Gandhi takes cinema out to the ballgame

When people mention Mohandas Gandhi, it usually evokes images of Indian independence, social protests, fasting and Ben Kingsley. But Gandhi as a pinch hitter for the New York Yankees in 1933?

Gandhi at the Bat, a fictional newsreel-style short film, plays on a story written by Chet Williamson for The New Yorker in 1983 and shows film enthusiasts what it would have been like had Gandhi actually batted for the legendary team.

The film will be shown, along with 39 other films, during the eighth annual Nevada City Film Festival, August 14–17.

The film festival offers a sample of world cinema for every kind of film lover: from animated flicks in 3-D and clay to a piece about Americans who volunteered their skills to help the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua during the Cold War (American/Sandinista), and larger films, such as The Flyboys, about two small-town boys who accidentally board an airplane owned by members of the mob.

Other films to be showcased include Leaving Barstow; Now You See Me, Now You Don’t; Things I Have Learned; Twelve; and shorts produced by local filmmakers.

There also will be panel discussions about editing and music selection in film, and an appearance by director Mike Mills, who directed Thumbsucker and music videos for Sonic Youth, Moby, Pulp and Air.

A pre-party with filmmakers and judges will be Thursday, August 14, from 4 to 6 p.m., and an afterparty with the all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band Zepparella will be Saturday, August 16, at 9:30 p.m.

Tickets are $70 for a full movie pass, $10 for The Flyboys, and all other films are $9 for general admission or $7 for students and seniors. Panels are free and open to the public. For more information about the film festival, visit www.nevadacityfilmfestival.com.