Halfway through the year, and we’re just getting going. With the big annual festival only a few short months away, we’re gearing up for an incredible showing, and that includes the impressive selection of films we have for you this month. But that being said, we’re doing things a bit different this time, as our first screening block has a great selection of short films, and is followed by the fantastic feature film, Scrap. Features are a bit of a rarity around these parts, so we’re so excited to be able to show one this month. As usual, the screening will be held in person at the TCL Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, with this month’s showing being on June 19th. And from the 19th until June 23rd, the entire screening will be online through BitPix, so those not in the area or unable to attend for any reason can make sure not to miss out on any of the films being spotlighted here. So without further delay, here are this month’s films!
Greylock – Renzo Montoya’s film about a struggling veteran is a tense and powerful piece of art that shows how difficult it can be for those who serve their country to adapt back into the normal world after they return home. Anthony (Prentice Myles) is now back from his stint overseas, and having to returned to US soil, has his own personal issues to deal with. His routine and duty have left him impatient to those who don’t live with such a regimented lifestyle, and his relationship issues are on full display as well. Now working as a waiter, he does all he can to transition from the life of a soldier to that of a civilian, to mixed results. Myles is terrific in this, with the emotional hook of his struggles coming though clearly, and laying out the issues that so many have when returning home. Routine and trauma play a big part in the difficulties, and now having to face these personal issues head on makes for a compelling film, and the clear lack of support so many in the military get after their service.
I Can’t Cut It Out! – Christian Chapman and Paul Jason Hoffman’s short, which focuses on the meltdown of a surgeon, is a cleverly made piece that shows the impacts of mental health issues on high-stress professions, and of the impact that professions can have down the line. Starring Eric Etebari and Faye Tamasa, Dr. Bannister (Etebari) is set with the task of proving that he’s mentally stable after a full psychotic break that occurs while in the middle of surgery. As he attempts to make his case, he’s confronted with the ways in which he operates from a psychological perspective, and how his drive to work and be a well-regarded surgeon may have impacts he didn’t think about previous. This is a film that really brings up some questions about how work, ambition and mental health all intersect.
A Real Adventure – This is a very fun and silly film that adds some whimsy to a tragic event. As Eric and Magnus (Peter Sjöquist and Peter Gröning), two friends who love Dungeons and Dragons, mourn their friend and Dungeon Master, they meet a mysterious woman. Dressed like a pirate and looking to be rather mentally ill, she claims that their friend Björn (Karl Johan Larsson) is not actually dead, but rather living as a pirate in another dimension. Given that he’s lying dead in front of them, this seems like a rather wild claim, but as the two listen to Esmerelda (Maria Forslin), they do their best to believe ore and more, despite the obvious need for skepticism. Everyone in this film is doing a great job, with Forslin especially helping to bring this magical and tragic tale to life. It’s also very well paced, thanks to the writing of Susanna Martelin and aided by the visually stunning work from director Ignela Ogard and the crew that assisted them. A wonderful romp through some magical realism, and a film that should make fantasy lovers smile.
Operation: Payback – Darren Coyle’s film is an interesting look at the world of taking actions against those who do harm. A group of feminist freedom fighters, looking to make an impact by kidnapping a corporate boss who helps run a company that has misogynistic practices. Only it doesn’t quite go that way. Two members of the group, codenamed Persephone and Hestia (and played by Vivian Gil and Anna Salinas) grab the wrong guy, instead getting Jim (Jeremy Guskin), a guy who is just kind of there, not really sure what’s going on. All the pair manage to really do is make Jim’s life a lot more complicated, as he has to attempt to explain his sudden disappearance to his wife Sandra (Ruha Taslimi). This is a weird and hilarious film with some really talented comedic actors that is as fun as it is absurd.
A Roadside Banquet – Peiqi Peng writes and directs this short film that mixes family drama with a bit of the fantastic as we follow Mai, a young girl of 11 who, on the day of her younger brother’s first birthday, finds out that her parents never really wanted a girl. This dynamic, as well as the typical gender norms attributed to women has an obvious emotional impact on her, and the attention her little brother gets sends her on a quest to get a bit of it for herself. Sarah Zhai does a great job as a young actor, really bringing the energy of a young person looking to find their place amongst a changing environment.
Hard Luck – A film that, at first glance, seems to be about a simple game of tennis takes on a much bigger emotional impact in this film by Indigo Bates, and co-written by Bates and star Lara Pearson. Pearson, along with co-star Jack Parr, have a friendly tennis match that begins to trigger a trauma response in Pearson’s character Elle, who is reminded of a trauma she endured with another person when Jack gets frustrated and aggressive during the game. Mental toughness is a big part of the sport of tennis, and allowing the viewer to see that activities like this can also bring back buried traumas is a really interesting way to show how trauma, no matter how pushed aside, can come back with a vengeance due to something else, even if it’s unrelated at first glance. Jack’s anger and words trigger the memory for Elle of what she endured, rattling her physically and emotionally in a way that might go unnoticed, but is always there. Pearson was dynamic in this, and both actors showed off a physical and emotional range in their performances that is tough to accomplish. With a tough but necessary message adding to that, it’s easy to see why this has been such a well received film.
