Farewell 2013, awaiting 2014

by Nancy Borchers







The Idyllwild CinemaFest is over and we had a great time. I got to see 45 films which is 20 more than last year. The crew that selected the films did a great job.

I only walked out of three: one because of gore, one because of over the top narcissism and one due to sheer amateurishness. That leaves 42 that were either wonderful or at least just ok. Several were so professional that I hope general release is in the offing soon.

The enthusiasm and hard work of the Festival crew and leaders was evident everywhere.  Great job!!

I understand that next year the Festival might be non-profit. I’m eager to find out what this will bring to our community. I suppose there will be some changes but if it is for the better, I’m all for it. 

I really regret missing the Awards ceremony. Last year’s was a lot of fun. And I understand this year’s was too.

Sallie, Lou and Annamarie and I all agree that we are looking forward to next year’s Festival. If The Festival keeps improving at the rate it as has for the last four years, The Idyllwild CinemaFest for 2014 will be spectacular. 

I wonder when the tickets go on sale. 

From JP
Thank you very much Nancy for all your help and submissions and time to view and write.

Wow, what a Festival

By Nancy Borchers

I started out Sunday by myself. Sallie had to thaw out her frozen pipes and Lou wanted to sleep in.  I was running late due to frozen pipes also, but I got there just a little after "Seadrift vs.Big Guy" started. I’m glad I didn’t miss it. 

These folks work hard at having a good time. Jeff McAdams, the Big Guy, and director Randall Dark were here to handle the Q&A. There was never a dull moment in this well photographed and edited film.

At11 a.m., Sallie, Lou and Annamarie arrived so see four terrific shorts. "Grace" reminds us to slow down, listen to the real meaning, don’t jump to conclusions in a well-acted professional film.  "Knocked Down" dealt with parents trying to live through their kids and kids trying to balance pleasing them and self-preservation. Good acting, script and photography. 

"Genre" was really fun with a fresh off-beat presentation. The ending scenes seemed chopped off though. I enjoyed it very much.  "Sleeping with the Bear" had great acting that was very natural. It also had a great plot that emphasized changing focus from one’s self to other’s needs. 

Later, I loved "Hands Up" inspite of not being fond of gore or bad language. I guess sometimes they are necessary.  This was a very good film, hands down.

I got to talk with Scott Foster of "Success Driven" prior to seeing the film so I wanted to like it since he was so charming. Unfortunately the whole attitude of the film is foreign to me and quite repellant. The music and photography distracted me from “do anything to anybody to get ahead“ theme.

I was enthralled by "Soliloquy." I have a pro-Shakespeare bias. There’s no help for that. It was elegant and jewel like in presentation with onyx facets. The harsh lighting reflected the dark aspect of the Scottish play. Of course Josh Murray wasn’t hard to look at either.

"Road to Jacob" was touching with great character development which could have been easy for the director considering the quality of the actors. The predictable ending was avoided and a hopeful one provided. I really like good endings.

"The Trial of Ben B" was engrossing had me right up to the end. This was a very good film.  It was a bit too subtle for me, but Sallie got it right away. The Q&A made everything clear and it really lived up to the synopsis.

This was a great Festival. We enjoyed the improvements and lamented the drawbacks.  Steve Savage said that next year we will have the community wide banners back. We really missed them. 

Steve and Phil Calderon are to be congratulated for a better and better Idyllwild CinemaFest. Each year there are improvements and expansions.The amount of work needed for this wonderful Festival must be mountainous. Next year, we need to jump in and help. Phil said he is going to take a week off and before starting on next year’s Idyllwild CinemaFest .

ICF Saturday: Day 4

Nancy Borchers, Pine Cove,

This day started out Cold! It was 15 degrees and I was reminded of "Siberia Monamour."

My street’s resident coyote trotted across the yard and up my neighbor’s driveway looking alert and wary.

Sallie and I went to the Rustic to see "Condor’s Shadow," a well done, thoughtful film documenting the resurgence of the California Condor. This film was so well done and compelling I went home and compared the costs of non-lead shotgun ammunition to the standard lead ammunition used by hunters that is the source of lead poisoning of condors.

