It’s taken but 22 years but LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL has finally found its way to the Heart of Screenland – Culver City. And I ask you, what better place is there for a film festival? Steeped in cinema’s richest history, in 1915 Thomas Ince built Culver City’s first movie studio – Triangle Studios, followed by Hal Roach in 1919. In 1918 Ince sold Triangle to Samuel Goldwyn and then in 1924, it became Metro Goldwyn Mayer, a studio that boasted more stars than in the heavens. With the advent of MGM, Culver City also saw the Culver Hotel open in 1924. But Ince didn’t leave the movie business once he sold Triangle. The Thomas Ince Studios were built on Washington Boulevard in 1918 only to thereafter pass through several owners, including Cecil B. DeMille, RKO Pictures, Desilu Productions and David O. Selznick Productions, before becoming known as The Culver Studios. “Gone With The Wind” was shot there in 1939 and in 1940, Orson Welles shot “Citizen Kane.” And now, running from June 1st through 9th, with the iconic David O. Selznick white columned mansion looming large over the proceedings, filmmakers and film lovers alike will stand in the shadows of history, making their own mark on cinema with the 22nd ANNUAL LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL.
Partnering with ArcLight Cinemas for the first time, this year LAFF boasts 42 world premieres with competition categories now expanded to include U.S. Fiction, Documentary, World Fiction, LA Muse, and Nightfall sections. Of the five competitive categories, diversity reigns with 43% of the films directed by women and 38% helmed by people of color. Leading the charge in embracing the ever changing media platforms of today’s world, this year’s festival also features “Indie Series From The Web”, a showcase of independently crafted web series. Also returning this year is the always well-received shorts program boasting 58 entries culled down from over 2,500 submissions. The short films category this year may be perhaps the most diverse ever, coming from 15 countries with 64% directed by women. Two returning non-competition fan favorite categories are Buzz and Limelight. The Buzz section is a group of highly curated films fresh off of their world premieres at recent film festivals while Limelight presents unique cinema-going experiences from a varied range of feature films with noteworthy talent across an eclectic range of stories. Do you know this year’s slate of films come from 28 countries around the world with each bringing something new and different to the screen?
Although headquartered at The Culver Hotel and ArcLight Cinemas located in the heart of Downtown Culver City where Culver Boulevard and Washington Boulevard intersect, this is the LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL which means other venues throughout Los Angeles will also be showcased with events during the Fest, including the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, LACMA, The Ace Hotel, and the always popular screenings at FIGat7th.
Much anticipated this year is a special event on June 2 at The Ace Hotel in Downtown LA featuring the multi-platinum selling Grammy® award winning electronic dance music artist Zedd and the world premiere of his new documentary, ZEDD TRUE COLORS. But as if this first look at TRUE COLORS isn’t enough, how about a post-screening Q&A with Zedd and directors Susan Bonds and Alex Lieu, plus a short acoustic performance with Zedd and “special guests.”
Returning to LAFF 2016 on June 5th are the ever-popular COFFEE TALKS, this year featuring writers, directors, documentarians and screenwriters, among them, CAROL screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, ZOOTOPIA screenwriter Phil Johnston, DEADPOOL director Tim Miller, WHIPLASH writer/director Damien Chazelle and WASTE LAND director Lucy Walker.
But what would LAFF be without those all important fan favorites – FREE SCREENINGS! And who you gonna call to kick them off? How about GHOSTBUSTERS on June 3, 8:00 pm at FIGat7th! Then on June 4th at 8pm at FIGat7th, celebrate the 20th anniversary of INDEPENDENCE DAY. A special screening for the whole family kicks off Saturday, June 4th at 11am as we celebrate the 15th anniversary of SHREK at the ArcLight Culver City.
Other special events during LAFF include “Talk Score To Me: Filmmakers on Collaborating with Composers” at ArcLight Culver City on June 6, and then on June 7 catch Eva Longoria’s “VERSUS – Sports for Change”, a short-film documentary series that explores moments of inspiration, when the world of sports transcended the action on the field.
And horror fans get ready because on June 7th, you can be the first to attend the World Premiere Special Screening of James Wan’s THE CONJURING 2.
