Dinosaurs, Time Travel Are Feature Topics At South Dakota Film Festival | Aberdeen Insider

Dinosaur enthusiasts interested in following a father and son on their journey exploring the world’s fascination with the Mesozoic era reptiles can do so at the South Dakota Film Festival.

“Why Dinosaurs?” is one of this year’s full-length feature films and will be shown on Sunday, Sept. 15.

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It follows Tony Pinto and his son James as they explore why people have such a curiosity and fascination with dinosaurs.

South Dakota Film Festival Executive Director Stephen Huber said the father-son duo from Montana talked to paleontologists, collectors and others. Their quest even takes them to foreign countries like China, Argentina and Morocco.

Montana is home to a dinosaur trail that features 14 stops where people can explore and learn about different paleontologist finds. Huber said that in-state focus on dinosaurs is what sparked the Pintos’ curiosity.

“Why Dinosaurs?,” selected as best documentary feature film, wraps up Sunday’s slate of family-friendly films.

South Dakota Film Festival opens Sept. 12

South Dakota Film Festival opens Thursday, Sept. 12 and continues through Sunday, Sept. 15. It features 65 films split into 10 sessions.

The second feature-length film, “Tim Travers & the Time Travelers Paradox,” will be shown during the 7 p.m. session on Saturday, Sept. 13.

In the movie, a mad scientist (Travers, played by Sam Duning) creates a time machine and goes back in time to kill his younger self, resulting in the existence of a man who cannot or should not exist.

Hence, the paradox.

At one point in the film, Huber said, Travers is surrounded by multiple versions of himself, each with different personality quirks.

The movie also stars Felicia Day, Danny Trejo, Keith David and Joel McHale.

Trejo especially has a notable acting history, including appearing in the “Spy Kids” series, “XXX,” “Lock Up,” “Heat,” “Anaconda,” “Six Days, Seven Nights” and many other movies.

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McHale played Jeff Winger in the popular TV series “Community” and hosted “The Soup” for more than a decade.

“Tim Travers & the Time Travelers Paradox” has been selected as best narrative feature at the South Dakota Film Festival, and Duning was selected as best actor.

A full schedule of events and details about the films playing in town next weekend can be found on the film festival’s website or in an insert in the Sept. 5 print edition of The Aberdeen Insider.

Sessions begin at:

• 6 and 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12
• 6 and 8:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13
• 10 a.m. and 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14
• 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15

There are a variety of ticket options, including a 10-session pass for $100 and a VIP pass for $250. It includes admission to the VIP room at the Capitol and afterparty events. Single-session tickets are $10. Individual VIP event passes are $25.

The after parties begin at 9:15 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13 and 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 at the Red Rooster Coffee House, 218 S. Main St., and Retrocade, 117 S. Main St., with festivities at Retrocade wrapping at midnight.

Festival features 3 local, 19 regional, 3 international films

As always, numerous interviews are planned featuring those involved with the films. Huber said 42 in-person interviews are planned with another 30 recorded interviews with filmmakers who are unable to attend.

Three shows were created locally:

• “Vile” by John Schwab, which is this year’s winner from 48Create.
• “Frank Ashford,” a documentary by Schwab.
• “Beige Noise”  by Alice Vogel.

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“Alice is one of those shining points of why we have film festivals,” Huber said.

Vogel grew up watching her dad John create films before starting to make her own.

“She’s going to go places,” Huber said.

Another 19 films were produced in either the Dakotas, Minnesota or Iowa. There are three international entries — from Canada, the United Kingdom and France.

Huber spoke highly of many of the films, from a modern western called “Ambush at St. Mary’s” to “Luki,” a silent, animated film intended to help viewers better understand amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often called ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“There’s not one film I wouldn’t recommend at this film festival,” he said. “There’s something for everyone.”