3 Reasons to Attend Film Festivals #NaBloPoMo #IndieFilm

Reason #1: Early Birds Get the Worms....or First Viewings
Much like midnight movie showings for new releases, film festivals can give you an advantage of being able to watch new movies first before the rest of the country gets to see it.....or at least everyone else that you know does. Independent films that are backed by a studio or distributor often screen at film festivals before they get released in theaters. Think this is rare? Guess again.

In January, one of my relatives asked me to go see Tanya Hamilton’s “Night Catches Us” starring Kerry Washington (Ray; Last King of Scotland) and Anthony Mackie (The Adjustment Bureau; She Hate Me) to which I declined. Why? Well, because I already saw “Night Catched Us” like way back in October 2010 when it was playing at the 19th annual Philadelphia Film Festival.

Reason #2: Broaden your Movie Viewing Experiences
If asked, the average movie goer will probably not be able to name five foreign films ….real foreign films......at the very least, movies that do not star well known talents such as Bruce Lee and Jet Li nor were directed by Ang Lee. This is because the average movie goer may not be interested in reading subtitles to comprehend what is taking place in a scene or may not consider foreign films to be entertaining. Or, maybe average movie goers just does not have access to foreign films nor is aware of what is available in this category and they don’t know what they are missing.

No matter what factor applies, film festivals provide an opportunity for movie fans to learn about other cultures through film expression and also come to appreciate the differences in what filmmakers from around the world have to offer.

Reason #3: Be in a Movie
Have you ever wanted to be in a movie but didn’t pursue it because you don’t have any acting experience or life got in the way or your family and friends told you it was impossible, etc. ? Do you have acting experience and want to be in another movie to keep this acting thing going or to maybe play a different kind of character than you’re used to portraying? No matter which side of the acting spectrum you come from, film festivals make it easier than ever for you to get a chance (or several, depending on the festival you go to) to be in a movie......probably without even auditioning and sending in head shots.

It works like this: You go to a film festival and attend screenings or events where the filmmakers are also making an appearance. At this point, introduce yourself or casually strike up a conversation with everybody because you never know who is and who isn’t in a position to recommend you for a role in a film. Therefore, it may work to your benefit to talk up the whole crowd, especially at festivals in small towns and such because other actors, crew members and producers are good to meet even if you are never able to meet the filmmakers.

If no one offers an acting job to you during the festival and you don’t pursue one, all is not lost. Contact the filmmaker, producer, casting director, etc. that you wanted to work with and say something like “Hi, it’s me. We met at such and such festival back in whatever. What are you working on now and can you consider me for a role in your new movie?” It helps to have a reel of previous work or website or something that can show the casting person what you can do for him/her.

Oh, and don’t say “me,” say whatever your name is and call the festival by name when contacting someone whose film you want to be in.

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Why F. Gary Gray is My Favorite Director

When thinking “favorites” as far as movie directors go, I find it quite interesting that mine is a rather unexpected one that surprises even myself. Steven Spielberg inspired me enough to leave fine arts behind in pursuit of big Hollywood bucks and red carpets.

After quickly learning that not only all that glitters ain’t gold but also I traded one outrageous dream for another, Robert Rodriguez and Spike Lee later helped me realize that movies can be made independently of a studio system but it would require hard work, dedication, talent and lots of social equity that could be turned into favors when production budgets are tight. So, you'd think that I my favorite director's name would end in "Spielberg," "Rodriguez" or "Lee," right? Me too. The thing is, it doesn't.

While all of these men are among favorite directors....and I’m talking top ten and possibly top five, none of them are THE favorite, numero uno at times when I have to choose just one. The very productive and versatile F. Gary Gray is by far, my favorite director of motion picture films.

Since the mid 90s, Gray has directed several movies including “The Negotiator” starring Kevin Spacey and Samuel Jackson, “The Italian Job” starring Charlize Theron, Edward Norton and Mark Wahlberg, “A Man Apart” starring Vin Diesel and the most recent, “Law Abiding Citizen” starring Gerard Butler and Jamie Foxx. The hit comedy “Friday” with Ice Cube and Chris Tucker was Gray’s first feature film, which helped him make a transition from music videos to the big screen.

