Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Indie Grits Film Festival

Sometimes Columbia offers some really awesome events.  One such event begins this weekend, and runs for 10 days (April 19 - 29): The Indie Grits Film Festival.  Created and presented by the Nickelodeon Theatre, Indie Grits is about much more than just film.  While there are several films to see (obviously), there is also music, crafts, art, and, of course, food.  Make sure you check the website (or the full press release after the jump) for a full listing of events.  But for those of you just interested in the food aspect of Indie Grits, here's a quick rundown:

  • Slow Food Columbia at Indie Grits Dinner.  This is basically the kickoff party.  You can preview the festival, listen to a couple of DJs, and make your own Lite Brite (!), but most importantly, you can sample Chef Scott Hall's Artisan Grits bar.  Scott Hall is the mastermind behind Hungry Lady and Columbia favorite, Bone-In BBQ.  Hall also owns Scott Hall Catering & Event Design, and as such is serving up Adluh stone ground yellow grits with assorted toppings like wasabi peas, crispy fried local herbs, shallot cream, artisan cheeses, assorted chutneys and salsas, and more! Slow Food Columbia is sponsoring a few of the ingredients so that more sustainable, local ingredients can be included.
  • Slow Food at Indie Grits: Sustainable Chefs Showcase. This event is Sunday, April 22 at 4 p.m. at the All-Local Farmer's Market at 711 Whaley. This event was incredibly popular last year! At least 10 chefs from all of the best restaurants in town will be serving tastes of a dish made with at least one sustainable, local ingredient (most use plenty of local ingredients).
  • And finally, we have a few Make events including an event at Motor Supply where Chef Tim Peters will teach you how to make your own charcuterie, and an event with Kristian Niemi at Rosso is also going to teach attendees how to make something wonderful at another Make event. 
  • There are also a few foodie films being shown, including Eating Alabama, which just premiered at SXSW.
As it happens, this Hungry Lady has an extra pass to the kickoff party.  She is currently taking applications for someone to be her plus one.  If you have any interest in attending (and come on....it's totally worth it because of the Lite Brite station), just let me know.  It's from 7-11 p.m. this Thursday at 701 Whaley.

Need more info?  Check out the full press release after the jump....

MAKE A SCENE: 2012 Indie Grits Festival Announces Films Schedule of Events

COLUMBIA, S.C. (February 27, 2012)---Indie Grits Festival, hosted by the Nickelodeon Theatre in Columbia, S.C., will be held April 19 – 29, 2012. The festival offers Southern filmmakers unique exhibition opportunities and festival attendees will find 11 days full of a unique combination of engaging cultural events unmatched in the Southeast.

“In addition to the more competition films than ever before, Indie Grits has grown to include the best music, food and craft Columbia has to offer, and this year, we’re excited that our festival will expand to 11 days. Join us for the festival and you’ll find plenty to see, make and do in Columbia,” said Andy Smith, Executive Director of the Nickelodeon Theatre.

In its sixth year, Indie Grits empowers all levels of Southern filmmakers with an independent mentality and far-reaching artistic scope. In 2010, Indie Grits was also named one of the world’s 20 coolest film festivals by Movie Maker magazine.

More than 50 competition films will be shown each evening of Indie Grits. In addition, attendees have several opportunities to experience art, performing arts, music and events around Columbia. For the first time, Indie Grits is delving into the tech realm and Converge SE’s participation in the festival will offer web designers and developers an unmatched learning and networking experience.

SCHEDULE of INDIE GRITS EVENTS (in addition to films shown each night):
April 19:
Indie Grits Opening Party, 7-11 p.m.
o   Location: 701 Whaley (701 Whaley St.)
o   The Indie Grits opening party is in conjunction with the Preview Party for 701 CCA’s Columbia Open Studios

April 20:
Spork in Hand Puppet Slam at Indie Grits, 7-9 p.m., Day 1
o   Location: Tapp’s Arts Center (1644 Main St.)
o   Leading avant-garde puppet artists from across the Southeast converge for two gloriously gritty evenings of experimental short puppetry and object theater. The puppet slam at Indie Grits will feature an evening of raucous and ribald, thought-provoking and awe-inspiring performances.
o   $10 in advance, $20 at the door

The Olivia Tremor Control concert, 8 p.m.
o   Location: New Brookland Tavern (122 State St., West Columbia)

April 21:
701 CCA Columbia Open Studios, Day 1
o   Location: In artists’ personal studios around the Midlands
o   www.columbiaopenstudios.org, @701CCA, #COS2012
o   Visit with individual artists in their private, working studios, while learning about their backgrounds, tools and techniques, and how their personal stories impact their art. The public will have the opportunity to purchase participating artists’ works at zero mark-up.