Near and dear to my heart is the FUTURE FILMMAKERS SHOWCASE being held on Sunday, June 5th at ArcLight Culver City. Broken into two programs for a total of 33 short films, the Future Filmmakers program celebrates just that – our future filmmakers. Combing the country, and even the world, we are treated to some amazing works by high school students putting their talents to work with animation, dramas, comedies, experimental films and more, in singular vision and collaborative endeavors. This year’s line-up even has some returning Future Filmmakers like Natalia Ferrera and Katie Speare. At the end of the day, some very talented young filmmakers will be the recipients of one of several to be awarded the Ed Elias Future Filmmaker Grant. Created in honor of my father, a 60 year broadcast television veteran whose work dates back to the late 1940’s, and who was an untold source of support and hands-on instruction throughout my career, both behind the camera and as a film critic, this is my way of paying it forward with support to a new generation. Last year, six filmmakers were awarded grants. I can’t wait to see who is selected this year.
Opening the festival at the Cinerama Dome on June 1st is Ricardo de Montreuil’s LOWRIDERS, starring Eva Longoria, Demián Bichir, Melissa Benoist, Theo Rossi, Tony Revolori and Gabriel Chavarria. LOWRIDERS is set against east LA’s vibrant car culture and follows the story of Danny Set against the vibrant backdrop of East LA’s near-spiritual car culture, Lowriders follows the story of a young street artist named Danny who’s caught between the lowrider world of his father and ex-con brother and his own desires for artistic self-expression. Closing night on June 9th at ArcLight Culver City is the US Premiere of Jonás Cuarón’s DESIERTO which stars Gael García Bernal, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Alondra Hildalgo and Diego Cataño.
But before we get to the Opening and Closing and everything in between, let’s take a look at the Festival line-up:
U.S. FICTION COMPETITION (12)
11:55 – dir. Ari Issler, Ben Snyder, USA, World Premiere
72 HOURS – dir. Raafi Rivero, USA, World Premiere
BLOOD STRIPE – dir. Remy Auberjonois, USA, World Premiere
CHEE AND T – dir. Tanuj Chopra, USA, World Premiere
DESTINED – dir. Qasim Basir, USA, World Premiere
DREAMSTATES – dir. Anisia Uzeyman, USA, World Premiere
GREEN / is / GOLD – dir. Ryon Baxter, USA, World Premiere
MY FIRST KISS AND THE PEOPLE INVOLVED – dir. Luigi Campi, USA, World Premiere
PAINT IT BLACK – dir. Amber Tamblyn, USA, World Premiere
TRACKTOWN – dir. Jeremy Teicher, Alexi Pappas, USA, World Premiere
THE VIEW FROM THE TALL – dir. Erica Weiss, Caitlin Parrish, USA, World Premiere
WOVEN – dir. Salome Mulugeta, Nagwa Ibrahim, USA, World Premiere
DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION (12)
COMPANY TOWN – dir. Natalie Kottke, Erica Sardarian, USA, World Premiere
DENIAL – dir. Derek Hallquist, USA, World Premiere
DR. FEELGOOD – dir. Eve Marson, USA, World Premiere
DYING LAUGHING – dir. Lloyd Stanton, Paul Toogood, USA/UK, World Premiere
THE HOUSE ON COCO ROAD – dir. Damani Baker, Grenada/USA, World Premiere
