Great Basin College Film Festival

Parasite Film Director Pleads for Secrecy, Find Out Why During the GBC Film Festival

The Great Basin College Film Festival Committee promises many cinematic surprises during their 15th Annual Film Festival to be held Feb. 14-15, and Feb. 21-22. Movies are shown at the Western Folklife Center and GBC Theater beginning at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for snacks provided by culinary sponsors. The WFC bar also opens at 5:30. Ticket prices are $10 for all screenings, with a student/senior discount of $7 available only for films shown at GBC.

Film Committee Chair Russ Minter is intrigued with the festival’s feature film, Parasite, especially after journalists at the film’s premiere reported receiving hand-delivered letters from the director begging them not to write about all the twists and surprises in the movie.

“It’s fascinating to me that the director actually begged critics to not reveal any spoilers,” says Minter. “So, there has not been much written about the movie.” He notes that reviews have been stellar with the New York Film Critics naming it the “Best Film of the Year.” One film reviewer does say the story is a “whip-smart, fantastical, tragicomedy” that defies genre labels. This movie will be shown Friday, Feb. 21 at the GBC theater. The culinary sponsor that night is Double Dice.

Oscar-nominated documentary, animated and live action short films are local community favorites, and are screened at the Western Folklife Center and GBC Theater. Food will be served at intermission during these screenings. Tickets are $10 each night or $25 for a three-night package. Tickets sales begin December 15th at the Western Folklife Center Giftshop for the movie lovers on your holiday list.

See the new trailer for the 2020 Oscar-Nominated Short Films!

2020 films at the Western Folklife Center:

• Friday, February 14 – Oscar-nominated Documentary short films, 6 p.m. Culinary sponsor: Pizza Barn.
• Saturday, February 15 – Oscar-nominated Live Action short films, 6 p.m. Culinary sponsor: Garibaldi's.

2020 films at the Great Basin College Theater:

• Friday, February 21 – Feature film – Parasite at 6 p.m. Hors d'oeuvres served.
• Saturday, February 22 – Oscar-nominated Animated short films, 6 p.m. Culinary sponsor: Hunter Ray’s.

The GBC Film Festival thanks the following film and culinary sponsors:

• ABE/ESL Dept, GBC
• Jan King & Dr. David Hogle
• Read & Powell, LLP
• Great Basin Granite
• Arbillaga Catering
• Garibaldi’s
• Pizza Barn
• Hunter Ray’s
• Western Folklife Center
• GBC Continuing Education Department

By supporting our sponsors, you support us!

Mission Statement

Our mission statement is to "bring culturally diverse films to an isolated, rural community; to enrich and entertain."

The film festival started in 2005 with the first screenings being of French films on the GBC campus. Thanks to French grant money received the first several years were all French films. Starting in 2010 the festival began screening independent films from all over the world including US films. Over the years we have skyped Q & A sessions with film makers from as far away as New Zealand. Howard Rosenberg from UNR presided over a discussion after a French film screening and we had a film maker appear live for a Q & A after screening his film The Flyboys.

The film festival has also screened short films from university students from around the country Including graduates of Elko High School. In 2016 the festival included for the first time screenings of the Oscar nominated live action and animated short films, a tradition that has continued and in 2018 the oscar nominated documentaries will be added. The 2016 festival also included a "Battle of the food trucks" right outside the GBC theater. Three local food trucks offered film attendees their best appetizers and food samplings.

The 2020 Film Festival will feature the new High Definition digital projector and wide projection screen at the GBC theater.

Committee Members

• Russ Minter - Chair, stickwithruss@gmail.com
• Michelle Smith, michellemsmith@frontiernet.net
• Frank L. Sawyer, frank.sawyer@gbcnv.edu
• Richard Arndt, richarda39@hotmail.com
• Julianne Galligan
• Angie de Braga
• Trudy Gilbertson
• Janice King
• Heather Orr
• Jane Zugazaga

Committee Minutes

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Why Great Basin College

Great Basin College wants to be your choice for higher education. GBC offers associate and baccalaureate level instruction in career and technical education and academic areas. About 4,000 students are enrolled annually online from across the country and on campuses and centers across 86,500 square miles, two time zones, and ten of Nevada's largest counties. We border Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and California. We are GBC!