Accidental Art is now also an Official Selection to the GULF FILM FESTIVAL in Dubai, as in United Arab Emirates. In April, this little movie will have its first international screening. There’s even a chance they might pay yours truly to once again visit the Middle East. I miss the desert, the sun, and the sand. I suspect I might get even more international selections to festivals as the months come, but you never really know.
I saw another local feature film on the big screen yesterday. BEST SUPPORTING DADDY from Mark Cummings, a Columbus filmmaker’s first feature he produced, wrote and starred in. Aside from William Lee, the Hightowers, and now Mark, the African American community is largely under represented in our film community in Central Ohio. It warms my heart to see more people doing things. The crowd was almost sold out at Studio 35 and this was the ENCORE screening for Mark. Congrats, man.
I helped him out a little by recommending the WDTV media player so he could screen in High Def, instead of regular DVD. Now it looks like this might help several future screenings for other filmmakers doing screenings too, as I highly recommend this as the media player for screenings. It’s far more reliable than an optical disc, especially Blu Ray burnable discs. Ruth Lang and her OSU Reel Buckeye alums are doing a screening in a week or two also.
I have mixed feelings towards the Columbus film community as a whole right now. I am a “glass is half full” kind of guy. Even when I see technical problems in people’s filmmaking, I’m a big believer in being encouraging and not a film critic, unless asked or forced into it. The other school of thought, as I have oft mentioned, is the school of hard knocks and harsh criticisms so that people get better. There is a 3rd way, and probably the most prevalent in Central Ohio, is to say nice things to their face, then trash them behind their backs as if everyone but themselves are scum or unworthy. I don’t say anything behind someone’s back I wouldn’t say to their face, much to my reputations detriment.
I am becoming more jaded and cynical about organizations for film and the interpersonal politics therein. I am less and less interested in doing things “for” the community. I have not decided on the future of the Cowtown Film Series, or if organizing such events are worth my time. I see other people having levels of success entirely on their own and that is encouraging for everyone. I think they are more successful on the short term because they are people reaching out to their entire circle of influence and caring. Perhaps short films, even a collective of such, don’t evoke that kind of passion.
Or maybe I associate with the less-impassioned types. I am just very encouraged by the successes of people doing film in Columbus and the attendance at their screenings, nonetheless the volume therein. Even when these people are on the fringes or uninvolved in the various communities and groups, we are all still here for each other. I found it odd that I was entirely alone in the screening today from any single person from any of the film groups in attendance. I show my support by attending screenings, but that might be the extent of my support for a while.
Time will tell. I have to dedicate myself to a few projects for a bit. Speaking of which….
Refractory from Peter John Ross on Vimeo.
