Austin doesn’t lack for festivals. In fact, it doesn’t even lack for festivals that nudge the status quo. But this year’s inaugural Contrast Film Festival decided to turn the average film fest upside down, inside out, and through a loop. Jeremy von Stilb and Tish Sparks created Contrast not for cinephiles but for the movie-curious, with the hope of nurturing would-be film lovers. They screened new films and cult classics, they showcased the most radical queer- and women-created cinema out there, and they threw some outlandish and awesome afterparties to boot. What’s more, they did it on the cheap, making badges jaw-droppingly affordable. We can’t wait to see what they do for round two.
