Lance Around Orlando

[Editor’s Note: At the end of this post is a short, seven minute video of Cary Elwes’ talk at the 2013 FFF.]

I am in a panic…

It’s several weeks before the FFF and as I look over the guests list for this year I notice that Cary Elwes is going to be in town for a special 25th anniversary showing of The Princess Bride. This is Mrs. LanceAround’s favorite movie. I have to make sure she can attend this event.

As an official blogger for the FFF, my press badge allows me into all movies, provided there are extra seats. The Platinum pass holders are let into the theatre first. After them goes the regular ticket holders. Then journalists with an official FFF press badge are allowed to take an empty seat. After that, any FFF volunteer can take a seat. However, for really big events, I know every seat in the theatre will be filled. So if I want to make sure I don’t miss an event I have to buy a ticket.

I go to the FFF website and click on the “purchase ticket” icon for “A Brunch With Cary Elwes Featuring The Princess Bride.” As I’m humming to myself and thinking how happy Mrs. LanceAround will be, I encounter the following message:

“This event is now on stand-by. Since we must reserve an allotment of tickets for our VIP pass holders, we have a limited number of tickets available for general admission. Once those tickets have been sold, a program goes on stand-by until the day of the program.  On the day of the program, we will have a stand-by line at each venue.  15 minutes before the start of the program, we will do a seating assessment to determine if we have any additional tickets available to sell.  We will then sell them to the individuals in line until the venue has reached capacity. You can take your chances, or secure your spot at this unforgettable event with a Platinum Pass or a Movie Star Pass.

Panic!

What do I do?

I consider purchasing a Platinum Pass just so I can make sure we get into this event. Not a bad idea, after all the money supports our favorite film festival. In addition, for the rest of the festival I wouldn’t have to wait in the press line and I could get the best seat in the house.

No, I decide that the service I provide the FFF by working all day and night using my LanceAroundOrlando blog to get the word out about the festival is more than enough. Besides, I would feel uncomfortable being the first one into the theatre and getting a good seat while the people I just interviewed for the LanceAroundOrlando blog are standing at the back of a long line in the pouring rain.

The first thing I do is corner Henry Maldonado, president of the FFF. “Henry, I need your help. Can you pull some strings and get me a ticket to see Cary Elwes.” Henry puts his arm on my shoulder and gives me a sympathetic look with his trademark impish smile. “Sorry, LanceAround, I don’t think even I could get an extra ticket.” I love Henry even when he’s not exactly being totally honest with me. He goes on to tell me that the Cary Elwes event sold out in 30 minutes–the fastest in the history of the FFF.

I run into Matthew Curtis, the Programing Director. “Can you get me into the Cary Elwes brunch?” I ask while fluttering my eyes and trying to look desperate. Well, that technique might work when it’s done by Mrs. LanceAround, but Matthew just grunts that he does the programming and has nothing to do with ticket sales.

I consider putting an ad on Craigslist…bartering with a Platinum passholder…bribing the person working at the ticket counter…Wait a minute! None of these ideas sound like something LanceAround would do!

I know I’m getting desperate!

Finally I resign myself to the fact that I will simply have to show up to the theatre early and be first in the standby line…What’s early?…Let’s see, the program begins at 10:30am…The website says 15 minutes before the show, but I’ve seen the standby line for popular shows and they begin to get long AT LEAST one hour before the show…Perhaps if I came TWO HOURS before the show…But this is Mrs. LanceAround’s favorite movie, maybe I should line up THREE HOURS before the show, hmmm, that would be 7:30am. WHAT! 7:30am??? I’d have to leave my home at 6:30am…get up at 5:30am…No, that’s not going to work. Hmmm, maybe I should just camp out after the midnight showing Saturday night…But by the next morning I would probably smell bad, which might put off the people I try to interview for my blog…

I’m telling you, I spend several days agonizing over this.

Flash forward to April 9th. It’s now five days before Cary’s event. At 10:30am I get an email from the FFF–A LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS ARE BEING RELEASED FOR CARY ELWES AT NOON TODAY! I look at my watch. It’s now 11am and I’m getting ready to hop on my bicycle for the hour long ride to my office. I immediately call Mrs. LanceAround at the office. “Please have OJ and yourself on the computer at 11:50am ready to order tickets from the FFF website for the Cary Elwes event.”

I get on my bike and pedal hard. Dang, of course this is the day when there is a huge headwind. Normally when I pedal this hard it takes 35 minutes to get to my office. Today I pull in at 11:52am. As soon as I walk in the door I see OJ prepping some flyers and Mrs. LanceAround casually reading Headline News.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?,” I shout. “WHY AREN’T YOU ON THE FFF WEBSITE TRYING TO ORDER CARY ELWES TICKETS?”

Turns out they tried to order tickets on the website but it kept telling them they couldn’t. I leap into my office chair, login to my computer, encourage it to login faster (It doesn’t seem to help) and finally I get to the FFF website. It’s now 11:55am and the website message says that all tickets are sold out. But it looks like the old message.

I use three screens on my computer, so I open the FFF website on all three screens. For each one, in turn, I click on the “Purchase Tickets” link. From 11:55am to 12:02pm I get the same message–all sold out…

THEN…

I get a dropdown box, “How many tickets?” I have a choice of one to twelve. I click on six. It takes me to a credit card screen. Quickly I input all my information and click the button. Waiting…waiting…waiting…waiting…ORDER CONFIRMED! It worked. I now have six tickets.

Wait a minute…what if NumberTwoSon wants to take a date? What if NumberOneEmber wants to bring a friend? I’d better get some extra tickets. I click on “purchase tickets”…ALL SOLD OUT. I do it again, rotating between my three screens. I must have clicked on the ticket button another 20 times until, once again, I see the message, “How many tickets?” This time the dropdown box only allows 1 or 2. I guess there’s only two tickets left! I click on the two, input Mrs. LanceAround’s credit card information (I don’t want there to be any confusion) and I hit the button. Waiting…waiting…waiting…waiting…ORDER CONFIRMED again!

And that’s how I was able to take the entire Florida Dream Homes Team to see Cary Elwes at the 2013 Florida Film Festival. Later, Henry Maldonado will tell me that when they released the extra tickets they sold out in 20 seconds. I asked Henry how many extra tickets they released. “60.” Hmmm, I decided to not tell him that I had purchased over 13% of all the available tickets as soon as they were released!

So, how was Cary?

Well, below is a short Seven minute video of part of his presentation. In addition, SunnySetfani will provide her perspective of the event. Then, OJ will write a post and tell you what happened when she met Cary…Stay tuned, it’s a heartwarming story that you won’t want to miss. I promise! And I even have two more videos for you–one each for their blog posts…Enjoy…

British Shorts Now!
I don’t recall the FFF ever doing a separate selection for just British Shorts, but as soon as I saw the listing I knew I had to go. I love British humor and witticisms. Like most males my age, I was enthralled with Monty Python’s Flying Circus. For my father, it was Benny Hill. And to this day I believe the British versions of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The Office and House of Cards are far superior to their American counterparts. I know it may be apocryphal, but rumor has it that when Dustin Hoffman worked with Lawrence Olivier, Dustin had a scene were he was supposed to be tired without any sleep so he spent days staying awake to prepare himself for the role at which point Sir Larry is reported to have said to him, “Have you ever tried acting, dear boy.”

Mrs. LanceAround and I are surprised and delighted to discover that the theatre is packed with barely an empty seat. It always comes as a shock to us that the FFF doesn’t sell out every single performance. In a large, metropolitan area where the arts are well celebrated and supported, one would think that the FFF would be a crowning jewel with an overwhelming draw. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a very long and diverse festival with 1500 submissions, 10 days of movies, at least three full time movie venues and a small army of staff and volunteers that make it work. According to Jeremy Workman, a professional editor and filmmaker, the FFF has a stellar reputation in the indie film world as one of the best festivals in the world. Still, we often wonder why every show isn’t a sellout and whether or not something can be done to help spread the word.

Certainly that’s one thing the LanceAroundOrlando blog team attempts to do–spread the word about this magnificent festival and help make it even more popular than it already is.

Friend Request Pending
Absolutely hysterical short film about two women who use social media back and forth to try to impress a man and ask him out for a date. Problem is, they are a little unsure of how to use social media as it’s a somewhat new phenomenon for these two ladies who are, at least, well into their 60’s or 70’s. A delightful script with a brilliant performance by Judi Dench makes this film one you do not want to miss. Or, as they might say, be sure to poke a friend and invite them to see this movie. It’s filled with LOL. (That does mean “Lots of Love,” doesn’t it?)

82
Who’s the most knowledgeable person in any neighborhood community? Undoubtedly, it’s the postman. Just the envelopes on every letter he delivers gives him information about the person at that home. And what does he do with all this information? Watch this film for one possible scenario. It’s not uncommon for short films to suffer from a lack of good editing; too many scenes or too much information. This is not one of those films. Short, tight and just the right touch makes for a good story with an unexpected result.

I am Tom Moody
A brief stop motion film dealing with the desire to be onstage and a singer but first the need to overcome childhood fears. Cute little film done with passion and creativity. Good use of symbolism and flashback.

Mozzarella Inc.
Delightful inside look at the fresh mozzarella business in London; a difficult place to introduce fresh mozzarella as British pub patrons don’t have the same affection for this delight as the Italians who work daily to make it fresh, tasty and with just the right touch of whey. it’s an insightful documentary.

Storming Out
True to life story about the family dynamics when a young man comes out to his parents. Good script, good production values, very engaging movie.

The Pub
Creative black and white animation with a touch of surrealism that helps to deepen one’s understanding of the characters. It’s the kind of technique where the animation is done over top of the live action film. I’m not sure what the name of that technique is. But it allowed the filmmaker the freedom to create atmosphere and images that enhanced the subtext of the story. Well done and it held our attention.

The North London Book of the Dead

There’s something about the wry wit and understatedness of British humor that has always resonated with me. This short has it in droves. Mom dies, or does she? Why is she now living in a suburb of London that’s most known for how difficult it is to travel to it since there’s no tube? Why is she now volunteering at a local class for the recently departed? And why hasn’t she called her son? Or are we just hallucinating? After the movie, someone in the audience asked if she would go to that neighborhood if she died when she was travel ling to London. Or did I just imagine that and the movie is still going on? This one is original and fun.

Pitch Black Heist
Fabulous production values wonderfully shot in black and white with superb cinematography. It’s an engaging story about a heist that has to take place in pitch blackness because the alarm is light activated. Michael Fassbender’s performance is, as we’ve come to expect from him, extraordinary. Very engaging film. The sound editing during the scenes of pitch blackness keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Q & A British Shorts

Jake Lushington, director and Shelley Rubenstein, producer for The North London Book of the Dead along with Robert J. Francis, writer, producer and star of Storming Out, were available for questions after the movie.

Q: How long does it take to make a short film?

A: Very. Filming took four days, the whole process took two years answered jake, Robert said his was a stage play that was filmed over a weekend.

Q to Robert: It was very authentic, is there anything you want to tell us?

A: That’s what happened to me. It was my very own experience of coming out to my parents. My parents said the things that were said in the film; almost word for word. My mom was shocked and upset. My dad was more supportive but he said we’ll keep it to ourselves. As they watch the film now, they love the film. They think it’s fantastic. My mom says, “well, I apologize for those thoughts, opinions. At the time I was really ignorant. I didn’t understand. A lot comes from fear.” She was frightened of the unknown. She had no experience of homosexuality and had a complete misconception of what it was. I thought it was an important story to tell and I wanted to share it with other people. Everyone who is gay has, at some point in their life, come out and told people. No one has to come out as “straight.”

Q: In your opinions, why do British people do so much better at theatre than Americans:

A: I don’t know what you mean by that. I think there’s a very strong theatre tradition in London, but there’s a very strong tradition over here. I think the history of it is very strong. There’s a very strong history within the regions of what’s called regional rep which is often part of an actor’s first training. I think it has to do with training.

Q to Robert: How long ago did you come out. I thought the kind of reactions we saw on the film are from like 20 years ago. (groans from the audience indicate that the questioner might be a little out of touch with this question.)

A: That’s quite a common question and a common reaction. This happened 10 years ago, but you might be surprised to learn that scenarios like that are being played out all over the place. In England I can guarantee that something like this happened within the past year. People still have that fear, they still have that anger, they still have that resentment, especially when it’s in their own family. It’s OK if it’s someone elses family.

Q to Jake: Do you have any plans to make it into a feature.

A: I haven’t, but not because you couldn’t. But when I looked at it, the less is more. It fires the imagination. But if you showed it in a feature it might become repetitive and milk the concept.

Responses From the Audience
A young male begins to make his way to speak with the filmmakers along with an older woman who I assume is his mother. I stop him to ask his opinion of the shorts program: “I thought it was really good. Pitch Black Heist was my favorite”. “If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?” “I’m 14.” “How can I identify you in the blog?” “I’m Brandon Israel.” I now address the mother figure, “You OK with that?” “Yes.” back to Brandon, “What was it about the last film you liked the most.” “I thought it was really clever and I enjoyed the beginning, watching the training they went through. I liked how he played the man along making him think, ‘oh, you’re my friend,’ but he just used him as a decoy so he could get out.” “You are the youngest person I’ve interviewed at the festival this year. Kind of unusual to have someone so young here. Tell us a little about what’s attracted you to come here today.” “I have an interest in film. It started about the start of the eight grade after I came back home from camp. I made a horror film at camp.” “Camp?” “Yea, I went to a performing arts camp.  A lot of people liked my film. I started experimenting with just cameras I found around the house. I really liked it.” “What do you hope to be when you get older?” “I want to be a filmmaker when I grow up–a director and a writer.”

Sounds like this young man is off to a good start!

International Animated Shorts

One of the things that makes SunnyStefani and LanceAround such a good blogging team is they often have very different perspectives on the same event. So it’s not uncommon for them to give completely different reviews of the same movie. Today, they watched the International Animated Shorts Program together and, sometimes, provide polar opposite reviews of the same short. It’s almost as much fun as watching reruns of Siskel & Ebert.

LanceAround
International films often provide a breath of fresh air to the American theatre-goer. I find some commonality among international movies that you don’t often see in the America cinema. These include:

Environmental Concerns–Often international films will explore issues related to the environment whereas Americans often appear much less concerned about environmental issues.
Casualness About Sex and Nudity–Americans tend to get uptight regarding anything about sexuality and nudity. Many international projects don’t seem to give it a second thought.
Focus on Relationships With Other Countries–Perhaps it comes from having so many countries located so close to one another and sharing international borders. In our country, our borders only touch two other countries and, in my opinion, we seem very out of touch with how other countries think and feel.
Substance Over Form–I find many international movies to be very story driven with a depth of characters and a larger willingness to artistically experiment that is a far cry from the American love affair with the big budget action/adventure formula.

Today’s international animated shorts provided the usual amount of delights as our friends from other countries provided many films that were unique, experimental, thought provoking and just plain enjoyable.

SunnyStefani
All-in-all the international shorts were very risque and provocative compared to the US norm; some good, some bad, overall sexual. It’s always nice to see art forms from many perspectives; luckily for me, I don’t get offended easily.

TRAM

LanceAround
Sexually charged little short about a woman tram driver and how she found the “sexperience” (according to the closing credits) of driving a tram quite, uh, stimulating. Funny, well paced with great film and sound editing. But don’t bring your children to see this one.

SunnyStefani
This provocative short is about a female tram conductor that takes her daily routine and turns it into a sexual desire for her male passengers. Repetitive at times and a little longer than I think it needed to be, but who hasn’t thought about sex on a tram…

La Viande + L’Amour
LanceAround
What are we really but an assembly of flesh, blood and bones? In this very, very short film it brings that point forward in no uncertain terms.  Nice little experimental film, just the right length with a unique filming style that made it worthwhile. Mrs. LanceAround just corrected me saying it wasn’t raw meat, it was uncooked food. The meaning to her was the concept of love–carnal love–and how…whatever…this review has now gone on longer than the actual film.

SunnyStefani
A pile of flesh kissing face muscles really says it all. Creepy!

Head Over Heals
LanceAround

What a beautifully symbolic piece of stop motion that looks at relationships/marriage/men and women in a unique way. As I’m contemplating what to say about this movie, SunnyStefani leans over to Mrs. LanceAround and says, “That was so cute!” Perhaps that says it all. And, if I say anything else it might spoil the uniqueness of this film. You definitely want to see it. Mrs. LanceAround says it’s very tender.

SunnyStefani
I’m sure every husband and wife has thought about splitting up the house. In this case the husband has the ceiling and the wife has the floor. [Editor’s Note:  Well, so much for trying to protect the spoiler…LanceAround] What seems as a grumpy, worn out elderly couple really turns into a sentimental, cute and enduring film. Since I can’t give away the ending, click on the link below to watch it yourself. http://youtube.com/watch?v=n45Yij2hmM4.

663114
LanceAround

A lone cicada emerges from a 66 year hiatus in an attempt to shed his shell and propagate the species. Beautiful animation. Unique in that one of the main features of the film was the incredible sound work that made one feel the walk of the cicada. It contained a surprise ending with a very important message about an issue near and dear to the hearts of the Japanese people. I liked this short so I will give you a YouTube link so you can enjoy it for yourself. (Though you might want to watch it before you read SunnyStefani’s review and she changes your mind)…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pdkQY9SReU

SunnyStefani
This weird and drawn out short was about a cicada who puts its life at risk every 66 years to mate. One of my least favorites by far. In fact, I was relieved when it was over and then it started back up with a second part…disappointing!

Topo Glassato Al Cioccolato
LanceAround
Black and white sketches of a surrealistic nature looking to explore the interconnectedness of various disparate elements. I had to look up the translation of the movie title and it means Frosted Chocolate Mouse. There was nothing I saw in the movie that was frosted, I also didn’t see anything chocolate and, while there were lots of birds, fish and even a bunny I never saw a mouse. Mrs. LanceAround (who has an advantage over me because she grew up in the 60’s and I didn’t) surmises that the filmmaker must have been on acid when they made this movie. Reviews of the film on YouTube also suggest that ingesting controlled substances prior to viewing would be an advantage.

SunnyStefani
Visually amazing drawings that would morph from one thing to another. A Rubik Cube into a childbirth; a guy getting shot in the hear and breaking open into a flock of birds flying, for example. I only wish I could draw so well.

Bendito Machine IV–Fuel The Machines
LanceAround

Beautifully animated little fable packed with tons of symbolic references from historical to futuristic societies. It traces the evolution of mankind as he travels through his own world and others; the good, the bad and the ugly. Somewhat surrealistic art. Very well done. The more I think about this short the more and more I like it. So I will post a link to this film for you: http://vimeo.com/44428210

SunnyStefani
This dark, shadowy film reminded me of a childhood book, Where the Wild Things Are. A hero sets out on a demon bike to a roller coaster which leads him to travel the sea by seahorse in a polluted, plastic bottle and oil infested water. From there into an x-ray scanner, a hot air balloon then rocket ship which ultimately leads him to an encounter with a baby alien. All of which left me puzzled as to what just happened.

Body Memory (Keha Malu)
LanceAround
What a fanciful animation this was–box full of humanoid creatures made out of strings struggles against something that’s pulling their strings. Then, another scene of a train that turns into a slithering snakelike, sluglike creature. Beautiful images evocative of coming to terms with the struggle against whatever it is that you’re made of.

SunnyStefani
This whole short was about string people in a box that can’t escape. Almost instantaneously I was reminded of the concentration camps during the Holocaust so I was put off a little. Not amazing, not horrible, just left me wondering.

Irish Folk Furniture
LanceAround

Ever hear the expression, “If walls could talk…?” Well, what if the old furniture in your Irish Folk Homeland could talk and tell the tales of what it was, how it was made, why it was created and how it was used by the people who used it. That would be worth restoring and, in the process of restoring, remembering, recounting and keeping the tales alive. A very touching film which explored that very adeptly with the use of old photos and stop motion filming.

SunnyStefani
Such a basic and simplistic film about refurbishing old forgotten Irish furniture.

Chambre 69
LanceAround
This one was a crowd pleaser using stop motion to explore the concept of…gosh… this one’s kind of hard to describe what it’s about. Look at the title, that’s a hint. There are also blowup sex dolls, that’s another hint. Just take a look.

SunnyStefani
A blowup doll in room 69 of a roadside motel makes for a fun night and an unexpected ending.

Benjamin’s Flowers
LanceAround
Fanciful tale about a man who escapes from his mundane life using erotic fantasies and his faithful companion often bringing him back to reality. Very well animated and fascinating to watch.

SunnyStefani
This sick and disturbing story distorts reality with fantasy.

Rabbid
LanceAround

Contains elements of live action with animals and a distorted sense of scale. Fun little experimental film.

SunnyStefani
A hyper bunny gets skinned, fur turned into yarn. Oddly dark yet still held my attention.

Gum
LanceAround
When you were younger, you were probably told to not swallow your gum. This very short film takes a look at dangers that occur if you should do that in a very over-the-top and dramatic way.

SunnyStefani
Based on a true story.

Oh Willy
LanceAround
Beautiful stop motion where all the characters, sets, props and background were made out of cloth, textiles, threads, material of some kind. Told the tale of someone who had lost their mother and traveled alone until they found a replacement. It was a valiant effort. The concept was very creative. It could have used some editing to make it a lot shorter and tighter. Basically it was a five minute film in a fifteen minute movie.

SunnyStefani
Ever wonder what happens at a nudist colony funeral? When Willy’s mother dies, he goes through a series of events that leaves him in the mountains with Big Foot. Both long and odd; an awkward way to end the shorts.

Audience Reaction to International Animated Shorts
We caught up with a few theatre goers after the shorts and here’s what the Hendersons, a married couple, had to say about this program:

Her: I liked a lot of them. I liked Folk Furniture. I liked the last one. I’m still trying to think about it. I liked Tram. And Head Over Heels I loved. It was just beautiful.

Him: For me it’s the story. I wasn’t sure about Oh Willy. She mentioned that it was a dream.

Her: Well, he was conflicted about where he belonged in a nudist colony. You know, he had to conform at some point. I think that whole whipping thing made him conform. Now that’s become this beast. He has to love himself. I know that’s kinda weird and out there, but I think that’s what’s going on. He has to make peace with that pain.

Him: I liked Rabbid.

Her: I even liked Body Memory. I don’t know about the string thing, except that you’re sometimes pulled and you can’t stop. I don’t know. I don’t know what the symbology is, except that they can’t do anything about their fate.

I Declare War
The other day, SunnyStefani wrote a positive review of the movie I Declare War. Then, two different people I encountered in the queue for The Birds mentioned I Declare War as one of their favorite films. Although Mrs. LanceAround and I were exhausted from having just watched 21 films, we decided to treat ourselves to something that was guaranteed to be a relaxing evening of enjoyment. We sat down to watch I Declare War and got up 94 minutes later literally shaking our heads and wondering what all the fuss was about. For me, this film was disjointed, slow moving, relatively one dimensional and, most of all, boring. Mrs. LanceAround wasn’t as negative about the film as I was.

Was I just too tired from a long day? Or too grouchy from a strenuous week of work and FFF coverage? Was it simply a matter of three people getting my expectations so high that the film was really okay but for me far below what I was led to believe? Or maybe Clint Durbin was correct when, in a comment he made on the blog the other day, he called me “myopic,” “contemptuous,” “borderline offensive” and someone who dismisses movies out of hand “without even making an effort.”

Whatever is going on with me, I certainly dismiss I Declare War. There was some nice acting and good production values. But, for me, story is paramount and this full length movie had enough story for about a 10 minute short.

This intense and emotional film is about two teenagers who venture off to explore an island off the Mississippi River. It is rumored to have a boat high up in the trees which was caused by a flood some years back. Mud, played by Matthew McConaughey, is a rough yet charming felon wanted for the murder of a man. He befriends the two teenagers, Ellis and Neckbone, to help him fix up the boat and secure a getaway with his one true love, Juniper, played by Reese Witherspoon. “Ain’t that something’, a boat up in a tree. It’s a hell of a thing ain’t it,” says Mud.

This family, friendship based suspenseful film is a “good ole Americana,” said audience member Ted. There’s a lot of trash that flows down the river; you have to know what’s worth keeping and what’s worth getting rid of.

Matthew McConaughey put on a spectacular performance; I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s put up for an Oscar. Although the film could probably have been cut down removing some unnecessary subplots, it’s a must see; a true art form with great acting and directing.

At the 2013 Florida Film Festival, Tippi Hedren spoke during a Q & A after a screening of her 1963 classic Hitchcock film, The Birds. During her presentation, she spoke candidly about having to live under Alfred Hitchcock’s “obsession” of her. Here’s a transcript of what Tippi said just before I began rolling the following video. She was speaking of the HBO & BBC TV film The Girl which tells her story about the obsession …

Tippi: “That is, unfortunately,  a very true story. It is very true. I can’t tell you how it saddens me because it was a horrendous time for me. I don’t know how many of you women have been the object of someone’s obsession. But it takes your life away from you. I’m talking about the fact that Alfred Hitchcock became obsessed with me. It’s a horrible situation in which to be. Absolutely horrible. I was not the first one this had happened to…” (click on video below to see and hear the rest of Tippi’s story.)

After speaking of this, I asked Tippi this question: “I really appreciate the honesty and courage with which you talked about the obsession. Of course, that happened way back in the 60’s. I’m wondering what advice you’d have for women today if they feel like they’re in a similar situation .”

Tippi: “You mean about the obsession?”

LanceAround: “Yes.”

Tippi: “Well, you know, I had a very great gift that my parents gave me. They were really fine examples of being honest, being true, being strong. Know your values. Much of that came from my Lutheran upbringing. I found that those values have served me very, very well all my life. For anyone who is in a situation like I was, and it is at time overwhelming, I think I could write a book about getting out of situations–maybe I should–because it was at times absolutely horrendous. You know, there’s always a point where you just have to say, “Get me out!” and, you go! From then on you are free and it’s the best feeling in the world! That would be a very simplified reaction as to how to handle this kind of a situation. But no matter what, and I knew I was going to lose a lot. And I did! BUT, I walked out with my head held high and I’ve never regretted it. And the hell with it all, otherwise!

At this point, the entire audience in the Enzian Theatre where she was speaking broke out into spontaneous and thunderous applause.

Today was a day filled with Tippi Hedren at the FFF. She appeared in the movie Free Sample, then again in her classic role in Hitchcock’s The Birds, after which she did a Q & A With the audience.

Free Samples

What an unexpected charmer. Frankly the description sounded a little inane–a young lady gets stuck handing out free samples of ice cream from a food truck all day. Perhaps I loved this movie because it exceeded my expectations so much.

The script was so witty and the performances so genuine this one turned out to be a real sleeper. Humorous, insightful and touching with an incredible cameo performance by Tippi Hedren.

Q & A With Director Jay Gammill
Q: How were you able to put together such a talented cast?

A: Very lucky, very, very lucky. This film began when I was in film school in USC and I met the screenwriter of the film. I knew we wanted to work together. At that time, Jesse Eisenberg was involved in another project with that director and it fell through. He read this script and said that he would do a small part in it. So that was the beginning of the snowball that became the cast. We knew we wanted Jess Weixler to play the lead and Jesse knew her and ran into her at an audition one day and said, “Hey I know these guys and they want you to be in their movie.” She read the script and she liked it and that’s what it comes down to. You can get people to play roles if they’re actually challenging. Jason Ritter was also someone who, if he said yes, we’d find a place for him. And he did! He also worked with Jess and Jesse before. Tippi was someone I wanted for the role. I didn’t think it would be possible. But she went for it. She really liked the script.

Q: How similar was the script at the end of the movie to what it was when you first started shooting?

A: We had some improvisation on set, not a lot, but some here and there. Some of the Jason Ritter scenes was just him riffing a little. Overall the script is what it is. We cut a few scenes and we moved some things around.

Q: What did you shoot on?

A: We shot on the Red One Camera with the MX chip and the Panavision lenses

At this point, Jay introduced a special guest star–Tippi Hedren came to the stage to answer questions

Q: Was that the first time you saw the film?

A: No it isn’t. I love this movie. I could see it over and over. I have the DVD and I watch it often. I really like it. I like all the actors. I think you’ve done a superb job on directing all of us, Jay. Just amazing. I hope that you will all see it again and again and pick it apart because it’s perfect. And tell your friends.

Q: There was an opportunity, perhaps, to play yourself in this movie with a little script adjustment. Was there ever any discussion of that.

A: No, I would never do that. I think the script as it was was absolutely perfect. I think that would have ruined my part.

A From Jay: There was never any consideration of that. I think it would have shifted the focus a little bit and made this world a little less “right.”

Q: Was the relationship with the woman what attracted you?

A: First of all, I thought the writing was absolutely brilliant. But I liked the fact that I was playing with a younger woman. There are decades of differences in the actual lives of the characters. My character totally emphasized with Jess Weixler’s character and put a little spin on looking at an older woman and her being able to remember all her romances. And that’s a fun thing to think about (audience laughs) and it’s fun living it, too. (Audience now laughs and applauds.)

Audience Comments While Waiting to See Tippi Hedren and The Birds
“This is a great damn Florida. It’s a beautiful afternoon and we’re looking to see great movies. We’re seeing The Birds. I wanted to scare my wife.” “And where’s your wife?” “She’s right here,” indicates woman behind him. LanceAround addresses the wife, “You have my condolences.” (At this, the group they are with all laugh.) Back to the man, “And how shall I identify you in the blog?” “Jason A.” Then to the woman, “And how shall I identify you?” Jason A’s wife, “Please don’t!” “Ah, so you don’t want to have any acknowledgement of the man to whom you are married, is that correct? Did I get that right? And you’re OK if I put that on the blog?” Jason A’s wife (laughing) “That’s fine.”

LanceAround, “You’re here to see the film? I assume so because you are standing in line. But you have a drink in your hand, so you might not be standing for long.” “Yea, it’s a Mint Julep. The festival is going great. I think this is film number 16 for me. It’s been awesome. I just came from the other film.” “Free Samples?” “Yea, Free Samples, it was great. We’re definitely looking forward to this.” “And how shall I identify you in the blog?” “Debra.” “Debra, the one with the tall glass that appeared to be relatively empty by this time.” (Debra laughs as she take another sip of her drink.)

“I try to do at least one movie every year and I chose this one,” says Roger.

“Any comments for the blog?” asks LanceAround to a patron standing in line. “I’m actually on a committee.” “Oh, which committee.” “International features.” “And which international feature was your favorite–Or are you allowed to have a favorite as a committee member?” “No, I think you’re allowed to. I Declare War.” “What did you like most about it?” “It just reminded me of childhood. Playing outside. It doesn’t seem like people play outside anymore.” “As a member of a committee, how many films did you have to watch, approximately?” “That is a good question. I watched less this year than when I was on the Docs committee when we watched, like, 300. It might have been 100 this year.” His female companion chimes in, “It might have been more than that.” “What was the criteria that you would use in your mind to help choose between films.” “Something with interesting characters. I really like to focus on characters. I Declare War had really interesting characters just because they’re all kids going through something and it just worked really well.” “And how shall I identify you on the blog?” “You can just say Mike.” “Mike it is!”

“Tell me why you’re here to see this film.” “I absolutely love Alfred Hitchcock. I love his movies. And I remember when I was pretty young seeing The Birds and being scared to death.” Mrs. LanceAround chimes in, “Ditto.” “I really wanted to meet, at least see, Tippi Hedren in person.” “And when you say ‘pretty young’ you were about how old?” “I think I was about 10.” “And you’re older than that now?” “I am, well, a little bit!” (Everyone in her group laughs.) “And which Hitchcock is your favorite?” “I don’t know if I can narrow it down. I really liked Dial M For Murder.” “That’s my favorite one, too. And how shall I identify you in the blog?” “My name’s Elaine.” “And how do you spell that?” “E-l-a-i-n-e.”

“Any comments for the FFF blog?” “I’ve enjoyed it.” “How many films have you been to?” “four.” “Which was your favorite.” “I Declare War.” “You’re the second person who said that. What did you like about it?” “As a male growing up we used to play war.” “That’s exactly what the other person said. It’s amazing. How shall I identify you in the blog?” “The newcomer to Orlando.” “How long have you been here?” “A couple months.” “And where are you from?” “Portland, OR.” “Portland? Could you have picked a farther place to go in the US?” “No, 3005 miles.” “3005–did you walk it?” “No, my son drove my car.”

The Birds and Tippi Hedren

With that last comment, the long lined filed into a jammed Enzian Theatre to enjoy The Birds and have a Q & A afterwards with Tippi Hedren. As for the movie, it’s such a popular classic that I can’t add much to it’s legacy; except to say this: There is something very special about watching a classic film on the big screen with an audience that truly loves film. During the movie, Mrs. LanceAround would lean over and whisper into my ear, “This group really knows how to appreciate a movie.”

Yes they do, dear. Yes they do.

When the movie ended, Tippi was introduced to a thunderous standing ovation. Rather than tell you what she said, just click on the link below to hear her in her own words…

This childhood war based game, I Declare War, consists of Generals and their teams in a combat like make-believe battle of capture the flag. A neighborhood group of friends use real guns and dodge grenades whizzing past them, at least in their imagination. In reality, they’re using grenade launches made from branches and air riffles.

One evening, the game takes a serious tone as the battle to win overcomes one of the boys, Skinner. The kids would torture and beat each other up; they even set someone on fire. This intense and suspenseful film pushes friendship to its limits as it blurs reality with fantasy.

I was amazed with the acting of the cast as they were all younger pre-teens. It was also very well scripted and the special effects were much better than I was expecting. Jess, the only female in the war, tried to out smart everyone by using strategy like when she plays chess. Although it was all children in the film, they had a very pre-teen mouth making comments like, “Sorry about the asshole thing.” “When did you call me an asshole?” “I didn’t but I was thinking it.”

This was my first film that did not have a Q & A session afterwards which is always depressing. However, I talked to moviegoer Mike from Orlando after the film who has seen numerous films at this years festival thus far. “I really like it; the different twist on childhood games,” said Mike. He continued to talk about specific parts of the film which I’ll leave out as to not spoil it for everyone but ended with “friendship is hard to come by.”

Unlike this film, true friends can stab you in the front.

For the hour long ride home from the FFF tonight I go over and over in my mind how I’m going to write about the documentary Mrs. LanceAround and I just saw.

Incredible…Tear jerker…Touching…Realistic…Emotional…Raw

None of the normal adjectives seem to find the right chord. In fact, it was a pretty straightforward, relatively simplistic film about a man–and a documentarian–that tells the story of the man’s compulsive need to create works of art and write collections of philosophical thoughts and fantastical dream-like worlds and store them in every single room of his home.

And yet, something about this film so touched Mrs. LanceAround and I that we almost find ourselves at a loss for words. This movie affected us.

But, alas, I’m getting ahead of myself. First, let me tell you about the preceding documentary.

Mr. Christmas

The afternoon began with a short documentary entitled Mr. Christmas. It’s about an older gentleman in Concord, CA, Bruce Mertz,  who has been putting up more and more Christmas lights at his home for the past several decades. Ironically, Bruce grew up on a farm in South Dakota with no electricity. In fact, the first time he had electricity was when he left home to study electrical engineering. He has wired his entire home with timers, switch boxes, loud speakers and homemade lights that put on quite a show every year from the day before Thanksgiving until January 2nd. He wears a specially made jacket and baseball cap that is also wired for lights.

It was a very well made documentary about a tender man with a big heart and a creative spirit. Simply a joy to watch!

Magical Universe
As good as the short film was, up next was the main event.

It is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. The documentarian took the unusual step of making himself part of the movie. In doing so, he created a bond with his subject that was as much a part of the movie as the main subject himself. The title is Magical Universe.

In 2000, Jeremy Workman, an accomplished film editor and filmmaker, was on vacation in Maine. A friend called and asked him to stop by the home of an elderly artist to shoot some video. The friend was writing a newspaper article about the artist. Jeremy and his girlfriend discovered Albert Nickerson Carbee (rhymes with Barbie–which is significant.) Albert has lived alone in his large house ever since his wife passed away.

Al was born and raised in Portland and Saco, ME where he lived when Jeremy met him. He studied art at the Portland School of Art (Now the Maine College of Art) and at his uncle’s Scott Carbee School of Art. After a stint in WWII, Al worked as a commercial artist, mural painter, photo-editor, portrait artist, GoKart Salesman and Photomat employee.

But his passion was creating art. And create it he did–for years. Most of his artwork consisted of photographs and collage art. Almost all of it featured part of his collection of hundreds and hundreds of Barbie Dolls. Al claimed that the best part of having a Barbie Doll as your model is that they never complained, even if you got up at 3am with an idea for a new photo shoot.

In addition to the artwork, Al constantly journaled about fantastical ideas he had such as new planets where everyone only said positive things. After Jeremy’s first meeting with Al when he took the video for his friend, Al would write letters and letters to Jeremy; probably over 1000 of them. Most of them contained long and rambling pieces of information, original artwork, collages–sometimes several sheets of paper were taped together creating a massive school of thoughts and ideas.

As this documentary progressed and the audience got to know Al, it became clear that this man was special. At first glance you think this is just an eccentric old man. But as the movie progresses you realize there is a great soul there. Yes he was kind of strange, he hoarded all his photos and artwork, he was a bit of a recluse and his ideas were somewhat disjointed and weird. But he was also, obviously, very tender and sincere. It was difficult, at times, to understand his thoughts. But as you watched him go from Barbie display to Barbie display and talk about each one, it became clear that he had an artistic eye, a good sense of composition and, somewhere in his mind, a concept he wanted to explore or express even if he couldn’t communicate it articulately.

Several times during the film he would say that he was creative–and that a creative person had to keep on creating. So that’s what he did…all day and all night…filling his home with his creativity and his personality.

As the documentary continued, unexpected things would happen for Al. He accepted them as pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that were meant to come together.

To see just how that puzzle came together, you have to see this film. And Mrs. LanceAround and I mean that. You HAVE to see this film.

Q & A With Director Jeremy Workman

After the film, Jeremy took questions from the audience.

Q: At what point did it transition from “who is this?” to an appreciation of this man?

A: If you look at the movie, it represents a 10 year relationship. Like the movie, at first it was, “What the heck is going on.” It took three years, four years before it started softening.

Q: Did you look for the cave under the home?

A: I did. The man next door claimed he had been in the cave and I begged him to go on camera. I looked for it. I heard other people talk about it. I never found it.

Q: This film reminded me of two movies, Broadcast News and Adaptation, the reason is…

A: I can see Adaptation, but I don’t get Broadcast News…

Q: Because a big part of that story had to do with “The Story” and “The Reporter” and whether or not it was okay for the reporter to put himself into the story. And, of course, Charlie Kaufman totally wrote himself into the movie for Adaptation. Other than Michael Moore, there aren’t a lot of documentarians who write themselves into the story. Can you tell us about why you made that choice? Do you do that often in your films? Tell us about the creative process that made you make yourself part of the story.

