The Festival Rag v03.01

[The Festival Rag]

Faithful Rag Readers,

All apologies, for our amazing truancy of the last several months. All our fault. If you'll only read on, I promise to make a boring excuse short or, at the very least, mildly entertaining.

As many of you know, several months back the Rag's Editor-in Chief, Mr. Gil S. Ripley, and yours truly began scribing something a little beyond our previous experience: Reality Shows. Okay, stop laughing. On second thought, go ahead and laugh because now it's funny. Back at the beginning, when we were so desperate for money that we began pitching reality shows, it really wasn't so funny. We invented many show ideas brilliant and inane, most of which were pitched and summarily rejected, until miraculously - here's where it gets funny - one was deemed worthy of making. It has been a long, very strange process, but I will cut to the chase and tell you it's a wild contest show and we are finally scheduled to start shooting it at the end of August.

By this time I know you're hooked but I am bound by confidentiality and can only gloss over the show's concept for you. The gloss is really just two parts hot air, three parts smoke and a pinch of manure. (In other words, Hollywood phraseology.) So, here goes: it's Survivor meets Fear Factor by way of The Eco-Challenge.  Keeping to the industry standard, the show is shrouded in secrecy to deflect possible copycat shows, but I can say that we are shooting on an island in the Caribbean. The production team is trying to make the aforementioned reality contests appear tame by comparison, and Gil came up with the pseudo-title The Ultimate, Ultimate Challenge which surely covers all bases.

But enough about us. On with the Rag, and the world of indie film! Oh, wait! Independent film, that reminds me... Coming to a film festival near you, Mr. Ripley and I will soon be featured in a documentary about television shows and the writing that creates them. A small crew from Acme Pictures here in New York has been following the whole process: how we pitch, how we work (or in Gil's case, being late for work), and what goes into the very best TV shows.

On behalf of the entire Rag team, I want to say we missed you all terribly while we were away. And judging by the copious email jamming our inboxes, I can see you missed us, too. Very sweet of you. The majority of the emails say that we can increase our ejaculation by 581%, just by taking two pills daily. Again, very sweet of you. It's great to be back.

