The Robinson Film Center is gearing up for its second biennial Backlot gala and fundraiser to be held May 10 indoors and outdoors on the 600 and 700 blocks of Texas Street.

This year’s “Festival of Festivals” theme will feature two full city blocks of interactive areas dedicated to creating the feel of various major international film festivals and their respective locations such as the Venice Film Festival in Italy, the Cannes International Film Festival in France, the Sundance Film Festival in Utah and the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

“This is going to be one big, bold and fabulous experience,” Waynette Ballengee, board president and the brainchild of the Backlot event, said. “We had so much fun in 2012 at Millennium Studios. This time, we are bringing this cutting-edge experience to the streets. The night will dazzle everyone, and we’re so excited to celebrate RFC with the community.”

Board members and co-chairs Teri Kerr and Melva Williams, along with board member and design lead Limbert Fabian, all expressed excitement for this event which follows up the great success of their last Backlot gala.

“That first gala was fantastic because it was a celebration of film, and it felt like you were on a movie set,” Fabian said. “We’re trying to give everyone a difference experience with this, and to continue round two of that conversation on film that was started in 2012. Everyone will be participating on that level, and we’re expecting and even a bigger turnout this year.”

Williams said this is the RFC’s “big hurrah” fundraiser. The theme has been completely revised and updated. 

“It’s going to be spectacular, and your jaw will drop when you walk up,” she said. “When guests arrive, they will have the opportunity to be transported, if you will, to Cannes or Tribeca or the other festivals, and they will be treated like celebrities for the entire event.”

“We’re all expecting great things this time around, especially because the last gala was so well-received,” agreed Kerr. “Also, a lot of the people attending will be supporters of the Robinson, so this is kind of a thank you to them and allows us to show them what’s important about the RFC. It’s an art house, but we offer more than that, too, with education and outreach programs, and summer camps for teenagers and younger kids. This will showcase all that and give everyone an idea of what they’re supporting.”

Notable this year is the exciting “World Festivals Experience” live auction, which will give bidders the chance to win extravagant trips to locations all over the world where the festivals are held, such as Italy, France, New York or Utah. The trips are being handled by Travel Crafter, LLC.

According to the RFC website, red carpet arrivals will be greeted on the “Texas Street French Riviera,” where they can pose for the paparazzi or sip chic cocktails in the Cannes-style guest tent; Southern University will soothe the inner Italian by serving fine wines and serving savory foods from Venetian gondoliers; the newly renovated 616 Texas St., made available by the Tipitina’s Foundation, will be transformed into a Sundance-style Wild West with beer flights and dance lessons by Sandy’s Dance; and artspace will morph into Afterglow, where DJ MTK will host an interactive, high-energy dance party. 

The RFC is rolling out the red carpets again to each venue, Kerr said, so attendees should dress for the event pretty much as they would if they were attending the film festival. “We’re looking for that ‘Hollywood Chic,’ so put on a cowboy or cowgirl outfit if you’re going to Sundance, for instance, or try a full tux and gown with a leather jacket,” she said.

“This will be a high-energy event, and you are the celebrity,” Fabian said.

Tickets for this rain-or-shine gala are $150 each and are on sale now. Sponsorships are available for $1,500 to $15,000 each, with a net goal of $200,000 from the gala to secure the nonprofit’s future in downtown Shreveport. There are some perks to sponsorships – at $5,000 or more, for instance, a sponsor group will get its own production assistant for the night.

“The more who celebrate with us, the bigger the benefit,” Alexandyr Kent, executive director at RFC, said. “This is our opportunity to offer a delighted, very big thank you to our supporters, and we want everybody to come and help empower RFC to be the best arts nonprofit it can be.” 

For tickets or more information, go to the website at www.robinsonfilmcenter.org, call 459-4123, or make a visit the film center.