By Kevin Lee Associate Editor

Of all their ideas, this one has the most innate glitz and pizzazz. After all, nothing’s more American than the dazzle of the silver screen.

The Arts Alive! street festival kicks off its fourth year of existence with the theme “Lights, Camera, Interaction!” on Friday, Nov. 3 in downtown Mobile and it’s fitting for an event that, much like Hollywood, has grown notably from humble origins.

When the inaugural event unfolded in early November of 2003, the organizers’ expectations were modest but were surpassed with ease.

Subsequent renditions grew quickly. The timeframe was expanded, the incorporated sections of Conti Street grew and what was a two-and-a-half-hour event strung down three blocks became a four-hour festival that comprised over four blocks of street space with some participating venues reaching out north of Cathedral Square.

The springtime incarnation of the biannual celebration of the arts is a languid afternoon affair more akin to a family picnic.

The fall edition is more energetic with a zest brought by autumn’s arrival. The Friday evening time slot also seems to have a wider demographic appeal.

Toward that end, things have shifted. “We’re going from five until ten this time,” said festival organizer David Calametti. ””There was a need because we had enough people around on the streets that we knew the extra hour could work for us.”

The dates will shift from this point forward, too. “The spring event will change to the second-to-last Saturday in April,” said Calametti, “and the fall event will be moving to the last Friday in October.” The changes take advantage of the last weekend of daylight savings time and also beat the summer heat.

And the film theme? “That was inspired by the opening of the Crescent Theater on Dauphin Street,” said Calametti, who credited Main Street Mobile honcho Chris Barraza with the idea.

Barraza claimed revelation from the art house theater set to open next year plus outside occurrences. “I saw that pocket park on Dauphin that meets the side of the Saenger Theater,” said Barraza, “and thought how great it would be to set up an outdoor theater on that massive wall in there, kind of like ‘bricks-on-flicks’ events in other towns.”

Calametti, too, references other municipal film celebrations. “You know, you hear all this talk about how we should have a film festival in Mobile,” he said. “Maybe this will get things moving in that direction, toward something like Birmingham’s Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.” The eight-year-old Magic City event has experienced remarkable success.

“Besides, that parking lot at St. Emanuel and Conti is just begging to be made into a theater,” Calametti quipped.

The spot he mentions is a key focus. “The cinema venue at the corner of St. Emanuel will feature short films,” explained Calametti. “We put out a call to local filmmakers looking for entries.” The submissions will be judged by a panel and the best of the field shown.

Also screened at the eastern end of the street festival will be the results of a film scramble. Organizer Charlie Smoke explained that interested auteurs are asked to show up for a meeting in Cathedral Square on Friday, Oct. 27 where the parameters for the scramble will be explained. “I don’t want to divulge too much ahead of time,” said Smoke, “but we’re probably going to require that the films be shot downtown and contain certain elements.” The films are due on Halloween.

The event should be sponsored by Alabama Power since it looks to be the most electricity-intensive version of the festival thus far. “We’re setting up dramatic lighting in Cathedral Square,” said Calametti, “and down by Space 301 we’ll have a venue set up where Dr. Joseph Mitchell and a combo will be playing music from film scores.”

In another locale, Mobile musician Fred Baldwin will provide the soundtrack for silent movie classics. Calametti gave no indication of whether a “mighty Wurlitzer” will be included.

A particular nuts-and-bolts exhibition seems tantalizing. Local video guru Tom Stout will organize a hands-on project, “So You Want To Make A Movie?” Stout will shoot a scene involving attendees in the process of lighting a scene, blocking, sound, music, the whole ball of wax. “The greatest challenge of this,” said Stout, “is the editing steps since we usually don’t take editing workstations on location.” The finished project will be shown at the end of the night.

There will also be the usual assortment of vendors and booths lining the thoroughfare.

Space 301 will premiere the opening of its “Made In Birmingham” exhibit.

There will be exhibitions at the Arts Council’s Skinny Gallery, Chesser Gallery, Cathedral Square Gallery and the new Off.Dauph space on Jackson Street.

Alabama Contemporary Dance will have artist-in-residence Curtis Pierre giving lessons in hip-hop dance.

The extra hour of Arts Alive! will appeal to the adult set usually in greater attendance in the fall. “After nine, we’ll have some ‘after hours’ screenings,” said Calametti. “We’ll probably show a work of Tom Stout’s at an indoor venue, and some of the more adult-themed submissions at another indoor spot.”

This Arts Alive! looks to significantly further the long-range ambitions of the burgeoning arts district.

And you don’t need Panavision to see that big picture.

Kevin Lee is Lagniappe associate editor. Contact him at klee@lagniappemobile.com.

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