Cinema City Fest Honors Military, Spotlights Indie Voice

The Cinema City International Film Festival hosted a mid-year event, which took place at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza on Avenue of the Stars in Hollywood. Stars Ed McMahon, Debra Gibson, Christopher McDonald, Ed Lauter, Jonathan Slocumb, Cuba Gooding, Sr. and Leo Rossi came out to celebrate with festival founders Suzanne DeLaurentiis and Juliette Harris and their honored guests.

The film festival shined their spotlight not only on feature films and shorts, but also on music videos, commercials and TV pilots as well as their scripts.

Co-founders Suzanne DeLaurentiis and Juliette Harris joined efforts for this festival. Suzanne, a producer/writer/director, celebrates her company’s 25th year of work. From documentaries to feature-length dramas such as award-winning “10th & Wolf”, Suzanne has stayed very busy with her acclaimed slate.

Juliette Harris began her PR firm “It” Girl in 1999 bringing 15 years of industry experience and has spent the last few years representing today’s hottest and top talents including Nelly, Boyz II Men, Cindy Margolis and LG Electronics.

The Cinema City Int’l Film Fest has chosen very worthy causes to honor. Burn victims, including the Federation of Burn Foundations, the Burn Prevention Foundation, the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation, the Children’s Burn Foundation and the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors.

Opening Night

TV legend Ed McMahon sits back in a chair, awaiting the red carpet. He’s relaxed and in good spirits. Last year he was honored with their Icon Award at their inaugural fest. This year he’s back to help honor their worthy causes. His eyes focus on the military troops next door taking pictures. It’s a personal thing for him. McMahon himself is not only a hero in the entertainment industry, but after serving as a Marine fighter pilot during World War II and the Korean War, completing over 80 missions, he is a military hero as well. He retired with the rank of Colonel in 1966. McMahon smiles at them proudly.  “That’s what this is about. Honoring those heroes”. He watches on with eagerness, “I want to be there for those men and women.  They’re strong and brave.  I support them so much”.

Watching the young directors and starlets arrive and mingle, he smiled, “That’s why this is important to me. These young people, artists and storytellers, they’re the future of Hollywood. You must follow them. Independently, they’ll find edgy material and they’ll discover the next big thing”.

This event showcases independent filmmakers. McMahon continues, “New filmmakers are important. They take risks that studios won’t support. 
But in those risks, that’s where great new ideas are found. We’re here finding the next Steven Spielberg. The next Julia Roberts”.

Moments later McMahon joined the soldiers and together they all walk onto the red carpet.

On the Carpet

The festival showcases veterans as well as those talented individuals waiting to be discovered. The next Julia Roberts may very well be Valerie Wilson. The 22 year-old graces the red carpet with the confidence of a true movie star. Cameras flashed and she stood strong and glowed in her sexy gown.  From New York, she was invited out by co- founder DeLaurentiis.  She’s obviously someone very special.

Stars Share the Spotlight

As star after star filled the red carpet, similar thoughts were felt. 
Everyone came out to honor the soldiers.

Screen veteran Ed Lauter arrived with his wife, beaming at the soldiers, “I’m proud of these kids. They’re brave and they fight for us. We can’t forget that.”

Veteran actress-turned-tyro director Jill Jaress arrived with her latest short film “Someone To Love”. She too lit up at the sight of the soldiers. “My short film is a romantic comedy about finding love, speed-dating. But seeing these men reminds me, to me life is all about love and you have to have the freedom to do that. They make that happen for us. We need to be very grateful.”

Comic Jonathan Slocumb, who makes his film debut in Tyler Perry’s “Meet The Browns,” also came out to support the troops. “They work hard.  Gotta respect them”.  He also spoke about his co-star Academy Award nominee Angela Bassett. “Oh, I was in love with her. Growing up, I wanted to marry her. It was a dream come true to finally meet her”.

War is Hell

Gary Mortensen directs “This is War”, an 84-minute documentary following nine soldiers in Iraq. Although the banquet room wasn’t an optimum theater to show the film and the flat seating prevented most of the audience from seeing the bottom quarter of the screen, the audience made it work. As the charismatic soldiers appeared on-screen, the viewers leaned, ducked and squirmed to see more of the screen. It showed how truly compelling the movie itself was.

What made this movie unique was the footage.  Other than the talking head interviews, all of the footage (majority about 80% of the film) was shot by the soldiers themselves using digital cameras brought from home.

The soldier’s videotape, never intended for more than a friends and family audience, reveal themselves in a compromising light. They laugh, cry, complain and battle together.  Through it all they reveal the vulnerable, but very real situation they’re in. At one point or another throughout the movie, they all confess they realize they’re here one moment, but could be gone the next.

When violence was depicted, it was startling and real. Better than CNN, more vivid then a big-budget Bruckheimer film. The soldiers, at times funny, sometimes bitter, sometimes so innocent they elicited “awww’s” from the audience.

As the movie ended, audience members dabbed their eyes and slowly left mindful. The proud soldiers stood in the back of the room, thanking members of the audience.

Alex Quinn, son of cinema legend Anthony Quinn, catered the after-party. The event started quietly, but soon turned into discussions of the film. With such a controversial concept, everyone had an opinion.

Salute the Troops

The next night, everyone arrived for the Gala Awards Ceremony. As VIPs and filmmakers mingled, filmmaker Jill Jaress, obviously touched by last night’s feature documentary, directed her photographer towards the escalators as the six honored soldiers arrived in military dress.  It was truly a patriotic scene.

Cinema City Gives Back

The Burn victim’s silent auction offered dazzling prizes. A signed poster from the blockbuster Warner Bros movie “300”, a “Sopranos” gift basket, signed scripts from nine-time Academy Award-nominee Stanley Kramer, tickets to the Los Angeles Lakers, Disney Collectables, and a present of 35-mm film from Eastman Kodak, among much more.

Just before the ceremony begins, groups mingled.  Debra Gibson looked around the room, inspired by the young actresses. “Be persistent. Get training, know your craft. But for true success, you have to be persistent and relentless”.

The Curtain Opens

Ed McMahon walked onto stage to deliver an eloquent speech and introduce the evening’s host, actor-producer Leo Rossi. Rossi kept the evening moving well, but allowed for a fun time. Presenter Debra Gibson danced to stage, Cuba Gooding, Sr., told a story of family importance and sang a few lines from his hit, “Everybody Plays the Fool” as well.  Christopher McDonald, star of “Happy Gilmore” and “The Perfect Storm” recalled a moment from this year’s Academy Awards ceremony proclaiming to do it “For the art”!

The biggest honors of the evening were presented to “This is War”, directed by Gary Mortensen and Executive Produced by Scot Laney. As the soldiers walked on-stage they were greeted by a two-minute standing ovation. The soldiers stood proud and stoic. The lone female soldier, a beautiful young woman well-dressed in a gown, slowly became emotional… well deserved. Moments later one of the soldiers, Gregory Stube, was given a special award for his bravery in war. He received burns on nearly 80% of his body.  During his speech, he remained strong, but offered credit to his wife, providing the courage and love he needed.

Secondly was “Un-Doing Time”, a 25-minute TV pilot directed by Sheila Brothers and R.R. Gee, starring Greg Frucci and Kameron King and produced by Don A. King. Shot in Wilmington, NC., Brothers, the director, a strong component of the North Carolina film and video production scene (or as they call it “Hollywood East”) raved over the production values offered in the Tar Heel state.

The Cinema City International Film Festival’s Advisory Board includes Ed McMahon, writer-director Nick Castle, Academy Award-winning writer- director Bobby Moresco, and Michael Bessman.