You guys. It’s November! You know what that means?
WHOA. Hold your reindeer. No, I’m not talking about the holidays… It’s SWEDEFEST time! Swedefest 15 is rapidly approaching – we’re just under a week away from one of Fresno’s most enjoyable and entertaining, free, all-ages events.
“But wait, I’ve been living under a cozy rock for many years and I have no idea what Swedefest is!” Don’t worry – I am here to help.
Basically, Swedefest is a really fun, free screening event for short (4 minutes or less!) films made by people just like yourself (unless you’re a professional movie director that is) – who have access to a video camera, perhaps some basic editing software, and a bit of extra time to gather a cast and crew to create their very own sweded film. By definition, swedes are low-budget, summarized recreations of popular Hollywood movies or t.v. shows, according to Swedefest founders Bryan Harley and Roque Rodriguez. Swedes are supposed to be campy and fun -featuring things like cardboard sets, condiments in place of slime for special effects and toy section props.
If you’d like to make a swede for the festival, the first 20 swedes submitted will be screened and you can find instructions on submission here. You definitely will want to get on it asap though, because all submissions must be turned in no later than 11:59pm this Sunday night, November 8th.
Don’t have enough free time (or spare cardboard) to make a swede in time for this year’s event? No worries – you can (and should!) still come and watch! Swedefest 15 will be held on Thursday, November 12th at 7pm at the historic Tower Theater. Doors open at 6:30pm, snacks and beverages will be available for purchase (admission is free) and usually the theater does fill up, so I do recommend arriving at least a few minutes before 7pm. Typically, the event runs about 90 minutes, so feel free to bring the whole family, as it won’t get too late and often, many swedes feature students, too. Who knows, your tween might get inspired to create their own swede, then go on to a career in film, become the next Spielberg and help you retire to a beautiful island. (It could happen!)
Swedefest was founded right here in Fresno, and the event has been so well received, that the founders have been asked to advise for other cities who have since started their own Swedefest events across the country! To watch some amazing swedes from past events, check out the archives here. Or, watch one of Bryan and Roque’s own swedes (and my personal favorite, all time) here:
I’ll see you at Swedefest 15!
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