The 2008 First Person Arts Festival officially got underway last night with a wayyyy sold-out Rick Nichols event down on Passyunk Avenue. But tonight, this festival of memoir throughout many forms of media swings into high gear. After the jump, in video and pictures, we throw down with our top picks for the fest. Enjoy!

Wednesday, Nov 12

Complaint Choir

Artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen’s Complaints Choirs are already something of an international sensation, but tell the truth: Nobody complains like Philadelphians can complain. So it would only stand to reason that The Philadelphia Complaint Choir should stand out as a festival highlight. (The video above is from a rehearsal performance last week in Suburban Station.)
ALSO RECOMMENDED: Best Impressions, the awards ceremony and presentation for First Person Arts’ competition in documentary films, memoirs and photographs.

Thursday, Nov 13

Okie Noodling 2

Not sure how exactly this fits into First Person’s program of largely local storytelling, but hell, we’ll watch a bunch of hicks wrestle giant catfish any old time.

Friday, Nov 14

FOUND

Found magazine editor and frequent This American Life contributor Davy Rothbart has been through town showing off his collection of absurd, hilarious and sometimes disturbing found photographs, letters and objects many times, but each time he does, the grab bag is different and new disciples are made. In addition to Rothbart’s presentation/talk, there will also be found items on exhibit in the Painted Bride lobby, and of course, auidience members are encouraged to bring their own weird shit they found on the street.
ALSO RECOMMENDED: Swallow Your Pride, an unflinching doc about Wingbowl participants, with El Wingador himself in attendance. Caution: You will almost definitely marf.

Saturday, Nov 15

Grand Slam

This is pretty much the World Series of the Story Slams that First Person Arts holds around the city each month, all year long. Above is January’s winner, Kendra Gaeta, who’ll be competing on Saturday along with FPA’s other 2008 monthly winners. What’s at stake? Nothing less than the title of “Best Storyteller in Philadelphia.”
ALSO RECOMMENDED: Double Time, a doc about our most favorite thing that we are entirely too uncoordinated to do, The Double Dutch.

View a complete schedule for First Person Arts 2008 here.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 at 4:24 pm.