Film

Dances with Films has always billed itself as a truly independent film festival, and this year, it’s 21st, is no exception.

On opening night last Thursday, and with it’s first full day of programming on Friday, the words eclectic, innovative, and yes independent, all seem as perfect fit.

Festival co-founder Leslee Scallon related to us that she saw many entries this year which addressed subjects such as women’s issues, mental health, and — Uber driving.

From shorts programming to narrative features and docs, we’ve seen these addressed,  but regardless of subject, there is a strong sense of vitality, redemption, and triumph that serve as a through-line for the festival.

So, as the festival’s pre-film trailer announces “Welcome to Dances with Films.”

Let’s dive in – we will be serving up capsule reviews, interviews with filmmakers, and more throughout the festival, which runs through June 17th at the TCL Chinese in Hollywood. If you haven’t bought tickets yet, it’s not too late to see many of these films, and it is a real, and vital experience to see this much talent and unique storytelling in one place. So – go.

Thursday night opened with No Alternative, written and directed by William Dickerson, based on his own novel, with a highly autobiographical slant. Dickerson’s 90s-era coming of age drama looks at two siblings in a strictly run household. Thomas Harrison is working with friends on a Kurt-Cobain-homage grunge band.

He’s the achiever, programmed to get into Georgetown University, like his father, a state supreme court judge (played by veteran actor Harry Hamlin). Meanwhile his younger sister Bridget is taking on the persona of Bri Da B, gangsta rapper; and dealing with her personal demons through therapy and medication.  

Fest co-founder Michael Trent termed the film “a turning-point film for year 21” of the festival, with its strong statement on the importance of mental health treatment. “The story has been in my head my entire life,” filmmaker Dickerson says. “My sister was diagnosed with drug addiction and borderline disorder. She coped through painting and music – she was very much like Bridget in the movie.” His sister passed away three years ago, which greatly saddened but did not surprise Dickerson. “A by-product of her disorder was to push people away. I wanted to encapsulate that, and also show that she was an interesting character that people wanted to watch.” He adds that “After she passed away, I went ahead with the film. I crowd-funded everyone I ever knew.”

The AFI-trained filmmaker calls the project a pure labor of love,  and he cast top talent that felt the same way. Michaela Cavazos, who stars as Bridget, says “It touched my heart. It spoke to me. When they cast me,  I just came.”  The film shoot was 20 days, but the film spent a year in editing. The hilarious, scatological Bri Da B lyrics belonged to Dickerson’s sister.

 

Also dealing with mental health issues were films in Friday slots.  Diminuendo was the talented Richard Hatch’s last film. “He was the finest person I ever met as an actor. He loved this part because he’d never gotten to do anything like this, playing a film director who was the most f’d up man on the planet.” The story follows what happens when a washed up filmmaker played by Hatch is asked to direct the biopic of his actress girlfriend who committed suicide, starring a lifelike robot created to mimic her.

Lead actress Chloe Dykstra termed her role a “challenge. To play a lifeless robot playing someone bright, a muse, who was also suicidal. Intimidating but fun,” she says.

Director Adrian Stewart creates a tense atmosphere in which the family-atmosphere of a film set is rendered dysfunctional indeed.  Stewart notes that the film was shot as it was written. “If it said intercut we did it that way. We didn’t do flashbacks. We wanted to weave the real and the unreal.” Screenwriters Sarah Goldberger and Bryn Pryor based the movie, Goldberger says on the idea that “What if actors were replaced by robots. That turned into what if those robots portrayed dead actors, which turned into how do directors direct that, and what if the director was in love with the dead girl. That’s how it evolved,” she laughs.

Walter Koenig, with mic, above, well known as the original Chekov on Star Trek, was pleased to play a fun, meaty supporting role as a talent agent in the film. “If the audience could stay with it, and this wasn’t a space movie, it’s like nothing I’ve been known for, then I was happy.”

Chasing Bullit, written and directed by DWF alum Joe Eddy, above speaking with festival co-founder Leslee Scallon, gave viewers a charismatic Steve McQueen in a sad tale of a famous actor fighting his own personal war – with himself.

The race-car driving,  tough-guy actor had a troubled, abuse-ridden marriage, a scarred childhood, and the desire to own the car he drove in his successful film Bullit. In 1971, he tells his agent he will choose his next acting gig on one condition: his agent has to help him locate the iconic Ford Mustang GT 390. The car is possibly found, but McQueen’s crumbling marriage, reluctant approach to therapy, financial troubles,  and career struggles are less easily resolved. Portraying McQueen, Andre Brooks does an amazing take on the star, getting into his skin both physically and emotionally. Also engaging, the vibrant role of a hitchhiker (Alysha Young) with a pivotal connection to McQueen.

Director/writer Eddy says “I was a Steve McQueen fan, i watched docs on him, started digging, and the snowball rolled down the hill until I made the film.” He took a personal approach to his material. “It had to be to a certain scale, and it also seemed like attacking his personality to get into his head and portray different aspects of what it was like to be him is the key.”

Lead actor Brooks, who also starred in Eddy’s previous DWF-award winner Coyote, 4 years ago, says Eddy “talked to me about the approach and talked me into the role.”

Next up: the line up for Saturday and Sunday features and shorts – an emotional powerhouse of a weekend and our take on over 20 hours of viewing. Stay tuned.

The TCL Chinese Theatre is located at 6925 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood. Films screen at the multi-plex located on the 3rd level of Hollywood and Highland.

• Genie Davis; photos: Jack Burke