Rural Route Films is a longtime partner of ours, and a film festival with its own unique mission. “Taking in a Rural Route program is like choosing the road less traveled, and learning something new about our constantly amazing world.”
We’d particularly like to direct your attention to Rural Route because they have a spectacular event lined up for August 1st-4th this year. Their program consists of some of the best-but-least-seen new indie features released, like a new DCP restoration of Werner Herzog’s “Fitzcarraldo”, and a special tribute program for Les Blank (who passed away earlier this spring), screening 16mm prints of the original American indie-doc maverick’s most-beloved work. The overall scope of programming consists of 28 films from 13 countries on 5 continents, with many programs including special guests. Along with core programming at Museum of the Moving Image, they will be hosting a global warming panel at Queens Library, and a closing night program at Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm.
With this year’s festival such an extraordinary collection of screenings, live music, food, and special guest-led discussions, Rural Route needs your help. They’ve started an Indiegogo campaign to fund this series, with a modest initial goal of $2000–at that level, they can cover the most basic expenses–but to surpass that goal (ideally with $5000) would enable them to pay for event extras, pay their hard-working key staff, and cover technical costs. They also plan to donate a portion of the extra funding to help refugees in the “heart-warming but war-torn” country of Mali in West Africa, where the RR Nomad Tour reached Timbuktu in 2009.
You can (and should!) donate to Rural Route’s Indiegogo campaign here. And after that, mark your calendar for their spectacular festival in August!