Friday Night 4/29/2005 at the VC Film Festival
I managed to catch two programs at the VC Film Festival on Friday night 4/29/2005.
Here's an extremely quick review of what I watched and what I thought.
PROGRAM 1 (Men and Women, and All Else Between)
GIDOOíS COSMIC CRISIS
(United States/India, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Shivani Khanna
Convinced by an astrologer that he will die the following morning, Gidoo decides to change his destiny by altering the alignment of the stars. He sets off on a desperate, cosmic adventure that will test not only his mettle but also our theories of the universe.
35mm, 11 minutes, Color, Animation
This was a very cute animation. But I really didn't get the overall story.
CHINESE BEAUTY
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Debbie Lum
A doe-eyed Korean immigrant aspires to transform herself from fashion princess into marathon runner in the hopes of chasing her all American dream - a gorgeous blonde hunk who is also a famous professional runner. As She trains for the L.A. Marathonóand chases him down, she journeys from her hard-knock, multi-ethnic Koreatown 'hood all the way to beautiful, sun-drenched Santa Monica Beach. There, she discovers that a girl needs more than a good pair of sneakers to chase the All American Dream.
35mm, 10 minutes, Color, Narrative
Funny, funny and simple movie. Over-the-top characters that showed film-makers weren't afraid to make fun of themselves and a sterotypical asian.
BLESSING
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Suju Vijayan
Maya, home for her brother Nealís high school graduation, is forced to deal with their often overbearing, sometimes embarrassing mother, Asha. For as long as she can remember, Maya has been frustrated by what she sees as her mother's inability to listen to her or understand her. The free-spirited Asha, however, is seemingly oblivious to her daughterís feelings, and instead forces unwanted and sometimes misguided advice on Maya, from the spiritual to the romantic. But Asha is not without surprises, forcing Maya to rethink her opinion of her mother...
35mm, 14 minutes, Color, Narrative
Definately one of my favorite films of the night!!! Try to find it and watch it.
GOOD THING
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Keshni T. Kashyap
A despondent husband, an employee at a local grocery store, barely tolerates his wife, less than a month away from giving birth. Stuck with a broken-down car and a wife with a serious case of the munchies, he goes into a roadside tavern to call a towtruckówhere temptation awaits. Insightful and bittersweet, this award-winning tale grapples with the question of whether you can ever find what you're looking for.
35mm, 19 minutes, Color, Narrative
This was actually a pretty good film. But it tried to say something (a message) but it didn't come across very clear in the change in character. The change in character was NOT as clear cut as it should have been.
SUMMER OF THE SERPENT
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Kimi Takasue
Eight-year old Juliette sits at the side of the local pool waiting for another lonely summer day to pass when an unexpected Japanese newcomer arrives. Fascinated by the stranger, Juliette embarks on an adventure of discovery. SUMMER OF THE SERPENT explores the unlikely bond that develops between two people from different worlds.
35mm, 27 minutes, Color, Narrative
Enjoyable film but quite long. I really wasn't sure what they were trying to say in this movie. What was the 'real' story is what I was left asking. Well produced though.
KAMEA
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Jennifer Akana-Sturla
Kamea, a teenage Hawaiian girl living on Oahuís North Shore, falls in love with Thomas, a cute surfer boy whoís obsessed with Hawaiian surf legend Duke Kahanamoku. Kamea studies up on Duke to impress Thomas, but when her attempts to pique his interest fails she makes her own connection to Duke and gains a sense of self.
35mm, 22 minutes, Color, Narrative
This movie could end up being a feature. I really enjoyed the visuals. Some technical problems with the film-making (continuity) which would have drove me nuts if it was my film!
PROGRAM 6 (Explode?)
TAG
(United States, 2005) Dir.: Dale Fabrigar; Scr.: Glenn Magas, Brian Hurney
After a perceived racial incident, Dan struggles with issues of justice and retaliation. As he is ultimately pushed to the edge, his life spins out of control toward a final conclusion that changes his life and others around him forever.
