In The News
February 1, 2008Local artist's passion blossoms into city's first film festival
By Sarah Koci Staff WriterSeventeen years ago, Naperville resident Edmond Coisson took the role that brought him to filmmaking, a career that would lead to co-founding the upcoming Naperville Independent Film Festival: a sleazy maitre d'.
In 1991, Coisson took a job with a director for a local access channel. A read-through with another cast member revealed a sub-par script, Coisson said."The English was not quite proper, the lines were nothing worth jiving," Coisson said.
He and the fellow actress suggested improvisation, telling the director that would create stronger characters. The scene was only shot once, and even the cameraman was flabbergasted at the improvement, Coisson said.That same day, Coisson decided to go back to work in the cinema industry.
"I said, if this guy writes in this manner and can make movies, I know I'm better than that," he said.
Edmond Coisson left Italy for America at age 25, leaving behind a career in stage acting. His first job here was as a waiter for a cruise line in Los Angeles.
Though he pursued different jobs, his love for acting and writing never waned, he said. He took some acting jobs, including the one at the local access channel. After that performance, Coisson enrolled in classes at the Screenwriters Group in Chicago to strengthen his skills.
About five years ago, Coisson began his first short story, which developed into a screenplay. Submission to film festivals was often met with denial, he said. "As you progress, you keep getting rejected."
When his wife, Glessna Coisson, suggested they start their own film festival, Coisson at first shook his head, he said. "I said, do you know how much money it would take to do something like that?" But when Glessna met Gary Pradel at a Chamber of Commerce event, the film festival became a reality. He and Pradel hit it off right away, Coisson said.
"Gary and I were on the same level in the film industry," Coisson said. With their mutual love for the arts, their friendship "blossomed right off the bat. He was as driven as we were, perhaps even more."His first objective, Coisson said, was to investigate how to make the best film festival possible. His research took him as far as Anderson, Nevada - just outside Las Vegas - for the International Film Festival Summit, where he met other film festival organizers.
After sharing stories, Coisson said, he learned he was "not a newbie like I thought I was," he said.Coisson and the rest of the Naperville Independent Film Festival organizers are getting the word out about the September 24 to 27 festival using the filmmaker Web site Withoutabox.com. The site tells directors and writers about upcoming festivals and how to submit their work.
To set Naperville's film festival apart from others, Coisson said he hopes to give the directors and writers more feedback on their submissions. Aside from the jury that decides the winners, Coisson said he wants to establish a second jury of industry experts to provide suggestions for improving the film. "A successful screenplay is the one that never gives up," he said. Professional input, along with recommended resources such as classes or books, will pinpoint the film's weaknesses and propel it to the next level, Coisson said.
Coisson said he hopes Naperville residents who attend the festival will wonder why something like this was never done before, and be glad that they were able to see new, original films and learn from professionals. "If you do good work, good will come back to you," Coisson said. "We should get a bunch of good feedback from all over."
The Naperville Independent Film Festival
Months away from the first Naperville Independent Film Festival, submissions have already arrived. They're rolling in from everywhere, it seems, besides Naperville.
Many films have arrived from different states, primarily on the East and West coasts, said Gary Pradel, co-founder of the festival. Some have even arrived from Australia, Italy and France. So far, just one film is from a director in Naperville.
As of Jan. 15, 55 films had been entered, according to festival co-founder Edmond Coisson. Pradel said the organizers are hoping for at least 200 submissions total. This will provide plenty of variety within each genre, he said.
"We want to encourage people to go and see something they would not normally see," Pradel said.
The festival will take place from Sept. 24 to 27. Visit the Naperville Independent Film Festival's Web site at www.naperfilm.org.
www.naperfilm.org
