Street Food Cinema Serves Up Tasty Film Line-Up

Posted on by Diversions LA

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Street Food Cinema is offering a full line-up of summer fun, focusing – of course – on an eclectic batch of great outdoor movies. While film is the focus, these events are not only about what’s up on the giant outdoor screen.

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The season includes well-curated food trucks, lively audience games, live music, and even talks from film stars and directors. The full 27 week season runs at eleven different locations with over 50 film events projected on a crisp, 50-foot screen.

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The event was founded in 2012 by husband and wife team Steve Allison and Heather Hope-Allison, who’ve dedicated themselves to projecting classics, cult favorites, and cutting edge cinematic treats as well as offering a venue for emerging musical artists in a variety of musical genres.

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Food favorites are also well-selected, and viewers will notice LA-area favorites like Cousins Maine Lobster and Churro Stix in the gustatory mix. The Allison’s offer not just a movie screening but a complete al fresco evening out, which makes watching a movie outdoors an event.

This season opened appropriately enough with La La Land – shown to the venue’s largest crowd to date – over 5,000 film fans. Street Food Cinema offers screening events in LA, San Diego, and Phoenix, but you’ll want the local run down, with screenings, games, live music, and food trucks held at a variety of iconic Los Angeles locations including Beverly Hills, Manhattan Beach, the Pacific Palisades, the Los Angeles State Historic Park near Chinatown, Griffith Park, and Glendale.

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Coming up this weekend is The Big Lebowski in DTLA at the LA State Historic Park,  an event we’ll be reviewing. Not into the Dude? Then how about Dirty Dancing, screening in Victory Park just up the 110 freeway in Pasadena.

The 25th Anniversary of Mrs. Doubtfire screens June 16th at Griffith Park, next to the Autry; The Greatest Showman, a Hugh Jackman-starrer rapidly becoming a cult classic will be at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades on the same date.

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Finish out June with Goonies taking over Glendale’s Central Park June 23rd, or Back to the Future zooming into King Gillette Ranch in Malibu on the same date, or the Oscar-winning I Tonya at Poinsettia Recreation Park in West Hollywood. Just in time for Independence Day, Top Gun offers a soaring good time in Culver City’s Veteran’s Memorial Park June 30th; the all-American comedy of The Sandlot, in its 25th anniversary presentation is at Victory Park in Pasadena on the 30th as well.

The season runs into the fall, with other highlights such as Grease on July 21st, Casablanca on August 25th, Twilight and the original cult classic Halloween on October 13th. And don’t miss Street Food Cinema’s first double-feature pajama party – a September 15th pairing of The Craft and Teen Witch. 

Cinema fans, welcome to your summer feast.

  • Genie Davis; photos provided by Street Food Cinema

 

 

Bad Jews = Great Performances at the Odyssey

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Through July 1st at the Odyssey, Bad Jews brings audiences dark humor, fast wit, and dialog so smart it would make Aaron Sorkin weep. Created by Joshua Harmon, the play introduces opinionated Daphna/Diana Feygenbaum, a college student donning the mantle of her Jewishness with a passion. In town for the funeral of her grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, Daphna (Jeanette Deutsch) is  staying with cousins Liam and Jonah Haber (Noah James and Austin Rogers), in a luxe condo purchased by their parents.

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Daphna doesn’t care for their seemingly indolent acceptance of the luxurious residence, but she’s more focused on finding and keeping her grandfather’s chai, which he’d hidden even during his incarceration in a concentration camp.

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What Daphna doesn’t know can hurt her – and everyone around her – Liam already has the chai and plans to gift it to his non-Jewish fiancee.  And so the war of the words begins.

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Liam takes the secular side, Daphna the Jewish ideological trope, while Liam’s brother Jonah and fiancee Melody (Lila Hood) can only duck the verbal missiles.

Funny, poignant, bitter, biting, and intensely relatable, the richly human, insanely provocative battle of the chai also brings home the horrors of the Holocaust, the importance of loyalty, the sting of betrayal, and the power of words.

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Strong performances by all four cast members, an evocative set, and tight direction throughout the play’s 90-minute run time makes this a gem.

  • Genie Davis; photos: courtesy of the Odyssey.

Art at the Rendon: Checking In to Check It Out

Posted on by Diversions LA

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From outdoor art shrine to indoor glitter, the Rendon Hotel became the pop-up art spot to beat all pop-ups in LA this past weekend.

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You might not want to book at stay at the Rendon, a former single occupancy hotel just off 7th in DTLA. But if you checked out the first in a series of Art at the Rendon events this past weekend, it was all the same a terrific place to spend the night.

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Over 40 artists took over the hotel, creating immersive, individual rooms, some featuring performance art, some unspooling video images, some with the artists holding court, explaining the genesis of their work. Astonishingly beautiful, Hidden Rooms, curated by Cindy Schwarzstein of Cartwheel Art (below), brought DTLA-affiliated artists together to conceptualize all three floors of the building.

