Corridor Four - Trailer from Stephen Tringali on Vimeo.
WASHINGTON — Last year’s star-studded lineup included Robert Duvall and Bob Woodward.
Now, the seventh annual Washington West Film Festival returns Oct. 26-30 to Reston, Virginia.
“It started in Fall of 2011 with really a dream and one theater,” president and founder Brad Russell told WTOP. “We had 700 people show up. … We crossed 3,500 attendees last year and we had over 500 films submitted. So, we’ve got filmmakers from around the world now. … All over Europe, we had a submission from Syria, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Asia, all over the world.”
The main hub for screenings is the Bow Tie Cinemas at Reston Town Center, while other events will be held at Arlington Arts Center, Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse, CenterStage, Gum Spring Library, LMO, Refraction, Sterling Library and Wiehle-Reston East Metro Station.
Thursday
Opening night kicks off Thursday with the world premiere of the powerful new documentary “Corridor Four,” chronicling the heroics and aftermath of 9/11 first responder Isaac Ho’opi’i.
“We’re honored to world premiere a film about a Northern Virginia man, an unsung hero who saved over 15 people in the Pentagon,” Russell said. “He disobeyed orders and kept going into the black, toxic smoke and pulling more people out, then eventually went home and didn’t tell anybody. … Our team has discussed it at length: the heroism is obvious with who he rescued, but the way he has dealt with the PTSD is very heroic as well — and it’s influencing others.”
After the screening, get ready for a Q&A with Ho’opi’i, his family, his bandmates and the husband-and-wife filmmakers, director Stephen Tringali and producer Maria Bissell.
“My family has known [Isaac] for a long time,” Bissell said. “When we heard what he did on Sept. 11, we thought, ‘Oh, that’s so Isaac. Of course he’d run into a building and save people.”
But the filmmakers soon realized there was a much deeper layer to his heroism.
“He still didn’t feel like he had done enough and he really had survivor’s guilt,” Tringali said. “While there’s lots of hardship, it ultimately is a warm, feel-good story. The love between him and his family was so great that he was able to move past this traumatic situation.”
Likewise, the notion of family has also sustained the filmmaking duo, who recently got married in 2016. Guess who they chose to officiate the ceremony? Isaac Ho’opi’i himself.
“We did this while simultaneously planning our wedding, so there were wedding arguments and then edit arguments,” Tringali joked, to which Bissell added, “It was a very emotional process, but if we can make it through that as a couple, I feel like we can keep going through a lot of things. It was a good test: Can you stay married if you make a documentary together?”
The answer is yes. Just ask Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine, who triumphed at the Oscars.
Friday
On Friday, get ready for the highly anticipated documentary “Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives,” chronicling the career of music mogul Clive Davis, who will be in attendance.
“Many would agree he is the most well respected, celebrated, Grammy-winning producer,” Russell said. “The documentary is about his life and career. He discovered and produced Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, the list is so long. … Our team has said that when they’ve seen it, they’d sing Whitney Houston nonstop for a couple of days.”
Last year’s celebrity guest Robert Duvall, who lives in Virginia, will be on hand to introduce the Davis documentary. Afterward, stick around for a Q&A and Halloween-style party.
“He’s coming to our Friday night masquerade party afterward,” Russell said. “The ticket includes a fun masquerade party outdoors at the Reston Pavilion. … He famously throws the biggest post-Grammy party in Hollywood, and he’s going to be here at our party Friday night.”
Saturday
Saturday brings the “Surf & Turf” program, a duo of documentaries on adventure sports.
“One is about a group of world-class surfers looking for big waves that have never been surfed [in] Iceland,” Russell said. “Then ‘Run Mama Run’ is about a Virginia runner who broke the one-mile high school record [as] the first to train for the Olympics while pregnant.”
Saturday also brings a free outdoor concert with TV music composer W.G. Snuffy Walden.
“He’s famous in L.A. for being one of the best television music composers,” Russell said. “He wrote ‘The West Wing,’ ‘Nashville,’ ‘Friday Night Lights’ and ‘The Wonder Years.’ It’s like 64 shows now I think. He is going to perform with Sara Niemietz. They are remarkable. They have lines outside in Hollywood waiting for their concerts all the time. [But our] concert is free.”
On Saturday night, “Modern Family” star Ty Burrell will offer a sneak peek at Season 9.
“We’re going to show a November episode before it airs obviously in November,” Russell said. “So it’s an advanced screening and [Burrell] is going to offer a fun Q&A following.”
Sunday
Burrell will stick around on Sunday for a special “Kids in the Spotlight” block of short films.
“He’ll be with us Sunday at noon to showcase some of these kids and their films,” Russell said. “They take foster kids, pair them with professional filmmakers and teach them not only filmmaking but how to tell their stories, some of which are horrific. It’s very therapeutic.”
It all culminates Sunday night with “A Conversation with Bradford Young and Common.” The famed cinematographer and rapper collaborated on the soundtrack for “Selma” (2014).
“[Young] told us, ‘I wanna be there if I finish ‘Star Wars,'” Russell said. “He just finished shooting the new ‘Star Wars’ and he’s coming. He and rapper/activist Common, they’ve made two short films that are remarkable about race today in America. We’re going to show both short films, then have a great interview with them. We’re going to talk about their passions, some of their career [highlights], but really what they’re trying to raise awareness toward.”
Not only is there a star-studded lineup, there’s a worthwhile cause behind it all.
“We really believe that story can change the world,” Russell said. “We give away our box office. 100 percent of box office net proceeds are given to communities that struggle with hunger, illness or limited education. We do that not just because we care about communities in need, but we’re really trying to change screenings into story education. … We’re championing stories that connect everyday people not just to one another but the idea of making a difference.”
Unlike other festivals, Washington West puts its money where its mouth is.
“We keep saying when we grow to 100,000 attendees, that will be about a million dollars in box office that we’re giving away each year,” Russell said. “That’s our big goal.”
Click here for more details. Listen to our full chat with the festival founder and filmmakers below:
