Aarrh, Pirates!
Those of you who have arrived here by way of my brothers' blogs will be aware that they had a screenplay accepted as a finalist in the Duke City Shootout, a film festival in which the finalists get one week in which to shoot and edit, by totally digital means, a short film. Jer and fuego's screenplay, "Pirates of the White Sand," won the Federico Fellini award for best international submission, and so they've spent the past week making their dream into reality. This evening (OK, well, it's officially yesterday by now) was the screening and awards ceremony. As far as I know, they're still out celebrating, so most likely you heard it first from me.
Allow me first to say that they were up against some really stiff competition. All of the films were excellent. Among the competitors were a film in which a biker makes a deal with the Devil and gets the better of him, a comedy that totally nails the angst of an insecure middle-school girl and then gives her nemesis the ultimate comeuppance, and a mini-film-noir about a young woman using shady means to bring down a corrupt senator.
I'll allow Jer to publish details on his blog, but for the short skinny, "Pirates of the White Sand" got two of the big awards. Miguel, who played the pirate captain Moab, got Best Actor. And the film itself got the Audience Award.
It's like the Academy Awards -- a comedy almost never wins Best Picture. As soon as the other dramatic film was announced as a runner-up, I knew "Miss Liberty" was going to get Best Picture. And it deserved it. There was a whole lot of good acting, and the music underlying the picture was compelling. That music had a whole lot to do with why I liked the picture.
Still, "Pirates" was a whole lot of fun. I'm looking forward to hosting a screening party at Five O'Clock Somewhere.
Allow me first to say that they were up against some really stiff competition. All of the films were excellent. Among the competitors were a film in which a biker makes a deal with the Devil and gets the better of him, a comedy that totally nails the angst of an insecure middle-school girl and then gives her nemesis the ultimate comeuppance, and a mini-film-noir about a young woman using shady means to bring down a corrupt senator.
I'll allow Jer to publish details on his blog, but for the short skinny, "Pirates of the White Sand" got two of the big awards. Miguel, who played the pirate captain Moab, got Best Actor. And the film itself got the Audience Award.
It's like the Academy Awards -- a comedy almost never wins Best Picture. As soon as the other dramatic film was announced as a runner-up, I knew "Miss Liberty" was going to get Best Picture. And it deserved it. There was a whole lot of good acting, and the music underlying the picture was compelling. That music had a whole lot to do with why I liked the picture.
Still, "Pirates" was a whole lot of fun. I'm looking forward to hosting a screening party at Five O'Clock Somewhere.
posted by Carol Anne | 2:37 AM
5 Comments:
Lady Liberty was OK, I guess, but certainly not my favorite. (Note to self: Nonlinear script next year.)
I really enjoyed Cowboys and Indians. Fantastic pacing gave a feel for rural new mexico, although SUV bitch was overplayed. I would like to see the director's cut of that one - there were some good bits I saw during casting that didn't make the festival version. A good lesson for us: Cut whole scenes rather than try to speed up scenes to fit them all in.
I, too, thought "Cowboys and Indians" was great. Having worked with Tony Hillerman, the script judge for that category, I could easily see why he would love the script, and the feel of it -- sort of a New Mexico version of Northern Exposure -- was delicious. The Indian was especially good.
We will have time next week to get in and re-cut the film, plus we might be actually getting the computer that we used to edit, that would allow us to get to work sooner. I guess what I am saying is that we sould wait until we at least fix the audio problems until the screening...
I sort of wonder if Lady got brownie points for "political ambitiousness". I too like Cowboys & Indians and I liked Confessions -- too bad comedies don't get taken seriously? The girl who played Rose in confessions really projected a lot of personality and character. (A perhaps wierd personal opinion is that I might have tried to pass her off as a gymnast instead of a trackster, but that's me.)
Take your time getting the final cut perfect. Besides, all of your friends and relatives will need to plan ahead to come for the screening, so if it's further in the future, they can plan vacation time, air tickets, or whatever else they need.
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