Sundial Film Festival – Day 2
Dave Wright MC’d today’s screenings, and he noted that the film festival was 15 months in the making.
The opening included a clip of Kathleen Kennedy sending her greetings, congratulations, and regrets on not being able to attend. This was a nice touch, and served as a living example of how it is possible to start in a small town and really go somewhere.
The first film of the day was introduced by Dr. Lang Dayton, father of Todd Dayton, who was unable to attend.
Todd’s entry for the festival was “Matsutake,” his senior project for the UC Berkeley Graduate Program in Journalism. It was an impressive film, that took us through the entire process of harvesting and production of the world’s most expensive mushroom, Matsutake.
I was impressed with how the film went beyond just recounting facts to give us a feel for what it is like for those who, at each step of the way, work to bring this exotic food to Japanese consumers. The prices can range upwards of $600 a pound. The forests of Oregon are one of the few places with the specific, volcanic soil to support this fungus. I was more than entertained by this film, and if I had tuned across a PBS or National Geographic channel, I would not have been surprised to find it there. It was of high quality. His production company’s website is www.falloutpictures.com.
Next up was Chase Jensen. Jensen’s story is that he left Redding for Los Angeles to work in the fashion industry, but was drawn in by film and landed at Azusa-Pacific His second entry for Sundial, “Revenge of the Mouse” was three-minute long claymation with a dark sense of humor.
Chase acknowledged the work of Michael Stevenson, who’s claymation had screened on the first evening of the festival, and he commented on how “Revenge” was not done solo, as Stevenson’s work was. Chase estimated that he and his co-animator spent more than 150 hours to produce the three-minute film. It was often intense, Jensen said. “We’d spend 10 hours straight, without breaks, working to make the mouse take 8 steps and look up.”
Hard as it was, the work paid off, and the small moments, the details of movement and characterization in his characters, added an air of reality to the story. Jensen’s cast looked like it came right out of the bar scene in Star Wars, a bizzare group indeed. But in the end, this group of baddies learned that you don’t mess with mice.
“Baba Yaga” was the work of Eric Pace and his talented crew. This film was offbeat and one of my personal favorites. Pace said that he wanted to do an adaptation, but a full-length novel was not appealing to him and his team. So, he found a 13-page story, with “dark illustrations,” and found the perfect vehicle for this film, which mixes some cutout, stop animation with live acting. The blend works, I think, and made for a creepy story. The best part is that this tale is on YouTube, you can search for Baba Yaga or click here.
A footnote: Pace said it took three days to make the film, and that he had a blast. Check out his band on his myspace page.
The last film before the intermission was that of Tom Stovall, whose work began as a narrated slide show of his trip to France. Stovall, who steeped himself in WWII history, went to pay his respects to the men who died during the re-taking of France. “They saved the world,” he says simply. And this film, in somber images and reverent tones, is a tribute to the 9,386 men who lie in the Cemetery that overlooks the shore that they wrested from the German army. Stovall’s film is, as he says, not about him or his trip, but about expressing thanks. He was asked, during his visit, if anyone there “was his.” He said, yes, all 9,386 of them.”
Chase Jensen returned after the intermission with his third entry, the “Reclamation of David Simms.” If there were an award that represented the sheer range of ability, Jensen would win it hands down. Each of his three films had a different look and feel. “Reclamation” was pure adrenaline rush from the first frame on. Jensen’s story returns to the theme of revenge for wrong doing, but this time the film’s star, Simms, is offered a chance to chose his redemption or save himself at the expense of another. The action is fast-paced, seamless, and compelling. This sequence, this story, was well choreographed and executed, and it would be at home in any big-budget film. I can only wonder how Chase can top himself on day three, with his fourth film.
“Campus Safety 3″ was an delightful farce and spoof of police-action films. Director Michael Gallegos won this year’s Simpson Film Festival with his entry, and the film itself was shot at Simpson and dreamed up during graveyard shifts there. Gallegos played a lead,comic role in this film, and was a strong player in the ensemble. Of course, the bad guys did manage to get away…. and we can only wait to see if Dr. Sad and the 400 club turn up in a sequel…
“Paid In Full,” a film by Josh McHale, takes us back to the Old West, and has us asking two questions. First, who will end up with the loot, and, even more importantly, who ends up with the hat? The strength of this film lies in how unexpected it is, reversals and all.
I think it was Alfred Hitchcock who said that he felt he “owed” his audience a happy ending after they’d sat through a feature-length film, but didn’t owe them at all in his short-form, TV shows. McHale must agree with this philosophy, because the man with a black hat rides off after committing some vile deeds, and there’s no marshal to set things right.
The last film of the day was “Profiles are Lovely,” was a week-in-the-life of Montgomery Creek. Filmmaker Jeffrey Loveness was warm, funny, awkward, and captivating as the lead in a film he also wrote and directed. I am a sucker for comedy, and I was enthralled with “Profiles.” It’s great how such a short work can have so many “favorite moments.” The scenes on the tennis court are feasts of visual humor. Loveness’s lovestruck and lonely persona dominates this film, but he shares the stage with another interesting character: the town of Montgomery Creek. It’s mossy presence amuses and aminates much of the action.
That’s it for day 2 of the festival. I’m grateful to the sponsors of this event, and to those who volunteered their time to make it happen. Every one of these films was a treat, and the energy at the festival was an integral part of this unique experience. The organizers are already talking about next year. That’s the best news yet.
I’ll be adding contact information on the filmmakers when I am able.
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