Nancy Borchers: Day 6 IIFC

This is Nancy's final post for the Idyllwild 2011: Independent Festival of Cinema. I hope you enjoyed her comments. and heart felt gratitude from Marshal and me to nancy for her willingness to share with all of you.

Overindulgence at the Idyllwild Independent Festival of Cinema 2011

The Festival of Cinema is over. I’m tired. I saw twenty five films just as did last year. Sallie saw three or four more. The Festival was terrific. Most of the films either stood on their own or showed the promise of the directors or actors. There were a few that were awful, not awesome. One film was ready for regular release. I missed several films I wanted to see because of meetings or time conflicts.

One delight was to finally see Ivan of the Rustic Theater in a film. We were rewarded with a wonderful performance by Ivan and other actors. I had no idea that Ivan was so good. His role was that of the father of the lead, a writer with writer’s block, who under the influence of the “monster” underwent a radical personality change. Ivan handled both “personalities” with great professionalism and believability.

Chatting with actors, producers and directors in the lobby of the Rustic Theater was lots of fun too. Sallie is so good at making folks feel at home that they were comfortable with praise and criticism alike. Next year I hope to be able to volunteer at the Festival. I understand from talking to Steve Savage about his big plans for 2012 that a lot of help will be needed. Get ready Idyllwild, next year will be spectacular.

Nancy Borchers: Day 5 IIFC

Overindulgence at the Idyllwild Independent Festival of Cinema 2011

Friday was a busy day. I met Sallie at the Caine Learning Center just in time to see that delightful short “Libby Girl: On Line”. The published schedule has been taking a beating since some films aren’t being shown and the crew has to juggle times so it’s a surprise sometime what is shown on the screen.

It is not a problem though, and we got to see “Lora Steere” again. I got to see some things I missed the first time. We then rushed over to the Rustic Theater to see “Gut to Go”, “Mystical Fire”, and “Happy Birthday To Me”. The Scenery in “Mystical Fire” was terrific. Sally was sure it was filmed in Montana and I was just as sure it was in our local deserts. We were both right.

Why do some of these filmmakers take themselves so seriously and act like they are God’s gift to film making when they have just offered a poorly filmed, poorly acted incomprehensible and hopefully totally forgettable film? They stand up there at the Q&A and strut as if they just showed you “Gone With the Wind” on Super 8 “because it is more real”. Won’t someone in their entourage or family tell them how bad their stuff is? Most of the time criticism is helpful and appreciated and the filmaker can use it to do better. After seeing some of these films I really hope the makers don’t quit their day jobs and their parents don’t go broke.

After that, Sallie and I went to the Gastrognome with Eric of the “The Vern” and Janet Mayson, maker of “Libby Girl: Online”. We had a great time talking to these very talented people. They are both intelligent, analytical people that have great insight into the art and business of filmmaking. I hope to see more of their work in the future. I really enjoyed Melissa Townsend’s film. She,returned this year with another good film and I would like to see some more work of many of this year’s filmmakers.

Today is the last day of the Festival and I really have to “play catch up”. I had to go to two meetings yesterday and these obligations played havoc with my film viewing ambitions. I’m on the board of the Idyllwild Area Historical Society and have learned from the information provided there that many good actors have made films here.

I was thinking that it would be fun to see some of them. Several years ago the Rustic Theater played host to a film company’s version of Kid Galahad, an Elvis film that was made here and the theater was packed.

This reminds me how much I love the Rustic Theater. Shane Stewart’s improvements have just added to my enjoyment. It’s not just seeing my friends at the showings, but the Pine Craft furniture in the lobby, the friendliness of the staff, and the general ambience and the sense of community. Do you get the impression that I spend a lot of time there? This is just a small part of Greater Idyllwild, one of the most delightful places on earth.

Melissa Townsend

Local director Melissa Townsend, recipient of this year's Idyllwild FilmWorks scholarship (film must be made within 50 miles of Idyllwild), receives flowers prior to a screening of her short film "Coyote Hunt."

