Beverly Hills Shorts Festival Announces Eclectic Line Up

The 2006 Beverly Hills Shorts Festival Announces Eclectic Assortment of Short Narrative Films and Documentaries

Back in the 30’s and 40’s, it was common place for short films to screen before the feature presentation: cartoons for kiddie movies, newsreels and live action shorts for adults. In the 60’s and 70’s the popularity of the short film format began to lag and became obsolete; taken over by flashy film trailers and more recently commercials.
However, the latest digital media developments, wireless/mobile technologies and the boom in the video content market have resurrected the short films.

In the last couple of years, the marketplace for short films has enjoyed a sustained period of growth and has paved the way for highly creative filmmakers delivering innovative, cutting-edge and provocative shorts.

This week, Beverly Hills will play host to the first edition of the Beverly Hills Shorts festival opening February 24th and continuing through February 26th.
From a total of more than 550 submissions from around the world, the festival selected 34 engaging films, an eclectic collection of short comedies, mockumentaries, dramas, animated stories, documentaries, and musical comedies.

Honoring 38 independent filmmakers and a host of acclaimed actors, from Tony Shalhoub to Tom Hanks, this diverse showcase of creativity, passion, and humor will be held at two Beverly Hills venues, the elegant Fine Arts Theatre and the prestigious Wilshire Screening Room & Gallery.
Shorts aficionados will be treated to six distinct shorts programs over the course of the weekend.

The three-day event will culminate in an awards ceremony on Sunday night, during which a panel of judges will honor the best short narratives and documentaries. The panel consists of such intriguing filmmakers as director John Gulager (recently featured in the third installment of Project Greenlight), producer Darin Scott (who was behind such films as To Sleep with Anger, Menace II Society, and The Brothers), actor Clu Gulager (known for his work in such classics as the 1964 film noir The Killers and the 1971 drama The Last Picture Show), and Kenneth J. Hall (writer of Puppet Master, director of The Halfway House, and owner of Total Fabrication Effects Shop).


Stephanie RONNET



FILMS SCREENED AT THE BERVERLY HILLS SHORTS FESTIVAL
-- FEB. 24th - 26th, 2006 --
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"At a Loss" - Directed by Adam Lipsius - Narrative : PROGRAM #1

A beautiful devil offers a balding man follicle redemption in exchange for his soul.

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"That Guy" - Directed by Dash Mihok - Narrative : PROGRAM #5

An oddly comedic short about a jealous assistant who tries to tear down his celebrity boss that nobody remembers. Who is That Guy anyway?
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"Beyond Blue: Mankind's Deepest Dive" - Directed by Elena Konstantinou - Doc : PROGRAM #2

More men have been to the moon than have dived below 300 meters. There can be neither a rescue nor a body recovery if something goes wrong for Nuno Gomes at the ultimate depth. He hopes not only to break diving's world record -- but also to survive it.

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"VAN STONE: Tour of Duty" - Directed by Troy Miller - Narrative : PROGRAM #6

Van Stone - a wannabe rock band from Palmdale CA - gets booked for a tour of duty in Afghanistan. Their 'music' though is to aid the army in clearing insurgents.

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"Voicemail" - Directed by Michael Wilde - Narrative : PROGRAM #1

A voyeuristic peek into the life of a single guy, captured through the lens of his voicemail.

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"Maybe It's in the Water" - Directed by Randy Zisk - Narrative : PROGRAM #4

Tony Shalhoub stars in the story of boy from Mesquite Tx the day he realizes he likes girls and has no one to turn to except for his demolition derby driving father.

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"Terminal" - Directed by Renie Oxley - Narrative : PROGRAM #3

A young married woman makes a harrowing decision to leave her abusive husband.

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"Yellow Hammer" - Directed by Paco Farias & Matthew Waynee - Narrative : PROGRAM #5

How far would you go to pass a drug test? Mitch Makowski, a third-string wrestler, finally gets the call to play. Unfortunately for him, it comes after a night of illegal substances.

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"Intelligence" - Directed by Allen Martinez - Narrative : PROGRAM #3

After discovering secret details of detainees tortured at Guantanamo Bay, COLLIN (Milo Ventimiglia) , a young, cocky reporter returns to the US, via Miami, to interview a hot lead. Only to find a man, who has more 'intelligence than Collin had imagined.

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"Helium" - Directed by Tom Ayers - Narrative : PROGRAM #6

News Broadcast of a Blimp Crash. Oh, the humanity!

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"ZOMBIE PROM" - Directed by Vince Marcello - Narrative : PROGRAM # 6

ZOMBIE PROM is a 1950s horror comic book brought to life as a musical comedy - a rollicking, romp through America’s “Atomic Age” and the Golden Age of horror comic books.

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"NOCTURNE" - Directed by Justin Rhodes - Narrative : PROGRAM #3

A man with a disease that won't let him sleep must confront his greatest fear and greatest love when sleep deprivation makes his dreams real.

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"Tristan McDougherty" - Directed by Rich Fortinberry - Narrative : PROGRAM #4

Fifteen year-old Tristan had a catalog life, or at least it looked like it. Then, along came two new friends, staring at Tristan like rebels on prozac. Tristan’s stare back begins a wild ride to some surprising discoveries.

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"Dear Sweet Emma" - Directed by John Cernak - Narrative : PROGRAM #5

Unbeknownst to all, Emma has an uncontrollable dark side.

