Press archive of the Ojai Film Festival 2000 press releases.

Youth Filmmakers Get Free Screening Passes from Ojai's Rotary Clubs (11/10/00)
Locals win awards at Ojai's Film Festival
Ojai's first Film Festival opens tonight
Diversity and Tolerance on Display in First-Ever Cinematic Celebration (11/9/00)
Film Festival Announces Screening Schedule (9/22/00)
Films for First Festival Will Be Announced (8/30/00)
Shelton is Among Ojai's Film Pros Serving as Advisers (5/31/00)
Film Festival Selects Screening Committee (5/31/00)
Walsh Named Director of the Upcoming Ojai Film Festival (5/24/00)
Local Couple Serves on Film Festival Board (5/19/00)
Film Festival is Way for Rossovich to Connect (5/10/00)
Actor Malcolm McDowell Makes His Home in Shangri-la (3/15/00)
Local Filmmaker Supports Ojai Film Festival (3/8/00)
David Zucker will Host Ojai Film Festival 2000 Fund-Raising Event (2/23/00)
Benefit Screening for Ojai Film Festival 2000 (2/16/00)
Ojai Film Festival 2000 Seeks Festival Director (2/11/00)
The Next Sundance? (1/28/00)
Ojai Film Festival Finds It's Own 'Lost Horizon' (1/28/00)
Valenti Endorses Ojai Film Festival 2000! (1/12/00)
Film Festival Preparations Begin (12/17/99)
Film Society Has Begun Planning Its First International Film Festival (7/23/99)

Ojai's first Film Festival opens tonight
by Bonnie MacNeill

Excitement is building at the Jim Florence household as his son Brent Florence readies to debut his film, "The Solid Ones," at the Ojai Film Festival 2000 on Friday.

"It's finally completed, but you never really finish them," Florence, a 1994 Nordhoff High School graduate, said Friday night as he took a break between the final editing of his film and taking it to the Chicago Hi Definition Film Festival midweek.

Florence will return to Ojai Thursday to be on hand for questions after the film's local screening Friday.

"You work on a film and work on a film, editing to make it absolutely the best it can be. There are so many things to look at - the picture, sound, color tones, titles, performances - you can only make it as good as you can in the time you have to do it," he said.

It's been a long process for Florence, making this film ready for its debut. Following shooting at the Haley Ranch and around Ojai last fall, Florence first shaved his product into a workable film, and then heavily edited six of its scenes that he took to the Sundance Film Festival to show off not only his craftsmanship, but also the Sony high density process that allowed him to make it.

"The first cut was done in March and the film was complete. Then I watched it and watched it - I lived with it - then I put it away. I showed it to two audiences - the cast and crew, and some technical people on the closing night of a festival - then I put it away again," he said.

Variety, the magazine of the film industry, promoted only "Lost Horizon" and "The Solid Ones" in its December pitch for the Ojai Film Festival 2000, a coup for the 24-year-old producer/director/actor.

Florence's film will be shown at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Friday at 7 p.m. and though he's not sure the projection equipment will be the best, he's sure the film will look great.

Florence spent the last two weeks in studios in Ventura and Los Angeles fine-tuning.

"It will show Friday at 7 p.m., not a good time with the rush hour traffic in Los Angeles.

"I know friends and family will be there, and I can tell you it will be the cleanest picture for whatever project you'll ever see in digital. That definition will make it look real good," he said.

"The product is tighter and shorter than after the first cut," adding that the length dropped from 97 minutes to 89 minutes, and that those cuts were made in one-minute segments.

"The Solid Ones," about the theft of bingo funds that turn a young couple into fugitives, was filmed with the assistance of a number of Ojai residents, Florence said, adding that he hopes they all turn out to see the finished product, including the women from Ojai Valley Woman's Club and HELP of Ojai who provided the bingo-hall scene.

"I think the greatest day of shooting was the bingo scene. These women love their bingo."

Florence met Lloyd Silverman of New York, the film's co-producer, when Florence was a student at the University of Southern California. Florence had produced "Solid Ones," an 18-minute short in black and white for a course.

Silverman encouraged him to make a full-length feature of his project, a story that was written by Florence in 1997 after experiencing "a crisis of love." He said the film was based on that experience, and also on his experiences growing up in Ojai.

"Please don't get so into the technology of this film that you overlook the story line," Florence said. "Though my own breakup set things in motion, this story comes as a direct result of me having such a great group of friends and family, and being raised in a town as beautiful as this. I feel lucky to have all these things."

He said he hopes the film will be a catalyst for change.

"This is a film about not realizing how lucky you are - about taking things for granted, then returning to a place where you can say, 'Wow, this is where I belong.'

"The film is about people wanting to leave a town and what I hope they will find is the perfection in their back yards," Florence said.

"God, I'm the luckiest kid. I got to make a movie and now I get to see it with my family and friends."

In addition to the "The Solid Ones" debuting at the festival, albeit not for competition, Florence and some of his cast members are also in other films that will be shown in competition.

What's next for Florence?

First, he said he will market "The Solid Ones" to a few major film companies, such as Miramax, that are willing to put the money into a film that it takes to ensure success.

He is also working on three other scripts, one a drama about a kid growing up in New York City, which he researched through a friend; the second a "mockumentary" about a documentary film crew that is trying to expose adult filmmakers; and the third, which is more a documentary, dealing with antisocial behavior in a foreign land.

He's less interested in talking about that one now as in researching it, but Florence said he's not resting for a moment on the laurels from one film. He plans to be a major player in the future.

"Think about the medium I chose. Not many people have high definition, but George Lucas is said to be filming 'Star Wars II' in high definition. That is the first people will really hear about it.

"I'm a 24-year-old kid and George Lucas is 'The Man,' and we used the same camera to make something."

In thinking of his future projects, Florence said Lucas' words stick with him.

"George Lucas said technology-wise, we are going up and up and up in films, but emotionally we've plateaued. Regardless of the technology, the story line is so important. It is the emotional core of any film.



© 2000 The Ojai Valley News

Dated: November 10, 2000

YOUTH FILMMAKERS GET FREE SCREENING PASSES
FROM OJAI'S ROTARY CLUBS Ojai Valley NewsÖ..
by Bonnie MacNeill

     Four Ojai youths received top honors as student filmmakers and their films will be shown at the first Ojai Youth Film Festival Nov. 18 at Nordhoff High School.

     The students were chosen by Youth Festival Director Suzanne Fries, and the festival committee, who sought a cross section of Ojai youth attending both public and private schools, and based their selection on the films that would be the most valuable to the students - all high school juniors and seniors - as a college submission.

     Ojai's Rotary Club and Rotary-West each sponsored two of the students, giving each student two All-Screening Passes to the Ojai Film Festival to be held Nov. 16 to 19.

     The Rotary clubs sponsored Joi James Muller of Oak Grove School; Luke Sommer, home-schooled; Alicia Cattoni, Nordhoff High School; and Tyson Messori, Villanova Preparatory School.

     "Anyone can pick up a video camera," said Ojai Film Festival Director Pauletta Walsh, "but it takes a certain type of student to pick up the camera and continually work to improve their video production skills, to continually stretch their imaginations and creativity and to continually improve and enhance the quality of their projects.

     "We found four students who have that talent. Their commitment to the process of video production and their eagerness to learn and improve on their craft makes them perfect candidates for the Rotary Club and Rotary Club-West scholarships to the screenings at the festival."

     Sommer's short but creative career was born of a rather mundane childhood experience - boredom. Looking for "something fun to do," his dad gave the 9-year-old Sommer the family video camera and a lump of clay, with which he began shooting, one frame at a time, and creating his first clay animations.

     Filmmaking quickly became an obsession and productions of every sort were soon taking place around the family home, including music videos, short films, even animated Legos.

     Every friend who came over was enlisted - or commandeered - as an actor, makeup person or camera operator. Many special effects were tested in the family back yard, much to the dismay of Sommer's parent, said Walsh.

     At 11, Sommer wanted to expand into editing and sold his 4-H pig at the Ventura County fair to buy his first digital editing card. This allowed him to capture video in the family computer and manipulate the images.

     At 14, Sommer and his cousin Andy Thurston won the Santa Barbara Film Festival's Teen Digital Award for Computer Animation with a 60-second digital animation short entitled "One Fine Glaze." It had taken them 75 hours to complete. Their prize was $5,000 worth of digital software and a $10,000 scholarship to Alias/Wavefront in Santa Barbara, where they are learning the state-of-the art Maya 3-D animation software.

     Presently Sommer is in an after-school program at Alias/Wavefront where they are modeling plankton species and creating a 3-D Web site. People will be able to access the site to learn more about the microscopic ocean creatures. He just got back from a three-day excursion to the University of California at Santa Barbara's (UCSB) Santa Cruz island research facility where the group did plankton drags and captured the actual creatures' images under a video microscope.

