Document text
Independent film festival is off to good start By BILL VARBLE Lucy's old boyfriend is marrying her best friend, and the bridesmaid's dress she's supposed to wear is two sizes too small and the color of a tangerine. When the bus she's on breaks down out in the boondocks, she seeks shelter from a rainstorm in an old barn with two fellow passengers. "You've gotta figure out who you are," Las Vegas' only topless magician tells Lucy, who is one angry young woman. Lucy quickly learns some important things about love, life and when to take off your clothes and tango in the rain. "Roadside Assistance" was one of the first films shown Friday, the first full day of the first-ever Ashland Independent Film Festival. The 19-minute film is a nominee for best student film. It is also emblematic of the films being screened this weekend. It's short, it was produced by young filmmakers (University of Southern California students), and it was made for little money (about $40,000). And while it doesn't achieve Hollywood slickness, or aspire to, it's not too experimental to tell a story. An appreciative audience at the Varsity laughed at Lucy's pique and smiled as her character had growing pains. Not that the film doesn't have a serious point to make, something like: If you say, "This is me, world, take it or leave it," the world will probably take it, and it'll probably be OK. Getting us to believe in the characters and care about them, and telling a story while entertaining us, all in less than 20 minutes, is a piece of work. "I think you can really get people if you get them laughing first," director Jennifer Derwingson said after the film. Many directors are in town for the festival. Some go to screenings and are available for questions afterward. I saw nine short movies in two screenings, a block of four and a block of five (there are also feature-length pictures). Styles varied dramatically. Overall quality was high. In "Trade Day" (29 minutes), 8-year-old Jack goes with his grandfather to join three old men who meet once a month in their small Alabama town square after World War II, ostensibly to swap the likes of .22 rifles, old music boxes and lucky rabbits' feet with each other. "Never question your trade," Jack's grandpa says. Of course, he's teaching Jack about much more than swapping trinkets with old friends. But something comes up for trading that forces him to face an almost unbearable secret. In "The Confession" (22 minutes), two gay lovers are facing the imminent death of one partner, and he turns to a priest for absolution, setting up complications. If you ever hated the kids' game of dodgeball, the movie of that name (22 minutes) might be the ultimate terror. It's a bright comedy about a young woman named Rose who discovers that her success in the ruthless company where she's a new employee depends on her performance in a vicious game. Those four movies show as a block that's slated to be repeated at 10 a.m. Sunday. The second block of films I saw was "Melting Glass," a Czech film about a relationship being tested, "The Hanged Dog Tree," a Belgian film about Holocaust survivors, "Quiero Morir," a lurid revenge fantasy from Mexico, "The Last Time We Went Fishing," about an American family coming apart in 1962, and "The Man With the Empty Room," a futuristic fantasy about loneliness and taking a chance. This block repeats at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 p.m. Sunday. The only thing not to like was "Quiero Morir," a morbid twist on a tired old joke that looks as if it belongs in the "Tales From the Crypt" shlockbin despite one stunning computer animation sequence. Production values were generally high. The only picture that looked like the "Eraserhead" kind of indie thing was "Empty Room," which may also make you think of "Brazil." Bottom line: We tend to equate "movie" with "Hollywood," which is too bad. If there's a downside to seeing so many fresh films in a sitting, it's an embarrassment of riches. A feeling almost of enervation stemming from the fact that shorts cram their treasures into a short time with little background and few tangents. You're almost always seeing intense scenes with emotional wallop, which may come to feel a bit like a football game that's all two-minute drills. Reach reporter Bill Varble at 776-4478 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.