IFFBoston Watch: We Are Wizards

The Harry Potter fan base is an intense one, and they finally get their own movie. The film looks like it focuses on the Wizard Rock craze of recent years...which hey, thats cool..

Here is a description from the folks at IFFBoston:

"My dad is rich!" Woonsocket band Draco & the Malfoys sing in a bookshelf-lined room in a public library, "and your dad is dead!" The band members aren't crooning about their own lives, but from the viewpoint of Draco Malfoy, the evil nemesis of Harry Potter. Be aware: this group is not alone in its pursuit of Potter-inspired rock.

WE ARE WIZARDS is the latest piece from director Josh Koury, whose 2002 documentary STANDING BY YOURSELF was a nominee for Sundance's Grand Jury Prize. This film examines the phenomenon of Harry Potter fandom from a unique perspective, showcasing a sampling of people whose creative work is entirely based on their infatuation with the boy wizard. From "wizard rock" bands like Draco and Boston's own Harry & the Potters; to Brad Neely, an artist who found semi-stardom by creating "Wizard People, Dear Readers," a parody soundtrack to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; to a pair of brothers, aged four and seven, who play their own brand of "dragon rock" as The Hungarian Horntails; each sub-story is an intriguing nugget about artistry and inspiration.

Interviews with Melissa Anelli of Potter fan website "The Leaky Cauldron" and teenaged activist Heather Lawver (whose "Potter War" website challenged Warner Brothers to allow more fans to realize their Potter-inspired works without being threatened with legal action) help to highlight the complexities of creativity in the Internet age, where copyright owners are often the ones to decide if a project is inspiration or infringement.

-Erin Amar

NOTE: This film contains strong lanuage

A Harry Potter film with strong language? Score.

We Are Wizards will be playing on
Thu. April 26th @ 7:30 (featuring a live performance from Harry and the Potters) at the Coolidge Corner Theater
Sun. April 27th @ 2:15pm at the Somerville Theater

iffboston.org