‘Where We Begin’ to Change the World

A scene from “Where We Begin.” Still frame courtesy: Mitsuyo Miyazaki.

By Julie Pendray

IDYLLWILD, Calif. — As Mitsuyo Miyazaki accepted her movie’s seventh award at Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema in January, she talked about her childhood, which made the trophies even more meaningful.

“I grew up doing metal work and I always wanted a different life,” the Japanese writer and director told the audience in this mountain town near Palm Springs. Her movie Where We Begin won Best Featurette, Best Directing of a Featurette, Excellence in Directing a Featurette (an award for women in the industry), as well as Best Cinematography, Best Musical Score and Best Editing among movies of the same length. Where We Begin also took home Best Ensemble Cast over all categories.

“Where We Begin” director Mitsuyo Miyazaki. Photo courtesy: Mitsuyo Miyazaki.

Moments like this strike to the core of why independent movie makers can touch and inspire us.

In an interview after the festival, Miyazaki talked about how she came to the United States and pursued a career that she hopes will be a source of positive change in the world. That career has brought her more than 50 awards worldwide, according to her web site.

Where We Begin is a 19-minute drama. Music is by Mono, a Japanese band that “specializes in telling compelling stories without words,” according to its web site. Aaron C. Smith was cinematographer.  Editing is by Thomas A. Krueger

Mono, a Japanese instrumental band, did the award-winning score for “Where We Begin.” Photo courtesy: Mono.

The movie is poetic, both in concept and execution, with a story told through dance rather than dialogue. It’s about a single mom and a half-African-American child. The featurette focuses on a dying woman’s memories of her lover in her youth, who was taken from her by war. The only words spoken in the entire piece are at the beginning, when the elderly woman and her son say to each other, “I love you.”

Arielle Elonys and Derrick Butler star in “Where We Begin,” a dance narrative drama. Still frame courtesy Mitsuyo Miyazaki.

Miyazaki explained in the interview, “I wanted the film to be universal. Anyone in the world can understand the film by just watching it. Also, I wanted to make an emotionally strong, visual film.

“Through dance performance, we shed light on the many faces of love, life, the pressures we place upon ourselves, and those that others place onto us,” the director stated on her web site. “It’s a story of courage, perseverance and the strength to endure all other obstacles.”

A dance scene from Where We Begin. Still frame courtesy: Mitsuyo Miyazaki.

Miyazaki brings her experience as a dancer, actress, photographer, painter, costume designer and cinematographer to her movie making. Peter Maestrey, a producer on the movie, told me, “She sees the whole thing. She knows everything. When she closes her eyes, the way she describes it, you can see it.”

Her ability to convey her concepts not only to her movie making team but also to viewers has earned Miyazaki awards at more than 100 film festivals worldwide, according to her resume. Her debut short film Tsuyako, about a mill factory worker in Post-War Japan, was qualified for the Oscars for 2012-2013, her web site states.

In a Skype interview for this article, Miyazaki and Maestrey talked about their passion to make movies that inspire change.

Miyazaki said her movie’s story is an example of events that would have caused a couple to be ostracized in the past. But she hopes viewers will understand that many aspects of life that cause people to judge each other are simply human. Regarding the main characters in Where We Begin, she said, “Of course they had an awful time living through that, at that time. But it’s ok. It’s normal. We want to think this doesn’t happen but it does.”

Before she could embark on a quest to bring about change in the world, Miyazaki made changes in her own life. She talked to me about her work in her youth that led her to “want more.”

“My grandparents started a metal factory in Osaka,” she said. “My mother still does some of that work. All you do is press metals to make a living. I wanted more out of life. I was always involved a lot in school. I was president of my student body for many years. I wanted to see what else was out there. I submitted my application to go to a public high school in the U.S. when I was 17. When I turned 18, I got accepted. I wanted to snowboard and ski so I applied to schools in those areas. I landed in Utah.”

She attended Southern Utah University and later received an MFA in Film and TV production from University of Southern California. She made Where We Begin in Cedar City in southern Utah.

Miyazaki said her inspiration for the drama  came from her single mom and grandparents.

“My grandma basically raised me,” she said. “I was very close to her. I was back in Japan when she passed away and I spent a month with her, 24/7. The day before she passed away, she asked for a juice she loved and she was able to speak and drink. She hadn’t been able to do those things for the past few days. I felt there was something special about human power that we can summon the energy right before we die to do these things with someone we love.”