Spork in Hand Puppet Slam at Indie Grits, 7 p.m., Day 2 (see above)


April 22:
Slow Food at Indie Grits, 4-7 p.m.
o   Location: The All-Local Farmers’ Market at 711 Whaley (711 Whaley St.)
o   www.SlowFoodColumbia.org, @slowfoodcolumbia
o   12+ chefs from Columbia’s top farm-to-table restaurants will serve epic tastes at a “Sustainable Taste of Columbia” party with wine, beer and music. Each chef’s dish must feature at least one locally, sustainably produced major ingredient.

701 CCA Columbia Open Studios, Day 2 (see above)

April 24:
Quintron and Miss Pussycat, 9 p.m.
o   Location: 5 Points Pub (2020 Devine St.)
o   Choir Quit opening

Off Menu with Kristian Niemi, Slow Food at Indie Grits event, 6 p.m.
o   Location: Rosso Trattoria Italia (4840 Forest Dr.)
o   Take notes as one of Columbia’s greatest restaurateurs shares his cooking tips.

April 25:
Morihiko and the SC Phil at Indie Grits, 8 p.m.
o   www.SCPhilharmonic.com, @SCPhil
o   Location: Drayton Hall, USC (1214 College St.)
o   Indie Grits organizers have commissioned four new silent films to screen with the Philharmonic’s performance—a unique collaboration featuring the Phil’s beloved conductor Morihiko Nakahara and the South Carolina Philharmonic. After party at Hunter-Gatherer.

April 26:
ConvergeSE and AIGA join forces for film and happy hour, 6 p.m.
o   Location: IT-oLogy (1301 Gervais St., Ste. 200)

Shuffle Magazine music showcase, 8 p.m.
o   Location: Conundrum Music Hall (626 Meeting Street, Wes Columbia)
o   Bands TBA

April 27:
ConvergeSE, Day 1
o   Location: IT-oLogy (1301 Gervais St., Ste. 200)
o   www.ConvergeSE.com, @ConvergeSE
o   ConvergeSE is a melting pot of web designers and developers with varying ranges of experience. The conference features sessions in mobile web design, marketing and business development by industry leaders who are defining the future of what it means to be a web design/development professional.

Fork & Spoon Records showcase, 8 p.m.
o   Location: 5 Points Pub (2020 Devine St.)
o   Coma Cinema, Elvis Depressedly, Can’t Kids, Chemical Peel, Those Lavender Whales

April 28:
Crafty Feast, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
o   Location: Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center (1101 Lincoln St.)
o   www.CraftyFeast.com, @CraftyFeast
o   Crafty Feast is an all-day juried festival focused on handmade crafts by over 100 Southeastern crafters. There will also be children’s craft tables, music food and more.

Indie Grits Closing Party and Awards, 6 p.m.

Converge SE, Day 2 (see above)

April 29:
Filmmakers Brunch

Screening of all Indie Grits award-winning films
  
Stay tuned to www.IndieGrits.com for film information and updates on each Indie Grits partner event as the festival schedule is finalized.  

2 comments:

  1. Awesome post!! Thank you so much for this! I wanted to clarify that the top item with the artisan grits bar is not a dinner -- it's a giant party at 701 Whaley Thursday 4/19, 7-11pm, $10, and the party food is an artisan grits bar by the super awesome Scott Hall. Oh, and as of a couple of days ago, Anson Mills is actually sponsoring the grits for the grits bar at the kickoff party! Yay! Just wanted to make sure you have the deets. (tickets: http://bit/ly/igkickoff) See you at Indie Grits!! You rock.

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  2. The slow-food farmer's market on 4/22 looks like good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

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