JACKSON – Maisie Crow, USA, World Premiere
THE LAST GOLD – dir. Brian T. Brown, Germany/USA, World Premiere
LOOKING AT THE STARS – dir. Alexandre Peralta, Brazil/Nicaragua/USA, World Premiere
OLYMPIC PRIDE, AMERICAN PREJUDICE – dir. Deborah Riley Draper, USA, World Premiere
OUT OF IRAQ – dir. Eva Orner, Chris McKim, Canada/Iraq/Lebanon/USA, World Premiere
POLITICAL ANIMALS – dir. Jonah Markowitz, Tracy Wares, USA, World Premiere
THEY CALL US MONSTERS – dir. Ben Lear, USA, World Premiere
WORLD FICTION COMPETITION (6)
HEIS (CHRONICLES) – dir. Anaïs Volpé, France, World Premiere
LIKE COTTON TWINES – dir. Leila Djansi, Ghana/USA, World Premiere
LONDON TOWN – dir. Derrick Borte, UK, World Premiere
LUPE UNDER THE SUN – dir. Rodrigo Reyes, Mexico/USA, World Premiere
A MOVING IMAGE – dir. Shola Amoo, UK, World Premiere
PLAY THE DEVIL – dir. Maria Govan, Trinidad/Bahamas/USA, World Premiere
LA MUSE (6)
ACTORS OF SOUND – dir. Lalo Molina, Argentina/Finland/Germany/India/Ireland/USA, World Premiere
GIRL FLU – dir. Dorie Barton, USA, World Premiere
MANCHILD: THE SCHEA COTTON STORY – dir. Eric “Ptah” Herbert, USA, World Premiere
NAMOUR – dir. Heidi Saman, USA, World Premiere
NO LIGHT AND NO LAND ANYWHERE – dir. Amber Sealey, USA, World Premiere
SENSITIVITY TRAINING – dir. Melissa Finell, USA, World Premiere
NIGHTFALL (6)
ABATTOIR – dir. Darren Lynn Bousman, USA, World Premiere
BEYOND THE GATES – dir. Jackson Stewart, USA, World Premiere
DON’T HANG UP – dir. Alexis Wajsbrot, Damien Macé, UK, World Premiere
MERCY – dir. Chris Sparling, USA, World Premiere
OFFICER DOWNE – dir. M. Shawn Crahan, USA, World Premiere
VILLISCA – dir. Tony Valenzuela, USA, World Premiere
BUZZ (6) – (non-competition)
DON’T THINK TWICE – dir. Mike Birbiglia, USA, LA Premiere
EQUITY – dir. Meera Menon, USA, LA Premiere
JEAN OF THE JONESES – dir. Stella Meghie, Canada, LA Premiere
KICKS – dir. Justin Tipping, USA, LA Premiere
LIFE, ANIMATED – dir. Roger Ross Williams, USA, LA Premiere
THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS – dir. Morgan Neville, USA, LA Premiere
LIMELIGHT (6) – (non-competition)
FREE CeCe! – dir. Jacqueline Gares, USA, World Premiere
A HUNDRED STREETS – dir. Jim O’Hanlon, UK, World Premiere
LIGHTS OUT – dir. David F. Sandberg, USA, World Premiere
OPENING NIGHT – dir. Isaac Rentz, USA/Mexico, World Premiere
SO B. IT – dir. Stephen Gyllenhaal, USA, World Premiere
THE SWEET LIFE – dir. Rob Spera, USA, World Premiere
INDIE SERIES FROM THE WEB (13)
20 SECONDS TO LIVE – dir. Ben Rock, USA
BROTHERS – dir. Emmett Jack Lundberg, USA
CARING – dir. Maggie Kiley, USA
FRIDAYS – dir. Anna Kerrigan, USA
THE GHOST AND THE NEGRO – dir. Sylvester Folks, USA
HER STORY – dir. Sydney Freeland, USA
INSTABABY – dir. Rosie Haber, USA
LITERALLY SO BUSY – dir. Jerad Sloan, USA
LITTLE THINGS – dir. Lex Halaby, Mila Shah, USA
OUTSIDE COMEDY: BETH STELLING – dir. Thomas Wood, USA
QUIRKY FEMALE PROTAGONIST – dir. Yulin Kuang, USA
SHANGRI-LA – dir. Drew Rosas, USA
TIME OUT WITH YES PLEASE! – dir. Kholi Hicks, USA
So, let’s get down to brass tacks and what you’re all waiting for; just what films make the cut this year as “Must See Festival Films”.