– Dave Roberts, Managing Editor

For two weekends each October, the stunningly colorful Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts play backdrop to the Williamstown Film Festival. Run by writer and showbiz buff extraordinaire Steve Lawson, who began the festival in 1999, the event provides huge support for indie film from a community long known for its devotion to the arts. Not long ago, the Festival Rag found Steve at home mixing his trademark Grey Goose martinis, and pried loose some of the secrets behind running one of the best-curated film events in the country.
	Festival Rag: How many submissions do you expect to receive for the festival this year? And how is it possible to screen them all, let alone pick the ones that will actually win a berth on the schedule? Steve Lawson: Last year we got 360. Willing members of the Board pre-screen and evaluate general submissions, but in the end I see at least part of every film that comes in.   FR: How often do you accept a film unseen, for whatever reason, like for instance, it screened well at another festival you admire? SL: Of 135 films at WFF in six years, I've booked just one title without seeing it first. That was Roger Dodger, because Campbell Scott is a friend and I felt implicitly that the film would be worth including. And it was.   FR: Filmmakers will often pursue big names on small movies - even at the expense of telling a good story well. This often succeeds in getting them into festivals, and it certainly helps drive ticket sales. But is it a good idea? SL: Dylan Kidd's last film p.s. had an all-star cast (Laura Linney, Topher Grace, Gabriel Byrne, et al). Clearly they all wanted to work with him after Roger Dodger put him on the map. I think it's as fallible to slam an indie just because it has "names" as it is to tout an indie because it was made with unknowns on a shoestring. It all comes down to quality, which knows no hard and fast rules.   FR: Most filmmakers would attend most festivals their films are shown at. Does their attendance help the festivals in return? SL: Audiences love to hear the back story, the war stories - how much did it cost? How long was the shoot? What would you do differently next time? On the rare occasion when things screw up and we don't have at least one visiting artist here to talk about the film, our audiences feel let down; they're just "seeing a movie." Happily that doesn't happen much. Our policy is, we cover feature filmmakers' travel and lodging, and put short artists up if they can get here. Last season, seven directors flew from the West Coast to WFF in Massachussets on their own dime, some for one day. Just to take part.   FR: What do you look for in a film, in order to invite it to the festival? SL: Does it move me, excite me, make me laugh? Is it striking? Does it oblige me to see an aspect of life in a new, offbeat, personal way? Put another way: Is it art? A good example is Down to the Bone - which I saw at Sundance 2004, where it knocked me out. A beautiful film about an upstate New York mother who kicks a cocaine habit only to drift into an affair. Vera Farmiga's performance is one of the best you'll ever have the good luck to see. This is where festivals really earn their keep: showing difficult work that genuinely matters. On the flip side of the coin, there's nothing I hate more than a film that basically rehashes another film under a different title just because some theme or subject is "in." Contemptible. Unfortunately, there's a hell of a lot of that.   FR: With the advent of cheaper filmmaking tools (video, digital editing & screening), have you seen an increase in submissions, good and bad? Which begs another question: Do you anticipate or recognize a threshold from the audience in terms of acceptable image quality? SL: Submissions have skyrocketed in the last three years, especially now that we work through Withoutabox and more and more directors and producers are sending DVDs. As for image quality, it depends on the individual film. If it's well made, it tends to look good. The reverse is just as true. FR: Has the WFF made a difference in any film's or filmmaker's road to success? SL: God, I hope so. More and more, filmmakers are returning to WFF with their latest work, which suggests they acknowledge we've played some role in their growth as artists. The post-season quotes I receive from alumni aren't just polite - they're genuinely glad to have screened here. Last season, one director was near tears after her film - I thought we'd screwed up the sound! But no, she was crying because she was happy; it was the first time she'd ever seen her own work on a big screen. You can't ask for higher praise than that.   FR: The WFF has grown from 5 films six years ago to 39 films in 2004. Has there also been a measurable change in the quality of film submissions? SL: I'd say just as many bad films are being churned out now as then, probably more. That's the case with any art form: bad will always far outweigh good. But hey, if art was easy everyone could do it. The salient thing is, our standards have risen. In the beginning, titles of high quality - Tape, The Station Agent, Spellbound, Down to the Bone, Speak, A Touch of Greatness - would've been glowing exceptions at WFF. Now, they're the norm.   FR: Bonus Question: Without looking at the onion jar, are you currently on your fourth or fifth martini? SL: I take the Fifth.

Daniel Wasserman’s Iron Pocket Makes the Festival Rounds by Carl Merrick
	Where have all the good thrillers gone? The marriage of the thriller with Independent Cinema has always been a natural partnership. Audiences and critics alike are always hungry for new ways to be frightened, and the knowledge that we’ve been lured in by the tricks of a director’s no-budget toolbox only heightens the effect. Yet when scavenging the landscape of Independent Cinema, one finds that the genre has been all but exiled to late-night festival screenings and niche events. The thriller is now widely regarded as a guilty indulgence, a style-over-substance exercise in instant gratification that must be pushed to the outskirts of the festival program to make way for more issue-driven entries. In lieu of this polarization in festival programming, the concept of the ‘issue-driven thriller’ may strike many as an oxymoron. Brooklyn-based writer and director Daniel Wasserman seeks to challenge this notion with his ambitious short thriller, Iron Pocket. Under the label of Wasserman’s budding production company Red Herring Pictures, the young director has crossed genres into dangerous terrain, crafting a short that may be too thought provoking for pulpy midnight fare, and too maverick to headline short programs. Wasserman packs the most he can into the film’s 13-minute duration - charging the characters and action with tension from the first frame. The gritty thriller launches into play when Jonah (played by Patrick Shefski) arrives at the apartment door of his friend Marc (Simon Kendall) at a late hour in great distress, following some violent act. As he walks Marc through the strange circumstances leading up to the present, we plunge into the skewed perspective of his memory, boiling up to a violent crescendo as our narrator’s reliability comes into question. Iron Pocket shifts haphazardly between switchblade editing and slower straight-razor rhythms; The erratic pace keeps the focus on the strengths of the story, and away from the weaker aspects of the film (the evident lo-no budget and at times uneven cinematography). Wasserman, however, generates solid performances from the ensemble cast, with Kendall showing particularly solid in his portrayal of Marc, acting as the audience’s anchor in contrast to Shefski’s volatile Jonah. The film calls to question the grave consequences of racial prejudice in our daily perceptions, doubling as cautionary tale and caustic urban thriller. As Iron Pocket works towards its climax, the outcome will shock few viewers - striking a tone that is not so much predictable as it is inevitable. The Rag will be keeping tabs on Iron Pocket as it makes its festival run – with hopeful entries into the LA Shorts Fest and Palm Springs International on the West coast, Coney Island International and Big Apple on the East, and stretching out even to our northern neighbors with submission into Rebelfest and the Calgary International Film Festival. Keep your eye out for Wasserman’s Iron Pocket as the issue-driven thriller makes its rounds. Give Dan a shout at address@hidden. PS - At the time of writing, we received word that Iron Pocket has been accepted to screen in the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival in Hollywood, CA, as well as the Coney Island Film Festival in Brooklyn, NY.