Video, 23 minutes, Color, Narrative
Yes, our film. It was AWESOME! :)
THE PENCIL AND THE CURSE
(Canada, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Yu Gu
A girl is born cursed; she can see how others will die. Since she has known her prophetic power, she has been mute. Unable to speak to others, she records her visions through drawing. After an encounter with a stranger, she has a vision of her own death. Her isolated and almost invisible life will never remain the same.
Video, 3 minutes, Color, Experimental
This was an experimental film. Photographs made up the story telling and visuals. It wasn't really breathtaking which it should have been. It was unique yet predictable.
THE CURE FOR A DISEASED LIFE
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Ray Chang
Robert Lee is stuck in the lonely hum-drum of everyday life. He hates his job, he hates his boss Barringer, and he gets no respect. Robert's best friend is a prick, married to the woman he loves. But when Robert goes to the doctor for a regular check-up, he is shocked into a different reality when his prognosis informs him he has terminal cancer. With nothing to lose, Robert journeys into a world of taking risks and living on the edge, hoping to find a cure for his diseased life.
Video, 18 minutes, Color, Narrative
This short had a lot of potential to be the best of the night. It was funny, acting was great, but the story throughline didn't complete itself. It was predictable as I immediately knew the two things the character would do faced with terminal cancer, quit work and tell the woman he loves that he loved her. Fashionably as it may seem maybe it shouldn't have been so obvious. The reward at the end wasn't justified.
THE HAIRS
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Yohei Kawamata
A man comes into his bathroom, looks at the mirror, and starts touching his hair with his hands, smoothly and gently. Before long, his hair starts falling out. Shortly, his hair is gone. But the story does not come to an end. His other hairs are about to fall out soon. Why? What happens?
Video, 5 minutes, Color, Experimental
A running joke that weant 3 minutes too long. Funny, but director could have defined camera angles better to tell the story.
THE TALE OF HAIKU JONES
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Kevin Inouye
Haiku Jones, master slam poet, prepares for his next competition. It's a war of words for these poetry legends. Haikus or sonnets, which will come out on top?
Video, 18 minutes, Color, Narrative
This was one of the lower budgeted films. Extremely low budget but it was one of my favorites of the night. I felt the filmmakers 'got it'. This could have been a pretentious film, but what it was was a film making fun of 'pretentiousness' and pretentious films!
CALL CENTER
(United States, 2004) Dir.: Amyn Kaderali; Scr.: Sunil Malhotra, Manish Goyal, Amyn Kaderali
Who do you call when the pay-per-view goes on the blink, or if the new appliance doesn't work, or if crisis counseling is in order? You'd call customer serviceóthat is, unless the customer service center is actually a call center run by two harried and battling brothers running a phone bank out of some apartment in Bombay. CALL CENTER hilariously observes the phenomenon of overseas outsourcing, with some surprising yet strangely appropriate results.
Video, 12 minutes, Color, Narrative
This film was a showcase for the actors. The story jumps to a running gag on what we've all seen before. A telephone operator crossing lines as he puts people on hold. As old as an Andy Griffith episode. But the standout quality of the film was not the running joke, but the wonderful acting and the point to poke fun at the outsourcing of American Customer Service farmed out to other foreign (even 3rd world) countries. A very, very funny movie!
BIRTHDAY PARTY
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Tony Lam
A young woman prepares a meal for a birthday party. However, she soon begins to exhibit very strange behavior. Is the woman neurotic? Or is she responding to something terrible that has happened to the outside world?
Video, 8 minutes, Color, Narrative
This movie could have been the most pretentious film of the two programs. But it wasn't because it was as innocent of a movie that Tony Lam wrote and directed. His simple plan... do a short movie about a girl celebrating her birthday party. What he got was so much more! Appaluse to Tony Lam's simple, yet layered first film!