IDYLLWILD 2011 honored film maker Joe Dante

Joe Dante, director of the classic sci-fi fantasy "Gremlins," honored IDYLLWILD:2011 featured filmmaker, is seen talker with festival chairman Will Wallace on Friday, Jan. 14 prior to the screening of Dante's cult film.

Below, he is introduced to festival audience by festival director Stephen Savage.

Nancy Borchers: Day 4 IIFC

Overindulgence at the Idyllwild Independent Festival of Cinema 2011

Wow! Lots of film fans in town. They were looking into shop windows, crowding Cafe Aroma, strolling the streets and clogging the cash register at Woolly’s. There was a line outside The Red Kettle. Parking is getting worse but I don’t mind. I’m delighted because we have so many visitors. A friend overheard a phone call on the Idyllwild Inn grounds. It went like this “You’ve got to see this place. It’s so clean and quaint. There is snow on the ground but the sun is shining and the films are great. They have great shops. Get up here this afternoon.” I agree with everything this person had to say.

Thursday was a great day for the Festival. I got to see the Grover Complex and talk to the actor/writer/assistant casting director Fernando Noor. What a charming person. The enthusiasm he has for filmmaking and life shows the promise that this young man has for the future. His sense of humor and intelligence provoked the most interesting after film discussion that I’ve been to this season. He graciously acclaimed his director, Karin Bullis and his financial backers, his parents. Then we all went into the Rustic Theaters lobby and talked some more.

Nancy Borchers: Day 3 IIFC

Overindulgence at the Idyllwild Independent Festival of Cinema 2011

(There, I finally got the official title right. I apologize for taking so long.)

Wednesday morning finally came and I could play "catch-up” for the films I missed Monday and Tuesday morning. The Commodity Food Share was scheduled for today and I always work packing boxes so that makes for a busy day. I get a real work out carrying boxes of canned food to distribute. This is a community effort and there is always a lot of help.

We started back at the Rustic Theater at noon after packing boxes a lot of very heavy groceries for the Community Food Share. I was tired, sore, and ready to sit down and enjoy what the Film Festival had to offer.

“Coyote Hunt” was way too short. I can watch Director Melissa Townsend’s work all day. I enjoyed her “Poet Soldier” last year and was especially anticipating her work this year. I realize that to be a “short” there are some very rigid time constraints. I loved “Coyote Hunt” and it left me wanting more.

We saw “Cut From Home” next and up until the last 30 minutes it was interesting though hard to follow. I’d like the writers of this film to know that there are other words in the English language besides “F**k”. I understand the use of that word to develop the crudeness and lack of education in their characters. It is not necessary to continue the use after this has been established. Or maybe the writers don’t know any others.

The next film “The Vern” was ok but needed a bit more editing.

We had a terrific lunch at Cafe Aroma and talked to Hubert Halkin. He had some really astute insight as to why so many of the great businesses in town were closed today. We had some time between films and wanted to go shopping and get a snack. The places we wanted to go were either open late or closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. I can understand a shop being closed these days during a regular week but when out-of-towners are flocking to the Festivals that we seem to be having more and more often, it doesn’t seem to make good business sense. We had to be content with “window shopping”.

I had to go to the CSA 38 meeting in Pine Cove so I had to put off two films I really wanted to see. Luckily I will get to see them on Saturday and Friday. I have two meetings to go to on Friday but there is little conflict and I can catch the film on Saturday. I’m so glad there is more than one showing of most films. Idyllwild is a very busy place if you want to do good works or be civic minded. It is so nice to see such community involvement even during spectacular events such and this Film Festival.

Nancy Borchers: Day 2 IIFC

I got off to a late start the second day of the Idyllwild International Film Festival 2011. My water heater went out and Chris Rockwell of Idyllwild Appliance fixed it this morning. Sallie had to wait for an unnamed media company to come and fix some of their errors this morning so we didn’t get to start until afternoon.

I’ve got the films charted so we can see the morning ones on Wednesday and Saturday.

