Films have often been depicted as cinematic works encasing the overall heart and creativity of the writer(s) and director who brought it to the big screen, with their efforts either revered or rejected before an ever changing audience. One place artists can allow audiences to praise and premier their works is at film festivals, with one of the most prestigious and popular ones being the Beverly Hills Shorts Festival, with its second annual show taking place between March 1st to the 4th at the historic Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills.
The Beverly Hills Shorts Festival will present an exclusive selection of 59 films chosen out of more than 600 submissions by filmmakers the world over, nearly half of which will make their world premier at this very event, including “Lance is a Jerk”, starring famed cyclist champion Lance Armstrong and Rainn Wilson (The Office), produced by Matthew Brady, with $12,000 in prizes offered to this year’s top winning films.
The festival will be crowned with an awards ceremony on Sunday night, where the best of the best films will be honored by some of film and TV’s most esteemed professionals such as John Gulager (Feast), writer/producer Darin Scott (Waist Deep, Menace II Society, To Sleep with Anger), actor Clu Gulager (The Return of the Living Dead, The Last Picture Show, The Killers), writer/director Kenneth J. Hall (The Halfway House, Puppet Master), and producer Ed Polgardy (The Halfway House). Among the various film shorts out in Hollywood today is one miniature marvel that seems to have promise – Building D’s “Who’s Gonna Drive?” which made it’s world premier screening at the Beverly Hills Shorts Festival in The Fine Arts Theatre complex. Produced by Keith Blaney, Charlotte Glover and Adam Libarkin, the short explores a life-long friendship, and how its fate will ultimately fall on one simple question encased within the title. Starring Tripp Pickell and Gary Shapiro, “Who’s Gonna Drive?” is just one of many other fascinating shorts slated to be screened at the Beverly Hills Film Festival between March 1st and the 4th, with times ranging from 2-10.
For all the fame and fortune Hollywood offers, most (if not all) film professionals begin their careers with smaller cinematic pieces – film shorts, which can often make or break their future success in this highly competitive industry.
Tickets range from $5 for each individual screening to $30 for all 11 programs, with the historic Fine Arts Theatre located at 8556 Wilshire Blvd. Beverly Hills, CA 90211
For more information about the 2007 Beverly Hills Film Festival, please refer to www.BeverlyHillsShortsFestival.com
The 2007 Beverly Hills Shorts Festival will present the following films and programs:
6:00-7:45pm – Documentary Program #1: Communities and Cultural Trends
Los Tabaqueros (7:18)
Building Bridges (12:30)
Hurricane Katrina Stories: Rescue and Refuge (29:02)
The Common Sense Farm (17:20)
The Best Idea I Ever Stole (19:42)
8:00-9:45pm – Drama Program #1: Schemes and Dreams
Fool Me Once (14:20)
True Colours (10:38)
That Night (29:00)
A Home Run for Dad (10:10)
A Better Life (19:39)
10:00-11:45pm – Comedy Program #1: The Height of Absurdity
Real Men (10:02)
Grocery Mishap (6:05)
Taste of Kream (12:25)
Kidney Thieves (8:00)
The Sparkle Lite Motel (15:30)
My Uncle Emmett (19:40)
Who’s Gonna Drive? (8:00)
Saturday, March 3, 2007:
2:00-3:45pm – Comedy Program #6: The Trouble With Love
Break-Up Bob (12:35)
Greetings from Earth (23:00)
Life Is Short (11:46)
The Wine Bar (11:20)
Fortune Hunters (21:41)
4:00-5:45pm – Comedy Program #2: Time’s Almost Up
Seller’s Remorse (10:10)
Meter Maids (16:56)
07 (10:20)
The Run (18:00)
I Hate Musicals (20:11)
6:00-7:45pm – Drama Program #2: Casualties of the World
Caroline Crossing (20:18)
The Kolaborator (14:18)
Victoria (6:10)
Sadiq (11:45)
He Lives (16:31)
Somewhere in the City (12:33)
8:00-9:45pm – Comedy Program #5: Ain’t Easy Being a Misfit
Christopher Brennan Saves the World (25:20)
The Shadow Effect (19:56)
Confessions of a Late Bloomer (18:00)
Bye Bye Benjamin (21:52)
10:00-11:45pm – Thriller Program: Villains and Victims
The Pit and the Pendulum (7:15)
Over the Line (17:27)
Hollow (9:01)
The Unknown (15:12)
Kasting (2:01)
Jar (18:44)
Quiet (16:49)
Sunday, March 4, 2007:
2:00-3:45pm – Documentary Program #2: Lifestyles of the Curvy and Obsessed
Bootyful World (25:00)
Freaks of Laughter (25:32)
Tin Man (6:00)
Gimme Green (27:10)
4:00-5:45pm – Comedy Program #3: Arrested Development
Rushers (26:45)
Magnus, Inc. (16:30)
I’m in the Band (16:45)
Dartsville (23:15)
6:00-7:45pm – Comedy Program #4: Crazy Little Thing Called Hollywood
Over the Wall (8:30)
Moviebonics (7:35)
Out of Focus (18:15)
Auteur (26:16)
IAS: A Search for Hope (9:53)
Lance Is a Jerk (4:30)
Script Cops (6:29)
8:00-9:00pm – Awards Ceremony
07 – (Comedy / USA / 10:20 / Producer: Marc Ferrero / Director: Peter Sullivan / Writer: Benjamin Sztajnkrycer) In the tradition of Airplane, this film lovingly parodies the hit television series 24.