The Part – Derek Shane Garcia writes and directs this film starring Aidan Sank that brings out a lot of familiar feelings for those of us who have had to wait to hear important news. While waiting to hear about being cast in a part that could be life-changing, the actor stands on the streets of New York, on the phone, pacing, doing anything to occupy his time until the call arrives. It’s something that can really be connected with, as while not everyone is an actor, they have had to wait on news that would have a massive impact on them, and watching the actor handle that in-between period is something that felt very familiar. Great work by Sank, who really brought everything to this one-person piece. And great work to Garcia as well for helping to write and direct something that feels both foreign and familiar all at the same time.
Love Sick – Directed by Lynnsey Ooten and written by J. Sibley Law, this short based on the Edgar Allan Poe tale “The Facts In The Case of M. Valdemar”, this film is a bittersweet one, as it interprets the Poe work as a noir tale of two women and the love they share but dare not truly express. This intimacy is expressed as one, a dying woman is treated by the other, the only doctor who actually believes her illness to be real. This is a film that is beautiful and haunting, shot in a black and white noir style that is perfectly fitting for this story. Starring Amanda Ferguson and Jeanette Bonner, this film was a major standout at this month’s screening for its atmosphere and stellar storytelling.
Breakup Text – From writer/director Elizabeth Baudoiun comes the story of Milla and Evie, a couple that for all intents and purposes, looks to be on the right track towards a happy life together. Despite allusions to a complicated past, the two women seem to be making it work, until Milla comes home to find the engagement ring that belonged to Evie, along with the key to their shared home, on a table with no explanation. This pattern of getting together and breaking up seems to be the norm with the two of them, but when Evie will only respond to Milla’s need for an explanation with a text message, it sends Milla on an emotional journey of grief and loss as she grieves the end of a volatile but important relationship. It’s a powerful and heartbreaking story, one that shows the power of love, and the void it causes when it leaves. Natalie Shirinian and Amanda Grace Jenkins play Milla and Evie, respectively, and while Shirinian is the main focus of the film, the impact that Jenkins’ character leaves in the wake of their departure is large. Shirinian especially shows the true range of emotional grief in this film, from shock, to anger, to desperate and all-consuming sadness. It’s a feeling that so many can identify with, but one that is always hard to see or to go through yourself. That being said, it’s delivered perfectly by all involved, and well-crafted by Baudouin, who brings us a powerful and engaging piece of queer storytelling.
And for our main attraction, here’s the fantastic feature film Scrap, written and directed by Vivian Kerr.
Sometimes, films take you on a journey. And most of the time, it’s the not journey that you expected. That was my experience with Vivian Kerr’s Scrap, a film that she wrote, directed and starred in. Kerr plays Beth, a down-on-her-luck single mom, who after getting laid off, is living in her car and lying about it to her brother Ben (Anthony Rapp, who is positively excellent in this) while he and his wife Stacy (Lana Parrilla) let Beth’s daughter Birdy stay with them.
This web of lies, both blatant and of omission, continue to complicate the relationship between Beth and Ben, which already had plenty of them. As Beth navigates trying to find work, housing, a new lease on life, and maybe even new relationships, problem after problem arises, causing her house of cards to fall in on itself when the truth is finally revealed.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started watching this film, but I know that whatever that amorphous idea was, it wasn’t what I got once the credits rolled. And by no means is that meant to be derogatory. A film that in a typical formula would see once successful Beth regain footing in her chosen career, perhaps even with the one who got away (or in this case, basically abandoned her after finding out she was pregnant) and find herself back on solid ground once again. We only kind of get that here, with Beth finding something much different than the life as a busy PR Manager that she once led, though one that at least in the glimpses we got, seem more fulfilling.
I think that path is a good one for Kerr to make, because it gets to what I think is the heart of the story: that what someone like Beth, who is in this transition period of her life, really needs is a support system. The love and support of her brother, that parental bond with her daughter, and the slow build of trust and care from her sister-in-law, a relationship that started off poorly, got worse, and is slowly digging itself out of that hole are what Beth really needed, and that her stubborn desire for self-reliance was only getting in the way of her happiness.
The good stories always seem to have that kind of journey. The kind where we watch someone struggling, and by the end, see them changed and in a better place. We do get that here, even if the roads it took were not what was initially expected. Kerr, Rapp, Parrilla and Julianna Layne (the young actress playing Birdy) were all sensational, with Kerr and Rapp, the two who were in the film the most, really striking me as standouts.
All of this is a long way to saying this was a wonderful film, one that leaves lingering emotions. It has a beautiful family dynamic, some great bits of humor and a sensibility that really shows the skills of everyone involved. Especially Vivian Kerr, who did so much to make this film a reality. It was an obvious labor of love, and one that all who worked on it should be proud of.
That’ll do it for this month! Thanks for reading, and be sure to check out all these films, either in person or on BitPix!
BITPIX TV News 