     Presently, Sommer is a home-schooler in the 10th grade and takes classes at Ventura Community College. He plans on getting a degree in film and working in the film industry.

     Muller is a straight A senior at Oak Grove School, is interested in pursuing film as a career and is applying to the University of Southern California and University of California at Los Angeles for film studies. She is also a talented actress and singer, and has studied acting at Oak Grove, the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation and John Robert Powers company. She has been a community volunteer for two years with the Youth Foundation, where she helped make a variety of videos, including "The Big Show," a new youth variety show that was entered into the Youth Film Festival and featured on Channel 8 last summer.

     Recently, she has been a volunteer candy-striper at the Ojai hospital, a fashion designer, and has had two shows of her own at her school.

     Messori is a multimedia wiz, Walsh said, and while working at the Ojai Valley Youth Foundation this summer, was key in making the public service announcement that was entered in the Youth Film Festival.

     A senior at Villanova, Messori wants to go into the multimedia/engineering field and has applied to UCSB and Cal Poly. Although he has been a member of Interact Club for two years, and volunteered at the Ojai Demonstration Garden, he spends most of his free time designing and building model planes, cars, motorcycles and films.

     Messori is a creative innovator in animation and cinematography, said Walsh, who has independently made many short films, from advertisements to 30-minute documentaries. His work can be seen on the Villanova Web site and in an ad for the Rivendell Company.

     Cattoni is a junior at Nordhoff who loves films and videos, and any free time she has is spent absorbing and studying the field.

     Cattoni is actively involved in the Regional Occupational Program's video production course at Nordhoff, and has contributed to a number of short videos as well as submitted, as her festival entry, a documentary of a recent environmental conference for youth and educators that she attended.

     Cattoni is sports editor of the Nordhoff Ranger Chronicle and plays on three soccer teams - the Nordhoff team, a Ventura team and on a woman's league team.

     Her aspirations are to be an exceptional film maker and to attend film school. © 2000 The Ojai Valley News

back to top

Dated: November 9, 2000

DIVERSITY AND TOLERANCE ON DISPLAY IN FIRST-EVER
CINEMATIC CELEBRATION Ventura County ReporterÖ..
by David Rolland

      True, the first earful of the Ojai Film Festival's theme conjures up notions of a sticky, goo-like substance: Horizons Lost and Found... Enriching the Human Spirit Through Film.

     So very thick. Yet underneath the sappy phraseology lies a noble and enticing motif. A deeper examination of the inaugural festival's theme reveals a conduit of tolerance, diversity and an uncovering of often buried communities, lifestyles and subject matter.

     "What we decided was that we were going to specifically target films that showed underrepresented views," said Pauletta Walsh, Ojai Film Festival director, "use of minorities that aren't seen, use of age groups that aren't seen. We even decided that we would illuminate the vision of the young, because I think to some extent the young are over-solicited by the media and yet condescended to."

     The film festival opens Wednesday, Nov. 15, and runs through Sunday, Nov. 19 - five days jammed with screenings of 84 films in competition plus special screenings, parties, film-industry seminars and awards presentations.

     It may shimmer a little bit - there are some household names on the Honorary Board, such as Jill Clayburgh, Ellen DeGeneres, Diane Ladd, Shelley Long, Malcolm McDowell, Matthew Perry, James Whitmore and David Zucker - but don't expect too much glitter in the rustic Ojai Valley.

     "Is this going to be the next Cannes? I don't see that as where the town of Ojai would like to go, you know, to have the red carpet and the lights and the paparazzi and let's have wild and crazy parties," Walsh said.

     No, in fact, if Walsh sees a model for Ojai out there on the vast film festival landscape, it's in Telluride, Colorado. The Telluride's sense of place and "sensibility of the people who live there" in the selection of the films that are screened, the subject matter of which tend toward the outdoors and extreme sports and the like.

     "I'm not saying that we'll definitely stick with this theme for next year," Walsh said. "But I think it might be a good idea. Not that you exclude other things. If it's a great film, it will still be seen."

     The festival director said the response from Ojai donors, business sponsors and volunteers is an indicator of how well the theme of tolerance and diversity resonates in Ojai. Much of the budget, which Walsh say is a secret, comes from $500 individual sponsorships. More than 100 residents have volunteered in the creation of the festival and numerous local businesses have chipped in with in-kind contributions of various sorts.

     "If you look at the percentage between corporate and community, it's largely individuals in the community," Walsh said. "And certainly the labor force is all people in the community, who have worked so hard and really come together to make it happen, so it's quite remarkable."

WHY NOT OJAI

     The Ojai Film Festival is the brainchild of Steve Grumette, the program director of the 11-year old Ojai Film Society. Grumette is serving as the festival's artistic director.

     In April of 1998, Grumette was in Moab, Utah acting as a juror for the Canyonland Film Festival. "Moab, Utah is a little town similar to Ojai in the sense that it's very quaint and it's in a beautiful geographic setting," Grumette said. "It's not exactly a cultural center, but it is a center for artists. The closest town of any size is more than 100 miles away, and they had a very successful little film festival."

     Grumette said that when he returned from that event to Ojai, "I started thinking about the fact that if it was possible for a little town like Moab, Utah to have a credible film festival, " why not in Ojai, with its ability to draw from population centers of literally millions of people and its chic status as home to many artists, writers, actors and filmmakers.

     He proposed the idea to the Film Society's Board of Directors, and after several months of debate, they decided to form a committee and press forth.

     All told, more than 330 films were submitted for consideration. They were screened by a 15-member team; each film was screened by at least three screeners. Their numerical ratings in seven criteria were fed into a computer program.

     A bit of subjectivity came next. Artistic Director Steve Grumette analyzed the numerical data and gave some human consideration to the films that were on the bubble. In the end, 84 films were found to be worthy of inclusion in the festival.

     "We were afraid at first that we might not attract enough entries with that theme, and so we let filmmakers know that even though we were specializing on films in that theme, we would accept films on any subject," Grumette said. "But it turned out that a significant percentage of the films that we got actually were related to that theme."

     Grumette said he was pleasantly surprised at the high percentage of excellent films in the bunch. "Considering that anybody anywhere in the world was encouraged to enter, I would say the quality is remarkably high," he said. "I think that's partly due to the fact that there's been a revolution in filmmaking over the last 10 years which allows anybody who can afford a relatively inexpensive digital camera... and anybody with a good idea to go out and make a movie or video for very little money, and that's opened up the world of filmmaking to a large number of people who formerly did not have it available to them."

     The Ojai Film Festival, like others of its kind, is coveted by new filmmakers hoping to get distribution deals as a means of getting narrative features into art-film houses or documentary features onto PBS programs such as Point of View.

     "I think their goal is to attract the attention of people in the filmmaking world to their work so that they can build a career for themselves," Grumette said. "What it will do for the people of Ojai is to give them exposure to films that in most cases they could never have seen before."

AND WHAT WILL THEY SEE?

     Scheduled for screening are 10 narrative feature films, 28 narrative shorts, 23 full-length documentaries, 17 documentary shorts, and 6 animated films. They range in length from The Haven, a nearly two-hour feature film about four young men who spend a summer together after college graduation, to the three-minute animated short, Shapes and Tubes, and the three-minute narrative, The Craft.

      The subject matter couldn't be more diverse. Chutney Popcorn is a feature film about Indian women living in New York City. My American Vacation is an award-winning film about an aging Chinese woman who takes her Americanized daughters on a roadtrip.

  In the documentary category, Running on the Sun details the Badwater 135, a two-day, two-night, 135-mile marathon in Death Valley, while Poetic License delves into the poetry movement among American teens.

     In keeping with the festival's theme, documentaries deal with a wide range of cultures: black families in inner-city Chicago, gypsies in the Pacific Northwest, the Kurds in Turkey and Iraq, gay and lesbian communities, Orthodox and Chassidic Jews and a native community in Brazil.

     Documentaries also recount the lives of historical and current figures, from photojournalist Horace Bristol, who haunting photographs of migrant workers in the 1930s would inspire Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath, to Iraqi President Saddam Husein and Tibet's second-most important leader; the Pachen Lama.

     Also of note are Reckless Indifference, the story of how the son of an LAPD officer was killed in the backyard of his best friend, a drug dealer, and Journey to a Hate-Free Millennium, which explores three of the most high-profile acts of violence, the Columbine killings, the race-related death of James Byrd, and the murder a gay teen Matthew Shepard.

