2011-az-international-film-fest

DRAMATIC SHORTS

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:39:16 +0100

DRAMATIC SHORTS - 4/4/11 These well-produced shorts were all VERY dramatic except for one.

Friday Night Tights by Joonki Park

This was the odd one of the group. What a charming 3-D animation of a guy who secretly loves taking a ballet class on Saturday mornings! The animation was not absolutely perfect, but extremely expressive, whimsical and musical! I thoroughly enjoyed this. Very uplifting. It was actually filmed in 3-D. See the entire 2-D short here.

Jay by E.R. Womelsduff, USA

This is a tense, emotional story of Jay, an 18-year-old girl with a very young sister, who is having extreme difficulties at home with her single mom and her multiple abusive boyfriends who all hang out at her house at the same time. Beautifully acted, suspenseful and well-told story. I highly recommend! Trailer will be coming soon.

Hollow by Rob Sorrenti, United Kingdom

Hollow is an in depth examination of a drug addicted couple who try to get off drugs. The acting and writing were phenomenal. Although it was very dark at times, it quietly spoke volumes about self-healing. Highly recommended.

Shudder House by Joey Dello Russo

A period piece that tells the tale of a teenage boy, Robby, in the 1950's who is brought up in a very strict household. He is made to play only classical piano. He discovers the housekeeper secretly plays blues guitar and wants to learn. The frustration of the oppressive Robby's upbringing is skillfully portrayed in all aspects of this well-produced film. The ending was just a bit unclear and made me wonder what happened to Robby and what he was going through. Haven't found a trailer yet.

Ultimo Recorso (Last Resort) by Barney Elliot, Peru

A suspenseful and emotional story of a pregnant woman who gets car-jacked and kidnapped by a desperate and conflicted criminal. The acting was superb and the story was visually well-told. See a clip here.

Testigo Illegal by Caylee So, USA

This student short was a compelling morality tale of Oscar, an illegal immigrant, who witnesses a murder and is advised by his family not to report it. Oscar struggles with his impulse to do the right thing. Great directing and acting. Nice production values for a documentary style short and nice music score. I haven't found the trailer yet.

SCHLAFENDE HUNDE (SLEEPING DOGS)

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:09:40 +0100

SCHLAFENDE HUNDE (Sleeping Dogs) by Michael O'Connor, Germany- 4/5/11

This German feature was beautifully acted and beautifully filmed in Black & White. The main character, Jim, is somewhat clairvoyant and sees a vision of his death. His past premonitions have come true which makes him believe all of his current visions will come true. So he concerns himself with reconciling with his estranged son who harbors much resentment for his father's abandonment.

Billed as psychological thriller, I thought it was stronger as a exploration of an estranged father and son working towards reconciliation. And it also serves as a mystery because we wonder how Jim's murder will come about. I think the thriller aspect of the story was just a device to reconcile the father and son. It was a little slow for me thinking that it was a thriller, as European films are not as sensationalistic as U.S. films. Although there is a bit of bloody violence. Hans-Christoph Michel was especially convincing as a revengeful associate from Jim's past. Those who like a bit of mystery and appreciate a good family reconciliation story, but don't care for an intense thriller, this is for you.

WORLD SHORTS

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 22:02:03 +0100

WORLD SHORTS - 4/5/11 - Stories that seem connected with the thread of grief and loss - Very high production values.

The Wind-Up Life by Yi-Jen Chen, Taiwan

This 2-D/3-D animation short tells the story of a young man who gets bogged down by his busy 9 to 5 existence. It is hard to tell if he is experiencing a dream while sleeping or getting very lost in thoughts on the subway train (or both). But whatever, the dreams are quite beautiful and watery. If I were his psychologist, I would say that he is drowning in a lot of unresolved emotional issues because water represents emotions. See full short here.

Minnet av ett rum (Memories of a Room) by Bahador Shahidi, Sweden

A very touching short about a boy processing his father's death, told through dreams and flashbacks. Nice B&W cinematography and great acting. The film was dedicated to the director's father, which I found especially moving. Can't find the trailer on line yet.

Breathless by Peter Ireland, Australia

I love Australian film! This short was also a story of a processing the death of a loved-one. A mother sits underwater holding her breath in the family swimming pool everyday which alarms her husband and little girl (who looks like Nichole Kidman might have looked as a little girl). It turns out the mother is trying to get one last chance to connect to her baby who drowned in that pool. A very spiritual portrayal of grieving. Beautifully filmed and acted. See the trailer here.

