjuring, automata and magic theatre of the late 19th century, unite fantasy, alchemy and humor. The films in The Melies Project survive as early examples of sophisticated cinematic techniques such as stop time, cross fades, optical tricks and fantastic costumes and backdrops. Of decided historical interest, they also bridge the world of the 19th century conjurer with the special effects magic of today's films.
This presentation is a full evening's-length and will feature prints of recently restored Melies films-some of which are hand-tinted, most of which have rarely been seen by anyone except the most avid cinephiles. They will be presented with original music inspired by the director's artistry and are designed to be performed live with the moving pictures. The limber Transparent Quartet is a perfect vehicle for this project because of its musical timbral flexibility, and atmospheric versatility. The music utilizes tools from the realms of classical, jazz and experimental music.
TechnoVisions offers a rich program of classic films: Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove, Buster Keaton's The General, Jacques Tati's Playtime and Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Of particular note will be the Virginia theatrical premier of Stephen Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Director's Edition), which restores footage cut from the Special Edition re-release of the film. Also showing will be a unique documentary entitled Keepers of the Frame, which examines the issues of film preservation and restoration. Following the screening, a panel of archivists and critics will discuss the qualities of the film medium and what will be gained and lost if digital exhibition replaces film prints.
The Melies Project will be performed at the Culbreth Theatre at UVA, at 7:00 P.M. on Friday, October 22. Tickets are on sale for $10 for adults and $5 for students, senior citizens and children under twelve. Screenings of other classical films will be held at a variety of venues around Charlottesville. For ticket and scheduling information, check the Festival program, call 1-800-UVA-FEST after October 4, or visit the website at www.vafilm.com.
