The 12th-annual Julien Dubuque International Film Festival, April 26-30, 2023, likely will get more attention than it usually does.
That’s because “Game of Thrones” creator George R. R. Martin (a former Dubuque resident) will be back in the city for the fest on Wednesday, April 26 and Thursday, April 27, for screenings of Martin’s latest film, “Night of the Cooters.”
Last summer, George R. R. Martin’s adaptation of Howard Waldrop’s short story “Night of the Cooters” won best sci-fi at the LA Shorts International Film Festival.
Directed by Vincent D’Onofrio, who also stars, the short film — a “tall tale” about aliens invading Texas in the 1800s — is a passion project borne out of 60-odd years of friendship between Martin and Waldrop, according to Variety. The project is a combination of live action and state-of-the-art CGI.
“Night of the Cooters” was led by production studio Trioscope (“The Liberator”) and Ramin Djawadi (“Game of Thrones”) composed the score. HBO’s “Game of Thrones” (based on Martin’s fantasy novels) earned a total of 59 Emmy Awards, out of 160 nominations.
The showings of “Night of the Cooters” will be April 26 at 4 p.m. at the Five Flags Theater, Dubuque, and April 27 at 4:15 p.m. at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, Dubuque. Martin will take part in Q & A sessions after each screening and tickets are $20 each.
Midwest connections
A 74-year-old New Jersey native, Martin earned a bachelor’s in journalism from Northwestern University, Evanston.
As a conscientious objector, Martin did alternative service 1972-1974 with VISTA, attached to Cook County Legal Assistance Foundation, according to his website bio. He also directed chess tournaments for the Continental Chess Association from 1973-1976, and was a journalism instructor at Clarke College, Dubuque, from 1976-1978. He wrote part-time throughout the 1970s while working as a VISTA Volunteer, chess director, and teacher.
Martin became a full-time writer in 1979 and was writer-in-residence at Clarke College (now Clarke University) from 1978-79.
The Dubuque film festival attracts filmmakers and film lovers from around the world. Recognized as one of the “25 coolest film festivals in the world” and one of the “Top 50 film festivals worth the submission fee” by MovieMaker Magazine, JDIFF gets bigger and better every year, according to its website.
The festival is among the Top 100 Best-Rated Festivals on FilmFreeway.com (the leading film festival submission website), and has been recognized by Variety, AAA Living, and River Travel Magazine.
Since 2012, The Julien Dubuque International Film Festival has been dedicated to enriching the community and bridging cultures through the education and promotion of arts through independent film. JDIFF acknowledges emerging filmmakers from around the world and supports diverse and cause-related films.
For tickets and more information, visit the JDIFF website HERE.
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