Film fest showcases wide array of pieces
By Shirley Mak
June 28, 2009 11:04 p.m.
Occurring in venues all across Westwood, this year’s 15th annual Los Angeles Film Festival gave audience members a chance to view a variety of great films and to meet talented filmmakers and actors from all over the world.
It was also a chance to showcase some of UCLA’s finest talent in the entertainment industry.
Alumni Laura Gabbert and Frank Marshall both had films at the festival, and Bill Barminski, a visiting professor in the School of Theater, Film and Television, also got to showcase a music video he directed.
One of the festival’s summer showcase pieces was Gabbert’s “No Impact Man,” an environmental documentary about one man’s ambitious decision to reduce his Manhattan family’s environmental impact for a year by forgoing cars, takeout and even toilet paper.
Gabbert first learned about the project from Michelle Conlin, her childhood friend and the wife of protagonist Colin Beavan in “No Impact Man.”
“We knew from the beginning that Michelle … was reluctant to go along with the project and there’s natural humor that comes from that,” Gabbert said. “(Audiences) get caught up in the actual narrative ““ what’s going to happen to the couple, what’s going to happen to their family ““ and they’re learning about the environmental issues along the way.”
Living up to the film’s message, Gabbert and co-director Justin Schein made “No Impact Man” with environmental sustainability in mind, shooting the film with no lights, no cars and no new equipment. “No Impact Man” was recently picked up by Oscilloscope Laboratories, an independent film company that will screen the film in select locations across the nation beginning Sept. 4.
Along with promoting environmental awareness, UCLA alumni also put the spotlight on animation at this year’s eclectic festival. Marshall, an alumnus of 1968 and longtime film producer of box-office hits such as “E.T.:The Extra-Terrestrial” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” headed the North American version of Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s “Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea,” one of this summer’s most anticipated animated films and the closing centerpiece film for the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival.
A fan of Miyazaki’s works himself, including the Oscar-winning “Spirited Away” and “Princess Mononoke,” Marshall said he gladly came on board when he was asked by Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli to help create the North American version of “Ponyo” for American audiences.
The task wasn’t an easy one.
“It’s that you’re trying to maintain the story and the integrity of the original movie and we certainly didn’t want to change anything that Mr. Miyazaki has done, but there are certain phrases and words in Japanese that do not translate directly across to English,” Marshall said.
“Ponyo on the Sea by the Cliff” is Miyazaki’s retelling of “The Little Mermaid” fairy tale about a goldfish who wants to become human. The English-speaking version features the voice talents of Liam Neeson, Matt Damon and Tina Fey and hits U.S. theaters on Aug. 14.
Besides Gabbert and Marshall, Barminski was also asked to showcase his work at this year’s festival. Working under the directing name of Walter Robot, Barminski, along with directing partner Christopher Louie, another UCLA alumnus, was approached by the indie rock band, Death Cab for Cutie, to create an animated music video for their song “Grapevine Fires.”
“It is really cool when the band is coming to you specifically because you know they are on board from the get-to,” Barminski said. “They really gave us all the creative freedom we needed to do our own thing, which is rare.”
“Grapevine Fires” screened under the Eclectic Mix category and won Best Music Video at the festival. It depicts a Southern Californian family and their loved ones hastily leaving their homes and belongings behind in the midst of raging wild fires that consumes the city.
“One of the things visually we wanted to capture is that quintessential SoCal experience,” Barminski said. “The suburbs with the cinder-block walls and the terrible fires that we experience. It’s a challenge to do with animation but fun too.”
Challenges didn’t stop UCLA representation at the L.A. Film Festival this year. Among the wide range of films being showcased, audiences had the opportunity to view an engaging documentary, popular adaptation and music video, cementing yet another memorable year in the diverse world of filmmaking.
