LSIFF.07 Day Two: Tijuana Makes Me Happy, Orphans, and Texas DIY Shorts!

Tijuana Makes Me Happy is a coming of age story shot with unprofessional actors in a quasi-documentary style. In the short span of time the film covers, fifteen year old Indio has to make decisions regarding sex, crime and friendship (with a rooster). The plot details are fairly simplistic and linear, but that certainly doesn't take away from the film in any way. That the film seemingly has no moral perspective about the dubious activities in the film, really gives the film more credit in my mind. It's light-hearted approach to activities such as cockfighting, prostitution and drug trafficking seems far more realistic and gripping when told by the amoral eye.

Perhaps I'm partial to films photographed in Mexico, however, given my love of Central America in general. Even the most ordinary scenes give me great pleasure when I see them on the screen because they are so different than America. I did appreciate the story (although, I could have lived without the spelling errors in the subtitles), but the vision of Tijuana and its inhabitants reeled me in.

For more information on this film, go to: http://www.tijuanamakesmehappy.com/

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Aside from the final sequence of Orphans, I felt Ry Russo-Young's film was a brilliant piece of cinema. The story follows two very different sisters who reunite for a birthday party and rehash their childhood. They discover how they really feel about each and justify why they moved apart in the first place. The dynamic between the two characters really makes this a great film--especially a dance sequence smack dab in the middle of the film which is utterly amazing. What I didn't like about the film was the director's choice to make something like a MADD commercial at the end of the film. And, especially, the choice to have one of the sisters actually talk to a grave. Other than that, I adored the film for its style and grace, it's zany character design and phenomenal performances by the actors, it's realistic dialogue and its gritty sense of direction.

For more information on this film, check out: http://www.orphansmovie.com/

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The Texas DIY ("Do It Yourself") Program consisted completely of filmmakers I've found friendship with over the years. I helped produce one of the films in the program and am working with several of the other artists as we speak. James M. Johnston programmed this particular block of films primarily due to the artistic connection between filmmakers. Before the program, he talked about the devotion we all have to each other and the film making process. I remember when *my* particular circle within this group of people, rested solely in Irving, TX... And then it spread to Fort Worth, and then into Dallas as well. And then into Austin. And now, it's nationwide. Over the years I haven't been readily available to help these guys out on a lot of their freshman and even sophomore projects. Presently, I'm remedying that. And now, the films:

Anytime I feel awkward during a screening due to its content usually means I'm engaged in a film worth viewing. Lions' Den is one of those films. Frank Mosley has created an intense fifteen minutes of film that shames and embarrasses the audience. These emotions compel the viewer to continue watching... Just as long as no one else is looking.

The haphazard photography intensifies the situation with its blurring images and gritty movement. What's really amazing about the short however, is that it was completely improvised--a method of film making that's becoming more and more popular these days. But while many films lack substance due to their unscripted dialogue, Mosley's seems to be more refined, due to its extreme realism. Mosley's ability to create such a stressful tone with his film is truly right on. Check out Lions' Den, if you have the stomach for it.

For more information on Lions' Den, check out: http://www.myspace.com/backyardmovies

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According to filmmaker Bryan Poyser, Grammy's was really just an excuse to put Joe Swanberg and Rusty Kelly together. In a SXSW interview, Poyser explains that he actually organized a benefit screening of Swanberg's Kissing on the Mouth and his own Dear Pillow, which Rusty Kelly stars in. Joe Swanberg, a Chicago based DIY filmmaker, plays a likable, straight-as-arrow dork, while Rusty Kelly plays his obnoxious, jaded younger brother. When Swanberg's character attempts to set up a fishing trip on private property, in a pathetic attempt to bond with his brother, the two find themselves in a world of trouble.

