2007 Los Angeles Film festival Overview

by debbie lynn elias

Well, it’s that time again. One of my favorite times of the year. Los Angeles Film Festival returns to Westwood.  Running from June 21 to July 1, 2007, LAFF celebrates independent filmmaking and previews some of the year’s most anticipated upcoming releases. Now I thought it would hard to top the 2005 festival with “March of the Penguins” which went on to waddle away with Oscar gold, but then last year Al Gore shows up with “An Inconvenient Truth” and we all know what happened there (besides a live performance by Jon Bon Jovi and Ritchie Sambora) - more Oscar gold and more awareness about our planet and global warming. A hat trick.  So, what do you do as follow-up?
Well, for starters, how about a special screening of one of the summer’s most anticipated blockbusters, “Transformers.” And what about a fun-filled Family Day on June 30 with games, booths, prizes, a petting zoo, magician and the gang from Playhouse Disney? And how ‘bout those family friendly films? One of my MUST SEE festival faves already is RAZZLE DAZZLE, a mockumentary about the world of children’s competitive dance recitals. Fresh from Australia, award wining commercial director Darren Ashton brings us some irreverent and funny family fun complete with pushy stage mothers, cut-throat competition, glittery costumes, adorable talented dancers and enough energy to make you want to dance all night, or audition for “Dancing With the Stars!” See my in-depth review on RAZZLE DAZZLE in this special LAFF edition of the Observer.
And speaking of dance, make sure you check out the Festival Promenade on Broxton Avenue on Friday June 29 at 7:00 p.m. for a special screening of one of my top 50 all time favorite movies, SHALL WE DANCE. Celebrate the 70th anniversary of one of filmdom’s greatest dancing couples, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, as ballet dancer Peter P. Peters and dancer Linda Keene, and their whirlwind shipboard gossip-filled romance. Their seventh film together, we are graced with music of George and Ira Gershwin and their Oscar nominated song, the unforgettable “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”, gowns by the famous Irene, ballet choreography by the incomparable Hermes Pan, and a dance on roller skates that required 150 takes!
While we’re in a singing and dancing mode, don’t forget to check out THE BUFFY MUSICAL: ONCE MORE WITH SINGING!  (Yeah, knowing me, you knew this was coming, the huge Buffy fan that I am.) A tribute to the 2001 Emmy nominated episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” entitled “Once More With Feeling”, it looks like Buffy may turn into another “Rocky Horror Picture Show” fan participation fest.  An episode written and directed by series creator Joss Whedon, we find Sunnydale infiltrated by a demon played by the wonderful Hinton Battle who casts a spell causing Buffy and her Scooby Gang to communicate in song. A long time fan favorite, including mine, LAFF turns this episode into an all-singing, all-dancing audience participation musicale extravaganza complete with lyric sheets, “finger puppets, vampire teeth and underwear.”  This is definitely my top MUST SEE event of the fest!
But what would LAFF be without cute animals. This year National Geographic brings us ARCTIC TALE. Already scheduled for a big screen release on August 17, director Sarah Robertson heads to th Arctic Circle and brings us two tales rolled into one; the story of a mother walrus and her calf and the life of a polar bear and her cubs. Narrated by Queen Latifah, you can start going “Oooooooo, how cute” right now.  Although I haven’t been able to screen this film as yet, with National Geographic involved, I have no doubt polar bear cubs and walrus calves may have the same effect on the world as cute waddly penguins. You can be sure this is one film I’m not going to miss.
Not to overlook our social consciousness, LAFF is again going green by CELEBRATING LIVE EARTH DAY: A CELEBRATION OF EARTH on Sunday, June 24 from 12-6 pm at the Landmark Regent followed by an 8:30 screening at the Festival Promenade on Broxton Avenue.  Al Gore again puts his stamp on the festival with his support of Save Our Selves, an organization dedicated to creating a “mass-scale movement” to battle global warming.  From environmental booths and exhibits providing “green” information and education about how you can help us save ourselves, to the nighttime screening of 50 short films commissioned by SOS, this is a “must participate” event for us all.
Documentaries play a large part again this year with 11 films in competition for the coveted Target Documentary Award and $50,000.  Leading the pack as one of my MUST SEE picks is THE TOWN THAT WAS, the gripping true story of Centralia, Pennsylvania, a town near death thanks to 40+ years of underground coal mine fires, and John Lokitis, one of the only remaining residents who is determined to keep the town alive. 