SPECIAL SCREENINGS AND SEMINARS

     The film competition is just part of the package. The festival begins on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Libbey Park, with the DVD screening of a re-mixed Lost Horizon, Frank Capra's 1937 classic film which used the Ojai Valley as a backdrop.

     Cuba is the subject of a recurring theme throughout the festival. A panel discussion, "Buena Vista Film Club: New Visions of Filmmaking in Cuba," will include a handful of experts discussing the state of filmmaking in that island nation.

     The festival will also feature a screening of Paradise Under the Stars, a new Cuban film about dancers in Havana's Tropicana nightclub. Variety described the film as a "sex farce" in the tradition of Strictly Ballroom and Hollywood romantic comedies.

     "We though that it would be interesting to try to get some films out of Cuba that are rarely seen and bring them here," said Walsh. "I believe Paradise Under the Stars has only been seen a few times in America. So, it's an opportunity to see a beautifully made film. They have wonderful artists there who don't get a lot of exposure."

     Walsh said the original goal was to have more than one Cuban film, but the task proved too expensive and complicated. "There was one we wanted to get, [but it] had no subtitles. It would have cost us thousands of dollars to the subtitles," she said.

     Other industry seminars scheduled are "Shooting from the Chip: The Secrets of Digital Filmmaking," a discussion of digital technology and how it's changing the world of film television and video; "The Endless Page: The Art of Screenwriting and Rewriting and Rewriting and...," which covers how to write and sell screenplays in Hollywood; "Hollywood Confidential: Filmmakers Tell as Much as They Dare," during which filmmakers will discuss how they got their films made; and "I Can Play That: Actors of Acting," which includes actors Matthew Perry, James Whitmore, and Lolita Davidovich talking about what it takes to break in an keep a career going.

     Special screening include the world-premiere of A Place at the Table, a film by locals Bobby Houston, Robert Hudson and Bill Couterie about eight teenagers who come together in Ojai to share their families' oral histories. According to festival literature, "What emerges is a tapestry of astonishing diversity, from slavery to genocide to patriotism and pride."

     Also shown will be the West Coast premiere of Solid Ones. Directed by and starring Ojai native Brent Florence, it's the first film to be shot in High Definition Video.

     And don't let it be said that the youth have been forgotten. The Ojai Youth Film & Video Festival will allow more than a dozen kids from kindergarten through 12th grade to show their stuff and participate in workshops.

     Capping the festival will be the awards banquet luncheon, which is followed first by the screening of the "Best of Festival" award-winning film and then the screening of Jonathan Winters - On the Loose, a documentary that takes viewers through the life of comedian Winters, who will be given a lifetime achievement award.

GUILDS AND GLITCHES

     Nothing this big happens without a few minor problems. Aside from not importing as many Cuban films as they would have liked to, festival organizers are also the victims of bad timing. Labor strife involving the Screen Actors Guild has caused Hollywood production companies to step up filming schedules in a typically light-load time. That means some of the talent Walsh had hoped to attract the festival are hard at work.

     Nonetheless, "I would say that we're pretty well on track," said Grumette. "I think it would be a miracle if it goes off without any sort of glitches whatsoever, but I'm convinced that it's going to be a very enjoyable experience for both the people who are putting it on and for the people who attend."

back to top

Dated: September 22, 2000

FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES SCREENING SCHEDULE Ojai Valley NewsÖ..
by Bonnie MacNeill

     The stage is set and the top talent selected for the upcoming Ojai Film Festival 2000, which will be held Nov. 15 to 19. Auditions are ongoing, however, for the 70 to 80 films that will be screened for judges and the public, that process to be completed by Sept. 30 and posted on the festival's Web site at www.filmfestival.ojai.net.

     The selection process, according to festival organizers, has been awesome. The Grumettes, and approximately 10 other volunteers, have been screening the tapes from such diverse locations as Cuba, China, Australia, Iran, Brazil, Russia, Israel and Tibet, as well as several from Ojai. A table in Steve and Liz Grumette's home is still stacked high with videotapes that arrived this week, right at deadline.

     More than 300 films were submitted - some one- or two-minute shorts, others a 10- to 20-minute treatment and more full-length features - and each was viewed by at least three volunteer screeners who then rated the film and wrote an essay on why they did or did not think it was worthy of screening. Steve Grumette noted that any film that received mixed reviews was viewed by a fourth person, after which a determination was made.

     The subject matter of the entries is as diverse as the locations from which they were sent, and range from documentaries about international political conflicts and hate crimes, to musical extravaganzas, romantic comedies, horror films and animation.

     The cream of the crop will be shown at the Ojai Playhouse, the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa and at Matilija Junior High School auditorium, and Grumette explained each venue has its own benefits and limitations. For example, due to its projector, the Ojai Playhouse will screen 35 millimeter films, while video will be screened at the Ojai Valley Inn and Matilija auditorium will be the venue for screening both 16 millimeter and video.

     The opening night's screening of Frank Capra's 1937 film, "Lost Horizon," will be at Libbey Bowl at 6:30. Ojai appeared as the mystical Shangri-La in the film, and because of that, this first film festival's theme is "Horizons Lost and Found: Enriching the Human Spirit Through Film." The opening night show will be free and open to the public, and food and music will be available in the Libbey Bowl area beginning at 4 p.m.

     Films in the competition will be judged by a panel of film industry professionals, with prizes - called "Libbeys" in honor of Edward Drummond Libbey - awarded in 12 categories. One film will also receive an Audience Choice Award.

     Honorary Advisory Board members, many of whom are expected to participate in the event, include Matthew Perry, Peter Strauss, Diane Ladd, Malcolm McDowell, Larry Hagman and Ellen DeGeneres.

     Also expected to participate is Tom Selleck, whose latest movie,"Crossfire Trail," based on a Louis Lamour book, will be screened Nov. 18 as part of the Cuban Festival day. Produced by TNT, the film was shown at the Sarasota Film Festival and will air on television in January.

     Jonathan Winters will be honored Nov. 19 with the showing of his film, "Jonathan Winters: On the Loose." Both Selleck and Winters will be on hand at receptions in their honor.

     Local filmmakers will have their night Nov. 16, when Bobby Houston, Bobby Hudson and Bill Couturie show "A Place at the Table," a film that is said to be a lesson in tolerance.

     On Nov. 17, Brett Florence will screen his high-definition movie, "Solid Ones," at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. Again, the filmmakers will be available following the screenings to answer questions about their films, and receptions will follow each event, either at the screening venue or at a private home, in the case of the Cuban Festival.

     Holders of special passes, available today on-line or by calling 640-1947, can enjoy all the films, seminars and/or parties for a fixed rate. An "All Screening Pass" is $100, the "Gold Pass," which entitles the bearer to all screenings and seminars, is $125 and the "Platinum Pass," which includes all screenings, seminars and receptions, is $175.

     The Jonathan Winters gala is $50 per person and includes a luncheon at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. Tickets for the film makers' reception at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, and for the Cuban Fiesta at an East End estate, are $25 each.

   Seminars will be held at the Ojai Art Center theater and tickets may be purchased at the door.

     Volunteers to assist with ticket sales and venue management are still needed, and anyone interested should call Bev Rose at 646-5874. Individuals and corporations wishing to help sponsor the event should contact Ramona Benitez at http://www.filmfestival.ojai.net. prior to Oct. 5 to be included in program materials. © 2000 The Ojai Valley News

back to top

Dated: August 30, 2000

FILMS FOR FIRST FESTIVAL WILL BE ANNOUNCED
Ojai Valley News ...

     The Ojai Film Festival Committee has received more than 270 film submissions from around the world. The screening committee has been working overtime to select the 40 films that will be screened this inaugural year. Those selections will be announced at a press conference to be held Sept. 20. Along with high quality films, the Film Festival will offer film industry seminars at the Ojai Art Center Theater which include: High Technology, Cinema Cuba, Actors on Acting, Women in Film, plus two seminars moderated by film critic Charles Champlin - Filmmakers' Forum and Writing for Film.

     A preview of featured events:

• "Journey to a Hate-Free Millennium" is a documentary by Brent Scarpo which examines the deaths of Matthew Shepard, James Byrd and students at Columbine.
  

• A Cuban Film Fiesta will combine a rarely seen film "Paradise Under the Stars" with documentary filmmaker John Anderson's seminar on "From Cuba With Love." Cuban music and art exhibits and a Cuban fiesta at a local historic home.

• "The Solid Ones" - the first full-length feature shot entirely in high definition video, screening at the grand ballroom of the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, sponsored by Sony, promises a glimpse into the future of film technology.

