Just like last year, on April 19^th the city of Columbus will be in Deep Focus. Earlier this week Melissa Starker, the Assistant Editor of Columbus Alive!, announced this year’s film line-up.

At last year’s festival we discovered Brick, which turned out to be one of my personal favorite films of the year. This year, we get a full slate of great films to wet your palette. Here is the full schedule with some event info to boot:

Opening Night Gala: “Waitress”

From the late actress-turned-director Adrienne Shelley comes a funny, charming fable about a small-town waitress (Keri Russell) whose joys and frustrations come out through her amazing pie-making abilities. Ohio premiere. Screening Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. Join us after the film for a gala party at TBD Tavern.

“After the Wedding”

The Brothers creative team of Susanne Bier and Anders Thomas Jensen return to the Deep Focus Film Fest with this Danish, Oscar-nominated drama, in which Mads Mikkelsen (the heavy in Casino Royale) portrays an orphanage worker in India forced to return home and face his difficult past. Columbus premiere. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 5:45 p.m.

“Air Guitar Nation”

Words can’t describe the singularly thrilling experience of Alexandra Lipsitz’s hilarious yet respectful documentary, following the first American contestants to compete in the World Air Guitar Championship in Finland. Screening Friday, April 20, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 6 p.m. Join us after the Friday show at the Lodge Bar, when local air guitarists will face off to win an actual guitar.

“Broken English”

Zoe Cassavetes makes her filmmaker debut with this romantic comedy in which Parker Posey’s thirtysomething New Yorker starts reevaluating her romantic expectations, right about the same time a possible Mr. Right appears. Ohio premiere. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 3:15 p.m.

“Dare Not Walk Alone”

Jeremy Dean uses amazing, never-before-seen archival footage of racial clashes in St. Augustine, Florida, America’s oldest city, to spotlight the role the town played in the passage of the Civil Rights Act and take a hard look at the legacy left behind. Ohio premiere. Screening Friday, April 20, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 5:30 p.m.

“Family Law”

From Argentine filmmaker Daniel Burman comes a lighthearted look at a successful man who finds that with the responsibilities of new parenthood comes a need to grow up and develop more respect for his own father. Columbus premiere. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 8:30 p.m. Join our sister publication Fronteras after the film for a Latino dance party at Sugar Bar.

“Fido”

The Matrix’s Carrie-Ann Moss and Billy Connolly star in this terrific, retro zombie comedy about keeping up with the Joneses when most of the planet has been taken over by the undead. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 10:15 p.m.

“Maxed Out”

The subject of a recent Nightline segment, James Scurlock’s documentary examines America’s ever-increasing debt, the predatory practices of credit companies and the personal fallout. Columbus premiere. Screening Friday, April 20, at 9 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 5:45 p.m.

“Paprika”

Satoshi Kon’s eye-popping anime feature centers on a device built to enter another person’s dreams, but which ultimately has the power to punch holes in the fabric separating dreams from waking life. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 8 p.m.

Closing Night Selection: “The Hip-Hop Project”

Executive produced by Bruce Willis and Queen Latifah, this inspiring documentary captures a New York City program that channels teens’ true-life experiences into powerful hip-hop wordsmithing. Columbus premiere. Screening Sunday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m.

“World’s Best Commercials”

This crowd-pleasing program presents award-winning ads from the Cannes International Ad Festival. Screening Saturday, April 21, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, April 22, at 4 p.m.

Also being featured at the Fest is three days of Modern Classics, favorite films that are celebrating Anniversaries. Friday will showcase “Moonstruck”, starring Cher and Nicholas Cage as well as “Romy & Michelle’s High School Reunion”. Saturday will feature Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and two more films to be named later. And finally on Sunday, the readers of Columbus Alive chose “Remember the Titans “for the Sports Film Spotlight.

So as you can see, it is quite a menu, full of assortment and delicacies from all over. Personally, I am most excited about “Air Guitar Nation,” but there is definitely something for everyone.

Tickets have been on sale since March 29 at the Arena Grand Box Office and are available at arenagrand.com. For updates, trailers and more, take a look at DeepFocusFilmFest.com. I will have full coverage of the festival right here at The Columbus Movie Guy as well…

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