Bel Air Film Festival targets young audience with fresh elements
By Ross Moody
Nov. 12, 2009 4:30 a.m.
A film directed by the singer of Fall Out Boy, action sports documentaries, and an award for trendsetting in film are just some of the elements that are combining to make the 2009 Bel Air Film Festival veritably tailored to the MTV2 generation.
It’s no surprise then that Melody Storm, the festival’s president and founder, said she values an appeal to youth in her festivals and that she shaped the selection of films to screen around this appeal.
“A big, big goal for this year is to connect to the younger audience,” Storm said.
The second annual Bel Air Film Festival is notable among film award ceremonies such as the Oscars and the Sundance Film Festival in that it devotes a hefty proportion of its awards to short films, and also dedicates an award, “Film Fashion Visionary,” to the best fashion ““ as opposed to best costumes ““ found among actors in today’s film industry. This year’s fashion award will be presented to actress Taryn Manning on opening night.
“There’s really no film festival around that celebrates fashion in the film world like this, so this is one award that I’m really excited about,” Storm said.
One comedy and one animation film will be titled the “Best-in-festival” of their genre. According to Professor Ben Harris of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, these awards distinguish this festival among others, as most shy away from them.
“Comedy and animation tend to get short-shrifted at most film festivals these days,” Harris said.
While not having a straight-ahead horror film to present, the 30 films on the festival’s tentative bill do include a sci-fi entry, a black-hole disaster film titled “Rift,” and two animated films, “Sinking Moon” and “Prayer in the Night.” These are just the sort of films that, beyond Fall Out Boy singer and director Patrick Stump’s comedy flick “Moustachette,” attract the members of Generation Y to film festivals and movie theaters in general. Howard Suber, a professor in the School of Theater, Film and Television, who specializes in industry studies, said such films provide Hollywood with an integral amount of its finances.
In addition to its targeting of young audiences, a second unexpected feature of the Bel Air Film Festival is that it will hold the first Los Angeles public screening for a certain film. “Chasing The Lotus,” a surf documentary narrated by Jeff Bridges, will screen on Nov. 14. It was released in 2006 and was presented at more than 15 film festivals worldwide, garnering the “Best Documentary” award at action sports film festival X-Dance. However, according to the film’s producer, Chris Bell, it has yet to screen for the Los Angeles public.
“We’ve shown films in Santa Barbara, Hawaii and the Netherlands, but for some reason (a showing of the film) has never happened in Los Angeles,” Bell said.
Bell also cited the festival’s programming policy of actively seeking out films to screen as serving as a venue for independent films.
“(The Bel Air Film Festival) actually contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in doing a screening of “˜Chasing The Lotus.’ I didn’t submit the film myself,” Bell said.
The extension of an invitation to filmmakers to screen at the infant festival might, however, send the wrong signals to future participants in the event. Suber said he cautions against sending an invitation to screen.
“From the point of view of the filmmaker, it makes the festival look desperate and therefore not a prime target for the filmmaker’s submission in future seasons,” Suber said.
Storm said that she trusts that the festival’s advisory board, which makes recommendations regarding submissions and potential films to be screened, will compile a list of films that will help bolster the festival’s integrity and distinguish it among the American film community.
According to Suber, household name festivals such as Sundance, which perpetually threaten to crowd out new festivals, receive approximately 3,000 submissions per year.
“With all the film festivals that are out there already, even those just in L.A., it could be a bad strategy,” Suber said.
The festival also faces a veritable avalanche of other new film festivals to compete with on a national basis, such as the Lady Filmmakers Film Festival. Harris estimates that there is at least one film festival held in the United States every day of the year.
“There is a whole wave of film festivals that have come and gone within the last 10 years,” Harris said.
Storm said the festival received more than 300 submissions this year, and she is nevertheless confident about the future of the festival.
“I think that our unique program and connection to the younger audience is something that will keep people interested in the festival and sustain it over the long term,” Storm said.