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Guests climbed the slightly-shaky metal fire escapes to access each floor, and wandered narrow halls to view the rooms.

Artists had just around 3 weeks to complete their works – and the results were stunning.

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Above, Davia King and Lisa Schulte, artists.

From magical neon to sheer, diaphanous fabric with haunting images of the city; light and the use of light was one key element that recurred in the rooms.

Below, artist Teale Hatheway lets the wind carry her work.

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Below, purple light infuses artist Jeff Ho’s room.

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Texture was also a key element of installations: below, Guerin Swing gives us a silver room with the walls of a celestial, alien cave.

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Faux fur on the bed, beaded lamp dangles above.

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The Baker’s Son conjured up outsize, tasty, tactile treats, below.

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Constructs of wood redefine space in the work of Susan Feldman Tucker, who bisected her room with wood and small sparkling lights, below.

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And what is the texture of money? As Warren Zevon once sang, “bring lawyers, guns, and money…” the lawyers were temporarily missing.

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The weapon worship of America was touched upon in several spaces, including this haunting installation by Clinton Bopp, below, referencing Arthurian times.

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From evoking ocean breezes to calling up something much darker, rooms also shaped distinct notions of place and time.

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Other images were harsher.

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Or haunted…as with filmed images from the hotel by Natasa Prosenc Stearns, below.

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Marcel “SEL” Blanco, below, gracefully took flight.

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Joseph Manuel Montalvo (NUKE) created the room of a Zoot-suited dancer, who interacted with hotel guests. Performance, below, by Pachuco Chino.

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Politics came in many forms – butterflies were one, emblematic of migration, below, from Maria Greenshields Ziman.

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A White House built of sand in the jungle… it is all a bit Apocalypse Now these days… from INDECLINE.

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Street artist Paradox gives us predictions of the future and a look at cool Sacrosanct Society clothing.

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Whatever door viewers stepped through, there was a transformation.

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Participating artists included:  ABCNT, Abel Alejandre Studio, AISEBORN – Visual Artist, Atlas, Kofie, Baker’s Son, Big Sleeps, Beau Stanton, Bisco Smith, Calder Greenwood, California Locos, Cassie Zhang, Christina Angelina (aka Starfighter), Clinton Bopp, Chaz Bojorquez, Darcy Yates, Dave Lovejoy, Dave Tourjé, Davia King, Dytch66, CBS, Emmeric Konrad, Francesca Quintano, Gabriella Fash, Gary Wong, Guerin Swing, INDECLINE, James P. Scott, Jacqueline Palafox, Jeff Ho, Johnny Cubert White, John Van Hamersveld, Joseph Manuel Montalvo (NUKE), Joe Prime Reza (K2S), Josh Everhorn, Josh Webb (aka Joex2), Kelcey Fisher (aka KFiSH), Kelly Graval (RISK), Keya Tama, Lisa Schulte, Man One, Marcel “SEL” Blanco, Maria Greenshields-Ziman, Mark Dean Veca, Michael Torquato DeNicola, MYMO (aka Mimo Ilie Mali), Moncho 1929, Deejay Trixter, Nataša Prosenc Stearns, Nicholas Bonamy, Norton Wisdom, Ralph Ziman (aka Afrika47), Restitution Press, RETNA, RhoXRose, Robert Sticky Shaw, Sarah K. Walsh, Shrine (Brent Allen Spears), Sma Litzsinger, Stephen Seemayer, Susan Feldman Tucker, Tanner Goldbeck, Teale Hatheway, VALTD, Vanessa Chow.

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On the ground level, music rocked the dive-bar, while sculptures, an art car, and food truck took over the courtyard. 

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Hidden Rooms was the first event in the Art at the Rendon series, which is planned to bring both art and music to the vacant hotel before it is renovated — and after the renovation. The idea is to  continue art programming and offer artist residencies.

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We wished there was an extended checkout, but unfortunately, this was just a weekend staycation.

  • Genie Davis; Photos: Genie Davis

And the Winners Are — Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Winners

Posted on by Diversions LA

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Award winners and presenters, above

After the last screening at the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, MLFF winners were announced at a lively after-party held in town at the Sierra Events Center. We were gratified to have chosen many of the winners among our own festival favorites.

