FEMALE DIRECTORS HALF OF FAFF 2019

FEMALE DIRECTORS HALF OF FAFF 2019
51 Films From 19 Countries - Several World Premieres

(MAY 21, 2019 Los Angeles, CA) Cate Blanchett plays 13 unique characters in 'Manifesto', together with 51 films from 19 countries at the 6th Annual Fine Arts Film Festival, to be held May 24-26, 2019. FAFF 2019 begins at Beyond Baroque Theater in Venice on Friday and Saturday, and continues at ViCA/The Loft in San Pedro on Sunday, May 26. A few days ago, the FAFF 2019 staff realized that half the films in the festival are helmed by woman. "Our Marketing and Sponsors Director pointed it out to me just the other day. The fact that it happened organically, simply by our eminent judges focusing on the best films, is one of the coolest things about this fact."

Films from around the world will be featured, many in their Premiere at this year's FAFF, featuring profiles of renowned artists such as John Van Hamersveldt, Kokoschka and Botero, subjects such as diverse as art forgotten and discovered, art and madness, gentrification, politics, the Cold War, a history of lithographs from India depicting Shiva, comedy, tragedy, famous and infamous art, music, dance and performance world figures will be presented in this not-to-be-missed 3 day festival.

FAFF 2019 will present Official Selections and Awards of Virtual Reality films at Creative Technology Center at the Brewery Annex in early June, with details to be announced very shortly.

FULL SCHEDULE AND TICKETS

The Festival is dedicated to presenting the finest new and rare films about art around the world - in the western capital of the art world. The films — narratives, documentaries, experimental, and hybrid genres — tell stories about how art is made, how artists survive, how they think and work, and what makes creativity our most important skill, and creativity our best hope for mankind.

“We are very proud to be screening so many great, rare, and never-before-seen films, and are proud to be working with fine filmmakers from around the world. Films about art and creativity are always a labor of love, and the film and art worlds have always intertwined. It's easily forgotten how much blood, sweat, and tears go into the work we do. We expect this festival will amaze audiences with intelligent, cutting edge, eloquent, passionate and fun films. Many of these films will never be available to be seen anywhere else, certainly not on Netflix. We have several exciting announcements planned for coming days and don't forget the amazing VR section we have lined up as well!” says Juri Koll, Director of the Festival, and of the Venice Institute of Contemporary Art (ViCA), which produces the Festival as part of it's exhibition programs.

The Saturday program will culminate with red carpet arrivals (7:30pm), a screening of Manifesto, and Awards Presentations that night beginning at 9:30pm. Musical performances will follow the Awards Ceremony Saturday nigh. The Sunday program will culminate with an Audience Award Presentation at 8:30pm.

Sponsors past and present include Beyond Baroque, 4 Brothers Wine Co., Flake, and many others.

For Press Inquiries call 310-957-7037 or email juri@veniceica.org.
For Marketing and Sponsorships email Christy Addis at christy@thefineartsfilmfestival.com
Go to the Fine Arts Film Festival website for further information. Instagram @fineartsfilmfestival and @veniceica.

Did you know we have a feature documentary about long-distance truck drivers? Yes, we do! Here is the description, it is scheduled to screen Friday afternoon May 24:

"The Drive: 6 Days 4392km 3000yuan" (China/US) Doc/Experimental/Student

An insightful, daring film - in story, structure and technique - of a cross-country journey of a truck and its driver transporting a cargo of commodities from a small town in southeast China to Lhasa, Tibet. An authentic look into a vital part of daily life in China. Director: Naixin Xu

--"The Drive" is directed by a woman, not only that, but HALF of the films selected for the festival are directed by women!

FAFF 2019 Tickets Available Here:

https://www.veniceica.org/films

Theater review: ‘To Quiet the Quiet’

Play examines loss — and not quietly

• By Connie Shakalis Special to the H-T
 
• May 11, 2019 Updated 12 hrs 

The man on my left liked it; so did much of the audience Friday night at Bloomington Playwrights Projects’ “To Quiet the Quiet,” by Christy Hall. It’s a psychological thriller full of foreshadowing and suspense, with a surprise ending, which ‘ll try hard not to spoil.
Direction (David Anspaugh) and acting are some of the best I’ve ever seen at BPP. Playing main character, 62-year-old Kathy, is Priscilla Barnes, who is a gift to Bloomington. She runs the gamut of emotions without, even once, “acting,” and to see and hear her is to attend a master class in theater.
Scott Van Wye, one of my favorites in any show he’s in, is almost wasted in his supporting role as Quinn.
In fact, the play is practically a one-woman show, with Quinn and Kathy’s husband, Todd (Anspaugh, in his first acting role), written in to clarify the plot and to let us understand Kathy.
It’s Kathy’s show, her story. I can’t say much, because to do so ruins the surprise, but I will say I’ve known two women recently who have gone through a similar experience, and I wonder if, without their families and social networks, they might have ended up as Kathy does.
In “To Quiet the Quiet” we witness grief, disappointment, loss, infidelity, imagination, depression, revenge, despair and guilt. There’s more, but these are the main points.
Anspaugh gives Todd such tenderness that I didn’t mind not being quite able to hear his words to Kathy. I could feel his ache for her and for his past decisions. He embodies every needy person’s “safe person.”
But, speaking of needy persons, the script is just too packed with needy, wronged, damaged Kathy and her ramblings. Fine, if she had gone on for 20 minutes, but an hour and 20 seemed too much of the same. Also, there were opportunities for comic relief, of which Hall didn’t take advantage. Another wordy, repetitive script. If I ‘d heard about that salad one more time I might have screamed.
Good thing Anspaugh was able to convince Barnes to fly in from L.A. to do the part, because without her (and Anspaugh’s) skill, I might have ended up as she does.
Foreshadowing is a favorite of mine, and Hall gives us plenty: Quinn’s reaction to his mother’s name being mentioned; Kathy’s revulsion at Todd’s selling their home to a family with six children; Kathy’s line “I don’t explode anymore.”
But the ending-with-a-twist disappointed me; I like a plot hearty enough to stand on its own without the need for an audience-shocker finale. I thought this had gone out of style.
Joel Watson’s sound design added fine points of sadness and what’s-to-come? music.
David Wade’s (set design) kitchen is a delight.
Just because this is not on my see-again list doesn’t mean I’m not dying to know what other audience members think. I noticed faces Friday night that showed distinct differences: glowing and confused. How will yours look?

Priscilla Barnes: 

Star of TV and Film Performing in B-town

Apr 30, 2019 | Arts & Entertainment, Web Exclusives

BY PETER DORFMAN

Actress Priscilla Barnes is directed by David Anspaugh in To Quiet the Quiet on stage at the Bloomington Playwrights Project, 107 West 9th St. The psychological thriller, by playwright and screenwriter Christy Hall, opens May 10.

Barnes, best known for work in film and television including her portrayal of the character Magda in the CW Network series Jane the Virgin, plays a woman who gradually loses her mind as the play progresses. The producers are evasive about the plot of the one-act, Woodward/Newman Drama Award–winning play. Audiences are asked not to reveal too much of the darkly comic plot and are cautioned that the show features language and violent scenes unsuitable for children.

Anspaugh came out of a brief retirement to direct To Quiet the Quiet, which represents his own acting debut. Barnes is perhaps best known for her years on the TV comedy Three’s Company. The cast also includes Scott Van Wye, who Anspaugh directed in Spring Awakening in 2017.

For tickets and more information, visit newplays.org.