I even had time to do some shopping. There were a lot of folks in the stores. I hope they had as much luck in finding what they wanted as I did. My son really likes hats so I get him one for his birthday every year. Woolies has a great selection so I’ve gotten his hat there for the last three years.

Monday was so much fun. The director, writer, producer of “Finding Jenua”, Alison Mason, is such an upbeat, down to earth, cheerful person. She is so enthusiastic it really was a delight to talk with her before the film. Sallie wondered how she could come up with such a dark character in her film. Alison graciously gave credit to all the cast members and those who were instrumental to getting her film to this world premiere. You just get caught up in her enthusiasm.

I really enjoyed the attending the talks and question and answer sessions after the films. Justin Monroe, the director of “The Rock and Roll dreams of Duncan Christopher” led a lively discussion with two of the movers and shakers of his film that kept us laughing long after the film was over. “When Art met Idyllwild : A Tribute to Lora W. Steere” director Paris Deesing was so self effacing that the audience had to demand that she join Mrs. Steere’s granddaughter on the stage to discuss her film. She did this very impressive work in a very short time. What a promise this young director is.

One of the very good films in the evening has “property of Osirus Films” printed at the bottom of the screen for the whole film. Steve Savage apologized for this profusely but I am an inveterate reader and I read that over and over again during the film. I just couldn’t help myself. It must be a compulsion, which was more annoying than the actual print.

Yesterday we got to see eight films and today we planned to see only four. Unfortunately we only saw parts of two. There were script problems and then a sound problem that finally got fixed but the fix was so loud that my ears hurt. There was still an hour to the end of the film when we had to leave. There were two shorter films afterward but we really didn’t want to wait that hour to see them. I’m hoping for a better day tomorrow. The Rustic Theater’s projectionist, Ivan, will be an actor in one of them and I’m looking forward to seeing more local talent.

Welcome to Nancy Borchers

Nancy will be writing for us from the Idyllwild 2011: Independent Festival of Cinema. this is her first posting.

Overindulgence at the Idyllwild International Film Festival 2011

The Idyllwild International Film Festival started today and I went down to get my ticket since this was the first day I could get it off line. I’ve been looking forward to this for months. I wanted to volunteer this year but family, travel and illness prevented me from helping. This year, Sallie Warwick of Pine Cove is attending most of the films with me. She has connections to the film industry and added insight to the ones we saw last year. I love listening to her assessments of the quality of acting, photography and professionalism of each film.

I spent a lot of time last week reading the synopses of the films to be shown. I really don’t like too much gore. Steve Savage’s film “Legacy” last year was just about my limit. I appreciated the sensitivity he showed in letting our imaginations fill in the extremely bloody parts. The raised knife coming down on the hapless victim hidden behind the log made us cringe and gasp. Terrific!! I also avoid films that make fun of my religion and God. Luckily I’m not a radical Islamic who feels behooved to go after filmmakers like Theo Van Gogh. I just choose not to see them.

Since the films are shown at least twice, I spent several hours last week charting which film I could put off till later in the festival so I could have a gap for lunch. “Honey Bunns and Joe” is really close so we went over there for a great Rustic Cream of Tomato Soup served with a homemade scone. They are serving free coffee to all Festival goers.

Monday was especially difficult. I wanted to see all the films shown. My friends rightly laugh at how concerned I am about having the time to eat between films. Annamarie Padula brought Sallie and me a big plate of homemade ribs to eat on the opening night right after the film, “Hiroshima / Nagasaki Download”. We were planning to eat the ribs at the cute little tables in front of the theater but it was too cold so we went over to the Wine Shoppe Bistro in the Village Center group of shops and they graciously allowed us to eat them there. We accompanied them with a great bottle of wine. Annamarie makes the best ribs!!!

We went back to the theater and ended our day with the film “The Rock and Roll Dreams of Duncan Christopher”, the eighth and best film we had seen. It was billed as an “awkward comedy” and really lived up to it. The acting, cinematography, writing and story line were all so good that Sallie wondered why it hadn’t been in regular release. This was a great first day of the Festival and I’m looking forward to the rest of the week.