<p><strong>F</strong>or the past year, “Parasite” has taken over the film world.</p><p>The thrilling tale of class conflict and betrayal by South Korean director Bong Joon-ho has been honored dozens of times, including winning the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for the best overall film, and a Golden Globe.</p><p>During the Academy Awards earlier this month, it took home four prestigious awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]<p>And next weekend, it’s coming to the big screen in Franklin.</p><p>“Parasite” has been chosen as one of four films to be featured in Best of the Fest, a yearly showcase of movies from the previous year’s Heartland International Film Festival.</p><p>While Bong’s award-winner is the most high-profile film being shown at the Historic Artcraft Theatre next weekend, it is hardly alone as an impactful and moving selection. Other movies featured include one produced by Bloomington-based Pigasus Pictures that was filmed at Broad Ripple High School; a documentary about the Holocaust directed by a Carmel native; and a comedy starring Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz.</p><p>“We have award-winners from local to international,” said Dave Windisch, marketing manager for Franklin Heritage, which operates the Artcraft. “We’re incredibly lucky to have a Cannes d’Or, a Golden Globe and an Oscar winner all within one year showing at our theater.”</p><p>The Artcraft has been teaming up with Heartland Film for the past eight years to host Best of the Fest. The event was born out of Heartland Film’s desire to be more visible throughout the year all over the state of Indiana. While their Heartland Film Festival is the centerpiece of their efforts, the event only enters the spotlight once a year. So organizers started planning more year-round activities.</p><p>That included hosting individual film events at theaters throughout Indiana. Since they started that program, the Artcraft has been one of the organization’s favorite stops, and has become one of the popular events on the Franklin theater’s yearly schedule.</p><p>Artcraft leaders work with the staff of Heartland Film to choose a variety of films for Best of the Fest. They typically include documentaries, as well as narrative features, both comedies and dramas, featuring recognizable actors. Past selections have had Indiana ties, such as documentaries on Eva Kor and the USS Indianapolis.</p><p>Those strategies again impacted the films that will be shown at the Artcraft on March 6 and 7.</p><p>“The Miseducation of Bindu” follows the story of a Bindu, a formerly homeschooled student thrust into a public school situation. She faces bullying and is miserable, begging her mother to let her take a test which will let her graduate.</p><p>The film was produced by Pigasus Pictures, which was formed in Bloomington and has become a leader in the Indiana film industry. The movie was shot in Broad Ripple.</p><p>“It’s a funny, good story. It’s a nice teen slice of life in one day. Think of movies like ‘The Breakfast Club’ and ‘Sixteen Candles.’ Those are the movies I relate to because it’s my generation,” Windisch said. “Watching ‘The Miseducation of Bindu’ and observing what a high school student goes through now, a lot of the same themes are there but it’s different in how it’s presented.”</p><p>“We Shall Not Die Now” is another film with Indiana ties. The documentary, which explores the tragedy of the Holocaust as well as the resilience of those that rebuilt their lives afterwards, was created by Ashton Gleckman. The Carmel filmmaker personally filmed over 25 interviews with survivors, liberators, scholars and others, spending more than a decade studying the Holocaust before making the film.</p><p>In contrast to that film is “Standing Up, Falling Down.” The comedy tells the story of a friendship between a struggling stand-up comedian and a charming and charismatic dermatologist struggling with alcohol dependency. The movie starts Crystal as the dermatologist and Schwartz, known for his roles on “Parks and Rec” and “House of Lies.”</p><p>“It’s their relationship and how they band together, told in a humorous kind of way,” Windisch said.</p><p>The slate is composed of highly regarded films who were all honored at the Heartland Film Festival; each one is a superb movie, Windisch said.</p><p>But “Parasite” is the centerpiece of this year’s Best of the Fest.</p><p>The film tells the story of Ki-taek and his family, a poor family living in South Korea. When Ki-taek gets a job with the wealthy Park clan, the rest of his family all slowly ingratiate themselves into the Parks’ lives. Eventually, they become tangled in an increasingly peculiar and dangerous situation.</p><p>“Parasite” has drawn critical acclaim about its look at class conflict and social inequality. In addition, it’s just a really great movie, Windisch said.</p><p>“It’s getting praise, people are discovering it, and now we get to show it,” he said. “Now, I need to get people to understand they need to see it on the big screen. There are scenes in this movie that are meant to be seen 35 feet wide, with such depth. I’m very excited to see how the audience reacts to it.”</p>[sc:pullout-title pullout-title="If you go" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><strong>Best of the Fest</strong></p><p>What: A selection of four of the best films during the 2019 Heartland International Film Festival</p><p>When: March 6 and 7</p><p>Where: Historic Artcraft Theatre, 57 N. Main St., Franklin</p><p>Admission: Tickets to each film are $7</p><p>Information: historicartcrafttheatre.org</p>[sc:pullout-text-end][sc:pullout-title pullout-title="At a glance" ][sc:pullout-text-begin]<p><strong>Best of the Fest schedule</strong></p><p>"The Miseducation of Bindu"</p><p>When: 7:30 p.m. March 6</p><p>Description: At 15, Bindu Chaudry has been thrust into public school. All she wants is to go back to homeschooling. In hopes of escaping the school bullies, Bindu tries to get her mother to sign a form to take a Spanish test, the only credits she needs to graduate high school, but her mother refuses.</p><p>"We Shall Not Die Now"</p><p>When: 2 p.m. March 7</p><p>Description: “We Shall Not Die Now” explores the Holocaust, where between 1939 and 1945, over six million Jews and 11 million others were systematically murdered by the Nazi regime. Seventy-five years after the conclusion of the war, this film seeks to explore not only the horrific human tragedy and what we can learn from it, but the resilience of those that rebuilt their lives in spite of the unimaginable.</p><p>"Standing Up, Falling Down"</p><p>When: 5 p.m. March 7</p><p>Description: A comedy about the unlikely friendship that kindles between a struggling stand-up comedian, and a tragically flawed, but charming and charismatic, alcoholic dermatologist. Starring Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz.</p><p>"Parasite"</p><p>7:30 p.m. March 7</p><p>Description: An out-of-luck family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks, as they ingratiate themselves into their lives and get entangled in an unexpected incident.</p>[sc:pullout-text-end]