Serge Bromberg Has Long Lost Films on Display by Dave Roberts
	As Serge Bromberg ascended the stage at New York City’s French Institute this past Fall, a ravenous group of film junkies in attendance had no idea they were about to share a communal watering-of-the-mouth. That sounds revolting, I know, but the audience response to Bromberg’s collection of vintage celluloid scratching and dancing across the screen as he improvised eloquent piano accompaniment, or broke into a stream-of-conscious narration was truly Pavlovian. Treasures From a Chest is Bromberg’s ever-changing traveling showcase of films that were once lost, now found, and miraculously nursed into recovery by his Paris-based company Lobster Films. The content of the program spans a wide range – from wildly imaginative Art Nouveau animation to playful travel films and ancient commercials to the first known attempt at synch-sound. A rare, and untraceable clip boasts some of the only captured footage of gypsy guitar legend Django Reinhardt, and some gems shine particularly bright, having been painted frame-by-frame in arcane attempts at giving film a color pallette. The show’s climax is one such rarity – a hand-painted, long-lost version of the legendary Trip to the Moon by Georges Méliès. Each clip is preceded by a small story about the film’s conception, and in many cases, its discovery and restoration. While the films showcased left the audience reeling, the real showstopper was the understated plight of crusaders like Bromberg to save and preserve these otherwise lost wonders. The bulk of these reels were rediscovered after being thought long gone, in places like flea markets and dusty antique shops, on the shelves of vendors unaware of their value. The mortality of film is at the heart of Bromberg’s passionate rants – resulting in gasps from the audience at tales of competing film studios boasting celluloid bonfires to show their willingness to produce new films. But the greatest predator of old film is time itself, as we learn with Bromberg’s account of a woman who left the shop unwilling to sell her discovery for the modest price Lobster Films could offer. The stubborn woman returned mere weeks later, and in that short span of time, the film had already decayed past the point of recovery. Since 1984, Bromberg and his cohorts at Lobster Films have undertaken the painstaking charge of repairing films at times so fragile that they crumble to pieces upon being unrolled. Overall, Bromberg preached his message passionately, which this Ragster will repeat without shame: Keep your eyes open for old film reels, because you could be the next to uncover some of the treasures still lost, including an entire film by F.W. Murnau, a Charlie Chaplin picture, and even a vanished Alfred Hitchcock. If you should uncover some priceless reel, do the right thing and contact Serge Bromberg and Lobster Films to ensure that your celluloid discovery does not remain lost and forgotten. Serge Bromberg brings his traveling one-man exposition on lost films, Retour de Flamme, back to New York on two dates this fall with two all-new programs. Catch him at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Friday, October 21 (www.bam.org) and at the French Institute Alliance Française (www.fiaf.org) on Monday, October 24. For further information on Serge Bromberg and saving lost films, visit www.lobsterfilms.com.

