When the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival first began, I was lucky enough to be invited on the ground floor to participate. It’s remained one of my favorite events to cover for several reasons. The intimacy makes networking easy. The devotion and passion of craft of comedy is fostered. The industry big wigs they get are impressive, yet approachable. And well, the shorts are just funny!
Additionally, each year the annual Famous People Talking About Sh#t panel provides insight into bo...
Admit it, you’ve asked yourself that age-old question, “if stranded on a desert island, with whom would I care to be stuck?”
The obvious clichés come to mind: George Clooney, Halle Berry, or someone who’d fit the “tall and worth the climb” description. Sure they’re pretty, but one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever met is the incomparable Miss Lynne Stewart.
Stewart stars in “BINGO NIGHT,” a comedic short film by Jo...
The LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival is the brainchild of Gary Anthony Williams, Jeannie Roshar, Ryan Higman and Kelly Frazier. Unlike many festivals, they’ve stayed true to their vision of an intimate festival that cultivates talent and provides realistic opportunities for filmmakers. If you’re looking for other twisted brains while indulging in great beers and excellent food, this festival is the best!
One of the most appealing qualities of this festival is the ability to ne...
Don’t let the rumor, ‘NO ONE WAS ARRESTED,’ throw you. The LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival Opening Night Gala did NOT disappoint. Beers went down easy at the Angel City Brewery and people lined up to chat with the likes of Laraine Newman, Wendie Malick, Jon Huertas, Cedric Yarbrough and Jordan Black to name a few. Tasty morsels from Umami Burger and Cool Haus food trucks kept everyone happy. I didn’t get a chance to enjoy any of this because the Vegas-like heat mad...
Over the years, I'd had it. Having worked/volunteered for film festivals for more than a decade, it became increasingly clear that a cancer had reared its ugly head. The observation I made was nothing short of sycophant society hell bent on being seen and/or canoodling with some celebrity. To me, these over-stuffed bras, deluxe Botox, label wearing women and men show up at events like ugly girls accompanied to the prom by a paid-off neighbor. Everyone knows, but no one says anything.
I don&...
We’ve all know this guy. Mine was “Buck-Fifty Bob.” We’d met on the beach in Jupiter, Florida and immediately had something in common, I was minding my own business and he was too. Let me back track. As usual, my day/life was in the shitter and I’d decided to spend some retrospective time on the beach. It’s always been my place of refuge and solace. With miles of beach to be had this guy decides to get all up in my grill ignoring obvio...
Oh YES I Did! After months of holding back, tonight I walked right up to the Director of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and told him he was an asshole! I feel terrific!Stay tuned for the full story! ...
If you’re a woman and you hear adjectives like short and funny, immediately you think two things, that Kimmie Dee is hilarious and so is a man with a sock in his pants. You’d be right to laugh at both. A man show at a job site sans tool, almost nothing funnier or sadder. But add to that hit list of short and funny, sexy and monetarily endowed and you’ve just described the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival’s closing night festivities. Downtown LA’s Elevate Lounge hosted and LA...
Please forgive the spacing in the few previous posts. While I use a word processing software to write and then cut and paste each article, apparently, the translation is far from perfect and I've yet to figure it out. So no, I'm my grammar isn't atrocious, it's just misspaced. Apologies and I hope you can still enjoy the articles until I figure this shit out. Thank you!Kim ...
On the Actors Studio, James Lipton sits with a stack of 3,000 blue cardsand asks one guest, one question at a time. The entire production is quite civilized save for theoccasional tap dance or ballet stance. At LA Comedy Shorts FilmFestival, the scene is anything but civilized. First of all, the panelists are no-names and today’s groupwas no different. For instance,some guy named Wayne Brady, was there. Now I ax ya, who da hell is dis guy? They muttered something about him being ...
With the whole of LA being awash with red carpets, I’m surprised Moses hasn’t shown up. And yes, the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival has a carpet, well … it’s actually a runner, and yes it’s red, and yes celebrities stand on it and get their pictures taken albeit a much more intimate setting than some of those other snobby assed carpeted events. AND YES, I LIKE IT, MUCH, MUCH BETTER! There’s no security asshole the size of a building telling you you can’t talk to the ‘talent,’ ...
How many times have you seen something on the Internet andsaid to yourself, “I can do that and I can do it better?” Well, the LA Comedy Shorts FilmFestival hosted another kick ass panel discussing the ways to make a livingwith online content. “What?! I canmake money by posting shit on the Internet? Get the fuck outta here!” isprobably what you’re asking me right now. So read on future film/money maker! The panelists consisted of a unique collection of clients,suits and a middle-m...