Here's an extremely quick review of what I watched and what I thought.
PROGRAM 1 (Men and Women, and All Else Between)
GIDOOíS COSMIC CRISIS
(United States/India, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Shivani Khanna
Convinced by an astrologer that he will die the following morning, Gidoo decides to change his destiny by altering the alignment of the stars. He sets off on a desperate, cosmic adventure that will test not only his mettle but also our theories of the universe.
35mm, 11 minutes, Color, Animation
This was a very cute animation. But I really didn't get the overall story.
CHINESE BEAUTY
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Debbie Lum
A doe-eyed Korean immigrant aspires to transform herself from fashion princess into marathon runner in the hopes of chasing her all American dream - a gorgeous blonde hunk who is also a famous professional runner. As She trains for the L.A. Marathonóand chases him down, she journeys from her hard-knock, multi-ethnic Koreatown 'hood all the way to beautiful, sun-drenched Santa Monica Beach. There, she discovers that a girl needs more than a good pair of sneakers to chase the All American Dream.
35mm, 10 minutes, Color, Narrative
Funny, funny and simple movie. Over-the-top characters that showed film-makers weren't afraid to make fun of themselves and a sterotypical asian.
BLESSING
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Suju Vijayan
Maya, home for her brother Nealís high school graduation, is forced to deal with their often overbearing, sometimes embarrassing mother, Asha. For as long as she can remember, Maya has been frustrated by what she sees as her mother's inability to listen to her or understand her. The free-spirited Asha, however, is seemingly oblivious to her daughterís feelings, and instead forces unwanted and sometimes misguided advice on Maya, from the spiritual to the romantic. But Asha is not without surprises, forcing Maya to rethink her opinion of her mother...
35mm, 14 minutes, Color, Narrative
Definately one of my favorite films of the night!!! Try to find it and watch it.
GOOD THING
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Keshni T. Kashyap
A despondent husband, an employee at a local grocery store, barely tolerates his wife, less than a month away from giving birth. Stuck with a broken-down car and a wife with a serious case of the munchies, he goes into a roadside tavern to call a towtruckówhere temptation awaits. Insightful and bittersweet, this award-winning tale grapples with the question of whether you can ever find what you're looking for.
35mm, 19 minutes, Color, Narrative
This was actually a pretty good film. But it tried to say something (a message) but it didn't come across very clear in the change in character. The change in character was NOT as clear cut as it should have been.
SUMMER OF THE SERPENT
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Kimi Takasue
Eight-year old Juliette sits at the side of the local pool waiting for another lonely summer day to pass when an unexpected Japanese newcomer arrives. Fascinated by the stranger, Juliette embarks on an adventure of discovery. SUMMER OF THE SERPENT explores the unlikely bond that develops between two people from different worlds.
35mm, 27 minutes, Color, Narrative
Enjoyable film but quite long. I really wasn't sure what they were trying to say in this movie. What was the 'real' story is what I was left asking. Well produced though.
KAMEA
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Jennifer Akana-Sturla
Kamea, a teenage Hawaiian girl living on Oahuís North Shore, falls in love with Thomas, a cute surfer boy whoís obsessed with Hawaiian surf legend Duke Kahanamoku. Kamea studies up on Duke to impress Thomas, but when her attempts to pique his interest fails she makes her own connection to Duke and gains a sense of self.
35mm, 22 minutes, Color, Narrative
This movie could end up being a feature. I really enjoyed the visuals. Some technical problems with the film-making (continuity) which would have drove me nuts if it was my film!
PROGRAM 6 (Explode?)
TAG
(United States, 2005) Dir.: Dale Fabrigar; Scr.: Glenn Magas, Brian Hurney
After a perceived racial incident, Dan struggles with issues of justice and retaliation. As he is ultimately pushed to the edge, his life spins out of control toward a final conclusion that changes his life and others around him forever.
