For many folks, Stephen King is the consummate horror writer, as he damn well should be. His resume reads as a who’s who of speculative fiction, and his impact on the genre will be felt for generations after he’s gone from this world. One of the most interesting concepts the Maine native has is his “Dollar Baby” program, in which he will allow any film student, playwright, filmmaker, or other creator to obtain adaptation rights to a short story for just $1.
Since its inception in 1977, perhaps the most successful of his “Dollar Babies” is Frank Darabont, who went from adapting “The Woman in the Room” from Night Shift to directing The Shawshank Redemption, widely regarded as one of the greatest pieces of cinema of all time. Now, a collection of 25 films made under this initiative will see screenings for the very first time, as part of the Dollar Baby Film Festival.
Barker Street Cinema is putting on the show, as James Douglas and Norm Coyne, who are Dollar Babies themselves thanks to their film The Doctor’s Case three years ago, host. The festival, taking place from April 23rd-25th, will stream on the Barker Street Cinema YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo pages.
Both Douglas and Coyne have spoken to the substantial, if improbable, nature of this festival, with Douglas and Coyne respectively saying:
"I can personally attest to the impact the Dollar Baby initiative has had on my career as a filmmaker. Being able to share these stories with the world in this manner is unbelievably profound.”
"As storytellers, we were looking for ways to do our part to help provide an escape for people that wouldn’t cost them anything. The fact that James got the approval for an entire festival of stories from Stephen King himself is a total mind bender.”
For more information about the Dollar Baby Film Festival, check out the Barker Street Cinema website and check out the graphic below for the full schedule.
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