Stealing my heart and guaranteed to steal yours is SO B. IT. Directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal and written by Garry Williams based Sarah Weeks’ 2004 New York Times best selling children’s novel, SO B. IT mandates three boxes of tissues. As if the mere fact that Patrick Murguia is the film’s cinematographer isn’t enough of a reason to see SO B. IT, just take one look at Talitha Bateman who stars as Heidi, and you will be swept up in her charm and talent. “Hart of Dixie” of “The 5th Wave” fans will recognize Bateman, but for most moviegoers this will be your first chance to see one of the most talented young actresses of the next generation. This is the story of Heidi, a young girl with a psychic gift, or “just lucky” as she calls it. She lives with her severely autistic mother and her “other mother” Bernadette aka Bernie who suffers from a severe case of agoraphobia.
Arriving on Bernie’s doorstep 13 years earlier, with Heidi’s mother not able to communicate more than 22 words, and with no identification to give Bernie any clue from where this mother and newborn infant came, the three became a family. Bernie has home schooled Heidi over the years and the three have been beyond happy. But the day comes when Heidi starts asking questions after discovering an undeveloped roll of film tucked away in a box. Once the film is developed, she sees her mother in the pictures along with other individuals and clues as to her background. But the biggest clue comes from her mother who adds word 23 to her vocabulary on seeing the pictures – “soof”. With Bernie unable to leave the house, it falls on Heidi to set off on her own for the adventure of a lifetime to find out just who she is and more importantly, what or who is “soof.”
Co-starring Alfre Woodard as Bernie with a supporting cast of Cloris Leachman, John Heard, an outstanding Jessica Collins as SO B. IT, and character actor Dash Mihok who delivers a strong supporting performance as a local deputy named Roy who helps Heidi in her quest, director Stephen Gyllenhaal has crafted a winning family film. In addition to Murguia’s beautiful cinematography, kudos to editor Suzanne Spangler who not only establishes perfect emotional pacing, but creates some mirroring sequences that bring the third act home. The icing on the cake is Nick Urata’s scoring which while anticipatory at times buttressing Heidi’s uncertainties, always has a slightly whimsical undertone.
SO B. IT screens on June 7 at 6:25 with a second screening on June 8 at 4pm at ArcLight Culver City.
Speaking of cinematography, LAFF 2016 is one of the best years yet when it comes to lighting and lensing. Creating a lush, rich, visual palette that captures the life and the people of Trinidad and Tobago is cinematographer James Wall with Maria Govan’s PLAY THE DEVIL. A coming of age story set against Carnival and the countdown to the day of “the Jab” where you “dance the devil out of yourself”, PLAY THE DEVIL is the story of Gregory. A young man from a remote village in the mountains, he is being raised by his grandmother who is determined to have him attend college. Studious, hard-working and polite, Gregory has the grades for a scholarship to medical school, but his heart lies with photography. Issues of privilege, sexuality and morality are raised when Gregory meets a wealthy and narcissistic businessman named James who is more than mildly interested in him.
Marking his feature film debut as Gregory is Petrice Jones. One of the standout performances of LAFF, Jones soars. His emotions are palpable and resonant while his chemistry with Penelope Spencer as “Grammy” is through the roof. With unexpected twists and turns in Govan’s well constructed script, the visual grammar dazzles with metaphor. Also notable is well conceived and executed sound design.
A “must see” from start to finish, PLAY THE DEVIL is part of the World Fiction Competition and screens June 4th at 4:15 at ArcLight Culver City.
A strong contender in the “Indie Series From the Web” category is HER STORY. Directed by Sydney Freeland and written by Jen Richards and Laura Zak, HER STORY is a six episode web series whose main characters are transgender and lesbian women. But, as opposed to many films, documentaries, web series that make that the focus as opposed to characters and story, the key here are the well written characters with interesting backstories, solid story through line and believable character interactions and events. The result is thoroughly enjoyable mainstream entertainment as we watch the day-to-day trials and tribulations of friendships, individual crises, the common ground of love and dating, community events, etc.
Standout performances come from Laura Zak as writer Allie (someone you would totally want for a BFF) and Jen Richards as Violet, a transgender whose developing friendship with Allie is beyond engaging, while Angelica Ross proves a force to be reckoned with as no-nonsense, tell it like it, attorney/advocate Paige. Caroline Whitney Smith soars as the defiant bitch from hell of the group. And do not overlook the chemistry between Ross and love interest Christian Ochoa. Phenomenal!
