Couch Fest 2012 is Now Accepting Short Film Program Hosts #indiefilm

Couch Fest, the film festival that takes place in people’s living rooms and related alternative venues is now accepting applications for Couch Fest 2012.

That means you can host your very own short film program in the comfort of your own home. All you need is a DVD and Television or screen and preferably a couch or somewhere for people to sit. Some of you may remember this film festival from the interviews that I did with Craig Downing.

The crew at Couch Fest says you can host their program of short films “at home, at work, with a community organization, at school, on a pirate boat, in a tree house, at your local theater, in a cave, as a flash mob, or wherever!” -- the festival showcases unreleased and award-winning films that come straight from the current film festival circuit from fests such as Sundance, Seattle, SXSW and Melbourne.

Celebrating its fifth year, Couch Fest Films is proud of bringing movies to people in a local and cozy atmosphere -- so proud that the festival staff say they will “get into a dirty school-yard fight” to defend every film that is accepted that you dare to bad mouth!

Last year, Couch Fest Films had hosts around the country and beyond in places such as Oman, California, Peru, Iceland, New York, London and Haiti.

For more information on how you can get involved, check out the Host Applications Page for Couch Fest 2012.

Now, tell me…

What was the last short film that YOU watched? and What was the last film festival YOU attended?

Film Characters in Disguise

The summer of 2012 is shaping up to be quite a hit for Hollywood with all of the superhero (such as “The Amazing Spiderman”), action (like “Total Recall”), animated ( including “Brave” and “Ice Age: Continental Drift”) and comedy (such as “Ted”) films playing in theaters. I finally got around to watching “The Dark Knight” this past weekend and now feel prepared to check out “The Dark Knight Rises” when it’s released.

So, this week’s Monday Movie Meme topic is inspired by the man who leads a double life -- working as a philanthropist by day and a fighting vigilante saving lives with tricked out costumes and fancy automobiles at night: Take off your little mask!

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring characters who wear a mask either intentionally or not. Their mask does not have to be worn during the entire movie but should be noticeable enough to be of some relevance to the lives of these movie characters. Face paint does not count. They must have the option of removing their masks. Here are my selections for this week’s Take off your little mask! meme.

Kingdom of Heaven

In this 2005 action film directed by Ridley Scott, Edward Norton plays King Baldwin of Jerusalem and he wears a gold mask to hide his disfigurement.

The mask is later removed momentarily by his sister Sibylla and although it’s obvious that the cover became part of his identity, all I could think about while watching this movie was “Isn’t he hot under there?!” -- I mean, they’re in the Middle East, for crying out loud and King Balwin’s mask in this film looked heavy as all get-out AND it was silver. SILVER! Since he was a ruler, I could understand if it was real but damn, can a man get some ventilation up in there? I’m just sayin’.

The Strangers

I love me some Liv Tyler and have no objections to getting a view of cute ol’ Ben from “Felicity” but the characters that they play are annoying as a couple. Still, you want to root for them to make it through a horrific evening surrounded by three weird ass masked intruders -- gotta respect the strange trio’s attention to detail in the styles of their porcelain and colorful disguises tho’.

Baghead

Mass hysteria and chaos emerge in this independent film by the Duplass brothers, when a masked person in-question terrorizes a group of actors who are trying to make a movie. Although the mask is efficiently economical and easily accessible, I honestly don’t even know if this particular film counts as a “masked character” movie since an entire paper bag is used.

My guess is that the mask could easily be considered a hood -- which opens the Monday Movie Meme topic up to a lot of possibilities. The paper bag CAN, however, be removed by the unknown subject or any of the other main characters so it could work as a mark. Shucks! Is it a mask or a hood?

Honorable Mention: Man in the Iron Mask starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It’s not a main selection for this week’s Monday Movie Meme because I already talked about it in the context of mask-wearing during the 2012 A to Z Challenge.

What movies have YOU seen featuring people who wear a mask?

‘Are All Men Pedophiles?’ - Dutch Filmmaker Jan-Willem Breure on his International Documentary #indiefilm

The controversial feature debut of Dutch producer/director Jan-Willem Breure titled “Are All Men Pedophiles?” has been making its way around the film festival circuit -- with screenings in Iowa and Amsterdam. It is said to currently be playing at Festival Mix 2012 in Mexico but the future availability of the film in the U.S. has yet to be released, so I have no idea if or when we’ll have the option of checking out this documentary.

Based on its synopsis, “Are All Men Pedophiles?” aims to question the hypocrisy within our society’s beliefs about pedophilia. It highlights misunderstandings about pedophilia that has resulted in a society that condemns attraction to adolescent girls despite history and world culture suggesting that it is natural and unavoidable. According to the website for this film, the “fashion industry sexualizes very young girls but those who act on those instincts are reviled.”

The movie features several doctors - a neurologist; psychologist; sexologist, etc. and religious leaders, historians and modeling scouts who shed some light on the meaning of pedophilia, views regarding age and sexual attraction to teen girls. It also claims to be the first international feature length documentary that has an interview with a female pedophile.

In May, I interviewed the 23 year-old Jan-Willem Breure about his documentary and am now just getting the time to post it.

Madlab Post: Does the Fashion industry's sexualization of young girls aid in the attraction to girls ages 16 and under?

Jan-Willem Breure: Yes, the average age of a fashion model is 16.

What are some misconceptions about pedophilia that this film unravels?

There is a difference between pedophiles and hebophiles,  under 18 does not mean pedophilia.

Since the age of consent for females around the world ranges from nine years-old to 20 years of age, do you think religion is a large factor in our Western society's condemnation of a man's attraction to girls under 18 years-old?

No, Mary was 12-15 when she got pregnant -- the church is not embarrassed by this, but the church was a major cause of Sex guilt and also sex before marriage, so when the marriage age goes up you know there will be problems.

Are most men who claim they aren't attracted to girls under 18 years of age lying? Are they in denial?

Puberty ends for girls at 16 -- unless they are exclusive gerontophiles they are in denial because even teleiophilia overlaps with hebophilia.

Why is our culture quick to label men as pedophiles, yet, continue to be obsessed with youth, even going so far as to using age to measure beauty -- particularly where females are concerned?

Because they were not taught the definition of hebophilia. The were only giving one term for 2 things.

What was your motivation for making such a controversial film?

I realized the age of attraction does not change, instead it expands -- if you are attracted to 17 year olds, when you pass 18 (years of age) you don't automatically find people age 17 unattractive.

Although the subject matter is alarming, I would still probably watch the movie just to find out what comes of the on-screen discussion from both sides of the topic.

Boy....if only I was vacationing in Iowa or The Netherlands or Mexico! In the meantime, I guess I’ll continue to step my classic film game up by watching old black & white movies from the 1930s on Netflix.

Breure’s own average age of attraction to females ranges from 15 to 60. The movie poster for “Are All Men Pedophiles?” seems to reflect the main points of his film -- If you find teenage girls attractive, is that or is that not pedophilia? Breure already has plans to make another film, which will be about incest.

How old do YOU think the female on Jan-Willem Breure’s movie poster is?

Do YOU find her attractive?

Here is the trailer for the movie: