The 5th Annual New Media Film Festival closed last night on a triumphant note with famed genre film maker Roger Corman accepting the Festival’s Legend Award from legendary Producer/Director/Screenwriter John Carpenter. The ceremony followed the NMFF awards – except for the Grand award, which was saved for the very end of the ceremony to keep the nominees and the audience in suspense.
Awards included, Best Documentary Award to the love letter to motorcycle riding, Why We Ride, by Bryan H. Carroll, edging out a stunning David Attenborough-narrated film, Galapagos 3D. Russian film stars Marina Kovalskaya and Viktor Yurkov were on hand to accept their award for The Story of M, a beautifully done and very disturbing Russian short by Anna Arlanova. The Award for Best Socially Responsible film went to Subway Stories by Garine Tcholaken, a brilliant and compelling look at the musicians who entertain us as we rush by in the subway. The Grand Award went to Curio Shop, an intense, post-apocalyptic western web series by 2-time Emmy winner Eric S. Anderson.
Altogether 112 films from 25 countries were shown at the NMFF, 35 of which received their American premier at the Los Angeles-based event. The Festival featured screening tracks for Socially-Responsible Content, LGBT films, Shorts, Music Videos, full length Documentaries, Sniplers, Animation, S.T.E.A.M., Student films, Digital Comics, Machinima, Mobile/Tablet-shot films, pilots and “New Media”. The one thing all of the screened content had in common was that they reached audiences by alternative means – alternative to distribution to theater chains.
While Festival got off to a bit of a slow start Tuesday night at the Landmark Theater complex in Westwood with some timing and technical problems, it was operating smoothly Wednesday. A packed schedule of films running almost constantly from 9:30 am to 8:30 pm kept film lovers, mostly in their seats. But knots of people could be seen in the Westside Tavern, the Lounge and standing around in the theater lobby exchanging cards and swapping war stories and technical tricks while others were inside the screening rooms absorbing all they could get.
Highlights included Q&A’s with the film makers and producers, an excellent panel on film financing with both local and a New York-based (calling in with Skype video) film finance experts offering advice and answering questions. At one point the Festival linked with a sister site in the Second Life online environment, allowing the LA audience watch themselves watching themselves in the virtual world.
A not-to-be-missed highlight was the Wednesday night screening of the exciting documentary on the electric guitar, Turn It Up, narrated by Kevin Bacon, followed by a Q&A with Director Robert Radler and session guitar player and inventor of the Wah-Wah pedal, Del Casher. Hats off the Festival Founder and Director Susan Johnston for pulling together these two fascinating people and this great film.
The New Media Film Festival has many of the accoutrements of a major film festival – a small red carpet, stars, panels, photographers (but no paparazzi in sight), non-stop screenings, parties for VIPs only, and long lines of film fans. But because of its relatively small scale, it retains a family feel. Film makers, actors, directors and Johnston herself mingle freely with one other and with casual movie goers at the Landmark who are not part of the Festival but intrigued by the goings on. Much to its credit, the Landmark has bent over backwards to accommodate the Festival, including helping with the Second Life and Skype connections and detailing personnel to supplement the Festival’s small staff and volunteers.
Johnston is pioneering a festival in a pioneering field. Some of the film makers I talked with, especially those making shorts in 3-D, admit that it will be a while before audiences can even see their films anywhere but at festivals like the NMFF. But that is what pioneers do, take chances and change things. Hopefully, as the NMFF continues to take chances and grow – and it will, possibly to Northern California – Johnston will keep the family feel.
Patrick O’Heffernan
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