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"Renee Turns 40" - Directed by Michael Irpino - Narrative : PROGRAM #5

A woman tries to throws herself a 40th birthday party and all hell breaks loose.

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"Balloon Animals" - Directed by Michael Karbelnikoff - Narrative : PROGRAM #4

The improbable collision of two souls at opposite ends of their lives in Los Angeles. When a weary entertainer and a searching stripper meet, they find the meaning that's eluded them.

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"Mr. Tempest Is Here..." - Directed by Jeff Coatney - Narrative : PROGRAM #6

When Dan Tempest goes looking for a job, the interviewers run for the exit. Is he crazy, or has Mr. Tempest finally found his calling? Showing up with the kind of skills Dan Tempest has demonstrated, could cause the wrong people to sit up and take notice. It invites the question, 'Who's running the show?'

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"Lucid" - Directed by Sam Friedlander - Narrative : PROGRAM #3

Lucid is the story of two men, Case and Drake, who share one consciousness, connected by their dreams. When Case starts to experiment in his dreams, he soon realizes the consequences are real. Soon, the two meet, and they must reckon with their unique situation.

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"Lucky" - Directed by Nash Edgerton - Narrative : PROGRAM #3

Lucky finds himself in a bind – and he’s going to have to pull more than a Houdini act to get himself out of this one.

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"Imaginary Friend" - Directed by Claire Thomas - Narrative : PROGRAM #5

The only thing worse than your first love not knowing you exist is not existing at all.

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"Why Shakespeare?" - Directed by Lawrence Bridges - Doc : PROGRAM #2

An Inspirational Documentary showing how live theatre is decisive in changing people's lives. This documentary shows the importance of theatre and Skakespeare through interviews with kids who live in communities affluent with gangs and testimonials from many successful actors such as Tom Hanks, William Shatner, Martin Sheen, Michael York, Bill Pullman, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Christina Applegate among others.

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"Common Practice" - Directed by Marcos Efron - Narrative : PROGRAM #1

A young boy’s unique gift brings his working class Latino neighborhood together in unexpected ways.

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"The Day of the Grackle" - Directed by Michael Berry - Narrative : PROGRAM #6

A mild-mannered man’s world is invaded by a ferocious, territorial bird, thrusting him into an escalating, action-filled battle that inadvertently transforms his life into something far beyond his dreams.

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"The Mirror" - Directed by Phil Allocco - Narrative : PROGRAM #3

One bar. One night. Three desperate lives collide.

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"Broken" - Directed by Danica McKellar - Narrative : PROGRAM #1

A dark and beautiful fantasy of a woman who would do anything to mend her broken heart...
...Anything

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"Space Chase" - Directed by Daniel Duncan & Jonathan Pearson - Narrative : PROGRAM #1

'Space Chase' is a fast-paced short film from Catsnake Studios. Our hero and heroine become locked in a frantic race using elements of Parkour to reach their goal.

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"Back To Life" - Directed by Samantha Reynolds - Doc : PROGRAM #2

BACK TO LIFE follows the journey of filmmaker Samantha Reynolds as she explores the world of taxidermy and the people who are involved in it.

Using the art of taxidermy as a backdrop, the film delves deeply into an examination of the human-animal bond, particularly our relationship with our pets, and demonstrates how our furry friends can affect our fragile lives.

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"Caught in Paint" - Directed by Rita Blitt - Doc : PROGRAM #2

'Caught in Paint' captures painter/sculptor Rita Blitt painting on transparent surfaces while the David Parsons Dance Co. dance in mid-air thru the painting imitating Blitt's paint strokes. Photographer Lois Greenfield shoots dynamic stills during process.

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"KAMEA" - Directed by Jennifer Akana-Sturla - Narrative : PROGRAM #4

A mystical, Hawaiian, coming-of-age story about a shy Hawaiian girl who finds direction from the spirit of surf legend Duke Kahanamoku.

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"My Saraab" - Directed by Sarna Lapine - Doc : PROGRAM #2

In Arabic the word saraab means mirage, often used as a metaphor for survival in the midst of war. Political refugee Sabah Al-Dhaher returns home to Iraq: confronted with his past and the loss of hope, Sabah seeks solace through painting and carving in a world torn asunder by war.

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"Paper Thin Walls" - Directed by Justin Warias- Narrative : PROGRAM #5

The paper thin walls of the local motel lead to series of unfortunate events for a crime scene cleaner and one of the motels cleaning staff.

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"A Knight Film" - Directed by Christyan Lundblad Thomsen, Morten Seung Enevoldsen & Jakob Worre Foged - Narrative : PROGRAM #1

A knight sets out to find himself a queen before his 30th birthday, but finds out that love can appear in unexpected sizes...

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"Amateur" - Directed by Joshua Adler - Narrative : PROGRAM #5

With the help of his two best friends, Shawn Kline, an enterprising young man from Brentwood, borrows 3,000 dollars from his sister's Bat Mitzvah fund to make an Amateur Porn film in Las Vegas, only to find he's in way over his head.

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"Rose" - Directed by Mike Murphy- Narrative : PROGRAM #1

Rose tells the story of a young single woman who works in a flower shop on the worst day of the year to be dateless....Valentines Day. Will the mysterious man she keeps flirting with show up to sweep her off her feet or simply wilt away?