One of the most interesting documentaries in competition is CAT DANCERS, the true story of former dancers Ron and Joy Holiday who dominated the Great White Way for 40 years.   Inspired by a dream where he envisioned Joy turning into a an exotic cat during one of their performances, Ron told actor William Holden about the dream. An animal activist with his own game preserve in Kenya (now run by his long time love Stephanie Powers), Holden bestowed a gift on the couple - a leopard cub born on his preserve.  The love that the two had for that leopard, named Adonis, turned into a full fledged family act with the addition of a jaguar, tigers and other exotic cats, as well as a young man named Chuck who joined the act and the family in 1988 as both a surrogate son and lover to Ron and Joy.   Long before Siegfried & Roy this animal family was making headlines. And headlines they did make when in 1998, Jupiter, a Bengal tiger all three had raised since birth, turned on Chuck, killing him, only to then turn on Joy two weeks later, killing her...or did he? After Chuck and Joy were killed, the authorities had no choice but to kill Jupiter.  Heartbroken and alone, Ron was left to deal with his heartbreak and figure out the rest of his life and that of his remaining four-footed children.
Thanks to restored 8mm film footage, news coverage, photos and interviews with colleagues, friends and Ron, we are privy to the unusual lifestyle and love of this unique family unit. This is a story of love and survival. Most interestingly, questions are asked and possibly answered as to the who, what, where, when, why and how of all 3 deaths, the act itself, and the very uniquely exotic and even erotic lives of Ron, Joy and Chuck. 
One of the most popular categories is always the Narrative Competition. Again with an award of $50,000 at stake, there are some spectacular entries for your consideration.  Thus far, based on what I have been fortunate enough to screen, my two top picks are THE BEAUTIFUL ORDINARY and SEVERED WAYS: THE NORSE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA. Coming at us from both sides of the spectrum, these two films are as different as night and day and both are winners in their own right.
SEVERED WAYS: THE NORSE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA is slightly off-beat and definitely not what one would expect with a Viking movie. Producer/writer/editor/actor and first time feature director Tony Stone brings us a rather unique perspective of the coming to America by the Vikings in 1007 AD. Obviously one with a fertile imagination, Tony Stone creates a fictional story drawn from the actual Vineland Sagas, stories which tell the tale of Viking and Norse exploration of the New World starting with Lief Ericson. And let me just say that visually, the film is stunning.
As for THE BEAUTIFUL ORDINARY, another newcomer, director/writer Jessica Manafort throws her hat into the LA Film Festival with a simply beautiful and ordinary film about the last day of school, the first night of summer vacation and the lives of local high school students as they move on to the next grade, the next school, the next boyfriend or girlfriend or the next.... But the one thing they all have in common is the last day of school and when you’re up for a party, it doesn’t matter who you are, what you wear or who you’re with because no matter what, you’ll never get this ordinary moment to experience, embrace and share ever again. There’s not a character in here that won’t remind you of someone you know or knew. Someone that made your days at high school, or even that very last day before summer, something more than ordinary. Told from the heart, the film is simple, understated, sweet, honest and nostalgic.  A slice of Americana. A slice of each of our lives.  There is nothing ordinary about THE BEAUTIFUL ORDINARY.
Lastly, for a real treat and definite MUST SEE experience, mark June 29 at 7:00 p.m. at the Hammer Museum on your calendars for A CONVERSATION WITH MICKEY ROONEY. Possibly the man with the longest career in movie history, Mr. Rooney has acted for 81 years. From silents to the magical MGM musicals with Judy Garland to this year’s sleeper hit, “Night At the Museum”, Mr. Rooney is set to start shooting yet another film this summer which is being made by my friend, director Michelle Goetsche. I have had two occasions in my life to speak with Mr. Rooney, the most recent of which was at the Academy Awards several years ago. Both are experiences that I will cherish forever and thanks to LAFF, I hope to add a third chat to my memoirs.  Another free, no ticket required, no money to spend event, you can’t do much better than hanging around listening to this Hollywood legend.
This is just a sampling of what the next two weeks hold for you. Legends, newcomers, independents, summer previews, some anticipated blockbusters, songs and dances, a song and dance man - the list of entertainment at the Los Angeles Film Festival goes on and on.  I know I’ll be there. I hope you will be too.
For a complete Festival line-up or to purchase tickets NOW, go to www.lafilmfest.com. And be sure to check my website www.moviesharkdeblore.com over the coming days and weeks as we post some exclusive photos, interviews and even more reviews of festival films.