No Festival Required profile picture

No Festival Required

Promotion and exhibition of truly independent films

About Me

No Festival Required is a independent film programming project based in Phoenix Arizona, with multiple screenings of quality independent films and videos at various theater and fine venues across the Valley of the Sun.For more information, go to www.nofestivalrequired.com

My Interests

Quality filmmaking. Photography, the less presumably "contemporary" the better. If contemporary photography is looking inward, I prefer someone with a good eye to what's out there. Documents, not made up shit. I do confess to loving all manner of gearhead things, including Formula One racing and other fossil fuel devices...NASCAR is boring, I prefer a race car doing more than left turns.Fishing is very nice as it's the best thing to do when yu don't want to think about anything else. And yes,I eat what I catch. The ocean, I always miss the ocean. I have to hear the sound of moving water every few months in the desert or I go bonkers. Ask me and I know where the waterfalls of PHX are found.

I'd like to meet:

Filmmakers, video artists, anyone who has quality work and wants an audience to see it.Quality, subtlety, brevity; if your work has at least two of these features I'm interested!And of course the audience who appreciates this kind of work.P.S. I tend to avoid violent content when it's just for the sake of violent content.Last note...I don't leave up anything on my comments section that isn't an actual comment, so if you send some ad or something don't feel bad if I take it down.

Music:

Dead people; i.e. Beethoven, Hendrix, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, John Coltrane. Live people Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, The Band, Tom Waits, Tramps and Thieves, The Lounge Lizards, Juarez, Peachcake, Dynasty and lots of fun local bands and other stuff.

Movies:

I love film but am not a film buff. If I hadn't seen"The Ruling Class", "Oh Lucky Man" or "Chinatown" I think my life would be less full. Seeing the great films I bring to the public is very rewarding and not only gives me the chance to see great work, but also speak directly to the filmmakers. My latest favorite film is whatever I'm championing by screening it in the Valley. My next favorite film may be your film.

Television:

Daily Show and South Park is current addiction, Mind of Mencia growing concern and any fishing show or Formula One racing I manage to catch. Yeah, it's a sickness.

Books:

Hammett, Chandler(though he was a f*ckin' anti-semite), Hiaasen...the Orvis publication "Reading Trout Streams" and childhood books The Jungle Twins, The Pink Motel, The Silver Sword, The Incredible Journey and Champion Dog Prince Tom. Anything by John Steinbeck...I could read his laundry list and be entertained. Dr. Howard Cutler's The Art of Happiness, co-written with the Dalai Lama. And more but these came first to the stream of consciousness that is myspace listmaking....

Heroes:

Parents, Step-father, Elie Wiesel, Peter O'Toole, the Dalai Lama,Ignatz Semmelweiss and every film-maker willing to make films without precedent or compromise, yet knows that shorter is stronger.That and the Chinese student who stood in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square

My Blog

A Memorial Day memory of my anti-Army father

None of the war heroes in my family died in battle, at least not the battles we remember on Memorial Day.My father's last battle was from diabetes and strokes, but he was no war hero. He told the stor...
Posted by No Festival Required on Tue, 27 May 2008 05:37:00 PST

Three reasons to attend Lunafest this Tuesday

The three reasons are1. Good cause...net proceeds to benefit The Breast Cancer Fund, this is the only charity benefit event of the year from NFR.2. Show the museum the strength of women artists and th...
Posted by No Festival Required on Sat, 10 May 2008 02:19:00 PST

First Sunday is Dead, Long Live First Saturday Starting in June!

Well, wonderful news. I am skipping this First Sunday in May show and starting June 7, I will be working with Space 55 in downtown Phoenix to do First Saturday! Yes folks, it's finally time for truly ...
Posted by No Festival Required on Sun, 04 May 2008 01:28:00 PST

My recent work on Car Porn

I really make my bread and butter as a location scout, and though there are great things about the work it can be stressful too. This particular project was actually fairly pleasant to work on, with j...
Posted by No Festival Required on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 01:49:00 PST

The Ugly Part of Honesty and Screening Submissions

I'm trying to learn how to both be honest and truthful in a terrible situation...I have to tell the truth. This is in response to a blind submission for screening by an AZ filmmaker. No names.Hi _____...
Posted by No Festival Required on Thu, 24 Jan 2008 03:11:00 PST

NFR and the past year

Dear Friends of No Festival Required,I took a little time to look back at 2007, and would up with a count of 32 screenings this year alone from venues in Central Phoenix to the outskirts of the East V...
Posted by No Festival Required on Sun, 23 Dec 2007 01:53:00 PST

New Press release regarding NFR Part 50: The Final Part

MORE SHOWS BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, BUT FIGURED THIS DEMANDED NOTICE!No Festival Required Part 50: The Final PartA Thoughtful and Provocative Short Films RetrospectiveSelected From 49 Screenings of No Fe...
Posted by No Festival Required on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 03:46:00 PST

Why change NFR?

...this began with the email I received below...++++++++Steve,Why did you decide to change the format? This is one of the only venues showing shorts. Will No Festival Required continue to show at the ...
Posted by No Festival Required on Sat, 03 Nov 2007 11:29:00 PST

October and November screening schedule NFR

This is the list of screenings scheduled for No Festival Required for the rest of 2007...only one still be curated is the 50th NFR show in December. Mark your calendars now, but I will send info on th...
Posted by No Festival Required on Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:28:00 PST

Big Changes in No Festival Required

I'm taking this info from a letter I just wrote to a video artist group, and thought it would well explain the latest news about NFR.The highlights are that the PHX Art Museum is increasing my involve...
Posted by No Festival Required on Sat, 11 Aug 2007 02:06:00 PST