Ren Faire: Episode 1
West Coast theatrical premiere, with director Lance Oppenheim in person
Sunday, April 7
1:00pm
2220 Arts + Archives
Director: Lance Oppenheim
USA, 2024, 57 minutes, DCP
When the aging king of America's largest renaissance festival declares his retirement, an epic power struggle ensues between an actor, a former elephant trainer, and a kettle-corn kingpin to claim his throne.
Documentary wunderkind Lance Oppenheim (Some Kind of Heaven) brings his maximalist style and arch sense of humor to his largest canvas yet, following the working lives and foibles of the aging founder and dedicated staff of the Texas Renaissance Festival. As they battle through a tense succession plan that will determine the future of the festival, Oppenheim’s frenzied “docu-fantasia” reaches increasingly operatic heights. We are thrilled to present a special theatrical screening of the first episode of Oppenheim's three-part series with the filmmaker in conversation.
An HBO Documentary Films series
Official Selection: South by Southwest Film Festival
Starring: George Coulam, Jeffrey Baldwin, Louie Migliaccio, Brandi Baldwin, Darla Smith
Executive Producers: Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Dani Bernfeld, David Gauvey Herbert, Lance Oppenheim.
For HBO: Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez
Co-Executive Producers: Abigail Rowe, Christian Vazquez, Max Allman
Producers: Nicholas Nazmi, Karen Bernstein, Dani Sloane