The first Ventura Film Festival runs from March 26-29. Under the tag line “Real People, True Stories, New Cinema, the festival intends to showcase an eclectic mix of cinema and new media that pertains to art and community rather than glamour and glitz. Erick Zonca’s “Julia” staring British avante garde muse and Oscar winner Tilda Swinton gets its first US screening and there’s a retrospective of filmmaker Robert M. Young whose body of work includes “Dominick & Eugene” and “Short Eyes.”
I spoke to Festival Founder and Director Lorenzo DeStefano who brings more than 30 years movie experience to the festival. “My experience as a filmmaker and at festivals has allowed me to see the good, the bad, and the ugly,” he says. His vision of a program of international alternative cinema melded with a local community vibe has been realized through his and Festival Art Director Robert Catalusci’s hard efforts over this last year. The core of the festival offers technical guidance and mentoring to local filmmakers of all ages. There are no V.I.P.’s here. “I’ve lived in LA as a filmmaker and filmmaking can be such a selfish profession.” Under DeStefano’s guidance, cinema returns to its rightful place as an art form for the people and not just the Hollywood elite. “I keep getting asked about Red Carpet and V.I.P. passes and I always have to answer with a firm “no.” I’ve also banned the term “Gala.”
The festival is benefiting indigenous and global cinema with films from all over the world and many from the Brooks Institute of Technology where DeStafano has lectured on film. There are brand new films, cheap tickets, free admission for under 16’s, and the unfaltering encouragement of local community participation that can only benefit Ventura’s art community in the future. DeStefano calls it “Neighborhood cinema.” We are “encouraging young people into film who may have been disheartened by expensive schools and equipment.” Digital cameras follow on from Super 8 and photography as the peoples’ form of art expression by bringing back ownership of film for the masses by the masses. This is community film without big studios and big budgets. This is not cinema of the elite. “All art is valid, as long as it tells a pretty decent story.”
The festival will kick off with a short film from 7 year-old pianist, Tiffany Koo and her rendition of Chopin’s Nocturne. DeStafano was introduced to Koo on YouTube. “People have said to me why show it because everyone has seen it, but it hasn’t been programmed and that’s the difference.” DeStefano was amazed to find out that Koo and her family lived local and now both Tiffany and her father have films in the festival. Following Koo is the world premiere of documentary “Thy Will Be Done” by first time filmmaker Jacob K. Cunningham, and tells the heart-wrenching story of 14 year-old Kevin Natale who was shot by his clinically depressed neighbor and in an instant became a quadriplegic.
Eighty-four year old filmmaker Robert M. Young receives a well deserved retrospective of his work with Q&A sessions following screenings of some of his award-winning films, including “Caught” which was nominated for the 1997 Independent Spirit Award for Best Director. The entire cast, including James Almos, are expected at the screening and Q&A.
Following on from the festival the Ventura Film Society will repeat screenings of festival films around the city and for Ventura’s Art Walk. DeStefano sums up the festival’s direction when he talks about the true meaning and effect of great cinema. “Story tellers and story telling crosses all genres. I want people to be seduced by movies.”
The Ventura Film Festival runs from March 26-29
Join me next week when I’ll be reporting LIVE from the 4-day event and speaking to the filmmakers, participants, and organizers. Plus I’ll be sitting through a lot of great cinema.