For passholders only, HER STORY screens on June 5 at ArcLight Culver City.
We’ve got another young actress at LAFF that you don’t want to miss, making GIRL FLU a “must see” festival film. Jade Pettyjohn. Already a veteran thanks to her work in television series like “The Mentalist”, “The Last Ship” and “School of Rock”, Jade steals the show in GIRL FLU – especially in scenes going toe-to-toe with Jeremy Sisto. Written and directed by Dorie Barton, GIRL FLU is the story of 12-year old Bird as she “comes of age” and gets her period during a 6th grade class picnic, and while wearing white jeans. (I know. Every female out there is nodding her head in horrified understanding right now.) A 40-year old in the body of a 12-year old, Bird is the adult in her two person family of herself and her mom Jenny. For Jenny, it’s all about Jenny. Bird doesn’t matter. Boyfriend Arlo doesn’t matter. As long as Jenny is the center of attention and everything is what she wants, when she wants it, life is fine. Jenny behaves like she’s still in junior high school and it’s 1985. Which means that for Bird to actually need “a mother”, is too great an inconvenience to Jenny. So Jenny calls on best friend Lilli and of course Arlo to help Bird navigate her way into womanhood. But when is Jenny going to step up to the plate?
Watching Jeremy Sisto and Pettyjohn together is pure magic. As we saw from Sisto in “Break Point” with Joshua Rush, he has an incredible chemistry with kids, creating a very organic flow in the dynamic. Sisto and Pettyjohn make GIRL FLU. Adding to the magic is Heather Matarazzo as Lilli. Matarazzo grounds the film with the necessary and welcoming maternal element. And lookout for relative newcomer Diego Josef as Bird’s fellow classmate Carlos who has a slight crush on Bird. Watching Pettyjohn and Josef develop their on-screen friendship is simply charming. Katee Sackhoff is at her histrionic best as Jenny.
Once again, we see some nice cinematography, this time courtesy of Alice Brooks. Keeping the lensing light, Brooks’ interior lighting complements some fun production design by Alec Contestabile, and together with director Barton use a light touch with thematics and life lessons.
One of my top two “Must See” films in the LA Muse category, GIRL FLU screens June 6 and 7 at ArcLight Culver City.
Documentaries are traditionally strong suits at Los Angeles Film Festival and this year is no different starting with LIFE, ANIMATED. Presenting as part of the Buzz section, LIFE, ANIMATED is the story of Owen Suskind. Based on the book by Owen’s father Ron Suskind, we hear firsthand about this beautiful bright boy who, as a young child, loved Disney’s animated “Peter Pan” and would play Peter Pan and Captain Hook with his father. But by the time Owen turned three, he “disappeared”. His motor skills slowed. His language, speech and cognitive skills deteriorated at an alarming rate. He could no longer understand speech or words. All he did was watch animated Disney movies. Diagnosed with autism, not much was available in the way of treatment in the early 90’s. Watching Ron Suskind tell this story, one’s heart breaks. But then one day, it’s as if the sun started to shine for the first time when Owen speaks. Mimicking Pat Carroll’s character of Ursula in “The Little Mermaid”, Owen uttered the phrase, “Just Your Voice.” And with that an entire world opened as the Suskind family quickly learned that over the years of watching Disney animated films, Owen had memorized the dialogue of all the supporting characters. This was their way into Owen’s world and Owen’s way into the world itself.
Wonderfully constructed thanks to keen editing by David Teague, director Roger Ross Williams artfully jockeys between old home movies and photographs, clips of Disney films which have proved most impactful on Owen, interviews and charming pen and ink and pastel drawings, taking us from past to present, and most notably to a now 23-year old Owen who interviews for jobs, transitions from his parents’ home to an adult living facility, checks his own mailbox for the first time, and even goes through the joy and heartbreak of getting and losing a girlfriend. This is as far as can be from that lost little boy we first heard about from Ron Suskind. Importantly, Williams includes interviews and a great deal of footage with Owen and his older brother Walt who candidly expresses his own concerns about aging parents and his trepidation on caring for Owen in the future. And through it all, Owen – and the collective we – constantly draw on life lessons learned from Disney animated films.