This seems to be the only danger in the wild these magnificent birds face. As much as I liked this film, the length was an issue here as in many of the feature films. As a 90 minute film, it was 20 minutes too long. This was the first film of the day; I loved the content and was engrossed by the message, enthusiastic about the quality of the cinematography, but still felt my eyelids drooping toward the end.

We snapped out of our stupor and met Lou and Annamarie at the Caine for "The Box," "Lockwood" and "Beyond the Dead End." 

"The Box" was a first attempt by a mother-son team. The acting was a little stiff but showed promise for these two very young actors. The location was well chosen and beautiful.

"Lockwood," filmed in Coloma, a historic California town showed lots of attention to historic detail. The venue was a problem with the ambient light. The last scenes were so dark that it was very difficult to make out details with the light pouring in from the door and windows. It was projected on a beige wall rather than a proper screen making it even more difficult to see. This did not affect the other films I saw there. 

"Beyond the Dead End" was a wonderful film.  Shot in Iran, it could have been from anywhere with its universal message.  This was a first film and one of the best of the Festival.

We were scheduled to see "As High as The Sky," but it was at AstroCamp which was too physically painful so we saw "One Wall" — a fascinating documentary about an obscure sport, handball played in Coney Island. The film makers held a great Question and Answer session. Film students from New York helped provide the enormous amount of film necessary to document the two years of filming. Alas it too was too long.

I’m glad that Gary King had a good time making "What’s up Lovely." The color and photography were very good but when they got to the “we haven’t bothered to write a plot or script” part, I lost interest. The use of streaks of neon used to denote the passage of time was interesting until it became just filler instead. "To Live and Try in L.A." was ok, but we’ve already seen many versions of this film.

We went to have dinner at the Bella Montana, which is quite good when they have all the things on the menu available. 

Annamarie and Sallie went back to the Rustic Theater and caught the last of "Things I Don’t Understand" and Lou and I went to the "Vertical Pre-party". Both of us have a five second background part right at the first part of the film and we just wanted to see what was going on.

There was a zoo effect getting into the Rustic to see "Vertical." The theater had to be emptied and then re-filled with ticket holders. Next year I presume there will be better organization. Steve Savage introduced Vertical as a work in progress and I could see where a little more work will be done; not much, but some.

I loved Veronica Alt as the dispatcher. She had few lines but the acting ability in her left eyebrow spoke volumes. Wonderful! It was also fun to see the locals such as Norm Dreeson.

I am looking forward to seeing the finished project since all the bones of a Steve Savage film were there. The final scene on the top of Lilly Rock was great. I haven’t seen this view for many, many years. The last time was in the 1960s when I was climbing with the Sierra Club.

This was a great day. I was so looking forward to seeing "Vertical" that I’m glad I did not wait to see it Sunday. The atmosphere in the Rustic was exciting. There were so many enthusiastic people.

Friday Festival: ICF Day 3 getting better

By Nancy Borchers

This was a really hard day to schedule. I had a meeting at 4 p.m., which I did not want to miss. Then there was no time for dinner. Annamarie solved that since she and Lou had a gap in the films they wanted to see. She went home and made a dinner to share with Sallie and me. The Rustic Theater let us dine in splendor in the lobby.

We started with "Tortoise In Love" at the Rustic Theater.  Ashley Stewart, bless her, calls out just before each showing to prevent us from falling over each other as the lights dim in the theater. "Tortoise In Love" was spectacular. I can’t think of enough wonderful things to say about this film.

It takes place in a small community in England, Kingston bag Pewize. The lead reminded us of Hugh Grant except that he is better looking and taller. All the production details were terrific. It was very easy to watch: sound, color, camera work were very professional.

I loved the plot which was quite believable. I loved the stunning location. I loved the villagers. Steffan Aquarone handled the Questions and Answers after the showing and took us on another fascinating journey around the village with all the details of production and interaction with the villagers and moviemaking in England.  I really learned a lot.

