Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Opening Night: In Fabric Haunts

Posted on by Diversions LA

 

Shira Dubrovner, festival director with Paul Sbrizzi, director of programming
Shira Dubrovner, festival director with Paul Sbrizzi, director of programming

Entering it’s 5th year with a snowy salute – yes, it is snowing in May in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.  – the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival opened tonight with In Fabric, a film at once haunting and campy, filled with hand wringing scares and tropes from horror films past.

A1 in fabric

Weird and wonderful, the feature is both homage to horror movies and full-on send-up of same. There’s a crimson dress that is literally and figuratively a killer, purchased at a high-end department store run by a coven of sexually deviant witches.

The film switches hapless wearer/protagonists just past the half-way mark, moving from the growing terrifying misadventures of a single mom in search of love to that of an engaged couple, who come into the dress through a thrift shop purchase for a bachelor’s party.

Both frightening and often absurd, the film also strikes a glancing blow at consumer culture and dating services, moving audiences from appreciation of its strange and audacious wit to jump scares and an overall aura of the genuinely creepy that lingers after the film ends.

3R1A6502

At the opening night party at the Polo Event Center in Mammoth, festival director Shira Dubrovner and programming director Paul Sbrizzi celebrated the festival’s epic growth and five-years-and-counting run in an intimate, pristine, and natural setting.

3R1A6496

The party featured some awesome beverages from Devils Creek Distillery, a family owned purveyor of rye, rum, and bourbon here in Mammoth Lakes. Rum, mint, lime juice, simple syrup, and angostura bitters were used to craft the First Chair; the Smoke Jumper was served with an impressive infusion on-site of hickory smoke with bourbon, Aperol, sweet vermouth, and orange bitters.

3R1A6492

3R1A6495

3R1A6505

Also on hand were tasty cheese, meats, breads, and fruit from Bleu Handcrafted Foods, plus Blue Moon beer, and fine wines from Black Box.

Post party, we are enjoying our stay at the beautiful, serene Sierra Nevada Resort and Spa, both rustic and chic in style, and just a great place to call “home” between and after films.  Plus there’s cool carved bears on the sign outside, and beyond the hot tub, a sweet 18-hole mini-golf course — a snowy one at the moment.

Festival gold sponsors, and sponsors of opening night and party, Paul and Kathleen Rudder
Festival gold sponsors, and sponsors of opening night and party, Paul and Kathleen Rudder

Haven’t attended the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival yet? LA residents, the snow is really pretty, the roads are completely clear, and some screening and event tickets are still available – come join us. We will be covering the festival nightly, exploring the always-interesting, stimulating, and diverse features, docs, shorts, panels, and parties.

  • Genie Davis; Photos: Jack Burke

 

SoFlo Video Production Studio: Why Standing Sets Make Sense

Posted on by Diversions LA

grafitti

Musical artists and bands, filmmakers, producers, and videographers take note: SoFlo, a video production company in Florida is reaching out about their easily available standing sets. Having worked with and written about many indie filmmakers, it’s an interesting concept: sets that are available for controlled production aesthetics at a reasonable rate.

As a rule, most indie filmmakers and musicians use as “sets” the street, a home, or a business they’ve cajoled into allowing them to film there. Often they do this for verisimilitude, but equally often they do so because sets are out of line with their budget.

According to film producer and manager Kim Brown, “In-studio sets are much simpler and cleaner to work on. The problem for many filmmakers outside the studio system is how much it costs to rent a studio space, and then frankly, you’re usually dressing a studio yourself. By the time you’ve done that, the costs really add up. So, you usually go with just hit or miss location scouting, and make do.”

She adds “The quiet, space, and privacy of a studio set would be great, but in most cases it’s simply out of line with what filmmakers can afford.”

SoFlo is something different: the company offers standing sets as well as every prop that you would expect to be in the scene, and lighting equipment – in a controlled and comfortable shooting environment that’s directly aimed at independent film makers, bands, music video directors and the like.

interrogation-768x419

We took a Skype-tour of the sets and were impressed. The Sunrise, Fla. company has an interrogation room with a two-way mirror; a hospital room that could also be used as a doctor’s office – having finagled my way into doctor’s offices and empty hospital beds for shoots long past, this one looked particularly valuable to me; and a locker room, prison cell, and padded cell among its sets.

drset

One of the most detailed sets is the company’s police station, that comes with a full prop set, just ready for the guys and gals in blue to show up. And once they’ve locked up the perp? There’s a prison studio set, too. With a highly detailed, old-school classroom set, a fairly elaborate hotel lobby, and a graffiti-covered hallway, the company has plenty of options. And they also have a green screen room, which means you can be anywhere you want to be just about seamlessly.

policestationsmall

Outside the in-house stage sets, SoFlo also owns their own nightclub and restaurant filming location for an authentic look in a controlled environment.

lounge

And then there’s the lighting. As well as being provided in the studio set of a filmmaker’s choice, it’s also deliverable off-site. Set or no set, the company also has a robust prop list available for filmmakers to rent, as well – exotic cars, too.

i5

“When you add in downtime and re-shoots at random locations due to noise or lighting changes, the cost of permits, transporting gear, and the comfort of the actors, having a studio set option like this available is a great choice,” Brown says.