• Parties and receptions are planned for every day of the Festival. On Thursday there will be a reception for the filmmakers. Friday the Film Festival will co-sponsor a party with the Ojai Valley Historic Museum, featuring its "Movie Memorabilia Exhibit." Saturday a Cuban Fiesta will provide Cuban food, music and fun. Sunday is the Gala Awards Ceremony at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, where the films selected by the jurists will be honored in 10 categories, including Best of Festival.

     Press coverage will include L.A. Magazine, People magazine, E Channel, Los Angeles Times, Ventura County Star, Ventura County Reporter, the Ojai Valley News and other media. For information or questions, call Beverly Rose, marketing director, at 646-5874.

back to top

Dated: May 31, 2000

SHELTON IS AMONG OJAI'S FILM PROS SERVING AS ADVISERS
Ojai Valley News ...
by Kristy Dark and John Grant

     Writer/director Ron Shelton ("Play It to the Bone," "Bull Durham," "Tin Cup," "Cobb," etc.) serves on the Honorary Advisory Board of Ojai Film Festival 2000 and plans to participate in a filmmakers' panel during the Film Festival. This interview was conducted at his home in Ojai on May 15.

     Q: Ojai has a lot to offer in terms of the arts, outdoor activities, community involvement, Theater 150, etc. What are your favorite activities here?

     A: Sitting quietly under the stars. Picking oranges for breakfast.

     Q: You divide your time between Ojai and L.A. Is it difficult for you to transition between the two?

     A: No, it's impossible to do what I do and not have a base in Los Angeles. At the same time, you can't live in it without having a place to go where your soul gets recharged a little bit, and Ojai's that place. I grew up in the hills above Santa Barbara, so I get my love of the chaparral and oranges and snow-covered mountains and all of those smells from my childhood.

     Q: What do you see as some of the benefits for a film festival here in Ojai?

     A: Well, I like the idea that it can be low-key and casual and a celebration of film, rather than about awards and press and red carpets and all the nonsense which has ruined most film festivals. A festival is supposed to be a celebration of all kinds of filmmaking.

     Q: The theme of Ojai Film Festival 2000 is "Horizons Lost and FoundÖEnriching the Human Spirit Through Film," and we expect this festival to attract primarily documentaries, independent and foreign films, i.e., non-Hollywood films. As an independent filmmaker, what appeals to you about those types of films?

     A: Well, the independents think I'm a Hollywood filmmaker, and the Hollywood guys think I'm an independent filmmaker. But I think the monolith that Hollywood has become, imposing its will on the world, needs to be countered everywhere it can. I don't think of Hollywood films and non-Hollywood films, I just think of good films and bad films. That's quoting Duke Ellington, who said there's only two kinds of music, good and bad. And I hope that the Ojai Festival evolves into something that simply is out to get good films shown, regardless of where they come from.

     Q: When you watch a film, can you still be transported by the magic?

     A: Once in awhile, but it's hard to, even in really good films, because you're so aware of the mechanics and the craft. The movies that still can move me are movies about human behavior, because there's nothing more surprising and shocking and disturbing and thrilling than a turn of human behavior. I want to be surprised, I want to be moved, I want to be taken away by the magic, but it's harder and harder.

     Q: You've just been selected to be one of the first colonists on Mars, and you can only take two movies with you. Which two do you pick?

     A: I'd take Sam Peckinpah's "The Wild Bunch," and I'd take Jean Renoir's "Rules of the Game."

     Q: You're one of the only people that hasn't said Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life."

     A: I hate "It's a Wonderful Life." And I'd like to be quoted on that.

     Q: Can you tell us about some of your recent and upcoming film projects?

     A: The last one we made, independently, was called "Play It to the Bone," a mixture of the vulgar and the profane and the sweet and the physical. It was a movie that didn't perform, as we say, but I'm proud of it. I'm trying to get away from sports for awhile. I started out writing political moviesÖ"Under Fire"Öand I'd like to get back to movies with a more political content. I'd like to do movies about cops, some crime movies. And bring to them whatever I know about character and drama and storytelling that you've seen from my sports movies.

     Q: When will "Play It to the Bone" be out on video?

     A: This summer.

     Q: Lately there's been an outcry, people saying that the "reel violence" in movies causes violence in the real world. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the view that violence in films can be cathartic. How do you feel about this issue, and what do you see as some of the moral and social responsibilities of those involved with making films?

     A: The answer of course is, it's both. There's no question that there are some people who saw something in a movie and went out and recreated it. And there's other people who see something in a movie that terrifies them and it keeps them terrified forever. It has always been thus, however. We don't have the moral pulse of the world in our hands, we are just telling storiesÖthat are hopefully honest human behavior.

     Q: Do you have any advice for people planning a career in film?

     A: Real estate.

     Q: What do you love most about being a writer/director?

     A: I love most watching an idea grow and change, and evolve. I became a director to sort of watch over its growth and allow it to become something else. And your cameraman, your editor, your actors are a huge part of that. When I hire an actor, I say, "Now it's yours. Show me what I don't know." So it's the dynamic life of the idea that is the most exciting.

     For more information on Ojai Film Festival 2000 or to volunteer, call 640-1947 or visit the Web site at http://filmfestival.ojai.net.

back to top

Dated: May 28, 2000

FILM FESTIVAL SELECTS SCREENING COMMITTEE

     Behind the glamour of Ojaiís first Film Festival is a lot of hard work. For the people who must choose which films will be accepted, itís often a case of "too much of a good thing."

     "Weíre hoping for 300 submissions this year," says Festival Artistic Director Steve Grumette. "With a screening committee of twelve, and a rule that each film must be evaluated by at least three members, that means each committee member has to view and report on 75 films."

     Itís a big job, requiring expertise in critical analysis of film and a willingness to commit to the heavy workload. "It takes a positive attitude," says Grumette. "Fortunately, these independent films are usually very exciting and unique experiences. We work hard to review so many films, but the work is rewarding."

     "Each committee member is given a videotape copy of the film to watch, after which he or she fills out an evaluation from that contains both essay-type questions and numeric ratings for criteria such as originality, technical competence, acting, script, and theme."

     Why so much effort? "This is our inaugural festival," says Marketing Director Dean Zatkowsky, "and we will be judged by the quality of films we exhibit. Film festivals are a showcase for new talent, and weíve got to demonstrate that we have an eye for the best new talent in filmmaking."

     According to Grumette, "Our screening committee includes producers, playwrights, actors, screenwriters, and others with a significant background in film, theater, or one of the other narrative arts. Weíve also included laymen with a clearly established, long-term interest in serious cinema."

     "Obviously, you canít have a great film festival without great films," says Zatkowsky, "and Steve has put together a team that will help the Ojai Film Festival stand out as one of the premier, A-list festivals of 2000. In fact, what heís doing now will ensure the success of the Ojai Film Festival for many years to come. Heís proving that we are serious about making our festival valuable to filmmakers, distributors, agents, and fans."

     The theme for Ojai Film Festival 2000 is "Horizons Lost and Found: Enriching the Human Spirit through Film." The festival, scheduled for November 15-19, is presented by the Ojai Film Society, a non-profit, educational foundation dedicated to enriching the cultural life of Ventura County through a variety of motion picture-related events presented throughout the year. For more information on the festival, visit the web site at www.filmfestival.ojai.net. For sponsorship information, contact Ramona Benitez at (805) 649-4621.

back to top

Dated: May 31, 2000

WALSH NAMED DIRECTOR OF THE UPCOMING OJAI FILM FESTIVAL
Ojai Valley News ...

     Pauletta Walsh has performed many roles in her life -- dancer, singer, actress and, most recently, a politician. Her latest is film festival director, being selected as director for the inaugural Ojai Film Festival.

     "She has great experience as a business owner and public servant," said Dean Zatkowsky, festival marketing director, "and she has depth and breadth in her knowledge of the performing arts world."

     A graduate of Penn State University, Walsh has owned a marine hardware business, founded the California Academy for the Performing Arts and served on the Pacific Palisades town council.

     In 1998, she ran unsuccessfully for state representative in Connecticut.

     "I'm excited to be in this position," said Walsh, "because we've got all the elements in place for a great film festival. We're close to Hollywood, and we have some of the brightest and most dedicated people around, people who care deeply about this community and the kind of culture it tries to present.

     "People from all over the world want to visit our Shangri-la, and now we're giving them one more reason to make the trip."

     Added Steve Grumette, festival artistic director, "Pauletta's leadership skills really shine through. She's building a strong team, and that's what we'll need to make this first festival a success."

     The Ojai Film Festival 2000 will run November 15 through 19, and is being presented by the Ojai Film Society, a non-profit, educational foundation dedicated to enriching the cultural life of Ventura County through a variety of motion picture-related events presented throughout the year.

     For more information about the Film Society, contact Ellen Kasemeier, executive director, at 646-8946 or write her at Ojai Film Society, P.O. Box 545, Ojai, CA 93024.

