Charleston Film Festival is here

Brrrrrr.

"Cold Soldiers," an independent film from writer-director Nick Smith of Charleston, will serve as tonight's opening feature for the inaugural Charleston Film Festival, which runs through Sunday at the Terrace Theatre on James Island and the Hippodrome Wide Screen downtown.

Billed as "The Bourne Identity" meets "The Dirty Dozen," Smith's action-thriller was shot entirely in the Lowcountry, engaging more than 300 local actors, filmmakers and support workers over the course of a year's preproduction and shooting. It stars Trevor Erickson, who also served as co-producer and stunt/fight coordinator, as well as R.W. Smith, Jimmy Hager, Michael Easler, Sandra VanNatta, John Brennan and Charlie Thiel.

Chief crew members included Steve Zimmerman, Mark Gorman and Arlene Lagos.

The initial 7:30 p.m. screening at the Terrace already is sold out, encouraging organizers to add a 9:45 p.m. show.

The admission price for all film groupings will be $10 per ticket.

The CFF marks the swan song on James Island of soon-to-be-former Terrace owner Mike Furlinger, who, following the festival, turns over the reins of the Terrace to new owners Paul Brown and Barbara Tranter, a husband-and-wife filmmaking team relocating from the Toronto area.

Among the showcase events are screenings of the features "Creation" (Friday), "The Red Baron" (Friday), and "Crazy Like a Fox" (Saturday), special showings of Akira Kurosawa's classic "Seven Samurai," and a Green Block on Thursday combining comedic shorts with such topical documentaries as "The Whole Truth" and "Acid Test." The latter will be followed by a panel discussion sponsored by Natural Resources Defense Council.

Apart from "Cold Soldiers," locally produced entries include reprise screenings of "All for Liberty," "The Curious Mister Catesby" and the debut of the short film "Letters From Home," the latter shot on the set of "Army Wives" by sisters Karen and Keva Keyes.

This short precedes the 7:30 screening of "Cold Soldiers."

On Saturday, there is a Gay Pride block of films beginning at 7:15 p.m.

The CFF also hosts the world premiere of Canadian director Lee Chambers' short film, "When Life Gives You Lemons," an eight-minute comedy-drama on which influential director Roger Corman served as executive producer. The film was produced as part of the award-winning Make It Short Film Project, an annual not-for-profit educational film workshop.

On Saturday at 11:30 a.m., Palmetto State movie theater historians Mark Tiedje and John Coles of Mount Pleasant, authors of "Movie Theaters of Charleston," will host a film and panel discussion titled "The Brightest Spot on Main Street: The History of South Carolina Movie Theaters." Tickets are $1.

The only events not housed at the Terrace will be the dual Kurosawa screenings (Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m.) and the closing festival gala and awards ceremony, all of which will be held downtown at the Hippodrome Wide Screen.

All tickets for the gala are $5, which includes open bar and food.

For further information, including showtimes and ticket, go online at www.charlestonfilmfestival.com.

Reach Bill Thompson at bthompson@postandcourier.com or 937-5707.