Film fest offers marquee mystique

Want to see Faye Dunaway as a one-armed Memphis police detective battling a zombie Elvis wannabe in Wales?

You can, in a movie called "Flick," which screens at 7 p.m. April 25 during the 10th annual On Location: Memphis International Film Fest.

The festival begins Thursday, with "Prom Night in Mississippi" and continues through April 26 on all four of the theater's screens at Malco's Ridgeway Four, 5853 Ridgeway Center Pkwy.

"For our 10th anniversary, we've really gone all out to include people from all demographics and all walks of life," said On Location president Lisa Bobal.

April 24 is "Cinema for Seniors" day: Admission is $5 before 5 p.m. for any moviegoer 55 or older. (The selections include the documentary, "Garrison Keillor: The Man on the Radio in the Red Shoes.")

April 25 is "Kids First!" day, with free screenings for children until noon of such films as "The Velveteen Rabbit."

Margaret Hyde's Oscar-nominated made-in-Memphis short documentary "The Witness: From the Balcony of Room 306" screens at 7 p.m. April 24. Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, the subject of the film, will attend and answer questions. Another documentary from a Memphis moviemaker screens that night, at 9:30: Brittany Blockman's "Bi the Way," about trends in sexual identity among young people.

The fest focuses on the "international" part of its name with its 7:30 p.m. April 24 screening of "Du Bist Nicht Allein (You Are Not Alone)," a comedy from Germany, set in a crowded apartment building; and its 1:30 p.m. April 26 screening of Nigeria's "Ibadan -- Cradle of Literati." Director Femi Odugbemi will attend.

Music fans aren't being ignored: In addition to music videos, the festival is screening documentaries on Sam Cooke, Johnny Cash and "rock radio."

Also, the festival has sponsored a pair of inaugural contests, including a Songwriting Competition, to seek a suitable theme for the event, and a Young Film Critic Competition, in partnership with The Commercial Appeal. The winning film critic's entry will be published April 24 in GoMemphis.

Passes good for all festival events, including parties and screenings, are $75 each and are available through onlocationmemphis.org.

Except as noted above, tickets to individual film programs are $8.50 each, available at the box office or in advance through malco.com.

More information on some films will appear in GoMemphis on April 24.

For a full festival schedule, visit onlocationmemphis.org.

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