The film industry, as a single component of mass entertainment, weaves its very fabric from strands of talent, technology, and knowledge that spans and transcends mediums and methods. Entertainment was born from two sticks and sheepskin pulled tight around a hollow log, or from man conglomerating and howling at the moon in unison. We love and embrace independent film first and foremost, but we also feel it appropriate to include featurettes from the other entertainment niches - in the case of this issue, a singer/songwriter who brings charisma, potency, and style to his audience, and a theater company that has proved its fresh approach, talented actors, and bright, creative writing is a formula for success on the stage. - Markus Varjo, Publisher
	New York City is proud to welcome a newfound musical phenomenon - Temar Underwood is a neo-soul powerhouse, and he is poised to penetrate the masses with his creative, smooth, and potent lyrics. Since his arrival in New York City in 2002, Temar has focused on writing and recording - preparing for this very introduction to the world. His debut album, Ad Lib to Fade, will reveal to the world a compelling young artist who blurs the line between genres with his mix of rock, folk, and soul/r&b. Exuding a charismatic and confident persona, he offers lyrics that are thoughtful and clever, surrounded by dramatic arrangements, with poignant vocals fueled by a sincere and raw emotion. Underwood grew up in Northeastern Ohio (the Cleveland Area), always too shy to perform for others. He would often cry when he participated in youth performances in front of the congregation of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church. However, as early as eight years old he developed an unusual love for artists like Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, and Tina Turner, and would practice elaborate concerts in the basement of his family’s home. (His parents and siblings thought he was really weird.) Once he began performing with his high school’s nationally recognized theatre program, he got over his stage fright and well - a star was born. After attending Ohio University in the B.F.A Theater Performance Program, Underwood decided to pursue an unregimented music career in New York. Upon relocating, he discovered a lifestyle and creative environment that would help to ignite his career. “I was an actor for a long-time, and still am,” Underwood says, “but I had a talk with myself and realized that music has always been my passion and I’ve used some of those things I learned as an actor and playwright to access the things I always wanted to say as singer, a songwriter, and performer.” His foundations in acting and singing can be seen right now! Temar is part of the cast of the Vampire Cowboys latest development, Drowning in Denmark, playing at Center Stage in NYC. Check out the next feature for more information. Stay tuned for Ad Lib to Fade, and if you'd like to read, look, and listen to more, head over to Temar's website, www.temarunderwood.com.

Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company presents: A First Bite Presentation of Drowning in Denmark : A Vampire Cowboy Hamlet Written/Directed by Qui Nguyen & Robert Ross Parker; Original Music by Dan Deming. Drowning in Denmark is the Vampire Cowboys' self-created action-adventure/horror sequel to William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Set five years after the events of the original, the play follows the story of a newly resurrected Ophelia and her quest to save Denmark from an impending zombie invasion. This high-octane dissection of Shakespeare skewers the worlds of sci-fi, horror, and musicals with both irreverence and intellect. First Bite is the Vampire Cowboys' developmental series where original scripts are created and presented to an audience for the first time. It is VCTC at its most raw - a comic book adventure minus its color. As an audience member at First Bite, you can help be part of the Vampire Cowboys’ creative process by coming to see this raw performance of Drowning in Denmark and then stick around to talk with the company or email address@hidden with your responses. Let 'em know what you loved, hated, got confused by. Your notes will help the company shape the play as they get ready for its official World Premier in May of 2006. This is your chance to help shape tomorrow’s Vampire Cowboys production today! For more info, please check out www.vampirecowboys.com. August 24 - 27, 2005 at CENTER STAGE, NYC ONLY 5 PERFORMANCES : Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat @ 8pm plus a bonus late Friday Night performance @ 11pm! Playing at CENTER STAGE, NYC, 48 West 21st Street, 4th Floor. Tickets are $10; for reservations, call 212-696-7806 or send email to address@hidden.