Where We Begin shows the transition from the end of the main character’s life here on earth into the next stage. Miyazaki does not believe life ends here. In the interview, she talked about her experience on the day of her grandmother’s funeral.

“A tiny bird flew into the house with me. I was chasing the bird and it wouldn’t leave,” she said. “I fought with it for 2 hours. As soon as I stopped fighting, it left. In that moment, I knew it was my grandmother and I wished I’d kept her. I believe the spirit lives on, so let’s be good people.”

Miyazaki and Maestrey share several personal elements in common, in addition to wanting to inspire change.

Peter Maestrey, one of the producers of “Where We Begin.” Photo courtesy Peter Maestrey.

Maestrey’s family came to Miami from Cuba when Fidel Castro came to power, he said. He  has lived in California since 2002. Like Miyazaki, he also was raised by a single mom.

“She was mom, dad, friend. I’ve always given in to being led by a woman,” he said.

Maestrey also attended the Idyllwild festival. At one point, filled with joy at the awards, he and Miyazaki did a few quick dance steps behind the podium on stage. The camaraderie was obvious.

He has been an assistant director and producer on a lot of other movies, starting as a music video producer.

Mitsuyo Miyazaki directing “Where We Begin” in southern Utah. Photo courtesy: Mitsuyo Miyazaki.

“I signed on with Mitsuyo to do this movie as assistant director,” he said. “But then I saw that she needed someone to help her as a producer because there was so much to do. I took it on knowing what’s she’s capable of. I’ve done everything with every single celebrity you can think of. But doing films like this, we are doing films we want to make. I want to educate and entertain. If the movie doesn’t have a message behind it, forget it.”

He said there’s a certain integrity that comes with producing.

“People make products for the wrong reasons. I don’t have to do it. Since I choose to do the projects that I do, that allows me to pick.”

Maestrey has been working with Miyazaki for about a year.

“I love it,” he said. “She brings a high standard. I’ve been with about 400 directors. Her standard is so, so high. I’m learning things.”

“I’ve learned more on this film than I have in my entire 20-year career,” he said. “We had fun but she doesn’t surrender. She will strive for perfection. She will dedicate her soul to the project and that’s beautiful. Something as simple as the fonts, everything single line and name in the movie, and she knew the people. The precision that she used…every single minute on that film has been thought of, crafted. She won’t put her name on it otherwise. She’s going to be the Quentin Tarantino of the world. She’ll write and direct. She’ll put her stamp on it.”

Maestrey said he’s now enjoying “letting the tree bear fruit, going to festivals.”

Where We Begin has been selected for Pasadena International Film Festival, March 2-10.

To watch the trailer, click here.

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Copyright Julie Pendray & SpecialsNotOnTheMenu.com

Carattini Wins ‘Outstanding Performance’ in Idyllwild

Australian actress Michela Carattini won an ‘Outstanding Performance” award at Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema. Photo courtesy: Michela Carattini.

By Julie Pendray

IDYLLWILD, Calif. — One of the joys of Idyllwild’s festival of cinema is getting to know movie makers who return year after year from all over the world.

International actress Michela Carattini was among those who returned this year. She took home the Mary Austin Award for Outstanding Performance, based on her body of work. These awards are given to women in the industry.

“54 Days” won the Grand Jury Award for Best of Festival at Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema 2015. Photo courtesy: Tim Lea.

Carattini is remembered as part of the 54 Days team from Australia that took home The Grand Jury Award for Best of Festival last year. It was her first time at the Idyllwild event. Carattini was nominated for best actress in the sci-fi drama, which portrays a group of friends taking refuge from a bomb explosion in a 1960s style Sydney shelter.

This year, the Sydney based actress appeared in three productions:  Le Matinal; Sweet Disposition; and The 33rd Wedding.

Michela Carattini in a behind-the-scenes shot from Le Matinal. Still frame courtesy: Michela Carattini.

In Le Matinal, a romantic short, Carattini leads as a Parisian backpacking to Sydney who falls in love with an Australian. She’s torn between him and her Parisian boyfriend back home. In its world premier, the short was nominated in several categories. Director Gavin Guan came to Idyllwild for the festival. He moved to LA two months ago.