  • Genie Davis; Photos courtesy of SoFlo

 

 

Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival Seeks to Inspire, Embrace, Empower

Posted on by Diversions LA

 

gAg7gliA

Running July 26-28 at the Let Live Theater in Hollywood, the Los Angeles Diversity Film Festival offers screenings, panel discussions, and guest speakers – all focusing on the festival’s tag like to “Inspire, Embrace, Empower.”

The 3-day event begins with an opening night party, a block of international shorts, and a Q & A with filmmakers. Now in its 5th year, the festival is dedicated to establishing an inclusive and multicultural experience through independent films.

zNKocEKg

Independent film producer and educator Sonja Mereu is helming as festival director for the second year. She says a record-breaking number of submissions were received this time around, with the final selection offering “unique perspectives on the human experience” that audiences just won’t see anywhere else.

Mereu has been involved in LADFF since the festival began. “Our founder Hollis McLachlan and I bonded over our shared passions for special education instruction, feminism, and film-making, so when she decided to launch the festival, she asked me to be involved and help to realize her vision.”

When McLachlan left the LA-area, she selected Mereu to take over as festival director. “In my second year, the things that have remained the same are the venue, the Let Live Theater in WeHo, our programmer Nicholas Ybarra, and our support from the City of West Hollywood and WeHo Arts,” she says. “Throughout the life of the festival, our mission has not changed, but this year we did change our slogan from ‘Celebrating Multi-Culture’ to ‘Inspire. Embrace. Empower.’”

OirOH31A

According to Mereu, this shift, along with a change in the logo to include a globe and clenched fist “reflect that while the event is still a celebration, it is also a global call to action.  We aim to empower our film makers and audience to not only celebrate people of all kinds, but to fight for equal rights, equal representation and a safe place for all people to be themselves.”

Along with this supportive emphasis, the festival has also added an event, an opening night reception held next door to the theater at The Other Space. The gathering is designed to create community among the audience and filmmakers, and encourages networking and socializing before and after the screenings.

nuW--EMQ

What Mereu most wants people to know about the festival is that LADFF screens a truly diverse set of films. “Rather than festivals that focus on a particular population, whether that’s LGBTQ, African American, Native American, our festival screens diverse and international set of films in every screening block,” she attests. “For example, in our opening night shorts block, we are screening 8 films. The films come from 6 different countries, telling stories that involve physical disability, aging, homosexuality, living with autism, child abuse, and cultural gender roles.” She adds “I also want people to know that the event is thought provoking, while also being a really fun experience.”

nxOIk25w

To truly experience the festival, Mereu recommends that attendees buy the VIP pass that offers access to every screening of the weekend. “The VIP pass includes the Opening Night Shorts block and reception, which is a great way to begin the festival experience and meet the film makers.” However, she notes “For people who only have time on the weekend, we have a number of guest hosts throughout the day on Saturday who will be moderating the Q&As. The day ends with the awards ceremony on Saturday night.”

bGfHd7vg

Among the offerings, festival programming includes a child-friendly block, “Power to the Young People,” which runs at 3 p.m. Saturday, and includes two inspiring short films, followed by the documentary film Purple Dreams, about an inner-city high school production of The Color Purple.

LAtCDJpw

Other highlights include Mind Over Matter, a documentary about the life of musician Brandon Mendenhall of Korn and the Mendenhall Project, who overcame cerebral palsy to become a celebrated rock ‘n roll guitarist; and the Come As You Are LGBTQ block, featuring seven LGBTQ stories told from a wide range of perspectives.

For tickets to opening night and other festival programming, visit:  https://filmfreeway.com/LADFF/tickets

For more information about programming, visit www.ladff.com

LADFF is presented with the support of the City of West Hollywood’s WeHo Arts program. The Let Live Theater is located at 916 N Formosa Ave. in Hollywood.

  • Genie Davis; Photos courtesy of LADFF

Daniel Pinder Joins Cast of Garrison 7: The Fallen.

Posted on by Diversions LA

Daniel Pinder

Actor Daniel Pinder has joined the cast of the action/sci-fi flick Garrison 7: The Fallen for Gena8 Studios. Gena8 Studios has worked on productions such as Marvel’s Avengers, The Matrix, The Lord of The Rings, The Hobbit, Superman Returns, The Wolverine and a wide range of other films.

Veteran stuntman and actor Scott Brewer is credited with creating and directing the production. A true actors’ director, Brewer has himself has performed in films such as The Chronicles of Narnia, The Matrix, and Bad Karma, the latter alongside Ray Liotta.

Garrison 7: The Fallen is the first installment in the Garrison 7 universe. The film centers around an elite special forces commander who accidentally uncovers an insidious military conspiracy, one which leads to the brutal murder of his family.  Now the target of an intergalactic manhunt, nothing will stop the military’s attempt to silence him.

The cast of Garrison 7: The Fallen includes Brian Krause (Charmed), Mark Rolston (The Shawshank Redemption; Saw), Steve Bastoni (The Matrix; The Water Diviner), along with Hazuki Kato, Jim Meskimen, and Marjean Holden.  Pinder takes on the role of Kai in the dynamic production.

pinder 7

Pinder’s credits include NBC’s Chicago PD, We Are Your Friends, and the upcoming films Paved New World, Crackle, Skate God, and Sarah, in which he performs alongside Oscar-nominated actress Virginia Madsen and Spencer List.

  • Genie Davis; photo provided by Daniel Pinder