PORT TOWNSEND — A featured documentary in next week’s inaugural Women & Film festival was picked up for national distribution, a move that caused a combination of excitement about the presentation and apprehension that it could have been yanked from the Port Townsend festival.
The event focusing on women filmmakers is an offshoot of the larger Port Townsend Film Festival and will take place March 28-29 at the Rose Theatre and the Rosebud Cinema, 235 Taylor St.
The festival is showing nine films, all directed by women, that explore feminist themes.
Festival Executive Director Janette Force is most excited about “Batkid Begins,” a story about a young leukemia patient, 5-year-old Miles Scott, who approached the Make-A-Wish Foundation with a desire to be “the real Batman” and ended up playing the Caped Crusader for a series of staged missions as onlookers cheered him on.
Miles drew 15,000 people to a rally in San Francisco’s Union Square and received a key to that city.
Force secured the documentary film due to its point of view: telling the story of the event through the eyes of its planners and because it documented the growth of an idea.
The movie project snowballed, generating substantial social media attention and “tipping over into the area from really cool to out of control,” she said.
Force predicted the same path for the movie, borne out by its landing a national distribution deal after its premiere screening in January at the Slamdance Film Festival, a side attraction to the more prestigious Sundance festival in Utah.
This turned out to be good news and bad news, as the distribution deal could have led to the withdrawal of the film from scheduled festivals such as Port Townsend’s Women & Film, Force said.
Anticipating this, Force began regular correspondence with director Dana Nachman centering on the film’s importance and quality.
Force also constructed a “shrine” in the festival office consisting of plastic figures, superhero props and candles.
“This was the only way I could make my point,” said Force, who sent Nachman pictures of the shrine.
During this time, Force’s questions about whether the film would be withdrawn from Women & Film weren’t answered one way or another.
“This was a mixed blessing because we want all of our filmmakers to be successful, and a measure of that success is getting national distribution,” she said.
“We wanted them to have that success but were concerned they might pull it.”
With no answer by Friday, Force made the decision to go ahead, encouraged by the fact that other scheduled film festival appearances were moving forward.
After “Batkid Begins” is shown around the country, another version of the story will emerge, a narrative-based film starring Julia Roberts.
Force said this is exciting news for the filmmakers but believes a documentary is often more compelling.
“Making a narrative film is a different process,” she said.
“You have a lot more control, and you can tell the story at its own rate.
“With a documentary, life unfolds, and you better be there when it happens.”
For more information about the Women & Film Festival, go to www.ptfilmfest.com or call 360-379-1333.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