In the short drama Sweet Disposition, directed by Carattini’s Parisian friend Kathleen Hrayssi, a confident ad man sees his life falling apart over a woman. Carattini plays a Sydney businesswoman. Sweet Disposition received a number of nominations in Idyllwild.

A behind-the-scenes shot from Sweet Disposition. Photo courtesy: Michela Carattini.

Carattini describes The 33rd Wedding as “a Woody-Allen style comedy with a mental health twist.”

Actress Michel Carattini appears in The 33rd Wedding, about a woman tired of waiting for Mr. Right. Photo courtesy: Michela Carattini.

“A woman throws herself a wedding-themed birthday party because she doesn’t believe she’ll ever meet Mr. Right,” she said. Carattini is one of the leads, playing a New York psychiatrist. The movie was awarded Honorable Mention in the Idyllwild festival, which was its U.S. premier. The producer, Jed Malone, was in town for the event.

How easy was it for an Australian to adopt a New York accent?

“I used my natural accent, which is Standard American with a hint of New York, where I lived for 8 years, so my own accent can go either way,” she told me in an interview in Idyllwild. “My father was Panamanian American and my mother is Australian, so my own accent is partly American.”

Her father, Charlie Carattini, passed away seven months ago. At the festival’s award ceremony, the actress paused to say one last sentence after her acceptance comments:  “Dad, I know you can see this.”

Carattini is expecting her second child this year. She doesn’t know the baby’s sex but her 4-year-old son, Zayed, has told her he wants to name the infant Zoe, regardless.

“He’s really into the letter Z right now,” Carattini said. “But I’ve told him I’m thinking of a different name and when he has a baby, he can name her Zoe.”

The actress, in her 30s, wants to impart a message to other women in the business.

“Don’t be afraid to live your life while you’re working on your professional goals. My life experience has made me a better actor.”

Three months ago, she shot a featurette in Italy, called Tendency to Love or Tendenza ad Amar. She used a Sardinian accent.

“I’m multi-lingual,” Carattini said. “I grew up in Germany. My dad was in military intelligence for the U.S. Army and my mother danced for the Australian ballet. She was dancing for the Frankfurt ballet when they met. He was stationed there.”

Carattini has two more movies in post-production. In Broken Hallelujah, she plays a U.S. ambassador’s wife who learns a “terrible secret” about him.

Unspoiled by Feminism is based on Carattini’s work as an anti-human-trafficking social worker and counselor in Prague.

“The movie isn’t about human trafficking though,” she said. “The title comes from the more mainstream acceptable world of introduction agencies. It’s about a date between a Czech girl and an Australian guy who meet through an online dating service.”

This movie is directed by her friend Kathleen Hrayssi.

Carattini will be in a major motion picture to be shot at the end of this year, she said.

“It’s a U.K production, filmed in Europe, and it’s an action movie about human trafficking,” she said.

“Modern day slavery comes out of desperation by traffickers and the trafficked people,” she said. “If we don’t create a market to consume and if we focus on developing other countries, there isn’t a need.”

Carattini is a singer, dancer and director, in addition to her film and stage acting career. Her first performance was at age 14, according to her profile on IMDB.com . She is a graduate of The American Musical & Dramatic Academy (NYC), Columbia University (BAPsych) and Sydney University (MCrim).

To see a full list of awards and nominations from Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema, check out their web site.

Copyright to Julie Pendray and SpecialsNotOnTheMenu.com

‘Art Bastard’ Visits Idyllwild

New York artist Robert “Bob” Cenedella is the subject of “Art Bastard” to be shown in Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema. Used by permission.

By Julie Pendray

IDYLLWILD, Calif. — The “Art Bastard” has arrived in Idyllwild.

The man himself. And the movie.

New York painter Bob Cenedella is on his first visit to this mountain village, where this week people are braving snow to see more than 100 independent movies in Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema. Cenedella is here to promote his autobiographical feature documentary with executive producer Chris Concannon.

Executive producer Chris Concannon and artist Bob Cenedella are in Idyllwild to promote their movie “Art Bastard.” Photo: Julie Pendray.

