wins big for ‘Dogtown & Z-Boys’ The Other Venice Film Festival honors locals
By Daily Press staff
One of the original Z Boys got a nod last week from his peers in his old stomping grounds for his work in capturing what was once known as “Dogtown,” the skate-boarding and surf Mecca of Southern California.
Filmmaker Stacy Peralta was just one of many honored at The Other Venice Film Festival, a community event dedicated to screening full-length, short and animated films that embody the spirit, energy and diversity of Venice. The festival celebrated its second season March 18-20 with repeat sell-out crowds.
Opening night celebrated the “mockumentary” form, with the world premiere of the short film “Icetown” and “M-Boys,” a send-up of Santa Monica resident Peralta’s “Dogtown & Z-Boys,” directed by Venice local Patrick Masson, which went on to win the Audience Choice Abbot Award.
A special screening of Zak Penn’s “Incident” at Loch Ness starring legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog was followed by a question and answer session with Penn, Herzog, cast member Michael Karnow and co-producer and Venice-local Gary Marcus.
On Saturday night, a packed house watched Peralta’s big wave surf documentary “Riding Giants” and participated in a question and answer session with the director and his editing partner, the ACE Award-winning Paul Crowder. Peralta was then presented with a Local Maverick Spotlight Abbot Award, named after Venice founding father, Abbot Kinney, from actor and Venice local Chris Mulkey, the 2004 recipient.
“It’s always great coming back home to Venice, especially to receive an award like this,” Peralta said. “It’s even got Abbot Kinney etched on it.”
The Most Excellent Feature Abbot Award went to “Road Kings,” directed by Detdich McClure of Hollywood and produced by Dan Halperin of Santa Monica. The Los Angeles Times called it “wrenching and vital Easy Rider update an explosive winner.”
Starring Glenn Plummer and featuring music by Snoop Dogg, ODB, Nate Dogg and Mystic, “Road Kings” will be available on DVD from Lion’s Gate Films on March 29, along with the soundtrack from Liquid8 Records out in May.
“It was a great pleasure to be a part of The Other Venice Film Festival,” Halperin said. “In an expanding world of film festivals, the Other Venice Film Festival feels like home — home the way you want it to be, comfortable, efficient and way cool. How cool is it to capture the essence of Venice, California?”
At the festival’s first music video competition late Saturday night, fans used up all the seats and floor space to watch 15 music videos, including the world premieres of “Revolution” by popular local band Sugarbitch and Fluid Dream from Thievery Corporation.
The highly anticipated film “Lords of Dogtown,” which will be released by Sony on June 3, was the topic of Sunday’s panel discussion: “From Doc To Drama: Lords of Dogtown,” moderated by festival co-founder AJ Peralta (no relation to Stacy Peralta). The event was the first time that the creative forces behind the film, and its inspiration, spoke together in public about the making of the project in the town where it all began. Participating in the panel were “Dogtown & Z-Boys” director Peralta who wrote the “Lords of Dogtown” screenplay; the film’s director, Venice local Catherine Hardwicke; original Dogtown Z-Boy skater Tony Alva and production designer Chris Gorak.
Winning the Audience Choice Abbot Award in the feature film category was “Naked Brown Men,” directed by and starring the Basco Brothers (Dante, Darion, Derek and Dion) and Adam G of Hollywood.
The “infectious, rowdy comedy,” as described by the Los Angeles Times, features the Bascos “playing Filipino American actor brothers who share a house while pursuing their careers, women and good times.”
The Most Excellent Short Abbot Award went to director Tao Ruspoli of Venice for “Just Say Know,” his documentary on three generations of opium addiction. Ruspoli is the founder of LAFCO, the Los Angeles Filmmakers Cooperative, a radical experiment in nomadic and communal creativity.
More than 40 filmmakers showed their work at this year’s festival, up from 17 during the sell-out inaugural 2004 season. The festival was held at two screening locations in Venice — The Electric Lodge and Switch Studios — where the new Avant- Garde/Experimental Film Series took place, programmed by film-maker Marianne Magne of Venice. A party was held each night of the festival in celebration of the 2005 Venice Centennial.
Just some of the local artists who supported the 2005 Other Venice Film Festival include: Lori Petty, actress and artist, whose work was on display at the Electric Lodge throughout the festival (see www.lawdknows.com for more information); local bands The Dragonfly Project and Sugarbitch, who both gave live performances; DJs Vordo, Jean-Paul Jumonville and Wiseacre, who each spun on a different night at festival parties; and electronic musicians Steve Nalepa and Sariah Storm, who provided live video art and music at the opening night party.
Event organizers say Venice has always been an epicenter for LA artists and filmmakers who continue to pave the way toward expanding the language of underground, alternative cinema. The Other Venice Film Festival bridges the community of Venice and that of greater Los Angeles together in a competitive, fun-filled weekend of movies and mayhem. For more information on The Other Venice Film Festival, go to www.veniceOfilmfest.com.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 25, 2005. Read the original PDF.