Just Do It

Found Footage Festival

by Dianca Potts

Thu., Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m., $8-$10, Latvian Society Hall, 531 N. Seventh St., 800-838-3006, myspace.com/foundfootagefestival

Long live the VHS! Ringing true to the age-old axiom "one man's trash is another man's treasure," the Found Footage Festival is a testament to the wealth of entertainment that can be discovered in the forgotten, lost and, thankfully, found. Modern-day saviors Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher have rescued hours of footage from cinematic obscurity, giving new life to the dusty plethora of VHS cassettes uncovered at yard sales, in Dumpsters and from the depths of thrift stores across the country.

Sponsored by Philly's Small Change Productions, this year's treasure trove features clips of Marky Mark as an exercise guru, a group of rapping mothers-to-be and highlights from '80s amateur talent show Stairway to Stardom. Previously finding most of their footage in their home state of Wisconsin, Pickett and Prueher have developed their collection into more of a geographic découpage. "The new show features all of the videos we've found in our travels across the country over the past few years," says Prueher. "It's a much more diverse representation of all the odd and hilarious footage America has to offer."

Doubly enhanced by its curators' comedic commentary, this year's fest will be held at the Latvian Society Hall. According to Prueher, "There's something uncomfortably familiar about it, and to be able to sit in a room full of like-minded people and laugh at it on the big screen is cathartic."