By Daily Press staff
The Other Venice Film Festival (OVFF), a community event dedicated to screening full-length, short and animated films that embody the spirit, energy and diversity of Venice, returns for its second season with three days of film screenings, panel discussions, local artists, parties and live music from Friday, March 18, through Sunday, March 20.
The 2005 festival packs more than twice the punch of the sell-out, inaugural 2004 season with the work of more than 40 filmmakers being highlighted — up from 17 in 2004 — two venues instead of one and a party every night in celebration of the Venice Centennial.
Opening night will celebrate the “mockumentary” form, with the world premiere of the short film “Icetown and M-Boys,” followed by Zak Penn’s “Incident at Loch Ness,” starring Werner Herzog and co-produced by local filmmaker Gary Marcus. A question-and-answer session with the filmmakers will follow, and an after party will complete the evening, with live DJs, libations and food from chefs of Venice. Local band, the Dragonfly Project, will kick the evening off with live music starting at 7 p.m.
On Saturday, the festival will celebrate “Dogtown-born” film-maker Stacy Peralta with a screening of his big-wave surf documentary “Riding Giants” at 7:30 p.m. Legendary surf rock band, The Mermen (www.mermen.net), will set the mood with live music starting at 7 p.m., and follow the film with a second set. The screening will take place at The Electric Lodge, 1416 Electric Ave., in Venice, followed by a question-and-answer session with Paul Crowder, the ACE Award-winning film editor who worked with Peralta on “Riding Giants” and “Dogtown & Z-Boys.”
The festival’s first music video series will follow at 9:30 p.m., including the world premieres of Thievery Corporation’s new video, “Fluid Dream,” and the debut of popular local band Sugarbitch’s music video, “Revolution,” shot entirely in Venice.
In addition to the music video series, also new this year will be a special section of Avant- Garde/experimental short films, which will screen at a second venue — Switch Studios, 316 S. Venice Blvd. — at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 19. Also on Saturday at 4:20 p.m. will be world premiere screenings of two feature films: “Naked Brown Men” at the Electric Lodge and “Phoenix Point” at Switch Studios. An after party begins at midnight at The Otheroom, 1201 Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice.
On Sunday, the fun begins at noon with a live performance by Sugarbitch (sugarbitch.com) outside the Electric Lodge to set the stage for the Short Film Series from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Also at 2 p.m. at Switch Studios, an ice cream truck will serve chill-out treats before the screening of the short film “The Ice Cream Man,” which will be followed by the full-length film “Road Kings,” 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.
The upcoming dramatic film, “Lords of Dogtown,” inspired by Peralta’s documentary “Dogtown and Z-Boys” about the birth of skateboarding, which brought the unique community of Venice to the world -— will be the topic of Sunday’s 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. panel discussion: “From Doc To Drama: Lords of Dogtown.” Named after Venice founding father Abbot Kinney, the Abbot Award ceremony begins at 7 p.m. Sunday, is free to the public and will be followed by a closing night party.
“We’re extremely excited about the second season of the Other Venice Film Festival, which offers something for everyone — from films, to hot topic discussions, local art and live music performances,” said Gary Ellenberg, the festival’s co-founder and pro-gramming director. “We are especially proud to spotlight some amazing, home-grown talent, including Stacy Peralta — professional skateboarder turned successful filmmaker — whose work displays the creativity and intensity that the world associates with Venice, California.”
Tickets are now available for pre-sale online at www.veniceOfilmfest.com, or through Ticket Alternative charge-by-phone at (877) 725-8849 (available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. eastern standard time). There is a $2 surcharge for phone orders.
Remaining tickets will be on sale at the door on a first-come, first-served basis. Single event tickets are $10; tickets for the opening night screening and party are $20; a full-day pass is $25; and an all access festival pass is $50. The Abbot Awards ceremony at the Electric Lodge is free and open to the public. Directions to the Electric Lodge are available at (310) 823-0710, ext. 1.
Just some of the local artists who support the Other Venice Film Festival include actor Seymour Cassel, who will introduce the opening night film on Friday, March 18; Lori Petty, actress and artist, whose work will be on display at the Electric Lodge throughout the festival; Stacy Peralta; renowned director, producer and actor Tony Bill; actress Camryn Manheim; actor/producer Chris Mulkey, who received the 2004 Local Maverick Spotlight Abbot Award, and his wife, actress/artist Karen Landry; director/producer Michael Pressman and his wife, actress Lisa Chess, who won the 2004 best feature Abbot Award for their film “Frankie & Johnny Are Married;” Stanley Mitchell, who won the 2004 Abbot Award for his short film, “Venice, America;” and Sean Welch, producer of the critically acclaimed documentary “Spellbound.”
For a full schedule of film screenings, a synopsis of each film and additional information on The Other Venice Film Festival and its co-founders — Venice locals Ruby De La Casas, Gary Ellenberg and AJ Peralta — go to www.veniceOfilmfest.com.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 11, 2005. Read the original PDF.