Your heart will swell and your eyes will get moist as you watch this very special kind of Disney magic take hold of Owen Suskind and his family in LIFE, ANIMATED on June 6th at 6pm at ArcLight Culver City.
A powerful documentary comes to us from director Benjamin Lear as he takes us behind the walls of the Sylmar Juvenile Court and the California judicial system to look at a growing epidemic in California prisons with minors convicted of violent crimes being tried as adults but housed in a juvenile facility and kept away from other juvenile offenders. THEY CALL US MONSTERS focuses on four young men – Antonio, Juan, Darrell and Jarad – as they sign up for a special screenwriting program led by screenwriter Gabe Cowan. The idea of the program is to mentor them and over the course of 20 weeks and have the boys actually write a screenplay which Cowan will then turn into a film.
We see interrogation footage of each of the boys, especially Jarad who faces four counts of attempted murder and who becomes primary subject within the documentary. The boys talk, boast and brag, but also have many moments of on-camera honesty as they slowly start to trust not only Gabe Cowan but Lear and his small crew. Engaging are the interactions of the boys when collaborating in screenwriting class with Cowan. They are bright, intuitive and put pen to paper expressing their feelings through the characters and script they create. As the documentary and story unfolds, we see Darrell get transferred from juvie after being sentenced to 15 years while, thanks to the writing program and exploring his own emotions, Juan gets up the courage to call a girl he has liked and finally express his feelings. Unfortunately, we also see his court trial and sentencing and its outcome. Similarly for Antonio and Jarad. Significant is that Lear also shows are moments of childhood joy; a joy that for whatever reason each boy lost or was denied, reminding us that behind the bravura, these are just young boys who lost their way and their futures. But for divine intervention, anyone of them could be your child, your sibling, your loved one.
Lear goes in-depth exploring the justice system, complete with interviews with some of the boys’ attorneys and families, plus a surprising Judge Camacho in Pomona who allows Lear’s cameras in the courtroom. Taking us right up through legislative changes in California, THEY CALL US MONSTERS raises many thoughts for discussion long after the curtains falls.
A “Must See” film in the Documentary Competition, THEY CALL US MONSTERS screens June 6th as a special screening in the Bing Theatre at LACMA and again on June 7th at ArcLight Culver City.
Directors Paul Toogood and Lloyd Stanton take us behind the mask of stand-up comedy and into the souls of some of the most famous comedians of our time with DYING LAUGHING. What does it take to not only become a comic, but survive and thrive as a comic? To overcome the failures and relish the successes? Speaking with everyone from Jerry Lewis (“Emotions must not get in the way of the work, but allow it to join the work”) to Tom Dreesen explaining how to make the audience get into the comic’s rhythm, to Cocoa Brown (“Comedy is real. My funny is real. My funny is truth.”) to Jerry Seinfeld (“It’s a magic trick. Real magic.”) to Garry Shandling (“There’s no shortcut. It’s got to be a calling.”), these legends and many more, bare it all, from the agony to the ecstasy.
Stripping away the neon lights and the noise of dark smoky clubs, Toogood and Stanton lens interviews in textured black and white as if each comic is sitting for a portrait. Stunning. Shots of silent audiences are intercut along with the vibrancy and saturated color of neon lights and marquees of comedy clubs lighting up the night sky, just adding to the sense of singularity and loneliness that comes with the territory.
An intimate portrait, a master class of inner psychoses, insecurities and philosophies on life and comedy, DYING LAUGHING is another “Must See” in the Documentary Competition and screens June 4th at 9:15pm at ArcLight Culver City.
Always one of my favorite sections at Los Angeles Film Festival is the Nightfall competition and once again, I am not disappointed in it thanks to a favorite “Must See” film – BEYOND THE GATES. A deserted video store, two estranged brothers, a missing father, thousands of videotapes, a locked office, one interactive VHS video/board game (yes – video games actually originated on VHS tapes), and horror icon Barbara Crampton, and you’ve got yourself a winner.