Weekend Love Affair : Telluride Film Festival

One of the easiest ways to get to Telluride, Colorado's famous film festival – locally dubbed The Show – is to take a plane to Denver or Albuquerque, rent a car, and then drive seven hours to a tiny mining town way up in the Rocky Mountains. That may sound like a lot of effort for a weekend getaway, but ask anyone who's ever done it and they'll tell you it is very worth it.

The Telluride Film Festival is hailed by nearly everyone as one of the world's greatest film festivals. How can that be? you ask, cutting me off. Is it the celebrity attendance? Spectacular location? Hot chicks? The first two are good reasons, but no, stop asking and let me tell you. For the 32 years it's been running, people love The Show for its purity, its humility and its selection of great movies, all of which are premieres when they screen there.

The 2005 event is as usual on Labor Day weekend, September 2-5 and as usual none of the films on its programs will be announced until the festival opens – That's crazy! you again interrupt, but trust me, it makes for a very low-hype affair and a damn enjoyable one.

Biggest drawback of The Show may be its brevity, since most of the time you'll be waiting on line to get into one of the town's makeshift-but-state-of-the-art cinemas. But so is everyone else including the big movie stars, famous directors, and local mountain hermits so there's no complaining but plenty of meeting, greeting and sucking in of fresh Colorado air.

www.telluridefilmfestival.org

NoCal, YesCal : Mill Valley Film Festival

Mill Valley, California host its eponymous annual film festival October 6-15, 2005. It's sponsored by the California Film Institute and draws many industry heavyweights, a good number of whom already live near there in the fine Northern California hills. One of them even has his own winery and though he is fat and bearded and famous, shows up occasionally like any dedicated film fan.

Loaded with several filmmaker-friendly programs like Valley of the Docs and V(ision) Fest, which is a celebration of new technologies, the non-competitive Mill Valley fest is extremely popular with West Coast cinephiles and Marin County cinescientists. Its popular daily shorts event, address@hidden, no doubt appeals to short-film lovers, who really never get enough, and also the locals too who probably attend on their breaks from working at the mill.

The MVFF is the only Bay Area festival running in the autumn, and in the shadow of Sequoia National Park so don't miss the spectacular seasonal beauty. But careful not to be crushed by the giant falling leaves.

www.mvff.com

Volcanic Cinema : The Louis Vuitton Hawaii International Film Festival

It's said that the Hawaiian alphabet only has 12 letters, and all but two of them are vowels. Makes for an easy game of Boggle, and shows you just how creative these Pacific Islanders can be with limited resources.

However, their premiere film event, the Hawaii International Film Festival has plenty of resources to work with and is now in its 25th year, thanks to major support from luggage king Louis Vuitton and the cine-love of many locals. The Asian and Pan-Asian presence makes this one of North America's biggest festivals – more than 10,000 tickets will be sold this year, and the market is as well-attended as the screenings.

True, ten days of sitting still in dark rooms on a tropical island may sound like another inane and punishing reality show but there's plenty of great cinema to be seen because the festival organizers look for quality over celebrity. Let's face it, how often are you in Hawaii? You can go surfing back in Brooklyn.

The fest runs October 20-30th this year, and will no doubt again pull high-level talent and buyers from all over the world – especially the Pacific Rim – toward this volcanic island paradise.

www.hiff.org

Monaco-a-go-go : Monaco International Film Festival

Really more of a neighborhood than a country, the tiny principality of Monaco has for many years been world-famous for gambling, nightlife, beautiful people and royal goings-on. These days the neutral nation is also getting attention for its celebration of non-violent films.

Inaugurated in 2003, the Monaco International Film Festival is held in Monte Carlo (anywhere else and it'd be in another country) and will effectively take over the kingdom – in a very non-violent way of course – something all of Europe has avoided doing since 1861. This year the fest will run December 8-11 and again showcase the world's best and most gentle movies.

Tthe place is already stocked with celebrities and international film financiers, so it's by default a star-studded event. Bring your passport, your tuxedo and your lucky dice.

www.monacofilmfest.com

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