     The theme for Ojai Film Festival 2000 is "Horizons Lost and Found: Enriching the Human Spirit through Film." For more information on the festival, visit the web site at www.filmfestival.ojai.net. For sponsorship information, contact Ramona Benitez at (805) 649-4621.

back to top

Dated: May 19, 2000

LOCAL COUPLE SERVES ON FILM FESTIVAL BOARD
Ojai Valley News ...
by Kristy Dark and John Grant

     Actors Dwier Brown ("Gettysburg," "Field of Dreams," "E.R.") and Kim Maxwell-Brown ("Galaxies Are Colliding," "Knot's Landing") own Theater 150, helped found the Ojai Playwrights Conference, and serve on the Honorary Advisory Board of Ojai Film Festival 2000. Kim was named an Ojai Living Treasure in 1998.

     Q: What are some of the things you like best about Ojai?

     DWIER: It seems like everywhere you go, there's people having an opportunity to see each other. It's like being in a midwestern small town, only all the people there are cool artist types.

     Q: Would you describe Ojai as a hotbed of cultural activity?

     KIM: I think everybody's involved in something that means something to them, whether it's an arts organization, or an environmental organization, or a political organization.

     Q: What do you see as some of the benefits of a film festival held here in Ojai?

     DWIER: I was surprised to see a young kid from Ojai won the animation short thing at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. It would be better for him to win one in his hometown. Having one [here] has been long overdue.

     Q: The theme of Ojai Film Festival 2000 is "Horizons Lost and FoundÖ Enriching the Human Spirit Through Film." Could you name a few films that stand out for you as having this quality?

     KIM: "Field of Dreams" (laughs)ÖI love the medium of storytelling. "My Life As a Dog" was probably the first film that I remember seeing in a movie theater where it literally took my breath away. I want to forget that I'm watching a movie; to watch a story unfold in front of me and be pulled in.

     Q: When you watch a film, can you still be transported by the magic?

     DWIER: YeahÖyou try to go with that willing suspension of disbelief, and try to take it in. For the most part I get swept away, maybe even more than other people, as an actor.

     Q: You've just been selected to be one of the first colonists on Mars, and you can only take two movies with youÖ

     DWIER: "It's a Wonderful Life" and "American Beauty." One shows the power of hope and faith and belief in yourself, and the other shows a lot about what happens when you lose your hope and faith and everything else. And I think seeing both of those things reminds you the world isn't always what we hope it's going to be, but if you live expecting the world to be the good place you want it to be, then things tend to fall into place a little better.

     KIM: Those are both really great answersÖI might choose something like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," just because I'm not quite as gentle of a soul as my husband. I kind of like to FILIBUSTER!

     Q: Could you tell us about some of your recent and upcoming film, TV, or theater projects?

     DWIER: Last November I got to do a film in Australia, currently running on Disney Channel, called "Rip Girls." And at Theater 150 we're doing a play called "Hate Mail." It's sort of a spoof of "Love Letters," where two characters read correspondence they've had with each other for a period of time. "Love Letters" is a little sweeter andÖ

     KIM: A lot sweeter.

     DWIER: Also I'll be directing a film in the summer, here, using as many Ojai people as I can get.

     KIM: It's called "Twinkle, Twinkle," written by Ojai screenwriter Steven Bauer. And I'll be producing that. I'm going to be directing my first short film this summer as well.

     DWIER: We've long had the idea of trying to create a place where actors can work, which is why Theater 150 came into existence. And now because of our desire to move into films, we'd love to center that here. Wouldn't it be great if there was this little Ojai StudioÖ

     KIM: The support up here from the community, from other artists, directors, writers, designers, and actors has been extraordinary.

     Q: As professional actors, you've both worked in TV, film, and theater. Which is your favorite?

     KIM: I love the medium of storytelling, and it's obviously very different from film to theater to television. I love theater. Films also have a real magic about them. I don't really think I have a favorite. I have a respect for all of them.

     DWIER: I have to agreeÖevery time I do a play, then I want to do a movie, and vice versa. I think of film as a director's medium because he has the ultimate control. On stage it's more an actor's medium.

     Q: Do you have any advice for people planning a career in film?

     DWIER: If you don't have to be an actor, don't. There's a lot of things that are greatÖhaving a lot of spare time and being unemployed. To be serious about being an actor, you have to know yourself. And to know yourself, you have to look at the good and the bad.

     KIM: If there's something else you want to do with your life, you should do it, but if this is what you want, sink your whole heart into it and go after it as voraciously as you can. Study, ask questions, volunteer, and help and listen, andÖ

     DWIER: Write.

     KIM: Write. That's very good. Write, write, write.

     "Hate Mail" runs at Theater 150 from May 19 - June 18 with alternating casts. For tickets, call 646-4300.

     For more information on Ojai Film Festival 2000, call Beverly Rose at 646-5874 or visit the Web site at http://filmfestival.ojai.net.

back to top

Dated: May 10, 2000

FILM FESTIVAL IS WAY FOR ROSSOVICH TO CONNECT
Ojai Valley News ...
by Kristy Dark and John Grant

     Actor Rick Rossovich has appeared in more than 20 movies ("Roxanne," "Navy SEALS," "Top Gun," etc.) and starred in the network TV series "Pacific Blue." He lives in Ojai with his family and serves on the Honorary Advisory Board of Ojai Film Festival 2000.

     Q: What are some of the things you like best about Ojai?

     A: Seclusion. Just being away from everything and everybody in Ojai. 'Cause everyone's alone here. We're all loners in a way.

     Q: What are your favorite activities here?

     A: I like to panhandle in the Arcade area, if I can get any territory from the skatersÖ.

I think Ojai has a lot to offer for residents and for tourists as well. My wife is really involved with the Art Center and drawing classes and the yoga scene in town and all that kind of spiritual stuff. I drink coffee, and I just like sit on my porch.

     Q: What do you see as some of the benefits of a film festival held here in Ojai?

     A: It's nice to have something that's really close and to feel part of the film community without having to even leave the Valley.

     Q: The theme of Ojai Film Festival 2000 is "Horizons Lost and FoundÖ Enriching the Human Spirit Through Film." Could you name a few films that stand out for you as having this quality?

     A: Well, I'm a real fan of foreign films. I'm a big fan of simple films that have kind of a different point of view from American culture. If I can just reach back and have one recently that I saw this last year, maybe something like "Central Station." If I go to a Swedish film, maybe "My Life As a Dog." Films that zero in on our human nature.

     Q: When you watch a film, can you still be transported by the magic?

     A: I'm probably a bit jaded with the mainstream stuff that we see and how it tries to sometimes pander to us, but it sounds like the Ojai Film Festival will probably get more of the kind of films I like than what's just put out there to sell tickets. Which is why I think it's a great idea.

     Q: Do you think film will still be with us in 100 years?

     A: It's probably going to be a lot different. But the spirit of it will be the same, to show us ourselves, and to elevate rather than keep us down. I think film always has a message of freedom even if it's a story about something that's not about freedom. It's always about freeing yourself and transporting yourself to somewhere else.

     Q: Imagine you've just been selected to be one of the first colonists on Mars, and you can only take two movies with you. Which two do you pick?

     A: Maybe it should be aÖyou know, India makes 600 movies a year, average. And they're about 4-6 hours long each.

     Q: So how about Satyajit Ray?

     A: Yeah, one of his deals. Maybe it should be like world musicÖ But I live on Mars. I live here. (laughs)

     Q: Could you tell us about some of your recent and upcoming film or TV projects?

     A: I just finished a movie for Disney calledÖoh, they're changing the title..."Miracle in Lane 2" or "Just in Time." It's a nice little movie I did with this kid Frankie Muniz fromÖyou know the show "Malcolm in the Middle"? He's a great young actor, and I had a lot of fun with this kid. There's a lot of poignant scenes, and it's a lot of comedy and irreverence.

     Q: Lately there's been an outcry, people saying that the "reel violence" in movies causes violence in the real world. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the view that violence in films can actually be cathartic. How do you feel about this issue, and what do you see as some of the moral and social responsibilities of those involved with making films?

     A: Well, I think your question's your answer. It's going to be both ways. If it's handled with sensitivity and understanding and a point of view that's actually showing what's happening or what results happen from violence, then it can teach us a lot.

     Q: What about the effect on kids? You have children of your own.

     A: We let our kids watch everything. But we talk about it. And because they have that freedom, they're not like trying to eat sugar, you know? We should be really sensitive to it. A lot of people are drawn and swayed and pulled and pushed by these things, and I don't have the answer. How about that? I have no answer.

     Q: Do you have any advice for people planning a career in film?