“Art Bastard” screens from 8 to 9:20 p.m. tonight at Caine Learning Center. The movie is interesting not only for art lovers but also for anyone fascinated by psychological profiles, history and sociopolitical commentary. Audiences will be reminded how cathartic creative expression can be. They’ll see an example of how kids who’ve been told they don’t fit and who feel that they’re failures can continue on as leaders, independent thinkers and successful people in their chosen fields. “Different” can be good. It can be better than good.

Cenedella has been an artist for more than 50 years, primarily portraying the colorful everyday life in New York City. His moniker Art Bastard derives from his discovery at age 6 that the man he thought was his father was not his biological dad. In the movie, he talks with his sister about their “dysfunctional family” and we learn he had a hard time learning in school because of dyslexia. We feel his pain as he works out his demons on canvasses throughout his life. Illegitimacy, anger and justice are recurrent themes, as the artist challenges institutions and battles to receive acceptance of his work. These days, having won international acclaim, he is an esteemed instructor passing along tips to the next generation at the same school where he received his art training, The Art Students League of New York.

In an interview in Idyllwild this week, Cenedella said his work is very serious but there’s a lot of humor in it. He loves color and his work shows his gift for observing humanity in intricate detail. He’s an emotional man, as the movie shows. Feelings are not only important to him in his life but also in his art.

“Art was the special part of life for me, the part that was above the gutter,” he says in his movie. “I had a number of things in my life that I wish weren’t true. I decided not to be a tragic figure.”

Cenedella moved from Massachusetss to the Big Apple with his family at age 12.

“Soho Lives,” by Bob Cenedella. Used by permission.

“Everything about New York was fascinating,” he says in the movie. “You could learn so much. Every neighborhood had different food. My work is a lot about the energy of the city.”

He grew up in a household that he describes as “fairly well off” until about 1953. His father was bumped from his job as head of the Radio Writers Guild and blacklisted during the McCarthy era.

“He’d never been a communist but that wasn’t the point,” the artist says. “We went into poverty immediately.”

Cenedella developed an anti-establishment attitude. He was expelled from the High School of Music and Art in New York for writing a satirical letter about the atom bomb drill to the school’s principal. He took his anger out in his art, which often includes violent scenes such as street brawls or fighters in boxing rings. His rebel personality  and “sardonic gallows humor” (as one interview subject describes it) have drawn polarized responses from the public.

“He’s a magnet. He’s loved by everyone!” one student enthuses in an unrelated online video clip, in which Cenedella is hugging everyone at an art reception. On the other hand, an art magazine editor interviewed for “Art Bastard” says of Cenedella, “He’s a pain in the ass.”

The movie cuts seamlessly between interviews with Cenedella’s family, art critics, museum directors, students, New York elite and the artist himself, to bring an honest and endearing profile of the man and an understanding of his work. The soundtrack is eclectic and fun,  including such diversity as Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries” to A. J. Croce and Leon Russell’s “Rollin’ On” and a Gregorian Chant.

Along the way, while we see Cenedella’s need to stir things up and irritate, we can admire his survival skills and the way he can chuckle about his life, while trying to be the best dad he can be.

How many people might come chuckling out of an interrogation by CIA agents during the Nixon era? The movies relates how the agents believed Cenedella’s photographic dart board targets of political figures encouraged violence.

“But I was about reducing the violence by taking it out of the streets and into a game,” he says. “At the end of the interview, the agents asked for a Johnson dart board,” Cenedella tells us in the movie, with a hearty chuckle.

Some of the artist’s work is filled with the faces of celebrities and politicians, while others depict everyday people on the streets or in bars. Many of the paintings include such a detailed montage of elements that it takes considerable time to figure out the bigger picture. The canvasses are so complex and colorful that you can almost hear the ruckus of the crowd and feel the jostling elbows.

“Battlefield of Energy,” by Bob Cenedella. Used by permission.

His 1985 painting “Third Movement”is an example of his political work. In the piece, Hitler is conducting an orchestra. Some people in the audience have Hitler-like mustaches.

The message?

“You can criticize Hitler but he had many people who went along with him,” Cenedella says.

In “Southern Dogs,” police have dogs’ heads and the dogs have police heads. Which is which?

“Southern Dogs” by Bob Cenedella. Used by permission.

Cenedella describes his style as closest to German expressionism. He was influenced by his mentor, exiled German satirical painter George Grosz, who was his instructor at The Art Students League of New York.