Pizzangrillo (The Lighthearted Boy) by Marco Gianfreda, Italy

Ettore, a 65-year-old depressed man contemplates suicide by driving his three-wheeler pickup truck into a ditch. He tries often and on the way, kids in the neighborhood innocently jump in the back for ride. Finally, Ettore's Grandson, Luca, gets curious and starts asking about his trips and accidentally foil's Ettore's final attempt at suicide and both get steered into a happy outing. A nicely uplifting story.

Le Miroir (The Mirror) by Rossignol, France

This French short is about a beautiful actress (Vera) who, after a car accident, goes through facial reconstructive surgery. She goes to an isolated mansion looking over a cliff to recuperate. The servants and assistants do their best to keep her from seeing herself in mirrors, but her curiosity gets the best of her. I liked the mystery of Vera wandering through an old mansion, not knowing what she looks like. I liked the short but HATED the end. The film was beautifully shot and there were some really nice special effects including the editing. See the trailer here.

Happy Bag by Graeme Robertson, Australia

I was taken by surprise many times during this clever short. It is about a young man and a young woman out on their first date, but they have been kidnapped and are trying to escape. They both have their hands tied behind their backs and burlap bags over their heads. Both are bleeding, but they still have time to argue and talk about their date. Surprise ending as well. Cleverly written and directed. This was my favorite short of the group. But I don't think I will recognize the actors outside of this film, (ha ha). I would love to see the short again.

SHORT DOCUMENTARIES

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:31:28 +0100

SHORT DOCS - 4/6/11

A Comic Author X-Ray by Marcos Nine, Spain

A very creative documentary about a very creative guy. This Italian comic artist and fiction writer, who is very shy to speak, speaks volumes through his work. English subtitles throughout. I liked this! See the trailer here.

Little Mom by Maria Fortiz-Morse, USA

A documentary on kids who end up taking care of their special needs siblings to help out their single Mom's. Two teenage girls, caregivers in their own family) were documented. It was shocking to see that there was a lot of pressure from the families to force these kids to take on more responsibility for care-taking. There is also group therapy for these "Little Moms." Very interesting and highly recommended. See slide show from the film here.

Irma by Charles Fairbanks, USA

No voice-over narration for this documentary about a retired Mexican lady-wrestler. Without words, we follow her to the gym and start to piece together her current routine and her past. Video footage of her wrestling days is included. Very strong, well-rounded woman. She's even a singer-song writer who put out at least one album. I would have liked to see more about her. See this interview with the director here.

King Dong by Simon Mercer, Canada/United Kingdom

This was my favorite of the group. I have a soft spot in my heart for low-brow filmmaking and Len Cella was the king of low brow video (VHS) from the 80's. Cella started a production company called Moron Movies and was prolific. Some of Cella's films were even shown on the Johnny Carson show. He also does minimalistic interior decorating and song-writing. After 40 years, Cella is still making schlocky videos today and still has the same bad sense of humor. Kong Dong is the name of a short where Cella found a bomb shell and painted it pink and wore it as an appendage. Check out some of his videos here and here.

ARIZONA SHORTS

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:18:40 +0100

ARIZONA SHORTS - 4/6/11

Replacement by Tanya Beeker - Tucson

This is the story of a corporal who struggles with his prejudice against a young, inexperienced replacement for one of his soldiers who was killed in battle. It is nicely filmed with a thoughtful story line.

And the Dogs Tried to Dance Too by Trevor Riley - Phoenix

A futuristic tale of what it might be like to live during WW3 if it was waged on US soil. We follow a couple who struggles to keep their relationship together during a military attack. Nice voice over and coloring of an old news reel of war but I was confused about the time period in which this short took place. Nice acting and nice attempt at creating a gloomy, hopeless atmosphere. See entire short here.

Story Time Fables by Brendan Guy Murphy - Tucson

The story of how a young boy escapes an abusive home life by listening to story records. We get to listen to the story of Robing Hood which is nicely re-enacted and beautifully filmed at Mt. Lemon. The costumes were excellent and created by Lori Franklin-Garcia. I only have one complaint; the storyteller said that Maid Marion had strawberry blond hair, but the actor had brunette hair. Nice acting and background music. See a rough cut of the short here.

Diner Waitress: Portrait of an American Icon by Kim Eldon - Arizona?

This very short documentary, which didn't look like it was filmed in Arizona, was basically an interview with two waitresses in a small city diner. The waitresses were very lively, and talked at the same time, which made it difficult to focus on what they were talking about. Some fun b-roll of the restaurant visually supported their interview. I usually go into a documentary thinking I'm going to be learning something, but I had a hard time getting any information about waitresses from this film. Then I thought, maybe this is just an artistic portrayal of two waitresses; a visceral experience of who they are. Can't find a trailer for this yet.