     A: I think our culture's really driven by our media, and in a lot of cases everyone expects that to happen at the strike of a match. And sometimes it does. It happens, but prepare for the long road, is what I say. And look over the horizon and see what really matters to you, what you're passionate about, and then learn as much as you can and just set your sail.

     Q: What do you love most about being an actor?

     A: When it all kind of jells, comes together. When it works, that's when it's golden. And when it doesn't, then you're just waiting for the next job and you want to be back in the garden. That's when I come to Ojai and hide. I've been hiding a lot. (laughs)

     Q: Any other comments on Ojai Film Festival 2000?

     A: I'm behind it!

     For more information on Ojai Film Festival 2000, call Beverly Rose at 646-5874 or visit the Web site at http://filmfestival.ojai.net.

back to top

Dated: March 15, 2000

ACTOR MALCOLM McDOWELL MAKES HIS HOME IN SHANGRI-LA
Ojai Valley News ...
by Kristy Dark and John Grant

     Legendary actor Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, IfÖ, O Lucky Man!) has been an Ojai resident for almost 20 years, and serves on the Honorary Advisory Board of Ojai Film Festival 2000.

     This interview was conducted on Feb. 15 at Local Hero bookstore in the arcade.

     Q: What do you like best about Ojai?

     A: The tranquillity and natural beauty and the town, which is charming. Last year I was traveling for 10 months, so it makes a difference when you get back to a little Shangri-La like this. Makes it all worthwhile.

     Q: What are some of your favorite activities here?

     A: Activities such as the Film Festival and all that are very important. I love this little theater that Kim Maxwell-Brown started with her husband [Theatre 150]. My favorite thing is the Tennis Tournament. Now that for me is the finest, one of the great tennis tournaments of the world. It's fantastic!

     Q: What do you see as some benefits of a film festival here?

     A: It would be very good for the town. Anything we can do to help the shopkeepers and the restauranteurs, who put their money and their life into what they do.Ö That's why we buy locally always.

     Q: The theme of Ojai Film Festival 2000 is "Horizons Lost and FoundÖ Enriching the Human Spirit Through Film." Could you name a few films that stand out for you as having this quality?

     A: I suppose if you go back to the greatest film of all time in terms of enriching the human spirit, it would be the Jimmy Stewart film, It's a Wonderful Life. It's a wonderful film.

     Q:  A Clockwork Orange is being re-released in England, and of course we all remember your unforgettable portrayal of Alex in that film. What makes Alex so fascinating to us?

     A: You get the sense that he must have tremendous intelligence, and yet there's no morality. That's a very exciting combination, isn't it?

     Q: Frightening.

     A: It's a frightening combination, yeah. Because there's no self-censorship. But his one saving grace is that he loves Beethoven. How bad can you be?

     Q: What do you see as the underlying theme of that film?

     A: That film is about the freedom of choice. That should be an inherent right of every citizen -- to choose. And these choices are being diluted, diluted, diluted. Burgess was very clever because he made the heroÖor anti-hero immoral. By making him an immoral character, there's a real dilemma. It's like the First Amendment rights, where do you draw the line? The thing is, there should be no line really.

     Q: You've played a lot of "bad guys." Do you find those roles more challenging or fulfilling?

     A: I wouldn't know, 'cause I'm never offered anything else. (laughs) Playing bad guys can be great fun. But what's good and what's bad? A so-called "baddie"Öin his eyes he may not be bad at all, just misunderstood. Nothing is black and white.

     Q: When you play those characters, do you feel compassion for them?

     A: I love all the characters I play. Even serial killers. There's always something in a person that's to like.

     Q: Do you think film will still be with us 100 years from now?

     A: In some shape or form. I don't know whether they'll go to a new format. But there's nothing quite like going into that theater, is there really? Seeing it on a big screen is fabulously exciting.

     Q: You've just been selected to be one of the first colonists on Mars, and you can only take two movies with you. Which two do you pick?

     A: The Maltese Falcon. Always been a favorite of mine. Only two is not really fair, but I'll say The Thin Man.

     Q:  Could you tell us about some of your recent and upcoming film projects?

     A: I've got two sort of major movies coming out, one of which I think is fantastic. It's called Gangster No. One, about the rise and fall of a charismatic gangster in the East End of London. It's a very well-written script, very violent, very profane -- and fabulous.

     Q: You have a film screening here on March 19, My Life So Far.

     A: A very charming film set in 1930, in that twilight zone between the wars in Europe. It's actually in Scotland, a beautiful house on a loch. Directed by my dear friend Hugh Hudson, who did Chariots of Fire.

     Q: Let's talk about "reel violence."

     A: I think one has a moral responsibility to one's fellow human beings. But I am not a great believer that violence begets violence. What's more harmful is seeing a sort of insidious television show for children that purports to be morally sound, where the "good" sheriff comes in and kills 12 people. I think it's very, very rare that people see a movie and want to go out and copy it. Films mirror what's happening in society, not the other way around.

     Q: Do you have any advice for people planning a film career?

     A: Don't. Stay away if you've got any sense, with the proviso that anybody that really wants to do it will do it regardless of what I say. And I think you have to have an almost blinkered obsession with wanting to do it, to make it.

     Q: What do you love most about being an actor?

     A: I still get tremendous joy out of it. If I didn't, I'd give it up tomorrow. It's a very Brechtian thing because it means I'm really enjoying myself, playing this part, but you're going to believe me anyway. That is what I always try to achieve.

     Q: Any other comments?

     A: I just hope people come out and support a new venture in Ojai. If we're going to have a Film Festival, let's do it properly. Let's really do it.

     "My Life So Far"will be screened at the Ojai Playhouse, 145 E. Ojai Ave., Sunday at 4:30 p.m.

     For more information on Ojai Film Festival 2000, call Beverly Rose at 646-5874 or visit the web site at http://filmfestival.ojai.net.

back to top

Dated: March 8, 2000

LOCAL FILMMAKER SUPPORTS OJAI FILM FESTIVAL Ojai Valley News ...
by Kristy Dark and John Grant

     In 1998, the award-winning documentary, "Rock the Boat," appeared at about 100 film festivals and took filmmaker and Local Hero owner Bobby Houston to more than 20 film festivals.

     The energy and ideas he experienced at those festivals led to Houston's involvement with Ojai Film Festival 2000, where he serves on the Honorary Advisory Board.

     This interview took place at Local Hero on February 22.

     Q: What are some of the things you like best about Ojai?

     A: There's a tremendously high quality of life. About as good as you can imagine, without living in Colorado (laughs).

     Q: What are some of your favorite activities here?

     A: The whole time I lived in Los Angeles I felt like I was in a cage. And what I do here is, nearly every other day I run through the groves and the mountains. I'm like a dog that gets let out for a run every day. And I ride my bike a lot, and the point is this Peter Pan quest to stay fit and exercise without ever operating heavy machinery inside of a gym.

     Q: What do you see as some of the benefits of a film festival in Ojai?

     A: Film festivals rely upon ferment. People have to bump into each other, there has to be excitement on the street, the talk has to be flowing, there has to be gossip, there has to be urgency.

     It's not a city experience, it's a village experience, and so a lively village and a film festival are natural roommates. They belong together.

     Q: Hopefully the Film Festival will also benefit local businesses.

     A: It can't help but benefit businesses. You're using the town in the way it wants to be used. You know, people who have come here not to shop for Navajo moccasins, but to really meet each other and dine and get together.

     Q:  The theme of Ojai Film Festival 2000 is "Horizons Lost and FoundÖ Enriching the Human Spirit Through Film." Could you name a few films that stand out for you as having that quality, your personal favorites?

     A: This is what got me in trouble in Hollywood in the first place, because in an interview for like a Jr. Vice President job at United Artists, I said, "John Cassavetes made all my favorite films." And they said, "Leave the room and don't come back."

     My favorite recent film is "American Beauty," but I also liked "Magnolia" enormously. I like films that go to extremes. I have a fatal case for black comedy. I liked "Flirting with Disaster" by David Russell. "Jerry Maguire" was the best commercial film, I think, of the last five yearsÖabsolutely beautiful.

     Q: When you watch a film, can you still be transported by the magic?

     A: Definitely. I mean, it's a little more rare for me to be blown away by a film because I see the wires and the pulleys. It's like looking at a car. Most people look at the curves. I know what's under the hood, so it's harder, but when a film is brilliant, it's brilliant.

     Q: Do you think film will still be with us 100 years from now?

     A: I think real life is in more danger of going away than movies.

     Q: You've just been selected to be one of the first colonists on Mars, and you can only take two movies with youÖ.

     A: "The Last Picture Show." Then, because I want to be happyÖit might be a Merchant-Ivory movie, I have to admit. It might be "A Room with a View," or could I take like all the Jane Austen movies?