Directed by Jackson Stewart and co-written by Stewart and Stephen Scarlata, brothers Gordon and John must come together to solve the mystery surrounding the disappearance of their father, a mystery that starts with the video/board game BEYOND THE GATES. With an eerie black and white image of a video hostess instructing them on the rules of the game, it doesn’t take long before strange things start happening in the family house; typically at 3:12 am. Playing the game and uncovering keys that unlock stages of the game, Gordon and John together with Gordon’s girlfriend Margot, are swept into a supernatural world of terror that crosses the lines with the corporeal reality in which we live.
Crampton is a scene stealer within the confines of the videotape playing on the television screen while Chase Williamson, who has made prior impressions on us in “The Guest” and “John Dies At the End”, steps into leading actor territory as John.
Stewart artfully and judiciously employs VFX, SFX and horror elements with an 80’s period perfection, while ratcheting up the heart-pounding tension, all leading to some genuine jump out of your seat moments. Punctuating the terror is distinctive scoring courtesy of Wojciech Golczewski.
BEYOND THE GATES is perfect late night viewing on June 2nd. But trust me when I say you’ll want to play the game again with an encore performance on June 6th. Both screenings at the ArcLight Culver City.
And now we come to my top three “Must See Festival Films” of the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival, starting with BLOOD STRIPE. There have been too few films over the past decade or so that address what has become an all too frequent condition with our returning soldiers from the Middle East – PTSD. Ric Roman Waugh brought us a powerhouse documentary, “That Which I Love Destroys Me” in which soldiers explained in their own words, what they were experiencing and what was their “normal” after being in conflict zones. There have been a few others. Narrative films, however, have fallen even farther by the wayside, especially when focusing on female soldiers, an exception being Liza Johnson’s “Return” in 2011 starring Linda Cardellini. Thanks to writer/director Remy Auberjonois and co-writer Kate Nowlin, BLOOD STRIPE is now added to the mix.
This is the story of returning soldier “Sarge”, a former Marine whose life is anything but “normal” when she comes home after her third tour of duty in Afghanistan to the small town in which she lives with her husband. Despite her best efforts, she cannot conform to the “normal” everyone demands of her. Her days of normal were going door-to-door checking for IED’s. Trash bags and boxes were suspect. A noise could mean the difference between life or death. Darkness screamed danger. Doing dishes and mixing sour cream in potato salad is nowhere near normal for Sarge. And the VA doctors can’t see her for 129 days.
As “Sarge”, Kate Nowlin delivers a tour de force performance, infusing the character with nervous ticks and unacceptable habits in a “normal” world, doing all without flinching or showing emotion. Nowlin is a controlled emotional powerhouse but ever so carefully, allows cracks to the paranoia-laden veneer that shine slivers of light on shades of who she once was but who she will never be again. It’s a delicate balance that is riveting, particularly when Nowlin shares the screen with Rusty Schwimmer, Tom Lipinski or Rene Auberjonois. Schwimmer’s Dot runs a summer camp, the last place that Sarge seems to have a happy connection with. Lipinski is a local fisherman in the area who, like Sarge, is a loner, hiding from something, afraid to join in life. Auberjonois is Pastor Art who brings a church group to this camp and who subtly counsels Sarge.
An emotionally intense film, Auberjonois’ approach is measured, well paced, building on the beauty of the North Woods region and the award-worthy cinematography of Radium Cheung, capturing the quiet and calm of nature while countering that with Sarge’s unsettling emotional fragility. A strong and well crafted, yet nuanced script, tacit commentary on PTSD and the lack of proper services and assistance to returning soldiers speaks loudly.
BLOOD STRIPE is a “Must See Film” for all Americans. Festival filmgoers at LAFF should count themselves lucky to experience the film first at its World Premiere on June 2nd. An encore showing is scheduled for June 7th. Both at ArcLight Culver City.
Joining BLOOD STRIPE as a contender in the U.S. Fiction Competition is Qasim Basir’s DESTINED. Examining the cause and effect of a “moment in time”, the path not taken or road less traveled, and/or even the idea of a parallel universe, and above all free will and choice, Qasim Basir delivers one of the most powerful films of the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival.
