The Northfield Documentary Film Festival will take place on Thursday, April 20 from 7-9 pm at the Grand Event Center, 316 Washington Street, in downtown Northfield. This is another in the Third Thursday Presentation Series sponsored by the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation and the Grand Event Center.

During the evening, several short films about Northfield?s past will be featured. Leading off the evening will be ?The Jesse James Music Festival?, a 1978 film by Martin Schieckel, a 1977 Carleton College graduate. Martin currently lives in St. Paul and will be attending the showing of his film. Next will be ?The Cannon River,? produced by Dennis Wilcox and Paul Krause for the Northfield Community Video Project. This documentary was originally released in 2000 and was recently revised for the Northfield Sesquicentennial in 2005. It artfully and succinctly provides a look at the historical, cultural, environmental, aesthetic, and recreational aspects of the river.

The closing film will be a 1989 release titled ?Letters from America: The Life and Times of O.E. Rolvaag. The Rolvaag film was written and directed by Tim Schwab and Christina Craton, two independent film makers from South Dakota. Narration is by the actress Celeste Holm and Eric Bye. There are a several clips from Rolvaag family interviews including appearances by Rolvaag?s son Karl, a former Governor of Minnesota. The film had its premiere at The Grand Event Center on May 17, 1989 and played to a packed house. Both Karl Rolvaag and Celeste Holm attended the premiere.

There will be a $5 admittance fee and two intermissions. Hors d?oerves will be served and The Grand will provide a cash bar.

Please call 507-663-0319 with questions or go to www.nddc.org and click on "Contact Us."

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