     Q: Could you tell us about some of your recent and upcoming film, TV, or documentary projects?

     A: "Rock the Boat" led to a job we're doing now for the Teaching Tolerance Program, which is a series of films commissioned by a liberal civil rights foundation in Montgomery, Alabama, and they distribute free curriculum to 14,000 high schools each year.

     The film we were commissioned to make is called "A Place at the Table," and it's about stories of immigration and of people's journeys to reach the American middle class. It's told through teenagers -- for teenagers.

     Q: How do you feel about violence in films?

     A: We've been imprinted with terrible, terrible fantasies in pursuit of profit, and I think it's disgraceful. I think the film industry should have found a way to curb violence a long time ago. We went out and shot a short ad hoc documentary immediately after Columbine because I knew so many kids who felt Columbine was meant to be a wake-up call and it probably wasn't going to be. I think Columbine was probably the most important event of the last 20 years, and America totally missed the message.

     Q: Do you have any advice for people planning a career in film?

     A: I didn't go to film school, and suffered enormously because of it. So my advice is to hang in there and go to graduate school and professionalize thyself.

     Q: Now you've acted and directed, you've written, made documentaries, so you are definitely a hyphenate. What do you like most about being any or all of the above?

     A: Directing from your own script is the single greatest thrill I've ever experienced.

     Q: Any other news or comments?

     A: One of the things I mull over a lot, about living in Ojai, is the continuous sputtering out of momentum. I feel like Ojai sort of washed up on the beach after the New Age movement. And I think the Film Festival has a chance to create some momentum, cultural momentum.

     For more information on Ojai Film Festival 2000, call Beverly Rose at 646-5874 or visit the Web site at http://filmfestival.ojai.net.

back to top

Dated: February 23, 2000

DAVID ZUCKER WILL HOST OJAI FILM FESTIVAL 2000 FUNDRAISING EVENT Ojai Valley News ...
by Kristy Dark and John Grant

     Writer, director and producer David Zucker ("Airplane," "Naked Gun," "High School High," etc.) is a member of the Ojai Film Festival 2000 Honorary Advisory Board and has long been a supporter of the Ojai Film Society's commitment to bringing quality cinema to the Ojai Valley.

     Zucker is making his film, "A Walk in the Clouds," available for screening this Saturday to benefit Ojai Film Festival 2000 and has offered the use of his Ojai estate at Whale Rock Ranch for the Ojai Film Festival 2000 Founding Sponsors Celebration and fund-raising event to be held March 18.

     Kristy Dark and John Grant conducted this interview with Zucker on February 15.

     Q: What are some of the things you like best about Ojai?
     A: I like the fact that it is a small town, and there are no franchises and it's not on the way to anything. I like Ojai's trees and the fact they save the oaks. I like that Ojai is not L.A.

     Q: Ojai has a lot to offer in terms of the arts, outdoor activities, community involvement, etc. What are your favorite activities here?
     A: I'm not really that involved because I stay at home a lot. I hike, I can come here and hide out. I love to prune my trees and see the trees everywhere. Trees, trees, trees!

     Q: What do you see as some of the benefits of a film festival held in Ojai?
     A: It's great for building community - getting people of like mind to focus on film rather than the glitz.

     Q: The theme of Ojai Film Festival 2000 is "Horizons Lost and Found Enriching the Human Spirit Through Film." Of the many films you've seen over the years, could you name a few that particularly stand out for you as having this quality of "enriching the human spirit"?
     A: "Duck Soup." Seriously, any of the great classic films. "To Kill a Mockingbird." Any Gregory Peck movie. You ought to invite him up to the festival. The classic movies, any of Frank Capra's films. "Tootsie" was a great movie. Sydney Pollack films "All The President's Men" Alan Pakula is a great director. Basically, any film that simply tells a story and has strong, rich characters.

     Q: You've been involved with numerous films, seen the inner workings. When you watch a film, can you still be transported by the magic?
     A: Yes, absolutely, when the director is not too artsy and makes you too aware of himself. Pure storytelling is what it's about.

     Q: Are there certain types of films that appeal to you the most?
     A: Again, pure storytelling - films that make people feel good about themselves.

     Q: Do you think film will still be with us 100 years from now?
     A: In whatever form, yes. The contrast will be fun. Good filmmaking is basically storytelling from sharing a story around the campfire, to plays, to radio, to film, to wherever it is going now, probably some form of high definition video.

     Q: You've just been selected to be one of the first colonists on Mars, and you can only take two movies with you, which two do you pick?
     A: "All The President's Men." I've seen this movie 20 times, and still see something new. For the second movie, hmmm, "Midway." I still can't figure out which plane came from which aircraft carrier that film has a very great structure.

     Q: Could you tell us about some of your recent and upcoming film or TV projects?
     A: There is "H.U.D." (a TV series about a government secret agency), another one called "F.B.I. Man," there's the Davey Crockett project I've been working on for years - also we have a very interesting film called "The Phone Booth," which takes place entirely in a phone booth.

     Q: Lately, there's been an outcry, people saying that the "reel violence" in movies causes violence in the real world. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the view that violence in films can be cathartic. How do you feel about this issue and what do you see as some of the moral and social responsibilities of those involved with making films?
     A: Yes, there is responsibility, but there is a fine line. "Saving Private Ryan" is gruesomely violent, but is it going to send anyone out in murderous rampage? The question is about gratuitous violence, or for that matter gratuitous language, or sex or whatever. As long as it is not gratuitous violence.

     Q: Do you have any advice for people planning a career in film?
     A: Quit now! You'll never make it. And if you can ignore that advice, then just hang in there, keep working on your craft, learn by observing.

     Q: What do you love most about being a writer/director/producer?
     A: I get to keep a house in Ojai (laughs). It is great self-expression and I love to make people laugh.

     Q: We're delighted to have the opportunity to show "A Walk in the Clouds" at a benefit screening for Ojai Film Festival 2000. It's such a wonderful film, with a great cast including Keanu Reeves, Aitana S·nchez-GijÛn and Anthony Quinn - and beautifully directed by Alfonso Arau. As a producer of "A Walk in the Clouds," any comments you'd like to share with us?
     A: I think it's a perfect example of never giving up. One of the other producers, Gil Netter kept trying to get the movie made. We shopped it around for six years. Gil's persistence, and the fact that he never gave up, got that movie made the movie has a great story and went on to be very successful. It was a bit away from the ordinary range of films we get involved in, but went on to do very well.

     "A Walk in the Clouds" will be screened at the Ojai Playhouse, 145 E. Ojai Ave., Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

     In anticipation of Ojai Film Festival 2000, the Ojai Valley News will be running a series of profiles of local entertainment personalities. For more information, call Beverly Rose at 646-5874 or visit the Web site at http://filmfestival.ojai.net.

back to top

Dated: February 16, 1999

BENEFIT SCREENING FOR OJAI FILM FESTIVAL 2000

     "A Walk in the Clouds" starring Keanu Reeves and Anthony Quinn will be shown at the Ojai Playhouse Theatre Saturday, February 26, 4:30pm. The film, originally released in 1995, was produced by Ojai resident and film festival supporter David Zucker. It is a magical, passionate tale of romance worthy of repeat performance.

     "A Walk in the Clouds" tells the story of a young soldier who returns from WWII and meets a young Hispanic-American woman on a bus as she's heading home from college to help with the grape harvest. She's pregnant, but since she's not married she fears her Old World domineering dad will kill her. The young man proposes to pose as her husband to help her face her father. When their passion for each other unfolds and finally ignites, they realize that they must overcome all odds to be together.

     The benefit screening ($7.00 general admission) is the prelude to a special OJAI FILM FESTIVAL Founding Sponsors' Gourmet Picnic to be held March 18th at Producer/Director David Zucker's magnificent estate in Ojai. For more information about the screening, the picnic or the Film Festival, call Steve Grumette, Artistic Director and Founder, at 805-649-4000 and visit the Festival's website at http://filmfestival.ojai.net.

back to top

Dated: February 11, 2000

OJAI FILM FESTIVAL 2000 SEEKS FESTIVAL DIRECTOR Ojai .....

     What was once an idea in the mind of one visionary is now fast becoming a reality. Steve Grumette, founder and Artistic Director of the first annual Ojai Film Festival, has announced the next step toward the implementation of the festivalÖthe task of finding just the right person to fill the role of Festival Director. The Festival Director's role is crucial to the success of the Festival. The person chosen must have the talent and desire to be a strong leader and bring all the efforts of the Organizing Committee and its many dedicated volunteers to a successful conclusionÖthe birth of the Ojai Film Festival. Interested persons should contact Steve Grumette at 649-4000. For more information about the Film Festival, visit our website at http://filmfestival.ojai.net.

back to top

Dated: January 28, 2000

THE NEXT SUNDANCE? Ventura County StarÖ..

