LAFF-ing All The Way to the Bank

What has happened to you, LA Film Festival? You are disappointing me. Last night felt like Purgatory. And by that, I mean, waiting in line for absolutely everything. I guess it was my fault for not securing a pass. But hey, I don't have $500 right now to give to the film festival so I can stand in line somewhere else. Some of us have student loans to pay. While I used to and still enjoy chatting up my fellow line-waiters, you come to realize that many of the conversations in-line are not about that great film from Kenya. Instead, the conversations steer closer to, "Did they say the film is running 15 minutes late, or 45 minutes late?"

There seems to be a lack of scheduling this year. I waited in line for about 40 minutes to get into the free screening of Lost Angels, only to find out not only were there no more seats, but the film started 15 minutes late. And it was too late to check out another film. So, I guess I can hang out in the void that is LA Live's open air space until my next film starts at 9:45pm. Only, that film actually started around 10:15pm.

Yeah, that was silly of me. What I like about LAFF last year was the enclosure atmosphere. Everything was about the film festival in Westwood. This year, the indie film crowd shares the same space as graduating high school seniors, Club Nokia goers, Lakers fans, and hockey families enjoying all the pleasures of the NHL draft. Seriously. This makes for a diverse, but chaotic crowd of individuals, who all happen to be hungry. Oh, and the Starbucks is out of food. The smell of Miller Light and diapers does not mix well with the smell of some full-bodied, California Cabernet and smugness. And both do not mix well with the smell of hair gel, lip gloss, and used condoms either.

I guess I should talk a little about the movie I did see last night. Ain't in It for My Health documents aging rocker Levon Helm as he struggles with waning popularity, money issues, and losing his voice. Great film, but personally, I wanted to see more about Levon's previous battle with cancer. Seems to be omitted from the doc. Also, the doc never fully answered why Levon was bitter about The Band's height of popularity.

Happy Filmmaking.

Shameless self-promotion plug!

Because I have no shame, please feel free to vote for me in the link below for the Canadian Festival WILDsound. You know I deserve it. Also, check out my competition. There are some pretty talented people here.


http://www.wildsound-filmmaking-feedback-events.com/encounter.html

Happy Filmmaking!

More Images from LAFF

I never did mention the movies I saw. I am a working girl, so many of the films I wanted to see previewed on the weekends. I saw:

Zero Bridge-touching tale about a pickpocket teenage orphan in Kashmir.

I Sell the Dead-very quirky, but fun.

Wah Do Dem-which won the narrative award, by the way! White boy lost in Jamaica. What's not to love about that?

The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia-just like it sounds. Produced by Johnny Knoxville.

Not a large list, but I missed quite a few I intended to see. My boyfriend volunteered at the festival so my tickets were gratis! It was at this same festival that he decided he wanted to produce some projects I'm working on. In LA for less than two months and he already caught the filmmaking bug!

Us in the Filmmaker's Lounge.

More photos. Excuse my Blackberry camera:


Tap dancing king of West Virginia.

Happy Filmmaking!

USC's First Look 2009!

This weekend. Saturday and Sunday. In the Norris Cinema Theatre on USC's campus. In Los Angeles, California! Be there!

But seriously, First Look is always a big deal for the School of Cinematic Arts. It showcases both undergrad and grad thesis projects from the previous semester to the general public and alums. Highly supported by former and current students, First Look is often the highlight of the year for the schoo, only falling short of graduation.

I'm going to not only support my fellow trojans, but to support a few friends and acquaintances who are showcasing on Sunday. For example, Christine T. Berg will It gives me time to be jealous of them (I'm just kidding, but I live for this!) If you are in town, you should check it out, too.

I can't sign off with doing the school cheer:
S-O-U-T-H-E-R-N C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A! Southern California! (Victory sign in the air).

Happy Filmmaking!

First New Blog Post - Year-End Film buzz

This is my first post on blogger.com. I decided to move my blog from my myspace page to blogger.com in order to increase my reader exposure. The purpose of this blog is to trade industry information, as well as provide tips I have encountered in my own quest for success.

Being a recent graduate of film school, I am in the same boat with several lost souls, trying to find my own path. I want to share some of my experiences and tips I receive with you. While I tend to add a bit of humor in my writing, I am not so cynical that I would post useless rants about who is a better captain on Star Trek. I hope we can become friends...or at least in cyberspace. With that said, I want to share with you some current and upcoming "indie" films I wish to see at the end of the year:

W. (O. Stone) - This film is probably the most hyped film for Fall 2008. Liberal-minded Oliver Stone actually throws a few softballs towards the topic of Bush's unpopularity (according to the buzz) and focuses more on his early pre-Presidential life and winning the approval of his judgmental father, Bush the 41st. I'm a very political person (I'm a Libertarian-leaning Democrat), so any film that fosters any type of intelligent political conversation wins me over.

The Secret Life of Bees (G. Prince-Blythewood) - Another hyped film starring Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson (my prayers are with you by the way), Queen Latifah, and Alicia Keys. The film's thematic elements include racism, adoption, social change, and family relationships. And the director is a sista! Hooray for women!

Ballast (L. Hammer) - I failed to receive a ticket to this when it previewed at Sundance this year. This film revolves around a suicide in the Mississippi Delta. The film was one of the biggest surprise hits at Sundance this year, receiving rave reviews. I now regret not seeing this at Sundance, but I will not make the same mistake twice.

Choke (C. Gregg) - Con-Man + Sick relative + gullible people = dark comedy. Although this film has mixed reviews, the buzz this film receives is based on its entertaining value and original concept. Might be one of those films you either love or hate, like Napoleon Dynamite.

I.O.U.S.A (P. Creadon) - Another one I missed at Sundance, this film is the story of my life. Known for its brutal honesty, this documentary about our impending economic distaster could not have opened at a better time. Given its topical nature, this film may be a contender for the Academy Award for Best Documentary.

Man on Wire (J.Marsh) - Yet another film I missed at Sundance 2008. A documentary about French-born Phillippe Petit' s 1974 illegal high-wire walk between the WTC Twin Towers. Has rave reviews.

Phoebe in Wonderland (D. Barnz) - ANOTHER film I missed at Sundance (if you are wondering what I DID see, The Black List was one). This film draws parallels between a young girl named Phoebe and the tale Alice in Wonderland. The actress, Elle Fanning, is Dakota Fanning's younger sister. Felicity Huffman also stars as Phoebe's mother.

Happy-Go-Lucky (M. Leigh) - A film about an overly optimistic British teacher. Film was released last spring in the UK. Has rave reviews.

Happy Filmmaking!