Shorts, which were uniformly excellent,  received special mentions as well as official winners:

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Award winner narrative Shadow Animals director Jerry Carlson and shorts awards presenters

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Special mention for director of Nevada, above, right – Emily Ann

  • ominious and dark, In a Month received a special mention for its dystopian vision of darkness and madness
  • painterly in style and ambiguous in interpretation, Babies, filmed in the Palestinian Territories outside Jerusulem, also received a special mention
  • narrative grand jury shorts winner went to Shadow Animals, the gorgeous horror-laced take on social mores from Sweden
  • Nevada,  the utterly charming claymation film about a couple and their potential baby, took special mention in the animated category.
  • Grand jury winner in animation: Cocoon, Cocoon, a fresh take on caterpillars and butterflies with visually lush claymation and stop-action animation.
  • Grand jury award for best doc short: David and the Kingdom, a beautiful and moving story of a now-Zen-like former hunter. The film had its world premiere at the festival. Writer/director Brian Paccione said “I can’t think of a better place to premiere the film, because our subject, David, would look at the mountains and have a lot to say. “

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Cocoon, Cocoon director Ori Goldberg, above; director of David and the Kingdom, Brian Paccione, below.

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Feature-length documentary film awards:

  • Jury award for best documentary feature went to the fast-paced thriller of a doc, White Tide.  “We made a film about a guy who looked for buried treasure. And isn’t that what we do as filmmakers? Search for buried treasure?” asked director Theo Love who added “I didn’t think we would win! The first day of shooting, the guy we were supposed to shoot didn’t show up and we shot two hours of turtles humping with Panavision lenses,” he laughed.
  • A special mention in the doc feature category went to Buddha.mov
  • Bravery Award for documentary feature: Minding the Gap, a harrowing and insightful look at three skateboarding friends growing up, grown up, and dealing with a cycle of familial and spousal abuse.
  • Audience Award: Crime + Punishment,  a thoroughly exacting and riveting story of police corruption.

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Above, doc jurors with White Tide winners; center, director Theo Love 

Below, presenter Flula Borg with Crime + Punishment winner and festival director Shira Dubrovner

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Feature length international winners:

  • special mention to the melancholic vampire feature from Finland, Vidar the Vampire
  • jury award: the haunting Polish film about the end times and family life, Tower. A Bright Day.

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Above, presenter Vincent Spano with Vidar the Vampire winner

English-language narative winners:

  • Jury award to the “film about empathy and being better to each other out there in the real world, according to director Gus Krieger, the poetic My Name is Myeshia.
  • Audience Award: Rock Steady Row, the exuberant university-set, stolen-bike-ring contemporary Western. Writer Bomani J. Story said “This is all kind of amazing considering this all stemmed from me getting my bike stolen in college.” Presenter Flula Borg joked “I was in a film that won this two years ago, so there’s a nice symmetry to this.” Note: Borg’s film, then Buddymoon, now HoneyBuddies is an hilarious must-see.

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Above, juror with My Name is Myeshia winners

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Above, presenter Flula Borg, left, with crew and lead actor from Rock Steady Row

No award given but our own special mention should be made for the delicious small bites catering from Dan Molnar, and the Orson the Bear sculpted wooden awards, created by carver Josh Slater at Bear in Mind carvings, whom festival director Shira Dubrovner terms “the best.”

Founder and director Dubrovner and programmer Paul Sbrizzi created an absolutely terrific 4th year of MLFF – here’s to 40 more.

The full list of Juried and Audience Awards is below:

  • Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature, with a $1,000 cash prize, $10,000 Panavision Camera Rental Grant and $10,000 Light Iron Post Production Package, goes to My Name Is Myeisha.
  • Jury Award for Best International Feature, with a $500 cash prize, goes to Tower. A Bright Day.
    • Special Mention goes to writer, director, actor Thomas Aske Berg for his performance in Vidar the Vampire.
  • Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature, with a $1,000 cash prize, goes to White Tide.
    • Special Mention goes to Buddha.mov.
  • Jury Award for Best Narrative Short, with a $500 cash prize and $5,000 VER Rental Grant, goes to Shadow Animals.
    • Special Mentions go to Babies and In A Month.
  • Jury Award for Best Documentary Short, with a $500 cash prize, goes to David and The Kingdom.
  • Jury Award for Best Animation Short, with a $500 cash prize, goes to Cocoon, Cocoon.
    • Special Mention goes to Nevada.
  • Special Jury Award for Bravery, with a $500 cash prize, goes to Minding the Gap.
  • Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, with a $1,000 cash prize and $5,000 Panavision Camera Rental Grant, goes to Rock Steady Row.
  • Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature, with $1,000 cash prize, goes to Crime + Punishment.

 Narrative Features Jury: Tim Rhys (MovieMaker Magazine), Nicole Sperling (Vanity Fair) and Rachel Winter (Producer).

Documentary Features Jury: Allison Amon (EVP Sales & Development, Bullitt), Lindsey Bahr (Associated Press) and Peter Baxter (Filmmaker; President/Co-Founder, Slamdance).

International Features Jury: Shalini Dore (Variety), Alonso Duralde (TheWrap) and Vincent Spano (Actor).

Shorts Jury: Ana Souza (Sundance Film Festival) and Scenery Samundra (Tru Thoughts, NTS Radio).

  • Genie Davis; photos: Jack Burke