A: Great, I appreciate that question because people have been asking me that a lot. I’ve done other films and I’m working on films now. This is the first time I ever DARED put myself into. This is the first time I ever DARED even to narrate my film. The story of Al became so intertwined to my relationship with him and it became so much through the prism of me that I felt I was so hung up on, I can’t tell this story without putting myself into it. It was such a bond for me. Until I sort of accepted that I had trouble pursuing the filming. But, you know, besides Michael Moore there’s a lot of other filmmakers who don’t get a lot of recognition who put themselves in their films. One of my favorites is a filmmaker named Alan Berliner whose films sometimes pop up on PBS. He does some really interesting movies that might be the closest thing where he kind of puts himself in, he does narration, say about a quirky subject. He’s not the only one. Ross McElwee from Sherman’s March and there’s some experimental filmmakers that do put themselves into their films though it’s not necessarily mainstream. I thought that was the way to tell this story.

Q: I just thought the outfits were gorgeous and I know that Barbies don’t come in those outfits. I was wondering if he made them or did he have someone make them.

A: He made a lot of them. He has some that he got from older Barbies that are no longer around. He would sort of put them and change them. What he did a lot is he would take some existing stuff and he would cut it and dye it and change it and put it back and that kind of put his stamp on it. Sometimes he was adding cutesy stuff like sparkles and things like that. One of his inspirations was magazine art from the 50s. That was a big inspiration for Al. Beautiful women, beautiful clothes lots of stuff from the 50s.

Q: I found the way he viewed his life and the universe was more fascinating than his art itself. What impressed you the most?

A: Yea, that is a good question. His worldview was very much what I was trying to capture with the story. He was a guy who thought everything was for a reason. When I walked through his door, he thought there was a reason for that. Everything for him was connected. The universe, the magic of how the universe comes together and it will come together like a jigsaw puzzle. There was a reason that I knocked on his door that would maybe not materialize for a decade, but it was going to materialize. I loved the art, but I quickly saw there was a lot more to him than just the art, there was this very interesting world view and kinda hard to pin down and put your finger on him.

Responses From the Audience
Outside the theatre, several patrons stopped to express their opinion.

Harriet: I loved it. It was very surprising I heard some negative comments about it earlier, but I really enjoyed it.

Sybil: I thought it was a very inspirational film you can create with no money. Some of that artwork was unbelievably beautiful and who knew, just from a photograph of a Barbie Doll. It was a really good film. I almost was not going to see it and I’m really glad I came to see it. It turned out to be amazing.

Kate: I know a lot of people didn’t quite care for the movie and I don’t think those people understand that he’s a film editor. He’s an editor. He does trailers and everything else. He’s a very good editor. But I think the whole film itself, the reason people don’t like it is that they don’t realize it’s an homage to the artist himself and the way that he does it. The way he pieces it together. Little bits of everything–it’s a collage itself. I don’t think they realize it. The more times you watch it, this is the third time I’ve seen it. Each time I pick up more and more and that’s why I made that association. The second time I’m like, I get it now. The people who loved it l-o-o-o-o-v-v-e-e-d it!

Christopher: I loved the look of this film. It’s not pretty. It’s kind of rough edged. It’s real. I loved it. I think it’s fantastic. I love personal docs. I think it’s bold. It’s daring.

Private Interview With Documentarian Jeremy Workman

Outside the theatre, Mrs. LanceAround and I caught up with Jeremy. He graciously allowed us an interview herein transcribed:

LA: So is this the World Premier?

JW: It is.

LA: Tell us about yourself and your history.

JW: I’ve been making films for a long time and different kinds of documentaries; all different kinds but many of them about sort of obsessive personalities. I have kind of a demanding industry day job in that I edit movie trailers for indie movies.

LA: And you own the company?

JW: I do.

LA: How many editors do you have?

JW: I have around five and I’m the creative director as well. My background is actually in editing. I edited a number of fairly big Hollywood trailers and then I sort of left that world to do trailers for indies.

LA: Let’s go back a little further, how did you get involved in the film industry at all?

JW: I grew up in LA. My father’s a filmmaker. He’s a documentary filmmaker. He exposed me to a lot of really cool stuff. I started do stuff for him. I started helping him edit. I started going on shoots with him. I saw that world. Then I always knew I’d be going into film. Even when I went to college I didn’t feel a need to go to film school. I was already making films. I studied English, but I was making films all the time on the side, usually on my own.

LA: You went right from high school to college.

JW: Yea.

LA: Which college?

JW: I went to Columbia University.

LA: Wow, so you’ve got some game.

JW: I was an English major and I graduated in three years.

LA: Wow, you’ve got a lot of game. So when you were in Columbia, would you make films there about things going on around the campus?

JW: Yea, I was always making films. I made a film right out of college that I started when I was a junior in college and that ended up being on PBS that was a documentary on the filmmaker Henry Jaglom. I sorta did that while I was in college. I was making films all the time and also just writing and what not.

LA: Then from college did you get right into the editing business or did you start in the film business…I mean as a filmmaker?

JW: I was given a rare opportunity to edit trailers for Hollywood movies. I joined a trailer company and I edited the trailers for Life is Beautiful, Shakespeare in Love a number of big movies in the 90s. I was 25/26 I was very young…

LA: Orson Welles-ian

JW: Well, I wouldn’t say that. That’s going a little too far. I was very young and I was editing these big Hollywood trailers. Eventually I got burned out of that. That’s when I started doing my own thing and doing movies on the side.

LA: I’ve always thought that editing trailers is almost more of an art form than editing the actual movies.

JW: I’m not saying if I agree with them or not…but the trailer editors view themselves as the most elite editors, the Navy Seals of editing, that it is the highest level of editing is trailer editing. Again, I’m not claiming that, but I know many trailer editors that feel that and many people that support that.

LA: I would agree with that. It’s a phenomenal job. You’ve got 90 seconds or however long to convince someone to see this film without revealing any spoilers but show enough of the film to get people interested. I think it’s hugely difficult…

JW: Yea, you also need to tell the story, really define characters in a short time. But now my trailer work is different because I don’t do Hollywood anymore. I only do indie movies. But in the last couple years I’ve did the trailers to a lot of the films that won, like, Best Foreign Film. I did the trailer for Separation, Amour, The Secret in Their Eyes and a number of big documentaries.

LA: So you’re saying if I’m watching TV at nine O’clock at night and a trailer comes on for Amour, that was your work?

JW: Yes.

LA: Extrapolate on the statement, “I don’t do Hollywood anymore, I do independent,” and all that means.

JW: I really got burned out doing Hollywood trailers. It was really very difficult and it’s really just a situation where you’re cranking out trailers, you’re cranking out versions and there’s a lot of extra curricular stuff like focus grouping and testing…

LA: For the trailers…

JW: Yes, a lot of cooks in the kitchen. Very sort of challenging work…

LA:  All the things that filmmakers say they hate about Hollywood…

JW: Yea, exactly,  and I had sort of come up through the fire on that. I was doing trailers for Harvey Weinstein and Miramax in their heyday. It was definitely extremely difficult and it just kind of burnt me out and it made me forget why I like editing in the first place. I love editing. I love what editing can do.  Just in terms of talking about my movie here. With bad editing that would be just a mess of a home video movie. But with good editing you can sculpt it into something that’s kind of a neat movie. I love the power of editing. After doing a lot of Hollywood movies I’ve given that up a little bit so that’s when I went and starting doing indie movies. And now we only do indie movies. And with indie movies it’s a lot more interesting for me as an editor. I have much more authorship in terms of how I edit those trailers. My expertise is valued more.

LA: Tell me about the financial end of this business. When a filmmaker chooses to make a documentary like this or a short film, is there ever any money at the end of the rainbow.

JW: Most of the documentaries played at this festival will find a home. Will sell…

LA: When you say sell, sell to whom?

JW: Either to broadcast or they’ll sell to distributors. They’ll most likely get on Netflix. There’s now all these different venues for these movies: Amazon Instant, Hulu, direct sales…There’s a number of ways these movies can get out. A lot of them will get some money out of it. Not all. I think that a lot of people who are making film festival films are in it for the art and they’re not necessarily trying to sell it.

LA: Now, when a filmmaker sells a film to a distributor is that the end of the game as far as they got that money and that’s it or do they get paid every time it shows?

