From the Stevens Point Journal October 12, 2006:

Trivia documentary to be shown at local film festival

By Carlos Gieseken
Journal staff

Jim "The Oz" Oliva still hasn't seen "Triviatown," a documentary which focuses its eye on the trivia contest Oliva organizes every year that draws thousands to Stevens Point for all-night question and answer marathons.

When the film screened at the Wisconsin Film Festival in April, Oliva was busy getting the final touches to the event ready. But he and others will get the chance to see the movie during the first edition of the Central Wisconsin Film Festival, to be held Nov. 3, 4 and 5 at the Jensen Center in Amherst and Ben Franklin Junior High in Stevens Point.

Photo: A crew from the movie “Triviatown” tapes activities at the Mutated Members' location during the April 2004 trivia contest. Journal file photo

"To me, the whole thing over the years I've done trivia is knowing how this contest affects different people," Oliva said, adding that he's heard about the movie from many who participate in the contest. "(The filmmakers) could have made everybody involved with trivia all look like fanatics or super freaks. The cool part of what they did was they portrayed the human interest part of it."

The Arts Alliance, which is organizing the festival, began pursuing the film in the late spring, according to board president Bill Schierl.

"We feel it represented something so important about Central Wisconsin and the culture that helps make us unique," Schierl said. "It is a great documentary and it has received positive responses and accolades from other film festivals."

The number of screenings for "Triviatown" at the festival haven't been announced, but executive producer and director Patrick Cady is expected to be on hand to introduce the film to audiences. Cady and his film crews captured 600 hours of tape during the contests in 2003, 2004 and 2005, Oliva said.

"Even the camera crews that were here in 2004 became wrapped up in the contest," Oliva said. "They would be in a team's headquarters and answer questions that they knew. They became friends with the people they were filming."

Schierl said it was rare for an independent film that has had success at other festivals to be shown at a first year festival.

"This is in some way a thank you back to the community showing their support and their thanks for what they have received from the community," he said.

"It is really going to be the main stay of the festival and will obviously be the major draw," Schierl said. "But, by no means do we want this to overshadow the open and student short submissions."

Schierl said there are about eight or nine short films made by local and regional filmmakers and totaling about one and a half hours that will be showcased.

Tickets for the festival will go on sale the week of Oct. 16 at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point box office at 200 Division St.

Gieseken can be reached at 345-2253 or cgieseken@cwnews.net.