I've had a busy few days here and will be here the rest of the festival, so I thought, why don't I cover what I've found interesting thus far. There was a rooftop VIP happy hour with music guests I wanted to go to this afternoon, but it said invite only.. and damn! I didn't check my email, there was an invite in there... oh well—so now I have a few hours here at the hotel. I'll look at mostly some of the Festival films I watched today at the stunningly majestic historic Byrd Theater.
Keep in mind though, I'm just a musician and a movie lover.. not an film expert. Jus' for funs..._
Wednesday & Showcase #1
I've never been to Richmond Virginia, it's a really cool town. I started remembering all the history I learned in my school daze while driving through the city for the first time, Wednesday. I love cities that respect their historic buildings and don't tear them down for two catty-corner Pharmacies and cheap trendy hipster apartments... like some cities I know... but won't mention Dallas here. (:) I kid, but I'm sure every city has this issue)
I went in for a sound check at Hofheimer Building after grabbing my Festival VIP pass from a Music studio around the corner The Sound of Music Studio cool looking studio... I'll be over there Saturday for a few events, want to check it out more.
I went on at 8 pm or so. I won't go into much of the show, but that I wish I could travel with my band. I do the solo thing well, it might be my best mode, but only in some settings; in others, like in a big loud room full of people wanting to have good times, well.. a dude fingerstyle on a guitar singing folk/Americana .. I'll just say, my band mode would have been a much better fit. Though I did enjoy the show, other's seemed to also, so hey.. it is what it is.
I perform again Saturday, on the rooftop, so I think that might be fun.
I enjoyed conversation afterward and offers to buy me drinks all night. Which is always awkward because I no longer drink—it's been over five years sober and the world is a safer happier place because of it. (believe me) ;) But the conversation was great. I talked with some film directors who had films in the festival. It was interesting because I am really a huge film buff... I don't know if that is the right term; I actually am a 'Making of film Buff'. I buy DVDs still because I'd rather listen to the commentary than watch the movie. I watch the movie after I've listened to the commentaries... it's strange, I know. Yet I've always been fascinated with directors, scriptwriters, and so on... I understood more why I'm so fascinated with the movie-making business after talking to these directors.
We basically do the same things, the same creative struggles as far as the mechanics of it; but, they do it on such a large scale. Where I have to raise $5000-7000 for an album, they are looking more into the big money with even smaller odds of return. Technical challenges of course, which are constant for me as a musician, but for them, it's a whole other level of challenge. Same for the teams they work with; I work with smaller teams, though I do work with big teams on videos. But at the heart of it we deal with the same frustrations, which are empty rooms. Painful politics, awards, death by a thousand charges; such as their festival market fees compared to my music contests fees; they pile up to big amounts. The heartbreak, the almost weekly fails and flops. All for the love of this thing.. this art form has somehow taken over your life.
Thursday Film Highlights
I can't go into every film I watched today. I've got some events tonight so I'll keep it short and sweet and hit the ones that are still on my mind now.
Catherine - Animated Short
It's no accident this is the first one I write about. Though there were plenty of charming shorts, this one is still in my head. It is worth hunting down when it comes out. I used the word entrancing in a tweet because it just captured me from 40 seconds in. The style of the animation was familiar, but it has it's own thing going on. It crosses the line between what I think of as an Art Film, just far enough to make me feel some feelings that I wasn't planning to feel today. Which is really what I think of Art Films, that they are mostly concerned with evoking emotions we often times avoid. The emotions this film evoked in me were my own tucked away thoughts of mortality and the kinda existential loneliness thing (let's not talk about it). That sounds so dark to write it. I doubt it hit other people this way. I'm kinda dark sometimes so I'm sure the dark finds me. It actually was very light-hearted, entertaining, funny, yet with that hidden sadness.
http://catherine-catlady.tumblr.com
http://facebook.com/shortfilmCatherine
Garden Party - Animated Short
I just noticed this was nominated for an Academy Award.. it should have won. I'm not sure where to watch these films. Search this one out. And when you find it, go full screen. Turn off your fucking phone addiction for a few minutes and get immersed in it. This is a type of film that I don't want to say anything about. Though the CGI is amazing; I watched other CGI work.. and if the story is not great, who gives a shit. The story, setting and everything about this is fantastic.
FOLLOW :
facebook.com/gardenpartymovie/
Spleen of the Sculptor
Once again, if you get a chance, watch this. This is a stop animation short and is most def an 'art film'. It is effective. It made me feel some shit—Evoked in my memories a youthful fascination, repulsion, love, hatred for the 'woman'; the universal woman that is. The bitter, the sweet the what the fuck, are you God or Devil, kinda thing. It is an absolutely beautifully crafted film and has an original style to it; mixing in real-world footage stop motion with a dreamscape type dance of clay. (P.S. I've made my peace with woman universal haha)
YouthMin - A Mockumentary
This one came on at just the right time. I'd been watching shorts all day and it was starting to feel like a meal with only appetizers. This was the perfect movie for the meal today. It was light, and I needed some 'light' at this point. It was just a well-made comedy. It hit all the beats just right. The actors were perfectly cast. It builds to big laughs at the end. The subject was something I could relate to being someone who landed in these type youth ministries growing up. I had some big hard laughs, and I would have laughed louder if I was at home, but these film folks in the audience were a little quieter than me... so I didn't want to be 'that guy' in back row today.. some days I don't mind.
You Will Be Fine / Gros Chagrin (2017)
I guess this would be called experimental film. I'm just a musician right ;) This is one that if you can find the right moment it will take you on a ride. You may or may not like the ride. But to me, that is the true test of a film.. does it take me with it. Do I want to stay with it until the end? I liked the ride. It was a brooding, complicated and emotionally confrontational film. Some might think it pretentious. I hear people say that about anything that treats events in our lives with an utmost seriousness ... so I don't really know if it is or not.
The visuals of the film are meant to put you in a type of trance. Some of the visuals powerfully suggestive while remaining quiet abstract. I liked it.
Directed by : Céline Devaux
Produced by : Sacrebleu Productions
There are quite a few more.. I have to head out. Hopefully, I get some more time to write about other great films I see.
I'm ezra vancil a songwriter/ performer / writer from Texas. Let me know if you enjoy. UPVOTE, RESTEEM and leave me a comment, I appreciate it!