The 2021 No Coast Film Festival got off to a rousing start Friday night.
The first evening of films kicked off with a screening of the short film “The Beauty and the Grit” created by Emporia resident and former Kansas Poet Laureate Kevin Rabas. Rabas says it was an honor to be featured in the festival and to represent his community.
The film tells the story of a young woman who recently left a mental institution who is planning to “go on the road” stopping into a coffee shop where her boyfriend tries to convince her not to leave. The film was shot in Emporia with many friends of Rabas assisting with the production in a variety of roles.
Rabas’ film was also shot in black and white on a “shoestring budget.” During an interview with KVOE News, a comparison was jokingly made to the cult classic film “Clerks” which launched the career of noted filmmaker Kevin Smith and was shot under similar conditions.
Rabas quipped that maybe Beauty and the Grit could be “our clerks.”
Rabas says he hopes his film can demonstrate that engaging and entertaining films do not need a million dollars worth of special effects or A-list celebrity actors. He says all you truly need is a vision, a compelling story and a passion for what you are doing.
The 2021 No Coast Film Festival will continue at 10 am until 7:30 pm Saturday before the final day of the festival begins Sunday morning and concludes at 7 pm Sunday evening with the annual awards presentation. For a full schedule be sure to visit NoCoastFilmFest.com.
Admission to the festival is completely free to the public and due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, masks will be required inside the Granada without proof of vaccination.