The set of events that follow get funnier and funnier the more I watch the film. There's masturbation! There's sadomasochism! There's thievery and back-stabbing! Grammy's is quite a lot of fun. But what's really neat is how it's such a fine example of what DIY'ers are doing these days. Independent filmmakers are putting each other in their films, propelling each other instead of competing against one another. This is exactly what the DIY experience is all about and what makes it so important to current indie filmmakers. So go on and enjoy the film--just don't forget your wallets on your way out. We wouldn't want you to get into any trouble.

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When David Lowery's The Outlaw Son was slated to play at the Sarasota Film Festival, he expressed an interest in the film festival's blurb of the film. The blurb isn't really important, but his reaction to it is. "I love it," Lowery stated, "because it's an interpretation that I'd never have thought of myself, but that's entirely applicable to the film all the same." That's really the magic of this high-concept, experimental narrative with absolutely no dialogue--save three words at the very end of the film. It's the subtle placement of things, the body language and facial expressions and a mood created by lighting, sound and music (in this case, The Theater Fire!) that tells a story. The fact that there are no words and that the audience can take away their own interpretations of the film, really adds to its essence. Much like a painting in a museum, The Outlaw Son relies on its audience to complete the story.

Currently, David and I are in pre-production for his next feature, St. Nick, which will rely as much on imagery as The Outlaw Son does. I'll discuss that more later.

For more information on the film, check out: http://www.road-dog-productions.com/films/outlawsonmain.html

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Yen Tan's Coda is an incredibly short film which creates quite an impact. Much like The Outlaw Son, the film does not rely as much on dialogue as it does the photography and sound design. Coda features Frank Mosley, as a guy taking his dog out for a final, quiet walk. The bond the two have creates quite an impact and its difficult not to rub your eyes at the end.

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A shocking coincidence at a party sets an uncomfortable tone in James M. Johnston's GDMF. The film playfully begins with an exotic dancer describing an odd fetish of one of her clients. Certainly setting the awkward tone at the beginning, GDMF proves to take its uneasiness even further with an accidental act that makes her professional line of work seem just the same as any cubical jockey's. Interestingly enough, the act itself isn't enough for Johnston, as he shows us the unlikely aftermath which compels the viewer to question who really is or is not the victim of this bizarre tale. The gritty look of the film and the slamming music of Top Secret...Shhh really fits the overall design of the film as a whole. And the cinematography at the end, with a scene involving a mother and a daughter, is absolutely perfect.

For more information on this film, check out: http://www.myspace.com/gdmffilm

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Although I hate to admit it, Yen Tan's second short of the program, Booty Recall, really hit home with me. I mean, it's happened to everyone. You're just out of the shower, ready to get dressed and head out, when you find out the person you're planning on meeting has other plans. It's Saturday night and you want to head out! So, you get on your cell phone and start dialing. Name after name... Dismissal after dismissal. Until finally, you start calling people you haven't spoken to in years and people you really don't want to hang out with anyway. It's really just pre-drunk dialing and Yen Tan captures it perfectly. Beyond that, the film takes a lonely Saturday night to quite a few other levels like drinking wine out of a beer mug and watching gay porn just because it's there. The film stars Sean French of The Theater Fire!

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Clay Liford's The Stranger--based on Camus' work of the same title--packs a hilarious punch and marked a great way to end a series of fantastic DIY films. I helped produce the eleven minute short and loved every minute of it. What's really amazing, however, is the editing Liford did in post. The finished product left the entire audience--including myself--seamlessly laughing out loud. Erotic and sensual, The Stranger strokes the viewer at his very core. It's a story of love and obsession. Or, maybe it's just a cool way to jerk off.

A new soundtrack for the film is currently being worked on. I'll keep you posted on any updates and additional releases. No website is available for the film at this time.

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Here are a few more stills from The Stranger.


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After the films, James persuaded all of us to go eat at The Spiral Diner. Little did we know that Spiral was later catering the Thursday night party at Encore Lounge! What a sly, capitalist dog!

Here's patriotic Clay, cramped in the back of Barak's car on the ride over to Spiral!


After the party, a few of us went back over to the filmmaker's lounge at The Flying Saucer for many more libations, perfect to fuel next morning's regrets...