Prairie Lights 2014, that’s a wrap!
On behalf of everyone at the Grand Theatre and all the great Nebraska filmmakers, we want to say “Thank You” to everyone who attended the 2nd Annual Prairie Lights Film Festival!
Be sure to like the Facebook page to find photos and news articles about this year’s festival and if you attended the festival this year, please take a minute to fill out this survey on your experience.
Once again, thank you to everyone who attended and we’ll see you again next year!
Prairie Lights starts this Friday, Sept 12th at 6pm!
The Prairie Lights Film Festival kicks off this Friday, September 12th! Festivities start at 6pm with a red carpet premiere, and with trailers for upcoming Nebraska films, a performance by Mindless Machines, and an introductory speech before kicking off the night with THE AVIATION COCKTAIL.
Passes can be picked up at the boxoffice!
Prairie Lights Badges are in! Order Your Weekend Passes now!
Weekend badges for the 2nd Annual Prairie Lights Film Festival are in! All badges come with the following:
- Free popcorn vouchers
- Free soda vouchers
- Discounts at Bonzai Pizza, Sin City Grill, and The Chocolate Bar
- Entrance to all 36 films over the course of 3 days!
- Entrance to all filmmaker Q&A discussions
- All for the low price of $10!
Be sure to pre-order a 3 Day Weekend Pass right here and be sure to check out Boarders hotel if you need a discounted room for the weekend!
Official Schedule and Lineup for the 2014 Prairie Lights Film Festival!
Here it is, folks! The official schedule and lineup for the 2014 Prairie Lights Film Festival!
We will be screening over 35 films during the course of the 3 day film festival event. Dozens of short films and 10 feature length films, including Alexander Payne’s NEBRASKA and ABOUT SCHMIDT!
We also have a plethora of awesome guest filmmakers who will be performing Q&A’s of their films which you can find right here.
On top of that, we have multiple World Premiere’s including A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY (shot at the Grand Theatre), REMISSION, COULROPHOBIA, and IMMORTAL DARKNESS.
The film festival will also include a number of performances by local band Mindless Machines, a music video block, and a number of Filmmaker mixers at local eateries Sin City Grill and The Chocolate Bar.
Weekend passes are on sale for $10 right now! All passes are good for every movie during the 3 day event. Additionally, you get free popcorn, free soda, and food discounts at Bonzai, Sin City Grill, and The Chocolate Bar throughout the course of the weekend.
Out of town visitors can secure discount hotel rooms at Boarders!
So get your passes, and join us for the Red Carpet opening ceremony beginning at 6pm, Friday, September 12th!
Aaron Gum’s BENT OVER NEAL to screen at the PLFF!
The PLFF is super excited to announce a screening of the feature length film BENT OVER NEAL! Here’s the synopsis
Bent Over Neal is a dramedy, filmed entirely in Omaha and Council Bluffs, about shlub Neal, whose father passing has sent him into a midlife crises that puts his best friend and brother-in-law, Rob, in an awkward position. The results are unexpected and life changing for Neal and his family.
BENT OVER NEAL will be the lead in to Alexander Payne’s ABOUT SCHMIDT and will screen Sunday, September 14th at 2:30pm. Be sure to get your $10 weekend passes to secure a viewing of this great indie film!
Bill Frakes’ A TEACHER REMEMBERED to screen at the PLFF!
We are pleased to announce that Bill Frakes’ short film A TEACHER REMEMBERED will screen at this year’s festival! A short documentary about a real life teacher and what she meant to the filmmaker.
Come see it as it kicks off the Sunday morning block of films on September 14th! Get your weekend passes now for only $10!
Dan Iske’s HUNTED and ANDROID BRIDE to screen at the PLFF!
The Prairie Lights Film Festival is proud to welcome back Omaha filmmaker Dan Iske of The Dead Hour for a screening of two new episodes of his fantastic webseries: HUNTED and ANDROID BRIDE.
ANDROID BRIDE is a horrific love story while HUNTED centers around a group of eager young workers looking to climb the corporate ladder only to get sucked into a game for their lives.
Come see both fantastic entries on the big screen at the historic Grand Theatre during the Saturday night Thriller Short Film Block! And order your $10 weekend passes right now!
Justin Wieczorek and James Kriha’s ROADS and UNBEARABLE to screen at the PLFF!
We are excited to announce two short films by area filmmakers Justin Wieczorek and James Kriha of Dry Rain Films! Prairie Lights will be screening both ROADS and UNBEARABLE. Here’s the synopsis for both:
ROADS is a psychological thriller of a man that will do any thing to change his wrongs for the safety of his family.With the economy in a slump, a mother has been rejected to be covered on her insurance for past due bills as she tries her best to keep her family united in UNBEARABLE.
Check out the film during the 90 minute Short Film Block on Saturday, September 13th. Check the full schedule for times and don’t forget to order your $10 weekend passes!
Colleen Kenney’s OF POETRY AND PIGEONS to screen at the PLFF!
We are pleased to announce that Colleen Kenney’s OF POETRY AND PIGEONS will screen at this year’s festival!
Acclaimed poet Don Welch walks on the concrete of the University of Nebraska at Kearney campus this late summer day. People see him, and he stops to chat. He walks to a bronze statue of a man that stands just south of the library, a happy-looking man with glasses, an open book of poetry, and these words at his feet:
Don Welch.
Teacher. Poet.
Few people ever earn a statue for their life’s work. Don has one. (And maybe few people of his stature who have a statue would ever do what he does next – pretend to wipe off the pigeon poop.)
“It’s my job to keep the bird doo-doo off my own head.”
He laughs.
“Which is kind of a labor of love, really.”
Welch was the Martin Distinguished Professor of English and the Reynolds Chair of Poetry at UNK. His many national honors include the prestigious Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry, judged by the poet William Stafford. His friend and fellow Nebraska poet, former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, once said this about him:
Don Welch lives in Nebraska and is one of those many talented American poets who have never received as much attention as they deserve. His poems are distinguished by the meticulous care he puts into writing them, and by their deep intelligence.
In 2013 Welch, a Nebraska native and UNK alumnus, retired from teaching at UNK after 50 years. In 2014, he produced his 15th book of poems: Morning: Last Poems.
In this short film by award-winning Nebraska storyteller Colleen Kenney, Welch invites viewers into his Kearney home to share in two of his biggest passions:
Poetry and pigeons.
Check out the film during the 90 minute Short Film Block on Saturday, September 13th. Check the full schedule for times and don’t forget to order your $10 weekend passes!