In a student effort to promote independent filmmaking, the Heartland’s only showcase of alternative films and documentaries returns for its 18th year at SIUC on Friday.

The annual Big Muddy Film Festival will return to Carbondale for a ten-day run Feb. 23 – Mar. 3. The festival offers a mix of documentary, international, animated and experimental films, as well as feature-length screenings and award competitions.

Theodore Smith, commissioner for student affairs with Film Alternatives, said the festival is run to give filmmakers a vehicle for getting their films publicity and professional recognition.

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The Big Muddy Film Festival gives the directors an opportunity to recognize each other for their work, he said. Awards here are more for a personal level of achievement, something they can be proud of in movie-making circles.

The Big Muddy Film Festival began in 1978 to provide a showcase for both national and international film directors. Since then, the festival has gained recognition as one of the best festivals of its type in the Midwest, Smith said.

Tom Wilson, a 1983 SIUC graduate and producer of Mirage, one of the films being shown, said he has been looking for ways to market his films, and the Big Muddy Film Festival gives him a good opportunity to do this.

Right now, my film is being looked at by people in Germany, England and at the festival, he said. The Big Muddy Festival is good exposure for those involved. The important thing is that students and the community go out and see some of the screenings.

Rachel Goodlett, community outreach director, said the festival offers a special opportunity to expand the films to the community.

Showing films at the Women’s Center, the Illinois Migrant Council and the workshop for kids at the Carbondale Science Center gives us a great opportunity to expand this event to the community, she said. I have been received really well in setting up the showings. The response has been extremely positive.

This year’s festival will have multiple viewing sites for those wishing to see any of the presentations, Goodlett said. The University Museum Auditorium, the Student Center Auditorium and the Student Center Roman Room will be the campus sites for viewing. Pinch Penny Pub, Longbranch Coffee House and Tres Hombres also will show some of the movies.

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Jennifer Hardacker, graduate co-director for the festival, said entry into the festival was competitive, and this year’s selections will feature a broader focus compared to past festivals.

We had 230 films submitted this year and will show 65 over the ten days of the festival, she said. Our prescreening committee had a tough job sorting through all the diverse entries.

The festival is divided into three groups:competition films, feature films and guest presentations. There also are four award categories within the competition films group:narrative, experimental, documentary and animated.

The individual awards in the competitive division will be judged on originality, technical merit, innovation, message and focus, Hardacker said.

The majority of screenings will be free to the public; others cost $1. A detailed schedule of events will be available on the first day of screenings.