George Grosz, Bob Cenedella’s mentor. Used by permission.

“There have been people who’ve told me that I’ve missed the boat. They say no one does that type of art any more,” he says in the movie. “Again, I’m not legitimate.”

In the 1960s era of Andy Warhol’s pop art and the abstract artists, Cenedella’s controversial subject matter set him apart from the mainstream commercial art world. He was considered the anti-Warhol.

He still eschews what he considers mindless art that fetches big bucks.

“You can’t do a bad abstract,” he says. The modern lack of standards and definition of art are contentious issues for him.

“The abstract form was the perfect thing to ignore what this country had been going through,” he says. “My heroes were the guys from the 20s and 30s, like (George) Bellows …. They painted the lynchings in the South and scenes from the Depression. They recorded history.”

Cenedella would like the art world and the public to review his work based on his traditional painting skills, rather than seeing him as akin to a political cartoonist. For example, he said in our Idyllwild interview, he has used white lead for luminescence sometimes like old masters such as Vermeer. Oil painting allows him to work in many layers, giving depth to the colors and feelings of each piece. He appears to be a man of deeply thoughtful, insightful layers himself.

How do we define the value of art? Who decides what is “good”? These are questions the movies raises.

“Money and art have nothing to do with each other,” Cenedella says. “You can bastardize everything else in life but if you compromise with art, why be an artist?”

In the mile high village of Idyllwild, which draws artists and independent spirits by the droves, this message should resonate well.

It’s not that Cenedella is opposed to wealth. His biological father — a Colgate University English professor — bequeathed an island off the coast of Maine to him. Cenedella now sometimes enjoys quiet and lack of electricity there.

Here in Idyllwild, I asked him about the issues he’s most concerned about now.

“I’ve been commissioned to do a piece on the end of the world. I just hope I have time to finish it,” he said with a hearty laugh.

He’s worried about what the world will be like for his grandchildren.

“There are more guns than people in the United States and it’s still not enough apparently,”he said.

But Cenedella keeps rollin’ on through life.

“I laugh more than most people” he told me, “even though I’m consumed by the unpleasant.”

“Art Bastard” is directed by Victor Kanefsky.

To see the trailer, click on this Vimeo link.

Caine Learning Center is at 54385 Pine Crest Ave., Idyllwild.

Copyright to Julie Pendray and SpecialsNotOnTheMenu.com

 

 

 

‘Story Behind Nights in White Satin’ Up for Best Documentary

By Julie Pendray

IDYLLWILD, Ca. — When the ethereal strains of “Nights in White Satin” hit the airwaves in 1967, radio DJs knew there was something different about them. Eventually the public caught on to the symphonic and trance-like sound that included the deep tones of a new keyboard instrument, the mellotron, accentuating the crescendos of the heartfelt melody.

The Moody Blues were on their way into the psychedelic era with the groundbreaking album Days of Future Passed. They set the tone from then on with a style that was “elegant, artistic and complicated,” according to music and documentary producer David Minasian. It earned the British band the highest of praise from Rolling Stone magazine, which dubbed them The Sistine Chapel of Rock.

Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema will rekindle the public’s love affair with that hit song next month with “The Story Behind Nights in White Satin,” Minasian’s movie, which is nominated for Best Documentary.

David Minasian,music and movie producer. Photo courtesy David Minasian.

It’s Minasian’s first participation in the Idyllwild festival, which is coming into its seventh year. This week, in a phone interview, he said he’s “very excited.” The Hemet resident said he’s especially delighted that festival producer Trinity Houston is allowing time for one of his other movies, “Watching and Waiting,” too. Both highlight Moody Blues songwriter Justin Hayward.

Hayward was 19 years old when he wrote “Nights in White Satin.” He was facing the end of one love affair and the beginning of another. Soon after he penned the song, he joined The Moody Blues and offered it to them for the landmark album that became known as one of the first successful “concept” efforts.

Days of Future Passed was about the life of “everyday man” during one day, according to a BBC interview with Hayward in recent years. It also expressed humanity’s interest in the mystical. The band had been looking for fresh ideas and a new sound. They decided to drop acid to pave the way.

“We were searching for some kind of enlightenment,” Hayward said in the interview. (LSD) opened the door in my mind. I could see the world as it really was.”

An early performance of “Nights in White Satin.” Still frame courtesy of David Minasian.