Meet Rasheed. In one world he is a successful architect. In the other, a criminal, a drug dealer known as “Sheed.” Utilizing the tools of the cinematic toolbox, Basir and cinematographer Carmen Cabana create the two distinct – but similar – worlds through meticulously designed and executed lighting and lensing. A sepia tone colors the palettes for the world of “Sheed”, the criminal element while a denatured inky blue coats that of the successful white collar “Rasheed.” Within the first 10 minutes of the film, faint tinges of red, green and yellow start to emerge, dazzling us with story metaphor. The cinematography tells its own story.
As we watch both stories unfold, “Destiny’s” message is the message is telling. There are lessons to be learned, journeys that as much as they seem different are in reality the same and ultimately Fate is the one who plays the final hand.
Performances are nothing short of outstanding. Because of the parallel worlds providing for dual performances, everyone gets to show their acting chops as each character is affected differently in each world. As Rasheed/Sheed, Cory Hardrict amazes. Similarly, Zulay Henao finally has a role with Giselle that shows her range and depth as an actress. Robert Christopher Riley also knocks it out of the park as Cal/Calvin.
The entire cinematic construct is mind-blowing, propelled by not only cinematography and performance, but with rapier editing by Basir and Rene Besson. In a word, DESTINED is killer; simply killer.
Make it part of your destiny to see this “Must See Festival Film”, DESTINED. Screening on June 6th and June 7th at ArcLight Culver City.
And last, but certainly not least, my #1 “Must See Festival Film” of the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival is SENSITIVITY TRAINING.
Written and directed by Melissa Finell, this is one of the few films I have seen over the years at LAFF which had me laughing so hard at the hard-ass, crude, rude, calls-it-like-she-sees-it protagonist, that I was rolling with side splitting laughter. Years ago, such a character as Dr. Serena Wolfe would have been seen as laugh-out-loud inappropriately funny, but in today’s need for society to be politically and socially correct, folks like our heroine, microbiologist Serena Wolfe, are forced to undergo “sensitivity training” in the workplace lest anyone get offended.
When a lauded colleague dies, Dr. Wolfe is allegedly blamed because of some abrasive comments she made towards the decedent which may have contributed to her demise, and is thus ordered to undergo sensitivity training. Enter multi-hyphenate PhD, sensitivity training coach, the perpetually perky Caroline. Stuck like glue to Serena, it is Caroline’s job to break through Serena’s defenses and make her see the error of her ways. If she fails, Serena loses her job. And of course, with the perpetually perky one, failure could cause her to become very sad. Adding to the mix are Serena’s colleagues and interns, as well as the appearance of her half-brother. And how about a turtle named Fleming?
Finell has developed fabulous metaphoric thematics relating to the idea of “resistance”, be it Serena or the ultra-resistant bacteria she’s trying to kill. Paul Cannon’s lensing is simple and light, serving as a nice balance to the complexities of Serena, relationships and even the bacteria. Populating the story with pop culture references (like Quidditch), not to mention reactionary comments to famous films, the endings of which Serena has never seen due to being thrown out theatres for talking, just adds more layers that fuel the funny.
It’s hard to say who’s the bigger scene stealer and laugh getter in SENSITIVITY TRAINING. Is it Anna Lise Phillips as Serena or Jill Alexander as Caroline? Both are hilarious and just feed off each other the way Serena’s bacteria feeds on plates of agar. Finnegan Haid is a welcome addition as half-brother Ethan and it’s always a treat to see Amy Madigan and Charles Haid pop up, here as Serena’s parents.
It doesn’t get much funnier or much better than SENSITIVITY TRAINING! Screenings are June 5th and 8th at ArcLight Culver City.
The 22nd Annual LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL runs June 1st through 9th , based in historic Culver City at the ArcLight Theatre. Passes are still available as are individual tickets, but with this incredible line-up, all are going fast. For complete information on the festival line up and to purchase tickets, go to the festival website at www.lafilmfest.com.
As always, look for my full reviews of these films and many more, as well as my exclusive 1:1 interviews with the filmmakers, on the radio on “Behind The Lens”, as well as in print and online at, among others, www.moviesharkdeblore.com.
Happy Festing!