JW: It depends on the deal. A lot of the time it’s like a car. You’ve got this car and you’re carving up chunks of the car and you’re stripping it down and selling pieces. And there’s a lot of pieces. There’s domestic distribution, there’s TV, there’s video on demand, there’s foreign sales. It depends on the movie and the deal. It’s what they call the waterfall of money flows. There are scenarios where you get paid every time someone watches it. Every time it sells on iTunes you get a dime or whatever it is.

LA: How is it FFF became the world premier for this movie?

JW: There were a couple of festivals vying for it. I wanted it to be a festival that had a lot of quality, integrity, intimacy. It’s a strange, quirky offbeat movie. I didn’t necessarily want it to be a movie that would play at a giant festival  and just be like not really received. I was always angling for a smaller festival that would fit it right. Florida has a glowing reputation. You might not know it living down here in Florida, but outside, especially in the independent film industry FFF has a glowing reputation for quality, integrity, intimacy and all that. When I was offered the opportunity to show here it made a lot of sense for me.

LA: What else would you like for my readers to know?

JW: They could check out the trailer for the movie. They could go onto the website www.MagicalUniverseFilm.com. Maybe there’s a link to that…

LA: Did you edit the trailer?

JW: I did, of course I did. In the trailer I played up the strange, weird sickness a lot. I felt like that was the best way to go on the trailer to get people interested in looking at this weird guy with this weird story about Barbie Dolls and played down the personal side of it. So I’ll probably do a second trailer that plays up the relationship side of the movie as well.

Audacity of Hope
What would you do for a pizza? For eight men on a train, that’s a no brainier . . . order a pizza. They have a couple seconds to exchange a pizza at a train stop, there’s no rehearsal and only one chance. Can it be done? In the words of eight happy men on a train, “No you did not order pizza at a stop.” Mission accomplished.

First Comes Love
With your biological clock ticking and a diminishing ovarian reserve, a sperm donor seems to be the right move. At least it was for actor and director, Nina Davenport. This biological compulsion to have a kid was all Nina could think about, especially after her mother died suddenly while in France from a stroke or heart attack. “I’m still learning what a great mother she is even while I learn to live without her,” said Nina. After a very long process Nina decided she was going to have a husband-free procreation at the age of 41. She decided she wasn’t going to spend anymore time in the past and to just focus on the present. Despite the lack of involvement from her family, she asked her gay best friend since college if she could have his sperm.

With no hesitation from him, she started the process of getting artificially inseminated by shooting up numerous hormones multiple times a day. Without further ado, the test came back positive! “I love kids because I’m ultimately not responsible for their well-being,” said sperm donor Eric, explaining why he was not interested in having children of his own.

Amy, a 10 year friend, soon became Nina’s childbirth partner and went through the whole pregnancy with her. After nine long months of waiting, Nina’s baby boy, Jasper Davenport, was born at 10:31 pm weighing 6 pounds and 19 ¼ inches long. “How this tiny little boy can create such colossal feelings, I’m in love,” said Nina.

Q&A with Actor/Director Nina Davenport
After the film, there was a very personal Q & A session with actor and director, Nina Davenport. She started off by saying “I can handle every question, nothing is too personal or embarrassing; especially after everything you’ve just seen.” During the film, Nina was completely open to everything she was going through, even the birth of her child which she filmed for us to view. She said there were “hundreds of hours, tons of things that got cut out including over 80 hours of family footage growing up. The birth alone was over 2.5 hours and what pregnancy isn’t boring.”

A member of the audience asked how her perception has changed on single motherhood. “It turned out to be easier than I thought it was going to be,” said Nina. “I pictured myself doing it alone and it’s not the case,” she continued to say. “Eric is still involved and my father is still difficult to deal with but if you would have told me at 30/35 I would have been a single mother, I would have been terrified,” said Nina.

How are dealing with your mother gone? “You don’t get over it, it’s always hard. She was so lovely and funny, everyone loved her. It hasn’t been the same since,” said Nina.

Overall, I was impressed at how great a documentary it was, It really captured my attention for the entire hour and forty five minutes. It’s nice to know people aren’t afraid to break the mold of today’s cultural norms. Nina said it best, “it’s not ideal, but what’s ideal anyway.”

I must confess. I am biased toward the shorts programs at the FFF. As I examine this bias, I realize it’s a practical one. If you are watching a two hour narrative, and it’s boring or poorly rendered, you’re kind of stuck. But if you are watching a short, you just wait a few minutes, the film ends and it’s onto the next one. I also believe that the nature of the short forces more discipline onto a film. Whatever you want to convey, you have a very limited amount of time to say it. You don’t usually get long, drawn out scenes that plods along in a short film.

And, of course, the animated shorts have always been a FFF favorite. Today was no exception. The Enzian Theatre was packed.

Shorts Program 1: I Feel Love

The Irish Rovers
Culture shock. When Americans Tom and Patty tour the murals of Belfast, their cabbie gets confused by their questions. Kind of like Borat meets Luna from Harry Potter. Very funny.

Dog Eat Dog

Zachary Quinto (Spock in the new Star Trek movie) falls for a dog at the pound. But he has to wait four days before he can adopt it. Philip Baker Hall (Bruce Almighty) is in love with the same dog. When Zachary attempts to get his friends to help him snag the dog, Philip shows that two can play at that game. Great concept and enjoyable film that hits some rough spots with the script and editing.

The Test
When your marriage is falling apart, the last thing you need is to get pregnant. Or is it? Another great concept brought down by a weak script. Somewhat humorous. But Mrs. LanceAround felt that the ending was a bit of a cheat.

Catnip: Egress to Oblivion?
Remember those public service announcements back in the 60’s that warned you of the dangers of taking narcotics? What if someone had made one of those warning cats of the dangers of catnip. Another way to look at this: today videos go viral on YouTube when they have cute kittens. Would a 60’s film go viral if it showed cats on narcotics. Think about it. Or just watch this film. Funny and cute. Good combination

Shale
Elderly couple with marital discord confront each other over the shale pit and bulldozer that they co-own. Nice film technique in an otherwise weakly conceived short.

Asad

Story of a young Somalian boy who attempts to live an honest life amongst pirates and mercenaries. Cast consisted mostly of displaced Somalians who, according to the credits, lost their country but not their hope. This was a beautiful short. Well acted, well filmed, tender story that moved nicely across the screen. Top notch and worth a look. Very touching. This was a 2013 Academy Award nominee for Best Live Action Short and deserved it.

The Bicycle
You know how, as a woman ages, some unscrupulous men just cast them off like yesterday’s news? What if it was your bicycle that began to age and rust? How would the bike feel about being cast off? Could a makeover bring it back to life? Is there a hereafter for bicycles? While this short featured some great film techniques, the story, if you’ll pardon the pun, fell flat.

Peter at the End
A dying man (played by Jon Heder of Napoleon Dynamite fame) attends one last family holiday meal. He can’t quite bring himself to inform his family about his illness. This heartbreaking slice of life drama has the feel of the birthday scene from Our Town. Well acted, it was a very moving portrayal of family dynamics and impending loss.

Q & A After Shorts Program 1
After the shorts, the director of The Test was available for Q & A. When asked about the inspiration for the film, he replied, “vengeance.” Turns out the writer and star of this short is Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ sister. Apparently, Julia made a short and spent millions of dollars on it. Her sister joined her on the festival circuit, but kept thinking she could make a short just as good, if not better, for much less money. So for a pittance, she wrote and starred in this short. If this short is better, Julia’s short must have been pretty bad.

Shorts Program 5: Animated Shorts

Una Furtiva Lagrima

Rednecks from the South sometimes hang a singing bass on their wall. Press a button and the mounted fish sings a song. What do people of high society have? Well, in this short they had a fish singing opera all the way from the market to the frying pan. Hot oil really helps to hit those high notes!

Giraffe Danger
Giraffe wants a nice drink of water, but is annoyed with a rodent who invades his personal space. Sparsely animated, this one was completely script driven. Short and funny.

Daisy

A twisty fairytale about a girl who bewitches all men to her detriment. Beautifully drawn.

