Launched in 1999 as an indie happening, the Picture Start Film Series is maturing as an expanded film fest, an incubator of cinematic talent, and a galvanizing force for bringing together makers, curators, and aficionados of independent film. What remains constant is the fun, accessible, and thought-provoking nature of the volunteer-coordinated series.

In one example of Picture Start's increasing heft, this year's focus on women filmmakers led to the development of a program of 15 short works by female directors -- microcinema.com's All Women Edition on August 21 -- that is now in demand across the country, according to co-organizer Sara Archambault. Similarly, Evonne Wetzner, who runs a monthly series called Underground Film Revolution in Boston's Jamaica Plain section, will guest curate on August 28 with Demon of the Derby: The Ann Calvello Story, a documentary about America's archvillianess of the roller derby.

Picture Start 2002, which began August 14, continues at the gorgeous Columbus Theatre on Broadway on August 21; 28; and September 4 (featuring Tributary, a documentary about tribute bands, and a short about the Potato Head phenomenon); September 18 (highlighted by Iraq Under Siege and two shorts by local filmmaker Laura Colella); and September 25 (with the return of the DFILM Digital Film Festival, which offered a remarkable array of digital shorts last year). The shows, which include additional films, start at 8 p.m. and admission is $4. For more info, check the nifty new Web site at www.picturestart.org.

Additional volunteers and sponsors, including the Hive Archive and the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, have helped to propel the growth of the series. Summing up the 2002 season, Archambault says, "After four years of doing this, we [fellow organizers Laura Mullen, Ralph Goudreau, and Jack McKenna] know some of the dos and don'ts a little bit better. We're in our adolescent years as film curators."

Looking ahead, the organizers of the Picture Start Film/Video Collaborative are exploring the possibility of forming a production alliance among local filmmakers and conducting additional screenings outside of the summer series. One possibility under discussion is doing film nights in conjunction with the Providence Black Repertory Company on Westminster Street in downtown Providence.

Ian Donnis can be reached at idonnis[a]phx.com.

Issue Date: August 16 - 22, 2002