A Better Life – (Drama / World Premiere / USA / 19:39 / Producer: Alex Bovicelli / Director, Writer: Luis Fernandez Reneo) Based on a true story, this film follows the perilous journey of three Mexican children who become lost in the Sonoran desert while crossing the U.S. border to join their father.
A Home Run for Dad – (Drama / World Premiere / USA / 10:10 / Producers: Brad Gottfred, Jonathan Howard / Director: Jonathan Howard / Writer: Brad Gottfred) A college baseball player reflects on the impact that his late father has had on his life.
Auteur – (Comedy / USA / 26:16 / Producer, Writer: Alex Simon / Director: Kevin Abrams) Eric Pelham, the world’s greatest video pirate, lives under the delusion that he is a real filmmaker.
Bootyful World – (Documentary / USA / 25:00 / Producers: Grace K. Lee, Zak Mechanic / Director: Avital Levy) From Sir Mix-A-Lot to Brazilian butt-lift surgeries, mainstream culture has shown a growing fixation on the booty, revealing a potential shift in beauty standards.
Break-Up Bob – (Comedy / USA / 12:35 / Producer, Writer: Jennifer Medvin / Director: Steven Bentley) For 50 bucks, a twelve-pack of beer, and some smokes, Bob will break up with your insignificant other for you.
Building Bridges – (Documentary / USA / 12:30 / Producer, Director, Writer: Jeanine Isabel Butler) The Mostar Women’s Citizen Initiative, an exceptional group of community leaders, political activists, and ordinary citizens in war-fractured Bosnia, transcends ethnic and religious strife to launch a new law protecting women and families.
Bye Bye Benjamin – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 21:52 / Producer: Louie Provost / Director: Charlie McDowell / Writers: Eli Jorne, Charlie McDowell) Benjamin Osgood is the sharpest and savviest executive at Coleman Industries… he’s also only 10 years old.
Caroline Crossing – (Drama / USA / 20:18 / Producer: Kristifor Cvijetic / Director: Mahesh Pailoor / Writers: Harry Maxon, Mahesh Pailoor, Sandra Valde) As Londoners prepare for the inevitable Nazi bombings, Caroline is sent away by her family to America, where she must find a way to survive against the backdrop of a world at war.
Christopher Brennan Saves the World – (Comedy / USA / 25:20 / Producers: Chris Cory, Claire Farwell / Director, Writer: Jesse Dykstra) A young drive-thru attendant serves as a counselor for his customers.
Confessions of a Late Bloomer – (Comedy / USA / 18:00 / Producers: Amitabh Klemm, Philip Lott / Director: Jen McGowan / Writer: Stuart C. Paul) To escape the pummeling of his life, 15-year-old Donny – the smartest kid in the class – accepts the school bully’s challenge to kiss Sheila, the girl of his dreams, by the week’s end.
Dartsville – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 23:15 / Producers: Chris Rice, Mark Riley, Tony West / Director: Tony West / Writer: Ben McMillan) When a young dart prodigy upstages his daddy, days before the sacred Dartsville County Darts Championship, a conflict is born the likes of which Dartsville ain’t ever seen.
Fool Me Once – (Drama / World Premiere / USA / 14:20 / Producers: Nicholas Gonzalez, Clay Westervelt / Director: Paco Farias / Writers: Paco Farias, Cliff Traiman) An adulterous wife embarks upon an elaborate mission to slip an expensive gift from her lover past her husband.