Solipsist
This beautiful dance combination of live action, animation, puppetry and underwater shots almost defies description. A surrealistic exploration somewhat marred by it’s pretentious title that took something very thought provoking and made it into something egotistical and dark. Stunningly original concept.

Facundo the Great
Immigrant children often have to contend with their names being changed in their new societies (i.e. Juan becomes John, Maria becomes Mary.) Facundo stands firm and becomes a hero in this narrated tale with animated accompaniment.  Of course, it helps that if you shorten his name, you get something that sounds like a dirty word. A very short, funny story that works well.

The Hungry Boy
Mostly black and white, pen and ink with minimalist color tells the surreal dream of a hungry man. The artwork is as impressive as the story is impoverished resulting in a disappointing film.

Marcel, King of Tervuren
Another narrated animation with beautifully creative drawings about a rooster’s attempt to remain cock of the walk. Short, compelling tale that is fun to watch.

Choreography for Plastic Army Men

You know those little, plastic army men toys that no child plays with today and can only be found in the movie Toy Story? Turns out that with a little stop motion filming and a catchy turn they can burn a hole in a carpet. John Travolta has nothing on them.

In Hanford
Nuclear arms manufacturing in Hanford, Washington is blamed for numerous cancers and deformities. This grotesquely animated film perfectly captures the haunting experiences of the citizens. Macabre in a very artistic and thought provoking way.

The Duke
This mixed media, very very short film shows a man eating a chicken Parmesan sub while another man asks what he’s eating. It’s The Duke, of course. Good editing, pacing and timing make this brief interchange funny.

Thank You

If you’ve ever seen Adventure Time on TV you’ll instantly recognize the style of animation and characterization in this film. The story, about a snow golem (whatever that means) and a firewolf cub (who apparently spurts real fire from time to time) is so well portrayed it will pull at your heart strings. One of the better shorts in this program.

The Event
This animation goes backwards in time as a couple enjoying the beach encounter a nuclear fallout kind of event that has them losing limbs and the world ending. Muddled and confusing, this is one of those shorts that makes me wonder what the selection committee saw in it.

Drunker Than a Skunk
FFF favorite, Bill Pympton, adapts a poem by Walt Curtis about a cowboy town that torments a local drunk. The audience laughed and applauded their favorite animator while Mrs. LanceAround and I just thought this wasn’t one of his better works.

Old Man
A reporter gets a phone interview with Charles Manson. Guess what? He’s still as crazy as ever. His incoherent ramblings are animated and just trying to figure out what he is thinking can make your head spin. This was a clever use of animation to provide a context for something that feels as though it doesn’t have a context. Well done.

Backyard Jam
Based on the audience reaction, and our own satisfaction, this little ditty was the best of the program. It’s the story of two skateboards that wind up on the wrong side of a fence in a yard protected by a vicious dog. Admiral Ackbar’s occasional appearance warning them about the trap is just one of the hilarious touches to this well scripted, well paced, well animated and well edited short.

Retrocognition

Why must the longest shorts also be the most boring. While the concept behind this short was fabulous–taking pieces of radio dramas and TV shows from the 50s and piecing them together with Picasso-esque characters from those shows who were pieced together from TV characters–after appreciating the concept for a few minutes, this 18 minute short then dragged on in a nonsensical storyline that attempted to create a film noir environment. This was a classic case of an artist too in love with their work to be able to effectively edit the results.

Q & A After Animated Shorts
Several animated shorts creators were present for the Q & A. George Plympton showed off his new wife and toddler, Randall Christopher bemoaned the cost and time involved in creating “cartoons” and his annoyance at not being able to make any money. Yet it is clear he can’t stop making films. (Hint: You need a manager!) Jonathan Campo from The Duke revealed that his inspiration was having had a conversation just like the one he portrayed.

Mrs. LanceAround is getting worried that I’m trying to see too many films. She thinks I’m getting grouchy and not giving the films their due. She might be right. I once had a college professor that remarked how having too many programs to enjoy can be like a kid in a candy store–the treats are great at first, then you become sick and bloated.

Is it possible that the FFF is too much of a good thing? Frankly, I don’t care. I know that there’s only four days left then I have to wait a whole year for it to return. In the meantime I’ll try to lighten up and enjoy myself more.

Hey, if you see me at the Enzian, buy me a drink. I could use one.

After an exciting weekend with my best friend in the entire world (additional post to come), I make it to:

When the Zombies Come
Have you ever wondered what you would do in the event of a zombie apocalypse? Well for an employee working at ACE Hardware, this was definitely something on his mind. He would walk around the store looking for stuff to kill zombies with. He even mentioned how ACE Hardware has such an ideal location because CVS Pharmacy is next door, Quick Trip gas station is across the street and they’re right by the Farmers Market. He explained that they had all the tools to kill the zombies in the hardware store, if they ran out of food they could go to the farmer’s market, gas for the generators or showers were available in the gas station and CVS would provide the necessary medical supplies. He was, pardon the pun, dead serious!

This comedy documentary is one of my favorites this year. It kept me laughing and entertained the whole ten minutes.

After the film, director Jon Hurst along with the ACE Hardware employee answered some questions. When asked how true the employee was about planning for such a zombie invasion he replied, “It was 100% true before the movie; however, ACE Hardware does not condone the film and fired me for filming it.” He then followed up by saying “I’m still going to ACE Hardware when the time comes.”

A member of the audience asked what was next for the two of them. Director, Jon Hurst said “I’m writing my own feature and looking for funding and what not.” The ACE Hardware employee merely stated, “I would like a job,” which sent the audience into laughter.

Year of the Living Dead

Forty five years later and people are still talking about the low-budget, classic horror film shot in Pittsburgh, Night of the Living Dead. This documentary directed by Rob Kuhns talks about the race, violence and the need to scare the audience during the 60’s film directed by George Romero. “I lived, breathed and drank the stuff. I loved making movies,” said Romero. It’s believed they modeled and patterned the zombies from the hit TV series The Walking Dead  off of the Night of the Living Dead said Romero because “I invented these character ghouls. I remember the one time I tried to build a hollow hand and fill it with blood, it looked like shit,” said Romero. Unlike vampires and werewolves, Romero is responsible for the zombie.

Romero said although it’s a “tragic and iconic ending, it’s the perfect ending because there is no comfort for the audience.” The audience goes into shock when you play with the idea and expectations of the modern day film and it ends the way this movie ends. “We were never certain we’d get enough money to finish the film but the money just dribbled in over several months,” said Romero. The $114K black and white movie was released on October 2, 1968 in movie theatres and drive-ins. In New York they considered it a Grindhouse film that the critics mostly dismissed. The main purpose of the film was to scare the audience, but some people believe there’s a political message in every movie. Romero said it wasn’t his intention for Night of the Living Dead to come across as political, but it starred a strong, black male in the 60’s. It explored race and violence with historical messages and that wasn’t his intent. [SPOILER ALERT — DON’T READ THE NEXT SENTENCE IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD] Some people compared the black actor dying at the end of the movie to a lynching–which wasn’t his intention at all. He went on to say that the script never identified the lead as a black man, so when he was cast, they simply ended the movie as written.

After the film we had the opportunity to speak with director Rob Kuhns. “It was in 83 at a midnight screening when I first saw Night of the Living Dead,” said Kuhns. A member of the audience noticed that during his documentary there was animation throughout. “I couldn’t get the rights for the behind the scenes film so we’ll just have to create art for it,” said Kuhns. He was also asked why George Romero was the only cast/crew member interviewed. His reply was simply, “No one else wanted to be interviewed because they were making their own behind the scenes film at the time.”

What does Romero think about The Walking Dead? “I interviewed him before The Walking Dead at the end of 2006. But he said he doesn’t see new movies, only the old ones because they appreciate what he did. However, one of his favorite movies is the satirical Shaun of the Dead,” said Kuhns.

Right before the film I spoke with a volunteer of the FFF who said, “Night of the Living Dead is one of my favorites,” and I would have to agree with her. This well scripted, classic film truly fits my mold for horror films and has helped shaped the industry.

It was a successful night with more to come today.