He said that there are three other films in the works and I want to see them all.  At the end I couldn’t help but think that our village has fallen short of the joy and cooperation that these people have achieved. Their camaraderie is something to be aspired to and admired. The director, Guy Browning, is an author of note and I plan on reading his works.

We watched the shorts and noticed how the graphics and title work has improved over these last four years. I especially liked the crawl at the end of "Bunglers," which was very entertaining. "Bookstore" showed promise and "A Timely Maneuver" had a clever plot.

Sallie and I went over to Astro Camp to see "Montezuma’s Treasure." We got there early and sneaked in just to be horrified by the gore and blood of "Abram’s Hand."  I think it is rude to pop in and out of theaters during the showing but when two patrons left, I sneaked out with them. I figured it was better to be in 28 degree weather than inflict nightmares on myself.

I then had the stupidity to watch ALL of "Montezuma." The Theater was cold, the seats were uncomfortable and then there was the film. Ninety minutes of poor sound, photography, continuity and endless repetition of the same dialog, information or whatever it was. By the time we left, I was cold, irritated and crippled from a numb rear.

I went off to my meeting and after that, I returned to the Rustic Theater to the wonderful meal provided by Annamarie. We then saw "Siberia Monamour" which was not a typical Russian movie: not everyone died. Almost but not everyone. I didn’t mind at all because the film was so beautifully done. The sets and cinematography overshadowed the grim story line.

"How Do You Write a Joe Schermann Song" was the perfect way to end the day. It was, like "Tortoise In Love" and "Siberia Monamour," a professional film and almost as good, though I don’t think anything can catch "Tortoise."

The films get better each day. I’m looking forward to Saturday and Sunday.

Another Great Day! ICF Day 2

By Nancy Borchers

The first film I got to see today was "Thirst" at the Rustic Theater. Sallie and got there in plenty of time and got some goodies from the snack counter. Annamarie and Lou decided to join us a 2 pm so we settled in and watched a great waste of potential. The camera work was good and the acting showed promise but the writer made the characters make such stupid decisions it was painful to watch. 

We were so relieved to see "Handmade Life." This was a film made for the artists of Idyllwild. The enthusiasm and joy of the builder filled the screen. Here is a fellow that made good decisions. I’m glad this one was fact and "Thirst" was fiction.

The next film was the "Luckiest Man Alive." This entertaining film had a terrific plot, and a great ending along with a pace that kept us all on our toes.  We stayed for "Spicy Nose" which we all laughed through. The posturing and preening of the main character reminded me of a film I saw the day before.

Walking out of the theater, we saw that the snow had covered the roads and we knew that we might have problems later when the temperature dropped. The roads were already slick in spite of being plowed so we crept over to the Caine to see "Sarah’s Wish" and were disappointed to find that their scheduling went faster than expected and we had missed it.

Since no one was there and they weren’t scheduled to show anything for a half an hour, they ran it again for us and several others. Boy, am I glad they did. I’m not fond of bashing anyone’s practice of religion but in this case it was like using the “F” word to establish a person’s lack of character. This time it showed the ways people try to cope with the disasters of their lives.

We went back to the Rustic in first gear avoiding the ice to see "Bound By Flesh," a depiction of people exploiting others for their own gain. The use of contemporary narratives with historic film and photos was well done.

We just had to stay to see "The Cheater," Will Wallace’s interactive film that is now an institution. It is such fun to see the audience reaction. Well Done, Will!! 

Unfortunately the weather had deteriorated and the roads were getting slick.  We all live in Pine Cove which is another thousand feet in elevation so we reluctantly went home missing several films and the Networking Party which was so much fun last year.

ICF day 1

by Nancy Borchers

The first day of the Idyllwild Cinema Fest started off at the Rustic Theater which I love.  The seats are comfortable. The lobby is delightful with the historic Belden Pine Craft furniture made right here in Idyllwild from the 1930s to the 1950s.  Historic and current movie posters decorate the walls along with all the DVDs I can look at to contemplate future viewing.