In the “White Satins” documentary, we hear how the delay of a flight bringing The Supremes to a television show in France gave The Moody Blues an opportunity to go on-air with its brand new song that would become a mega hit.  The documentary shows the first time the group performed the song on film. It was shown on French television within days of the album’s release.

“The whole story of how this song became a hit is interesting,” Minasian said. “Days of Future Passed was a demo record to showcase stereo, which was just coming out. Decca wanted to show that stereo could be used for both orchestral music and rock. They decided to come up with an album that blended both.”

The album features The London Festival Orchestra.

“The song didn’t even reach number 1 on Billboard until 1973,” Minasian said. “Half the people at Decca wanted to release it and half didn’t. Some thought it was too long.”

“Nights in White Satin” expresses the sweetness and exhilaration of love, with the mellotron for grand dramatic effect. It was the single that propelled the album to fame.

“The mellotron hadn’t been used before,” Minasian said. “It was difficult to play. The only guy who could play it was Mike Pinder, the keyboardist in The Moody Blues, because he’d worked for the manufacturer. Nothing else sounded like it.”

The Moody Blues went on to sell more than 70 million albums worldwide, collecting 18 Platinum and Gold Discs.

Minasian’s documentary is one of an estimated 100 movies and shorts to be presented at Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema Jan. 5 to 10 at various venues. Idyllwild is a mountain town between Palm Springs, Los Angeles and San Diego. The festival draws tourists and movie makers from all over the United States and the world.

“The Story Behind Nights in White Satin” will screen at 7 p.m. Jan. 6 at The Rustic Theatre. Minasian and executive producer Michael Pinkus will do a question and answer session with viewers after the movie, then there’ll be a screening of “Watching and Waiting,” a piece about a solo Hayward concert. For more information on the screenings and accompanying  VIP reception, click here.

Still frame courtesy David Minasian.

Minasian and Pinkus have worked with Hayward and The Moody Blues on a variety of projects. DVDs of some of the Hayward performances are available through PBS stations.

Today’s version of The Moody Blues band includes original 1964 drummer Graeme Edge, along with Hayward and bassist John Lodge from the 1966 lineup. They’ll start a 23-cities tour March 3 in Florida. For details, click here.

To see the schedule of the Idyllwild festival screenings click here. Tickets are available through the festival web site

Copyright Julie Pendray and SpecialsNotOnTheMenu.com

Idyllwild Cinema Fest Schedule Released

By Julie Pendray

IDYLLWILD, Calif. — The schedule of screenings for next month’s Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema  has been released.

The festival will run Jan. 5 to 10, with an estimated 100 movies, shorts and documentaries. To see a full list of offerings, click here.

Idyllwild is in the San Jacinto Mountains above Palm Springs and Hemet, between San Diego and Los Angeles. Each year, the festival draws movie makers and tourists from all over the world. The festival is going into its seventh year.

Director and founder Stephen Savage says he’s very pleased with the growth of the event.

Actors Will Wallace and Wolfgang Bodison will be the honorary co-chairmen.

Screening venues will include AstroCamp, Caine Learning Center, Mary Austin Theater and The Rustic Theatre.

Ticket prices are:

Full Festival Pass $135

Day Pass $35

Single Event $15

To order online, click here.

Check out the festival web site for a map and further information: http://www.idyllwildcinemafest.com

Stay tuned for interviews with movie makers here on this web site in the days leading up to the festival and throughout the event.

 

 

Moviemaking–A Struggle That’s Worth It

By Julie Pendray

IDYLLWILD, Calif. — We’ve all heard how movie making is highly competitive and often tortuous. Sometime it’s glamorous.

Most of the time, it’s a series of challenges that can drive you around the bend, according to actor, director and writer Wolfgang Bodison, who came to town last week to be Honorary Co-Chairman of Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema.

Bodison is most known for his role as Lance Cpl. Dawson in the 1992 Tom Cruise movie A Few Good Men. His other acting credits include Pretty Rosebud, Freeway, Joe Somebody, The Expert, Little Big League and Not Another Not Another Movie. He has written and directed five short films and is currently collaborating on a feature, while teaching acting at Playhouse West in Los Angeles.