I like F. Gary Gray’s work because he turns scripts into something that captures audiences by getting the best and sometimes surprising performances out of his actors.....whether they are well known veterans such as Spacey and Donald Sutherland or new talent such as actress Kimberly Elise, who starred in the heist film “Set It Off” opposite Jada Pinkett and Queen Latifah.

To this day, Gray is the only director who got me to become such a fanatic about a movie that I own the home video version, the soundtrack and the original score with plans to purchase movie stills and also upgrade to Blu-ray despite the fact that I currently do not even own a Blu-ray player. If the screenplay was available in stores, I would probably buy that too. I’ve also watched the same movie at least one dozen times, if not more and can probably recite the entire film’s dialogue and act out the scenes, on cue. Don’t ask me to do it though, because I won’t. That is just for fun!

I used to toy with the idea of trying to get a job working as Gray’s personal assistant but didn’t follow that one through. I figure that it would be a double opportunity for me. I’d get to spend time with and learn from a director who I admire while also gaining valuable hands-on experience in my area of study.

There is no other director whose film’s I follow to the point that I’m buying the ancillary merchandise, reading interviews and studying both the important and the silly details about a movie......with the exception of the“Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter” series but those films don’t count because who doesn’t follow LOTR or the Hogwarts gang?

What do YOU think of these films?

Who is YOUR favorite director?

*This post is dedicated to Herman Turnip at Terrible Analogies.

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R-Rated Summertime Movies #NaBloPoMo #MovieMeme

The chorus of a popular and very seasonal song by The Fresh Prince, also known as Will Smith goes “Summer, summer summertime. Time to sit back and unwind.” Join me in doing just that on this warm and rainy summer afternoon and evening, as The Bumbles asks Monday Movie Meme participants to share on their blogs movies set in the summertime. Here are my picks for this week’s topic.

Bad Boys II

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence team up again to play police detectives who investigate a drug kingpin from Cuba who is slanging Ecstasy in Miami, Florida. An undercover operation by the DEA further complicates their pursuit of bringing down a criminal who has been able to avoid jail time while reaping hefty paydays at the City of Miami’s expense. There is a beach scene in “Bad Boys II” where Gabrielle Union and Jordi Mollà get better acquainted during their business meeting, that influenced me to want to try Mojito cocktails. Yuck. That’s the last time I drink one of those!

White Men Can’t Jump

Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson star in this comedy as two inner city basketball players who join forces to hustle others on the court. Harrelson's character “Billy” needs money to pay off his debt to the mob while Snipes’ character “Sidney” wants to find a way to provide a better life for his family but his arrogant attitude does not help their situation. This is a funny movie that sports fans may enjoy. The two main characters came together through manipulation.

Billy found a way to take advantage of the fact that people stereotype him and he used it for financial gain, which worked for him. Sidney learned the “game” that Billy played and started to take advantage of Billy, so it appears that everyone is using each other in this movie. However, only the strong and smart survive no matter who you are, just like in real life most of the time. So in the end, this movie may be about a lot more than a simple game of basketball. Also, it looks like Rosie Perez was really workin’ it one the acting scene during the 90s!

The Inkwell

Larenze Tate, Morris Chestnut and Jada Pinkett-Smith stars in this romantic comedy/drama that has been on VHS or DVD (or maybe both) in the house that I grew up in for many years, yet I never watched it. While many of the actors in it are people worth watching in probably any film, I always thought that “The Inkwell” was a stupid movie. I honestly don’t know why, either. Still, the movie is a favorite among many of my relatives and friends, so I had the pleasure (um, not!) of hearing about this movie often. It seems to be about a troubled teenager who sets his house on fire and later befriends an older, married woman while away on a family vacation during 4th of July weekend.

It looks like the characters in these three movies combined need to all sit back, turn on a DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince "Homebase" CD, skip to track no.2 and have a glass of lemonade in the shade....or a coke and a smile....whatever tickles their fancy, because they do just the opposite of unwinding in the r-rated summertime flicks on this list!

If you like this post, check out the Heat Wave one too (or recommend it to a friend if you already read that post). It is a nice companion to this summertime theme!

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