Fortune Hunters – (Comedy / North American Premiere / USA / 21:41 / Producer: Mike Standish / Director: Thom Harp / Writers: Thom Harp, Mike Standish) When Arthur, a writer at a fortune cookie factory, accidentally sends a love letter meant for his ex-girlfriend into the printing press, every cookie at every restaurant suddenly reveals a piece of his broken heart.
Freaks of Laughter – (Documentary / World Premiere / USA / 25:32 / Producer, Director: Jim Grollman) In the tougher sections surrounding Los Angeles, some turn to drugs, others to crime, and still others to stand-up comedy; for these freaks of laughter, the Cerritos Community College offers an accredited class.
Gimme Green – (Documentary / USA / 27:10 / Producers, Directors: Isaac Brown, Eric Flagg) A look at America’s obsession with the residential lawn and the effects it has on our environment, our wallets, and our outlook on life.
Greetings from Earth – (Comedy / USA / 23:00 / Producer: Sara Seiferheld / Director: Kim Jacobs / Writers: Scott Bradfield, Kim Jacobs) A woman desperate to escape her mundane life finds a way to disembody herself and travel the world on her spiritual quest, only to discover that she hasn’t escaped herself at all.
Grocery Mishap – (Comedy / US Premiere / Canada / 6:05 / Producers: Michael Davidson, Bruce Hunter, Melissa-Jane Shaw, Kelsey Matheson / Directors: Michael Davidson, Bruce Hunter / Writer: Bruce Hunter) In a story of jealousy and foodstuff, a seemingly normal day in the fourth aisle becomes a battle of wits and wieners between two gallant grocery gals – Beans and Spaghetti – over a man named Billy.
He Lives – (Drama / World Premiere / USA / 16:31 / Producer, Director, Writer: Tyler James Massey) In a world where freedom of speech and expression are outlawed, one man finds hope and a reason to live through art.
Hollow – (Thriller / USA / 9:01 / Producer: Joe Lamirand / Director, Writer: Paul Bickel) This dark and disturbing journey through a young boy’s troubled pathology ultimately ends as a poignant story of a broken family and lost innocence.
Hurricane Katrina Stories: Rescue and Refuge – (Documentary / USA / 29:02 / Director: John Menszer) Survivors of Hurricane Katrina achieve the extraordinary feat of rescuing their neighbors and families in New Orleans.
IAS: A Search for Hope – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 9:53 / Producer, Director, Writer: Paul Bartholomew) A mockumentary about one man’s struggle with IAS (Idiot Actor Syndrome) and his recovery at the Actors Institute for Quality Control.
I Hate Musicals – (Comedy / USA / 20:11 / Producers: Eve Annenberg, Ralph Clemente, Stewart Schill / Director, Writer: Stewart Schill) When musicals threaten to divide Brad, a heartless insurance executive, and Melissa, his lovely thespian fiancée, a spell is cast that compels Brad to sing every time he opens his mouth.
I’m in the Band – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 16:45 / Producers: Eytan Elbaz, Robert Romeo / Director: Paul Sincoff / Writer: Alejandro Bien-Willner) Jon, the bass player in an up-and-coming rock band, struggles to gain respect as he searches for Justine, the girl of his dreams, and tries to convince fans that he is, in fact, in the band.
Jar – (Thriller / World Premiere / USA / 18:44 / Producers: Emily Bower, Zachary L. Freer/ Director, Writer: Zachary L. Freer) After a young girl goes to a party to break up with her seamy boyfriend, she wakes from a blackout hours later, alone, bloodied, and locked in a remote cabin that she must escape to survive.
Kasting – (Thriller / UK / 2:01 / Producer: Rodolfo Coloma / Director, Writer: Alyosha Saari) Monica goes to an audition for a part to die for, but how far should she go to get the part?
Kidney Thieves – (Comedy / USA / 8:00 / Producers: Steven Celniker, Toby Wilkins/ Director: Toby Wilkins / Writer: Ben Acker) Imagine that you’ve woken up in a Mexican hotel room, in a bathtub full of ice, with a dull ache in your head, a dim recollection of the night before, a row of immaculate stitches where one of your kidneys used to be, and the feeling that this isn’t the first time it’s happened to you.
