Dances with Films Festival celebrate Sweet Sixteen Birthday

Ron Gilbert

Now in the 16^th year of celebrating Independent Films and Filmmakers, the film program is outstanding. This film festival is what the Sundance Film Festival used to be. The Founders of Dances with Films Leslee Scanlon and Michael Trent has made this into a highly rated film festival. As an audience member, filmmaker and film reviewer, I cannot express how excited I am to be invited to this event. There is so much to discuss regarding storylines, production values, acting and they run the gamut of exceptional quality. Many of the films are either World Premieres or West Coast premieres or the energy runs abound in the lobby of the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood just footprints away from the stars of yesterday and today. In a way it like a family affair and the theatres are packed with friends, cast members and the rest of the production crew. I will list what has happened in the last 6 days so that this will whet your appetite to attend the remaining days and nights

The Opening night documentary film “Miss You Can Do It”, chronicles Abbey Curran, Miss Iowa USA 2008 and the first woman with a disability to compete at the Miss USA Pageant, and appearing on this special night were the stars, director Ron Davis producer Clay Westervelt whose baby daughter made her red carpet debut.

On Friday night, the film program “Down Beat”: A Collection of Music and Dance put you into a happy mood. The feature program continued with the feature films “Phin”, “Waking”,”Down and Dangerous” and “American Idiot”.

On Saturday, the program began at 10 AM with the film” With No Regrets “: A Dancing Man’s Journey followed by more competition shorts and a feature film program with “Mile..Mile & A Half”, “This thing with Sarah “,”Automotive” and “Chastity Bites”.

On Sunday, Competition 3 shorts followed by the documentary “Tumor, It’s in the System” which is a must see film about alternative cures to cancer. Competition shorts 4 and the feature films,” Cement Suitcase” and “Channeling”.

On Monday, the panels began with “Publicity and the Indie Film” which is a very important factor in getting your film out there in the marketplace. The film program continued with Fusion Shorts Group 1 followed by the film, “Reach” and “How to Follow a Stranger”

On Tuesday ,another panel: Casting Summit :Facing Facts followed by  the feature film ,”Broken Glass”, Fusion Shorts 2 and the films  “Murt Ramirez Wants to Kick my Ass “and “US”

On Wednesday, the Powerhouse Panel  opened the day with another screening of “Waking “,then Fusion shorts Group 3  followed by the highly anticipated World Premiere of the feature film “Emoticon :) “by director Livia De Paolis and City Baby

So that is what has happened in the 6 days and there are 4 more days to this festival. So take a stroll on Hollywood Boulevard past the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre where the stars footprints are and see the stars of tomorrow.

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