Indie Spirit Fest aims higher than last year

 Local film fans, get ready. Colorado Springs’ biggest cinematic event — the Indie Spirit Film Festival — is about to get a whole lot bigger.

 At least that’s the plan, says festival director Jim Turner. He and fellow organizers Chris Loud and Matt Stevens have been working for months to make this fourth installment of the festival the most successful one yet.

 “We’ve pretty much doubled attendance every year in the past and we would love to do that again this year,” Turner says. “If we do that this year, we’ll have an attendance of over 6,000.”

 To make room for all those people, they’ve moved the entire festival to Colorado College, boosting their screen count from four to six and more than doubling their seating capacity.

“We have 1,100 (seats) in just two venues,” Turner says. “We’d love to fill all those seats, but the reality is we want to not turn anybody away. This will allow us to get people into the films they want to see.”

 Each January for the past six years, Turner has volunteered at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. It has given him an inside look at how the country’s largest and most prestigious film festival works.

The most important thing he’s learned? A good film festival is about more than watching films.

“It’s about the whole experience of interacting with the filmmakers and between films trying to have other events going on to make it more of a festival,” Turner says.

In pursuit of this goal, he and the other organizers have expanded the festival from three days to four and packed in so many new activities that festival goers will be hard pressed to do them all.

 Like the catered reception at the Cornerstone Arts Center before Thursday’s opening night film.

Or the free wine and beer tastings at the same location on the afternoon of April 15.

Or the post-awards show celebration at the Deco Lounge in the Fine Arts Center on April 17.

But they haven’t forgotten old favorites, such as the free filmmaking panels on April 16 and 17 at the Cornerstone Arts Center. And top-level pass holders can still mingle with visiting filmmakers at the Friday and Saturday night parties, which this year will take place at the Red Martini (24 N. Tejon St.) and Cowboys (25 N. Tejon St.).

 Of course, the main attraction remains the films. And this year, they’re offering an especially eclectic mix.

 Not only are they bringing back their usual programs devoted to Native American, horror, animated and student shorts, but for the first time they’re able to offer something called “Around the World in 112 Minutes” — an entire program of foreign shorts.

Then there’s “The Dead Can’t Dance,” a Native American zombie comedy/drama.

“That’s a first for us,” Turner says. “And the filmmaker’s going to be here. He says he feels a zombie road trip coming on.”

That filmmaker is Rodrick Pocowatchit, a descendant of the Comanche, Pawnee and Shawnee nations from Wichita, Ka. His third feature, “The Dead Can’t Dance” centers on a trio of native people who discover that they’re immune to a zombie-producing virus.

With more than 150 extras in the cast and tons of special effects, the film was not an easy one to make. So Pocowatchit is grateful for the response it’s received at festivals from San Francisco to Montreal.

 “I think everybody’s getting the joke,” Pocowatchit says. “We’re not trying to be too politically incorrect. We’re just trying to have fun with the whole idea.”

One filmmaker who doesn’t have as far to come is Tim Gallagher, founder of the Castle Rock Film Festival. In 2001, he moved to Los Angeles with the hope of becoming an actor. He never made it, but as one last parting shot before returning to Colorado, he decided to make his own film.

The result is “Gerald,” a madcap action-comedy about a mentally challenged bowler who attempts to recover the doll containing his mother’s ashes after it’s stolen by robbers.

 With the recent boom in indie filmmaking, many filmmakers are finding it difficult to make their work stand out from the crowd.

 Gallagher did it the old-fashioned way. Star power.

 In the small but crucial role of the doctor who delivers baby Gerald — and promptly drops him on his head — Gallagher cast Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney. Rooney’s wife also appears in the film, as a nurse.

What was it like working with the pair?

“We were intimidated at first, but once cameras started rolling, they just became ‘one of the cast,’ ” Gallagher says. “Mickey had so much energy, no one would think he was 89 years old at the time.”

 TODD'S PICKS

With a record 123 films to choose from — including 17 features, 14 full-length documentaries and 92 shorts — you’re sure to find a movie to love. Here are some of my favorites:

“Der Sandmann” — In this Swiss dramedy, a self-absorbed clerk becomes alarmed when his body begins to turn into sand. His efforts to hide his predicament make for some of the most gut-bustingly funny scenes at the festival, but it’s his love-hate relationship with his ex-girlfriend that inspires the biggest laughs. German with English subtitles. — 2:15 p.m. April 16, South Theater; 9:30 a.m. April 17, WES Room at Worner Center

 “Rainbow Town” —Ma Feeta never wanted to be a hero, but that’s what she became when, in the wake of Liberia’s disastrous civil war, soldiers forced her to take in a few of the orphans they found. And then a few more. And even more, until she ended up with 86 children to care for. What starts out as a heartbreaking story about the ravages of violence is soon transformed into a story of hope. — 5:30 p.m. April 16, Max Kade Theater at Armstrong Hall

 “Gerald” — While this quirky little indie can be enjoyed for its humor, it also presents a touching portrayal of a lonely man who just wants to be loved. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”’s Louis Mandylor breaks away from his tough guy roles to shine as the title character here. Producer/writer/actor Tim Gallagher will attend. — 11:30 a.m. April 16, South Theater at Cornerstone

“The World’s Tallest Man: Still Growing” — A British documentary that probes beyond the myriad health issues faced by 8-foot 3-inch tall Sultan Kosen to explore a much more important problem: his search for true love. Despite numerous setbacks, the towering Turk has such a winning personality you can’t help but root for him. — 2:45 p.m. April 15, Armstrong Theater; 2:45 p.m. April 16, Tutt Science Hall

 “Home Run King” — This 19-minute short is the first film by Colorado Springs director Mathew Nelson since his feature “The Bilbee Boys” won the Director’s Choice award at the first Indie Spirit. Some may find this tale of molestation and revenge disturbing, but there’s no denying that its harrowing imagery and masterful pacing build to an almost unbearable climax. Nelson will attend.—9 p.m. April 15, South Theater at Cornerstone

 “So Far From Home” — The American POW Experience in WWII Germany — POW’s rarely speak about their wartime experiences, but in this documentary created for the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, director Steve Mack got seven former prisoners to open up about the suffering and deprivation they endured, establishing once again what made the Greatest Generation so great. Mack will attend. — 11:45 a.m. April 17, Max Kade Theater at Armstrong Hall

“The Dead Can’t Dance” — Though the camera work and sound quality may be crude, it’s all part of the charm in this wacky homage to the low-budget zombie films of George Romero. There’s some gore, but most of it is merely suggested. The rapid-fire gags, on the other hand, are always front and center. Writer/director/producer/actor Pocowatchit will attend. — 2:30 p.m. April 16, Max Kade Theater; 12:30 p.m. April 17, Tutt Science Hall

“Invisible Voices” — In this videotaped version of the 2009 TheatreWorks stage production, six Coloradans tell us what it’s really like to be disabled, their rhythmically delivered stories never failing to shock, inspire and amuse. But watch out. Your view of disability may be changed forever. — 2:15 p.m. April 16, Cornerstone Screening Room; 8:15 p.m. April 16, WES Room in the Worner Center

“Denver Union Station: Portal to Progress” — In a wealth of words, photographs and vintage film clips, this fascinating documentary brings to vivid life the golden age of rail travel. But more than that, it illustrates how the famous landmark — at one time the biggest building west of the Mississippi — is once again becoming a vital transportation and cultural hub. — noon April 16, Tutt Science Hall; 11:30 a.m. April 17, Cornerstone South Theater