Lance Is a Jerk – (Comedy / USA / 4:30 / Producer: Matt Brady / Directors: Maura Mandt, Mark Teitelman) Is Lance Armstrong really a jerk?
Life Is Short – (Comedy / USA / 11:46 / Producers: Alexis Bledel, Melissa Downing, Mike Drinkwater, Riki Lindhome / Directors: Riki Lindhome, Dori Oskowitz / Writer: Riki Lindhome) A short guy, at the behest of his crackpot life coach, leaves his perfect girlfriend to pursue his dream of being with a tall woman.
Los Tabaqueros – (Documentary / USA / 7:18 / Producers: Francisco Gonzalez, Russell Griffin, Nate Wood / Directors: Francisco Gonzalez, Russell Griffin) With passion and care, cigar makers reveal the art of handmade cigars.
Magnus, Inc. – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 16:30 / Producers: Lloyd D’Souza, Emily Eckert, Laura Smith / Director, Writer: Peter Barnes) Twenty-seven-year-old alpha geek, Magnus Goldfarb, battles 12-year-old arch-nemesis Percival for control of the neighborhood’s lemonade supply.
Meter Maids – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 16:56 / Producers: Katie Hodgkins, Sandra Murillo, Elise Salomon / Director: Geoff Murillo / Writers: Geoff Murillo, Sandra Murillo) Rookie Parking Enforcement Officer Drew Parker experiences his first day of punching tickets and dodging punches under the tutelage of overzealous veteran Officer Jimmy Fantone.
Moviebonics – (Comedy / USA / 7:35 / Producers, Directors, Writers: Lance Miller, Donald P. Unverrich) Two evangelists, forbidden by religion to see movies, enter the home of a couple so enamored with cinema that they only speak in famous film quotations.
My Uncle Emmett – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 19:40 / Producer, Director, Writer: Larry Hankin) Two years after Larry Hankin’s old Uncle Emmett, a mild-mannered parking enforcement officer, disappeared without a trace, he reappears as a bearded “Outlaw Biker” riding an “outlaw” Harley motorcycle.
Out of Focus – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 18:15 / Producer, Director, Writer: Angelo Campanile) The writer/director wants Luke, the main character in his drama, to commit suicide, but Luke doesn’t quite like the idea, and when he realizes his life is just fiction, he takes over the show and tries to change his fate.
Over the Line – (Thriller / World Premiere / USA / 17:27 / Producer: David O’Brien / Director, Writer: Sam French) Jack tries to stop his sister from sliding further into addiction by going after her suppliers, but, as his actions put her in danger, he is forced to confront his own complicity in her drug habit.
Over the Wall – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 8:30 / Producers: Scott Bridges, Anthony J. Gonzales / Director: Anthony J. Gonzales / Writers: Phil Abatecola, Scott Bridges) One day, an average, down-and-out guy notices the massive wall beside his bus stop and, realizing that his dreams lie beyond it, tries to convince everyone else that their real lives lie… over the wall.
Quiet – (Thriller / USA / 16:49 / Producers: Steve Barr, Marshall McAuley, Rod Ramsey / Director: Marshall McAuley / Writer: Steve Barr) A young woman’s struggle to cope with her recent deafness turns deadly when she is attacked in her home by a stalker.
Real Men – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 10:02 / Producer: Chris Sias / Director, Writer: Sean Hanish) Best friends push the boundaries of their relationship to discover what a “real man” is.
Rushers – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 26:45 / Producer: Mary Pat Bentel / Director, Writer: Joey Boukadakis) Two mid-twenties brothers pose as college students and crash Rush Week.
Sadiq – (Drama / USA / 11:45 / Producers: Mitchell Gutman, Sean Mullin / Director, Writer: Sean Mullin) Tensions escalate when two American soldiers, tasked with escorting an enemy prisoner-of-war to a detainee camp in Iraq, become lost and are eventually forced to decide his fate.
Script Cops – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 6:29 / Producers: Chad Darbyshire, Charles Mulford / Director: Scott Rice / Writers: Austen Menges, Scott Rice) In this irreverent parody, cops arrest people for bad screenwriting.
Seller’s Remorse – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 10:10 / Producers: Shaun Carpenter, Mishka Kornai, Dag Shapshak / Director: Dag Shapshak / Writers: Shaun Carpenter, Dag Shapshak) Two telemarketers battle over a customer for the ultimate sale, only to find out that the stakes are higher than they could possibly imagine.