Man Trap by Barton Santello, Psychotropic Films - Arivaca

I found this abstract, experimental film strangely refreshing after all the other Arizona shorts. The short consisted of video footage of a mysterious industrial research facility with lots of color filters applied, which gave it a very apocalyptic feel. I felt like it was 2am while I was watching - it had a very timeless feel. The background music was very ethereal and industrial which also gave it that Lynchian touch. Santello revealed during the Q&A that he shot the footage himself at a secret company somewhere in the U.S. He also explained that this short is part of a series of shorts depicting the relationship of man to machine and suggests that we have never left the Dark Ages. See the entire short here. Santello is also the founder and director of the Arivaca Film Festival.

Esmeralda de Desierto (Esmeralda of the Desert) by Oscar Jimenez - Tucson

Daniela Olea was great in the lead role of this story of a transgendered (now) woman who attempts to cross the Mexico border into the U.S. to pursue a career as a designer in the fashion industry. She pays a man to drive her across the border. He puts her in the trunk, has car trouble, and leaves her in the trunk to get help but doesn't come back. The scene of Esmeralda in the trunk was very well filmed and very dramatic. But I found other parts of the story choppy and her tragic trek across the desert unconvincing. The modeling of her clothing designs by women in the desert after she died seemed to come out of the blue. Was the story was trying to say that her fashion designs lived on in the desert? I think it would be better to make a nice art or music video of the fashion designs rather than trying to tack them on to the end of a border story. See the trailer here. Nice acting, though.

LEAP BEFORE YOU LOOK - WAY OF THE MORRIS

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 21:03:41 +0100

Leap Before You Look by Stephane Goldsand, Mexico

This beautifully and creatively filmed documentary short follows the journey of Stephane (pronounced Stefan) Goldsand through his fears of being a father. Goldsand uses B-roll or cutaways, to dramatically and often hilariously exemplify what he is feeling at that moment. His painful childhood is also explored. His wife, who is very eager and ready to have a child, seems to have a completely different outlook. She is so positive and supportive of her husband and plays an role which brings the film to a non-sappy, loving, uplifting conclusion. Highly recommended. See the trailer here.

Way of the Morris by Tim Plester & Rob Curry, United Kingdom

This film documents Tim Plester's exploration and reconciliation of his social attitudes and his family history of the Morris Dance. The film starts out with an animated story of a fox who's dance starts the creation of the world. Could the Morris Dance go back that far? All kinds of if's and maybe's about the origins and purpose of the Morris Dance are mentioned and sometimes the film reflects these mysteries as it rambles a little in some parts. The history of the Morris is ambiguous and unknown.

Plester starts out sharing the view of mainstream British society that Morris dancing is silly and just for ignorant rural people. On this exploration, Plester found that Fairport Convention, a folk/rock band from the 1960's, performed Morris Dance songs and even named two of their albums after the Morris.

In the known history of the dance before WW1, the Morris was danced by young men who were sent to fight and died in battle. 60 years went by before people started dancing the Morris again which may have contributed to it's unpopularity now. A touching memorial to the WW1 Morris dancers was filmed.

Spoiler alert: Plester gives in and learns to dance the Morris and finds he opens up to a fulfilling and joyful subjective experience of his culture and family roots. Very recommended.

INNER CIRCLE

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:52:13 +0100

INNER CIRCLE by Emma Humphreys

This murder mystery thriller inspired most of the audience to walk out before the end. I stayed because I wanted to know who did it and why in spite of the disjointedness of the story The production quality was very low. Some scenes looked like they were shot without doing a white balance first. Audio & lighting were also poor. But on the upside, the shots were nicely framed and the acting good in spite of the disjointedness of the film. This story has potential, so I recommend a re-shoot with professionals.
See a trailer here.

FILMMAKERS OF TOMORROW

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:34:48 +0100

FILMMAKERS OF TOMORROW - Student films from The Art Institute of Tucson, Pima Community College and the University of Arizona. Only the Art Institute had student filmmakers present for Q&A.

Art Institute of Tucson Entries:

ABC's by Adriana F. Garcia & Jacquelyn Vrooman

This reworking of David Lynch's experimental short was skillfully produced and directed. It created a creepy dark, yet playful feeling. Nice multi-media work! I liked it much better than David Lynch's original.