In the morning I talked to Phil Calderone yesterday and we chatted about some of the business in town connecting with some of the films. I’m looking forward to some more information on this since I think that the more connections we all have the more profitable the Festival will be to the whole community. I am so impressed with the amount of work he and his wife Barbara have put into this Festival. He said that after the festival he is going to take a week off and start right in on next year’s festival. So get ready, community, when he calls say yes to anything this hard working man wants.

The first film that Annamarie, Lou, Sallie and I saw was “Privacy”. It was an entertaining engaging film with John Shepherd in the leading role.This actor shows a lot of promise. The Title works graphics before and especially after the film were stunning.

Then we saw “Hawk” which had beautiful visuals but a confusing plot.I wish they had been more careful with the costumes. The grommets on the boy’s costume were way too modern. Sorry about that, but I notice anachronisms and Sallie, who knows the ins and outs of the film industry, has great insight with the quality of acting and overall production details.

We then saw 'Anaphora,' a choppy but thoughtful terrorist/police state/time travel film that, since it was German, made me think about education in Germany and the country’s history.  “Revelations” was unexpectedly funny. I loved the zombies.They were so camp.

We walked over to the Caine Learning Center to see Wolfgang Bodison’s “Broken”. I went back to the Rustic to see “Posey” and got stuck seeing way to much of “Red Road”. Carlos Reynosa is a very talented man and I especially love his flute music, but this film could have done with some more editing. The time lapse background film was stunning. Billy Dermont, the director of “Posey” and all the actors were present so the discussion after was quite a bit of fun.  I went back to the Caine for “The Book Club”, a thoughtful insight into long time friendships.

We all went to dinner at the Lumber Mill and then finished off with “Least Among Saints” the most professional and all around best film we saw all day.  With very few glitches it was the one with a moral: Help others and you help yourself.  This speaks to this community so well. 

When the editor of the Town Crier published the list of local volunteer organizations, I was surprised by the number. I knew there were a lot, but fifty-five is amazing. And that doesn’t include those that don’t have nonprofit status but still donate and work hard for the benefit of the community. This community is wonderful.

The Film Festival is tomorrow!!!

 Posted for Nancy Borchers

Yesterday afternoon four of us got together with the Idyllwild CinemaFest Town Crier insert and went over scheduling so we could figure out when to car pool and when we would go our separate ways to see different films. We had each done some home work ahead of time. 

Annamarie watched most of the trailers, Sallie prepared a table full of copies of the insert, pencils and lined paper for notes and schedules and I had made notes on the schedule so we could easily fine synopsis of each scheduled film.  We gathered at Sallie’s, went over the schedule and munched on guacamole and chips and wonderful brie with herbs and crackers with wine of tea.  Two hours later we went to Taco Night at Arriba’s.  It took us the whole two hours to discuss the films, the schedule and transportation logistics.

I’ve been looking forward to this for months. Last year Sallie and I went to over 22 films.  She saw one more than I did because I had to go to a meeting. I’ve cancelled all trips, meetings, lunches and anything else so I can see as many films as possible. Last year screened a wide variety of delightful, scary, action packed, thoughtful and thought inspiring full length films, shorts and documentaries.

Each year gets better and better. The first year I only saw a few. The second year I saw twenty and realized that I really needed to be organized to pack that many films into just a few days. I talked Sallie into going with me for most of them.  Last year Annamarie joined us. 

I did have one problem. I get hungry. Year one and two proved that it was almost impossible to find dinner in the evening. A quick bite between films was nonexistent. The third year was a lot better and after reading Phil Calderon’s article in the insert this year, I think my hunger problems are solved. 

I’ve always thought it rude to bring food into a theater but since I want to see as many films as possible, there is no option. I won’t have to smuggle a sandwich into a theater, I can just bring it openly. Mr. Calderon’s guidelines are well thought out and logical.

I hope this year builds on the quality of last year. Year two had a lot of blood and guts and year three had lots of comedy. This year the synopsis foretells youthful angst. I can’t wait to get started.