Somewhere in the City – (Drama / USA / 12:33 / Producer, Director, Writer: Ramsey Denison) Former drug addict Toby Cray has straightened out his life, but he finds straightening out other people’s lives more challenging.
Taste of Kream – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 12:25 / Producer, Director: Deanna Russo) Orphaned at birth, three orange kittens are nursed back to health by Peg, a reluctant caregiver duped into servitude; through scratchy penmanship and two-dimensional art, the fierce feline trio threatens their well-meaning owner for the sweet taste of kream.
That Night – (Drama / USA / 29:00 / Producers: Steven Gordon, Milford Harris / Director, Writer: Steven Gordon) Amid New York’s pulsing underground rock n’ roll scene, two young lovers cross paths at a Brooklyn loft party and disappear into the night to explore each other.
The Best Idea I Ever Stole – (Documentary / USA / 19:42 / Producer, Director: Patrick Wilkinson) A serious romp across the battle lines of the copyright wars.
The Common Sense Farm – (Documentary / USA / 17:20 / Director: Kathleen Russell) Exploring the surrealities of growing up in the Twelve Tribes, an insulated community with fragile relations with the outside world.
The Kolaborator – (Drama / World Premiere / USA / 14:18 / Producers: Chris Bessounian, Tianna Langham, Patricia Poienaru / Director: Chris Bessounian / Writers: Chris Bessounian, Tianna Langham) During the conflict in the Balkans, a young soldier is forced to choose between his own life and the life of an old friend.
The Pit and the Pendulum – (Thriller / Canada / 7:15 / Producers: Arnold Kunert, Marc Lougee, Susan Ma / Director: Marc Lougee / Writer: Matt Taylor) Adapted from Edgar Allen Poe’s famous tale, this animated film shows one man’s judgment, condemnation, despair, hope, and eventual redemption.
The Run – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 18:00 / Producers: Brad Johnson, Andrew Osborne / Director, Writer: Bart Johnson) Trouble stumbles into the lives of three brothers and their friend caught in the wrong place at the wrong time while on a road trip and surf adventure in Mexico.
The Shadow Effect – (Comedy / USA / 19:56 / Producers: Jamie Adamic, Carl MacLaren / Directors: Jared Varava, Justin Varava / Writers: Andy Schwartz, Jared Varava, Justin Varava) At the urging of a mysterious self-help program, introvert Harold Grey – whose world revolves around his job, his penchant for soap operas, and Chinese take-out – begins to pattern himself after a famous soap opera star and almost loses his own identity in the process.
The Sparkle Lite Motel – (Comedy / Canada / 15:30 / Producers: Cory Kinney, Mel Weisbaum / Director: Cory Kinney / Writers: Sarah Dodd, Cory Kinney) When newlyweds George and Anna check into a questionable motel on their wedding night, they get more than the night of passion they bargained for.
The Unknown – (Thriller / World Premiere / USA / 15:12 / Producers: Adrian Castagna, Leda Nasio / Director: Juan Oubiña) Can a true story be built entirely on lies?
The Wine Bar – (Comedy / USA / 11:20 / Producers, Writers: Seth Fisher, Christian Remde / Director: Christian Remde) When blue-collar Henry orders a beer in a snooty wine bar, he offends everyone and has to defend himself and the woman sitting next to him.
Tin Man – (Documentary / World Premiere / USA / 6:00 / Directors: Kristen Schultz, Evan B. Stone) Living a fascinating, anachronistic existence in rural upstate New York, artist John Coffer dwells in a hand-built farm and explores a super low-tech photographic process that harkens back to the early days of the Civil War.
True Colours – (Drama / US Premiere / UK / 10:38 / Producer: Eleanor Cook / Director, Writer: Barney Elliott) A loving father, with a propensity for violence, struggles to earn his family’s trust.
Victoria – (Drama / World Premiere / USA / 6:10 / Producers: Marc Carlini, Chris George / Director, Writer: Marc Carlini) During the last hours of her life, Victoria, an 80-year-old woman, reflects on her past, enabling her to reunite with her long-lost love.
Who’s Gonna Drive? – (Comedy / World Premiere / USA / 8:00 / Producers: Keith Blaney, Charlotte Glover, Adam Libarkin / Writers: Mike Benitez, Keith Blaney) Mike cooks dinner for his life-long friend, Keith, and follows it with a piece of his favorite pie, but is there more to Mike’s phenomenal dinner than meets the eye?