     Produced-director-screenwriter David Zucker is best known for such light-hearted - some might even say silly - fare as "The Kentucky Fried Movie," Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear." But elegance will be the word of the day when Zucker opens the grounds of his Ojai estate for a "Great Gatsby"-style fund-raiser benefiting the first Ojai Film Festival.

     Guests are encouraged to wear all-white attire to the event, which will feature croquet and picnicking on the lawn (in otherwords, watch out for grass stains).

     Admission to the party, scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. March 18, is $100 per person.

     Those who make a $500 contribution to the festival will be admitted free to the party, and to subsequent screenings and events. Sponsorships with varying privileges also are available for $50 and $250.

     The Festival will take place Nov. 15-19. For reservations and information, call 649-4621, or click on the Ojai Film Society web site at www.ojai.net/film/festival.

back to top

Dated: January 28, 2000

OJAI FILM FESTIVAL FINDS ITS OWN 'LOST HORIZON' LA Life Weekend ...

     Film festivals seem to be breeding faster than Starbucks cafes.

     While half of Hollywood is in Park City, Utah, for the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, Ojai is laying the groundwork for its own festival, which will bridge the geographic gap between Santa Barbara's exhibition and the one in Los Angeles hosted by the American Film Institute.

     The first Ojai Film Festival, mounted by the Ojai Film Society, is set for Nov. 15-19. Organizers are proud to have the endorsement of Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, who says, "There is no doubt the Ojai Film Festival will further advance the magic and excitement of filmmaking."

     The slate for the festival won't be announced for some time, but it already has a theme: "Horizons Lost and Found, Enriching the Human Spirit Through Film." Ojai was the backdrop for Shangri-La in the 1937 classic "Lost Horizon," which opens the festival at an outdoor screening at the Libbey Bowl.

     Festival organizers say Jill Clayburgh, Ron Shelton, Mathew Perry and James Whitmore plan to participate in an actors-on-acting panel discussion.

     Volunteers and potential sponsors are asked to call Ramona Benitz, the festival's development director, at (805) 649-4621. A founding sponsorship of $500 includes two passes to all screenings and several parties, as well as invitations to a gourmet picnic on March 18 at the estate of producer-director David Zucker.

back to top

Dated: January 11, 2000

VALENTI ENDORSES OJAI FILM FESTIVAL 2000! WashingtonÖ..

     Jack Valenti, President and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, enthusiastically endorsed the efforts of the Ojai Film Society's plan for the first annual Ojai Film Festival, scheduled for November 15-19,2000.

      In a recent letter to the Ojai Film Festival Planning Committee, Mr. Valenti says, "Your film festival will present immeasurable opportunities for Ventura County to invite filmmakers, artists and audiences to showcase the creative talents the economic engine we know as the entertainment industry. It will also draw attention to the beautiful setting of the Ojai Valley, and provide educational and collaborative opportunities for schools, businesses and community organizations."

     He goes on to say "Motion pictures are treasured all over the world, fostering cultural understanding while entertaining audiences, and there is no doubt the Ojai Film Festival will further advance the magic and excitement of filmmaking."

      The Festival takes its theme, "Horizons Lost and Found, Enriching the Human Spirit through Film" from the fact that Ojai was depicted as Shangri-La in the 1937 Frank Capra classic, LOST HORIZON. That film will be celebrated in a community kick-off event the first evening of the Festival, with an outdoor screening at the beautiful Libbey Bowl.

     Hollywood celebrities are already signing up to play an active role in Ojai's first film festival. Jill Clayburgh, Ron Shelton, Matthew Perry and James Whitmore have agreed to participate in the "Actors on Acting" panel.

     Festival organizers are asking interested volunteers and/or potential sponsors to please contact Ramona Benitez, the festival's development director, at 805-649-4621.

back to top

Dated: December, 1999

FILM FESTIVAL PREPARATIONS BEGIN Ojai Valley NewsÖ..

     The Ojai Film Society and the Ojai Film Festival 2000 Committee need $100,000 to produce their first Ojai Film Festival, scheduled for next November.

     "You can feel the excitement in the air as major Hollywood celebrities are saying 'Yes" to participating an attending," said Beverly Rose, an organizer.

     "This is going to be a great, intimate, prestigious film festival that has instant success," said Bobby Houston, a local filmmaker and owner of Local Hero.

     A celebrity panel comprised of Jill Clayburgh, James Whitmore and Matthew Perry will share the secrets of their acting successes and challenges in "Actors on Acting."

     Clayburgh appeared with Matthew Perry and John Perry in "Fools Rush In" and received an Oscar nomination and the Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award for "An Unmarried Woman." She received her second Oscar nomination in "Starting Over" with Burt Reynolds and will soon appear on television's "Ally McBeal" as Jill, Ally's mother.

     Whitmore was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance as Harry S. Truman in "Give 'Em Hell, Harry," and in 1947, he help found the Actors Studio. He has performed on Broadway and continues to work in theater playing roles such as Oliver Wendell Holmes in "The Magnificent Yankee."

     Whitmore won a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in "Command Decision" on Broadway, the Ace Award for the Home Box Office feature "Glory, Glory" and appears in a recurring role on the Emmy Award-winning show, "The Practice."

     Matthew Perry stars as "Chandler" on NBC's "Friends" and is also making the transition into films with his recent "Three to Tango," portraying Oscar, an architect who falls in love with his boss's girlfriend who both believe he is gay.

     He also recently completed filming the comedy, "The Whole Nine Yards," in which he portrays the neighbor of a hit man played by Bruce Willis.

     Perry's production company, Velveteen Productions, has recently signed an overall deal with Warner Bros. to create, write and executive produce and he, along with his partner Andrew Hill Newman, is writing a pilot for television.

     The Film Festival Honorary Board members supporting the event include actresses June Allyson, Jill Clayburgh, Ellen DeGeneres, Anne Heche, Irene Bedard and Shelley Long; actors John and Matthew Perry, Peter Strauss and James Whitmore; film producers Charles W. Fries, Robert Hudson, Ron Shelton, guy Webster, David Zucker; filmmakers Bobbie Houston and Andy Behar; and Ojai Playhouse owner Khaled Al-Awar.

     "The organizing committee expects that as other Hollywood luminaries who make their home in Ojai hear about the Ojai Film Festival, the list of industry supporters will grow quickly," said Rose.

     Community businesses and individuals will have an opportunity to contribute and will enjoy the benefits of sponsorship, which include all access festival event passes, hospitality suite passes and advertising exposure.

     Local community sponsorships range from a Founding Sponsor at $500 to a Festival Slide Sponsor at $1,500. For the latter, the company's name and logo will appear on screen prior to all screenings.

     These sponsorships will also enjoy a prefestival event set for March.

     For more information call Ramona J. Benitez, the festival's development director, at 649-4621.

back to top

Dated: July 23, 1999

FILM SOCIETY HAS BEGUN PLANNING ITS FIRST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Ojai Valley News.....

     The Ojai Film Society Film Festival Steering Committee has been planning the first Ojai International Film Festival scheduled for Nov. 15 through 19 of the year 2000.

     The main venues for the event will be the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, the Ojai Playhouse, Matilija Junior High School, Thacher School, Happy Valley School, the Ojai Art Center and Libbey Bowl.

     The Film Festival Committee is co-chaired by Steve Grumette, Academy Award-winning filmmaker and program director of the Ojai Film Society, and Bobbie Boschan, treasurer of the Ojai Film Society and graphic design consultant. Other members of the committee are Ramona J. Benitez, fund-raising specialist and owner of R.J. Consulting, based in Ojai; Bob Boschan, past president of the China Lake Film Society; Sid Cohn, owner of the Cohn Insurance Agency; Suzanne Fries-Hostka, regional occupation program video production instructor, Nordhoff High School; John Grant, producer and former Agfa Motion Picture representative; Liz Grumette, vice president of the Ojai Film Society; John Bennett Perry, actor; Beverly Rose, partner, Rose and Stone Promotional Products; Mary Kay Schreiber, president, Orion Meetings and Events, Inc.; Howard Smith, associate vice president, Morgan Stanley Dean Whitter, board of directors of the Ventura County Film Council and co-author of "Opening the Doors to Hollywood"; and Gini Swift, past president of the Ojai Film Society and past president of the Ojai Music Festival.

     The Ojai Film Festival Steering Committee has developed fund-raising plans, as well as the schedule of events for the four-day festivities. For more information about the festival, contact Mary Kay Schreiber at 646-5535.

back to top