My grand day out at the L.A. Film Fest began perfectly in a theatre obviously renovated by true film lovers.
The Majestic Crest Theatre is a beautiful one-screen theatre with art deco flair. An elaborate 3D scene of golden age Hollywood and Westwood (where the fest takes place) plays out on every inch of the walls, as stars twinkle and shoot above on the ceiling (according to their website, it’s celestially accurate) and lush seats keep you comfy.
I arrived early, expecting lines for even the shorts. But with sparse attendance, I needn’t have worried. Too bad, because Shorts Program 3 was full of great talent.
“Bullet Proof Vest” (USA, 2006, 5 minutes) May Lin Au Yong dives into a tough topic as kids relate what their parents told them if they ever hear gunshots while living in the 11th most dangerous city in the United States – Richmond, Calif. In protest against the violence, families create “tent cities,” giving their kids a glimpse of outdoor life. Black&white and potent, the film relays a sad message from kids who don’t feel safe enough to play in their neighborhood park.
“Greetings from Earth” (USA, 2006, 13 minutes) Kim Jacobs directs Mariel Hemingway in a tale of a bored wife who seeks release through disembodiment. Patton Oswalt slides in as the double-PhD hubby obsessed with rebuilding a media room.
“Dear Lemon Lima” (USA, 2006, 11 minutes) Suki Yoonessi directs the subtly quirky tale of an ice cream stand worker (an atheist who asks God why He hates her so much) who’s been dumped by her higher management fella, a boy forced to dump his bunny into the suburban wild and a girl with a talent for the theremin who wants to be called Nothing. The snooty boyfriend (Miles Thompson) with higher aspirations was in Miranda July’s Me and You and Everyone We Know (Yoonessi assoc. produced), and there’s a thank you to July in the credits. It definitely feels inspired by her work, and that’s a good thing.
“Love and War” puts opera where it belongs – in stop-motion animation. (Sweden, 2006, 14 minutes) Frederik Emilson directs a rabbit nurse and bruin fighter pilot to sing Emilson’s own impressive libretto as warring gators attack.
“Happiness” (USA, 2006, 11 minutes) Sophie Barthes directs this mostly silent film of a condom tester who decides to delay opening her box of happiness in exchange for the perfect (but painful) high heels she’s envied on her supervisor’s feet.
“English Language (with English Subtitles)” (England, 2007, 19 minutes) Director Tim Plester takes text to the limit by describing stage direction, internal feelings and punctuation. A hoot that devolves into a music video, this short builds on dry British wit.
A tight schedule kept me from hearing the Q&A, which is something I usually try to stay for. But with only one day to squeeze in what I could, the next theatre beckoned.