Hannah by Joel Lopez

The story of a young girl on her birthday who is followed home by another version of herself. When she reaches home she is reluctant to go inside while her parents are arguing. This short was skillfully shot in split screen using the same young girl to play both parts. The reason why the young girl was following herself was ambiguous other than the girl was definitely running away from herself. The director's vision of the story didn't match my experience. In spite of that, I like the special effects and editing. See entire short here.

Hell on Small Wheels by Jose Barrios & Nick Seaney

Stylish short documentary on remote controlled small car racing at the outdoor racetracks of Hobby Town in Tucson. The style mirrored Travel Channel or Discovery Channel shows. Interviews, explanation of car parts, racing action shots, dynamic rock music and more make this a very watchable film, especially for car racing enthusiasts. I see a promising reality TV career in the making. See entire short here.

Replacement by Tanya Beeker

Seeing this short for a second time made me appreciate this thoughtful dramatic short more. I would like to see an expanded version of the story to more fully develop the characters. Still haven't found a video online.

The Special by Nick Seaney

Spoiler Alert: A horror short about a restaurant business that processes human beings. A cautionary tale of trying to work your way up the corporate ladder. Nice effort in the horror genre. Creepy and violent in some parts and a nicely ironic story.

Pima Community College Entries:

Estaban's Ride by Grant Hunker

A quiet story about a busy business man who is called away from the city to take care of his father who is struggling with dementia. His father's caretaker is leaving and the son now has to take care of his father himself. The father has become a real handful, running away and not recognizing the son. Nice cinematography and an acoustic guitar score supports a sympathetic feel to the main character's emotional struggle of coming to terms with his father's condition. See entire short here.

Todas Almas by Jesse Powell

A silent film set to music of a young woman who dresses up and attends the Day of the Dead Procession in Tucson to grieve for her husband's death. Nice shots of the actual Day of the Dead Procession in Tucson. Nice make-up and great special effects of the ghostly appearance of her dead husband. A visual tale of completion of the mourning process.

University of Arizona Entries:

Bastard by Christopher Robbins

This was compelling stylish documentary about the filmmaker's family tree which was made very chaotically by his charming father's promiscuity. We see interviews with his father and many half-siblings which he meets for the first time. I know the experience of meeting relatives I didn't know I had and the supportive connections it brings to life. And I enjoyed the stop-motion animation of the creation of his family tree. Highly recommended; wish I could find it online.

Hunters by Randal French

I saw Hunters a few years ago at the Fox Theater and now it is one of my all-time favorites. This darkly hilarious, pseudo-documentary about two monster hunters in the Arizona desert is delightfully politically incorrect. I wish I could find this online. The acting was fantastic and the documentary-style cinematography was excellent.

Metamora by Keisha Richardson

I came late, but I don't think this was shown. I found a trailer for it here. Cute reference to an all-seeing eye on top of a pyramid.

GUN HILL ROAD

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:13:44 +0100

GUN HILL ROAD by Rashad Ernesto Green

This skillfully produced and emotionally rich film set in the Bronx was shot in 15 days for $200,000. It looks like much more time and money was put into it. The film tells the story of a father who, after three years in prison, comes home to discover his 16-year-old son is trans-gender. The father has to deal with his issues about being sexually molested in prison which are reflected back to him by his son. I really learned a lot from this film about trans-gender people. All of the acting was top-notch especially Esai Morales, who played the father and talented newcomer, Harmony Santana, a real trans-gender woman who played the son. Tucson's own Enrique C. Feldman, the founder of Fame Foundation, composed the music which was mixed at Rob Boone Studios in Tucson and performed by Tucson guitarist, Nate Jasensky. Highest recommendation! Now available on DVD.

ABSENTIA

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:04:22 +0100

ABSENTIA by Mike Flanagan, USA

This artistic, moody, low budget, black & white horror story tells the tale of a woman, Trisha, who's husband went missing around 7 years ago. She finally starts to complete the paperwork on filing his death in "absentia." (After 7 or 8 years if someone is still missing, they can be declared dead.) Trisha starts to see horrifying visions of her husband. She tries going to a counselor. Her sister, who drove through Tucson on her way to visit Trisha, starts to encounter strange people through an overpass she jogs through on a daily basis. It gets worse.

I really liked the art direction and the acting. The special effects and story are very engaging. I used to be a connoisseur of horror films, so I've just about seen it all. So I was not really frightened by it, although I jumped a little during some parts. Those who are not used to horror films might be creeped out; but I slept like a baby afterward. For me, parts of the film were very original; but as a whole it was not that original. All in all I recommend this film for it's artsy independent production. See the trailer here.