Video, 23 minutes, Color, Narrative
Yes, our film. It was AWESOME! :)
THE PENCIL AND THE CURSE
(Canada, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Yu Gu
A girl is born cursed; she can see how others will die. Since she has known her prophetic power, she has been mute. Unable to speak to others, she records her visions through drawing. After an encounter with a stranger, she has a vision of her own death. Her isolated and almost invisible life will never remain the same.
Video, 3 minutes, Color, Experimental
This was an experimental film. Photographs made up the story telling and visuals. It wasn't really breathtaking which it should have been. It was unique yet predictable.
THE CURE FOR A DISEASED LIFE
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Ray Chang
Robert Lee is stuck in the lonely hum-drum of everyday life. He hates his job, he hates his boss Barringer, and he gets no respect. Robert's best friend is a prick, married to the woman he loves. But when Robert goes to the doctor for a regular check-up, he is shocked into a different reality when his prognosis informs him he has terminal cancer. With nothing to lose, Robert journeys into a world of taking risks and living on the edge, hoping to find a cure for his diseased life.
Video, 18 minutes, Color, Narrative
This short had a lot of potential to be the best of the night. It was funny, acting was great, but the story throughline didn't complete itself. It was predictable as I immediately knew the two things the character would do faced with terminal cancer, quit work and tell the woman he loves that he loved her. Fashionably as it may seem maybe it shouldn't have been so obvious. The reward at the end wasn't justified.
THE HAIRS
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Yohei Kawamata
A man comes into his bathroom, looks at the mirror, and starts touching his hair with his hands, smoothly and gently. Before long, his hair starts falling out. Shortly, his hair is gone. But the story does not come to an end. His other hairs are about to fall out soon. Why? What happens?
Video, 5 minutes, Color, Experimental
A running joke that weant 3 minutes too long. Funny, but director could have defined camera angles better to tell the story.
THE TALE OF HAIKU JONES
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Kevin Inouye
Haiku Jones, master slam poet, prepares for his next competition. It's a war of words for these poetry legends. Haikus or sonnets, which will come out on top?
Video, 18 minutes, Color, Narrative
This was one of the lower budgeted films. Extremely low budget but it was one of my favorites of the night. I felt the filmmakers 'got it'. This could have been a pretentious film, but what it was was a film making fun of 'pretentiousness' and pretentious films!
CALL CENTER
(United States, 2004) Dir.: Amyn Kaderali; Scr.: Sunil Malhotra, Manish Goyal, Amyn Kaderali
Who do you call when the pay-per-view goes on the blink, or if the new appliance doesn't work, or if crisis counseling is in order? You'd call customer serviceóthat is, unless the customer service center is actually a call center run by two harried and battling brothers running a phone bank out of some apartment in Bombay. CALL CENTER hilariously observes the phenomenon of overseas outsourcing, with some surprising yet strangely appropriate results.
Video, 12 minutes, Color, Narrative
This film was a showcase for the actors. The story jumps to a running gag on what we've all seen before. A telephone operator crossing lines as he puts people on hold. As old as an Andy Griffith episode. But the standout quality of the film was not the running joke, but the wonderful acting and the point to poke fun at the outsourcing of American Customer Service farmed out to other foreign (even 3rd world) countries. A very, very funny movie!
BIRTHDAY PARTY
(United States, 2004) Dir./Scr.: Tony Lam
A young woman prepares a meal for a birthday party. However, she soon begins to exhibit very strange behavior. Is the woman neurotic? Or is she responding to something terrible that has happened to the outside world?
Video, 8 minutes, Color, Narrative
This movie could have been the most pretentious film of the two programs. But it wasn't because it was as innocent of a movie that Tony Lam wrote and directed. His simple plan... do a short movie about a girl celebrating her birthday party. What he got was so much more! Appaluse to Tony Lam's simple, yet layered first film!
posted by SquintFilms at 6:30 AM
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