Note To Self:by Kimberly Deisler The one thing I really love about the LA ComedyShorts Film Festival, well, there are many things, but in particular are thepanels. While I may have mentionedthis before it bears repeating because the panelists are the most honest,irreverent and hilarious. Youlearn a lot, you get it straight and you know exactly where you stand … in along line of other people trying to get jobs in the industry. The hunger of interest in the audience is palatableunlike...
Are you sick of politics? Weighted down in the quagmire of life? Sick and tired of being sick and tired? Or do you just have a shitty landlord like me? I've got the perfect solution. Los Angeles people and surrounding areas in need of therapeutic and comic relief, head to the Downtown Independent Theater for the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival. If you like looking at people's shorts this is the best opportunity to see them FREE! That's right! FREE COMEDY BLOCKS starting @ 2 AND again @ 4...
While this isn't as much a blog entry of cinematic interest, it will explain my being remiss for the past few weeks. When it rains, it TORNADOS!
In the past month, a culmination of insanity came to a head and we were forced to move from a place we’ve lived in for four years. (meaning, lots of crap to relocate.)
When I say ‘forced,’ I don’t mean by guns or big men with tree trunks for limbs, I mean our landlord made it abundantly clear in the language of finance, we were no...
If you’re reading this, chances are you know what to expect; smart-ass remarks, a turn of a phrase and a decent amount of cleverly placed sarcasm and profanity, which is why I so enjoy the Independent Spirit Awards. Spirited aptly describes the entire day from weather to wardrobe, from nominees to winners, from one open bar to the next with Jameson shots and Stella Artois chasers, some sponsor favorites among many a guest. But the flowing alcohol certainly wasn’t needed to loo...
When it rains it pours and that’s exactly what it’s doing right now, literally and figuratively. While I have no business complaining about weather because the rest of the country is neck deep in a winter from hell, I’m none too happy with the impending forecast for next Saturday’s outdoor event, especially as a press person. Standing the line is less than fun on the best days, let alone in the rain. That being said, if I have to, there is no other event I’d rather be doing it for...
In a month’s time, the east coast has been buried with enough snow to wear down even the “but-I-love-the-change-of-seasons” people. We’re barely a month in and already the winter has worn out it’s welcome, except in those other areas where winter seemingly has no bearing on mood or outcome. I’m talking about Park City, Utah, Santa Barbara and Hollywood, CA, where films and people are hotter than hot this time of year. I’m talking about the recent distribution of the Golden Gl...
There is absolutely no point is trying to convey the hilarity that just ensued at today’s panel “I Write, I Produce, Therefore I am.” Panelists Laura Kightlinger (SNL), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911, Night at the Museum 2), Robert Ben Garant (Reno 911, Balls of Fury), Linwood Boomer (Malcolm in the Middle), Rodney Barnes (Boondocks, Everybody Hates Chris) took their seats and all hell broke loose.
For starters, Executive Director Jeannie Roshar moderated the panel and when she asked, ...
It was 6:00 am, the sun was already blazing and it was gearing up to be a beautiful day in Valley Village, CA. Usually, I’d be bummed out what with having to spend the day inside working, but not today because today the Famous People Talkin’ About Sh*t panel was scheduled to insight and amuse at 11:00 am. And amuse it did!
On hand for imparting comic wisdom, improvisational exposition and general hilarity was Bob Odenkirk, (SNL, Breaking Bad, and too many more to mention...
It’s a little know fact that, when visiting Hearst Castle back in the day, David Niven was rumored to have said, “this is a lovely place to visit, the alcohol just flows like mud.” This is NOT the case at the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival, quite the contrary in fact. If laughter is the best medicine, Ventura Limoncello Cocktails are the elixir that helps the medicine go down and down its going!
Ventura Limoncello is making quite a name for itself and one of the biggest celebriti...
In all the panel discussions I’ve sat through in my life time, the panels at the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival are the best bar none. In part because of the industry professionals that are assembled but even more so because the audience members are serious about being silly.
Comics are an eclectic bunch but if generalizations are to be made, they’re a group of incredibly smart, talented, passionate people who take their art and craft to heart. One of the most nauseating aspects of...
We're here at the LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival and the house is already buzzing baby! In da house is Artistic Director Gary Anthony Williams, who you may remember from Boston Legal. The Executive Director Jeannie Roshar who I'm not on speaking terms with as she just had a baby and looks amazing! Who needs that? Believe me when I tell you, we'll not be in any photos together! Filmmakers have already begun bellying up to the bar and bending elbows for cocktail hour and the energy is amped....