When Bodison helped introduce the Idyllwild awards ceremony on Jan. 10, he gave a painfully honest summary of the bumps and hurdles along movie makers’ roads. Some people in the audience at the Rustic Theatre agreed later that Bodison’s honesty was helpful and refreshing.

During an after-party, he sat down for an interview about why people stay in the game despite the challenges.

“You have to love telling stories,” he said, “because you get told, ‘No,’ so often.”

“Writing the script is the easy part,” he said. “Getting the movie made is still fairly easy. Getting it seen, that’s the hardest part. The distribution deals are hard. The options … ” (sigh). “They may want rewrites. They may want to change the script. Everyone wants to put their stamp on it.”

As for fund raising, Bodison said, “It drives you crazy!”

“Most people start with shorts, because the feature is such a big animal. A short is 5 to 20 minutes. It’s harder to tell the story that way though. You have to be succinct. But you can cut your teeth on shorts. It’s best to make your mistakes there.”

As for finding money, that’s a different skill needed than that of the creative person, he said.

“You can spend no money at all or up to about $20,000 on a short,” he said.

“Money is out there. Crowd funding is popular. There are people who want to invest, just to say they helped make a movie,” he said. “Some like to be part of the creative process. You can also write a grant application to a non-profit organization that’s involved in the kind of subject you’re working on, for example.”

Movie Making in Transition

Bodison talked about big shifts in movie making brought about by technology.

“The cost of film and cameras used to be prohibitive,” Bodison said. “But now the digital platform is so much less expensive. People are making movies on their iPhone. That’s both a good thing and a bad thing. We’re losing the art of cinematography. We used to have people who were painterly in the way they filmed. Directors of photography are getting out of the business now. Even sound, you can make anyone sound good with software now.”

“Everyone wants to post everything on the Internet,” he said. “With YouTube videos, we’re losing the art of storytelling. We’re losing the craft of telling the beginning of the story, doing the set up and then creating the end. People are watching shorter pieces now, like someone on his skateboard. There’s no story.

“Social media affects how filmmakers are treated when they submit to festivals now,” Bodison said.

“They’re looking for how many followers you have on Facebook or Instagram,” he said. “They want to get people into the theaters.”

Passion and drive

So, if the passion for storytelling is what keeps people in the business, despite all the obstacles, what’s the drive that creates and sustains that passion?

“Other people can connect with what we write or paint and maybe they can heal in a small way,” Bodison said.

“All my projects deal with forgiveness or redemption. I’m trying to work something out. I think we all (actors and writers) do it for our own personal healing.

“With any labor of love, you have to commit yourself to it. That’s hard on the people around you. There’s a lot of stress. Your partner doesn’t always understand the business.”

Bodison said his wife produces commercials, so she “gets it.”

“But generally spouses don’t want to hear our complaints. You have to find your own family,” he said.

Watching all the hugs and laughter at the festival parties, it seemed that, in spite of the competition, there’s a camaraderie among movie makers. Do fellow film makers become the “family” of which Bodison speaks?

“Yes,” he said.

“We share the same struggle.”

However, he said that couples who make films together often deal with issues of competition and control.

In general, giving up control is hard, he said.

“I’m currently working with a friend on a feature, so I know from experience. The movie is about changing a town’s culture.”

Part of the overall moviemaking struggle is reduced by the digital revolution and self-distribution, Bodison said.

“There’s a huge shift in how movies are being made, viewed and promoted,” he said.

“Everyone’s having to adapt.”

While some aspects may be easier, some have yet to be figured out, he said.

“For example, how do we pay residuals for Internet usage?”

During the Idyllwild awards ceremony, one actress acknowledged the effort that all movie makers at the festival had made, whether they won awards or not.

Michela Carattini, of the Australian-made 54 Days, which won the Grand Jury Award for Best of Festival, said, “I know everyone here worked just as hard.”

Michela Carattini, actress. Photo courtesy: IMDb resume.

In cafes around town the following day, Idyllwild residents reflected on the festival experience, as movie makers prepared to leave. Among them was local theatrical actor Doug Austin, who contributes the endowment for the festival’s Mary Austin Awards for Excellence by Women in Film Making. The awards are named after his late wife.

Austin summed up the “take away” from the festival, for people of artistic inclinations.

“The festival gave hope that people can be successful in their work.”

Copyright Julie Pendray & SpecialsNotOnTheMenu.com