Images courtesy of Tucson Film & Music Festival
In October 2005, Michael Toubassi founded the Tucson Film and Music Festival (TFMF). It began as an event with one major film as the showcase, a music documentary written and directed by Toubassi called High And Dry. It featured Al Perry, Calexico, The Supersuckers and several other musicians, all of whom are responsible for Tucson's music scene.
Over time the festival evolved into a three-day long event, with submissions from all over the world. This year they received well over one hundred submissions, the highest yet, with filmmakers from as far as Australia, Germany and Poland vying for spots on the TFMF line-up.
Toubassi maintains that the TFMF is still centered on independent film and music of or with roots in the Southwest despite its expansion and international entries. He also insists that the festival shapes itself as far as the theme goes.
"This year our theme is 'Music and Medicine.' We noticed a common thread after reviewing some of the submissions," explains Toubassi, hinting at a zeitgeist.
Conversely, this year a home video of a wedding was also submitted. According to Toubassi the submission of wedding videos is something of a festival rumor, but he did go on to add that it did not make the final cut.
"We're hoping for support from the community and a high filmmaker turnout," says Toubassi. Toubassi is a local but he lives and works in Los Angeles, CA from where he continues to promote the Tucson film scene. He calls the festival a labor of love and works throughout the year so that he can celebrate the creative efforts of local artists and filmmakers through the TFMF.
The Tucson Film and Music Festival is taking place from October 8 to 11 with screenings being hosted by The Loft, Crossroads 6 Grand Cinemas, and the Rialto Theatre. Musical artists will play at Plush and Club Congress.
Highlights include Largo, a performance-based documentary by Mark Flanagan and Andrew Baal about the famous California venue, and Rock Prophecies, a documentary about the exploits of rock photographer Robert Knight. The centerpiece film, The Sweet Lady with The Nasty Voice, is about rockabilly legend Wanda Jackson and includes a Q&A with her following the screening on October 10. Jackson is also scheduled to perform at Plush later the same evening.
The festival will also feature music videos and short films, as well as other documentaries and narratives.
See the film schedule on our events calendar and also at the festival's website - www.TucsonFilmAndMusicFestival.com.
