The first night of the Sundial Film Festival drew hundreds of folks to the Cascade Theatre, where they were entertained by six original films, including “Angle of Inspiration,” a documentary about the making of the Sundial Bridge.
Jessica Abbe’s documentary was initially screened at the Cascade when the bridge opened, nearly five years ago, but footage of the opening ceremonies has been added to the end, including some incredible shots of July 4 fireworks. Nice reminder of what a marvel our bridge is.
The other films, ranging from claymation to dark comedy to an inspiring short about a shopping cart (!), showed how vital the regional film scene could be. Big screens around the theatre also showed a rotating display of still photos, some of them breath-taking.
The film festival resumes today with films at 2 p.m., a gala reception at 6 p.m. and an awards ceremony with screening of the winners at 7:30 p.m.
Now back to your regularly scheduled calendar:
- Turtle Bay Exploration Park wants to teach you and your kids all about plants today from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Crafts, face-painting and talks by the horticulture staff are all part of the event, and each child will get to plant a seed to take home and grow. Regular museum admission prices apply.
- Farther afield, the Smart Business Resource Center conducts a workshop in Weaverville next week for businesspeople interested in landing contracts with the U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies. The free workshop is slated for 9 a.m. until noon March 19 at 40B Glen Road in Weaverville.
- Down in Tehama County, transportation officials have set a public workshop for 6:45 p.m. Monday for discussion of plans to improve State Highway 99. The workshop at Lassen View School in Los Molinos will be a step toward forming at 20-year plan for the highway.
- Next Tuesday is St. Patrick’s Day, and Shasta County Public Health reminds everyone to avoid driving drunk. Designate a sober driver or call a taxi to get home. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 851 people have been killed in St. Patrick’s Day traffic accidents over the past five years nationwide; of that number, 327 were killed in accidents where one of the motorists were above the legal blood-alcohol level. Let’s be careful out there.
- While many of us are busy this weekend with the inaugural Sundial Film Festival, our friends up the road in Ashland, OR, have announced the schedule for the 8th Annual Ashland Independent Film Festival, which runs April 2-6. Tickets go on sale this weekend. To see the full schedule of events, click here.
Tips appreciated: Send news tidbits to steveb.anewscafe@gmail.com.
