writer, photographer, web person from Washington, DC.
Why do the great novels of our age emerge from New York and not DC? Washington is the capital of the country, except when it comes to fiction-writing.
I examine these questions in The Washington Literary Inferiority Complex, recently published by nthWORD Shorts. I think it’s time for the Great Washington Novel.
The DC Shorts Film Festival wraps up this Sunday. Now in its eight year, this celebration of cinema brought 145 films from 23 countries to Washington. As the Blogger-in-Chief for DC Shorts, I’ve seen a lot of short films. Not all, but enough to have my favorites. Here they are:
Little Horses
At the Q&A after the screening, director Levi Abrino said that he was looking to make a movie with the emotional resonance and complexity of a Chekhov short story. He succeeded – this tale of a divorced dad’s struggle to hold on to his son is moving, sad, funny and yet affirming as well. It demonstrates what independent film does so well, by portraying the drama of people who could be your neighbors. Little Horses won a DC Shorts Audience Favorite Award and a Filmmakers’ Favorite Award.
The Man in 813
This is one of several local films in the festival. We also did an interview with director Arlin Godwin on the DC Shorts blog. The Man in 813 is scarcely longer than its trailer, but still manages to tell a funny, creepy story that anyone who has ever lived in an apartment building can relate to – what are my neighbors up to? What’s significant is that the film was shot by one person in his apartment using a Canon T2i, a digital still camera that also shoots video. This short basically cost nothing and yet was screened with films that costs thousands of dollars, a potent demonstration of the advances in technology allow anyone to be a filmmaker.
Interview Date
The script for Interview Date won the DC Shorts Screenplay Competition last year. I read this script as a judge for the contest, then watched it being performed before a live audience. As the winner of the festival, Interview Date received $2000 from DC Shorts to turn their script into a movie. I was delighted when director Mike Lemcke and comedian Grant Lyon returned this year with a finished film. It’s been a fascinating journey to watch, this transition of words on a page to moving images on a screen. This connection between a screenplay competition and a film festival makes DC Shorts unique, turning writers into filmmakers.
The Scarecrow Girl
For me, this was the most beautiful film of the festival. While shooting in rural Brazil, director Cássio Pereira dos Santos took hours of sky shots, because they were so amazingly blue. These shots frame a film about a young girl in rural Brazil who wants to go to school but can’t. It’s a true story, taken from stories told by Cássio’s grandmother.
These four films are a great demonstration of the power of independent film to tell stories that you’re not going to get out of Hollywood. Rather than relying on formulas and catch-phrases, indie film at its best communicates visions that are both original and unique.
Perhaps due to the plentiful amounts of bacon, the Award Brunch is my favorite part of the DC Shorts Film Festival. Filmmakers, staff and honored guests gather at Clyde’s of Gallery Place for one final event.
Awards are handed out in multiple categories by festival director Jon Gann, who always manages to tear up during the ceremony. Here are this year’s winners:
Audience Favorites
Audience Special Recognition
Outstanding Local Film (presented by KvM Rentals)
Outstanding Cinematography (presented by FujiFilm)
Outstanding Use of Food (presented by Whole Foods)
Outstanding 1st Time Director
Festival Director’s Choice
Filmmaker’s Choice
You can still see all the great films of the festival as DC Shorts runs until September 18. Check the schedule for screening times, including FREE lunch shows and special pink and sexy shorts programs. And don’t miss the Closing Bash on Saturday, September 17 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center.
Staged reading of Interview Date, with writer/producer Grant Lyon on right.
Last year, I was a judge for the DC Shorts Screenplay Competition. I had the chance to see a staged reading of the screenplay Interview Date, one of six finalists that we selected. The audience voted Interview Date as the overall winner of the competition so the writers of this clever comedy received $2000 to turn their story into a short film
And now, one year later, Interview Date will be playing on the big screen at DC Shorts. Can’t wait to see it – stories like this are what make DC Shorts such a special experience.
The DC Shorts Film Festival has returned! It’s my favorite time of year, when filmmakers from around the world come to Washington to share their cinematic visions.
This year, the festival features 145 films from 23 nations. The short films are organized into different screenings and shown at E Street Cinema, the Artisphere, the Atlas Performing Arts Center and the US Navy Memorial. The festival runs from September 8-18.
I’ve been a part of the festival for more than five years, as a judge, screenplay competition manager, photographer, volunteer wrangler and, this year, as a blogger-in-chief. What I like most about DC Shorts is that it’s a festival for filmmakers. They’re front and center, with the opportunity to receive recognition for their work. Lots of small touches make them feel welcome, like vouchers for food and a special filmmakers-only party.
This is not Hollywood. The films in the festival come from people doing it themselves. They’re not trying to win the attention of some fickle producer; instead, they go out and film the story they want to tell. This year’s DC Shorts features a slew of local films, including a film that cost only $500 to make. This is not atypical – you can do a lot with a camera and volunteer labor.
As someone who has written screenplays and self-published a novel, I identify with this DIY philosophy. It’s what makes our age so wonderful, that advances in technology allow anyone to communicate their vision with the world.
Why do they make movies in LA? Well, they always have.
But, with cheap cameras and Internet distribution, that doesn’t need to be the case anymore. The upcoming DC Shorts Film Festival features several films that were made in Washington. In an article for the Pink Line Project, I argue that these local films are just the harbinger of things to come. I believe that moviemaking will escape from LA and that interesting films will be made everywhere.
I’m the Chief Blogger for the DC Shorts Film Festival, responsible for developing an editorial strategy, training contributors, editing blog posts and writing posts of my own.
For the DC Shorts blog, I wrote a short article on local filmmakers in the festival. It’s a subject I’ve been interested in for a long time. The revolution in technology (cheaper cameras and internet distribution) allow anyone to make a movie these days. There’s no reason that filmmaking has to only occur in Hollywood anymore.
Check out my new article for the Pink Line Project on what’s new at DC Shorts. This is an amazing film festival that I’ve been involved with for several years. 2011 features more films (145 from 23 countries) plus bigger parties and more free sessions on filmmaking. The DC Shorts Film Festival runs from September 8-18.
It was one of the hottest days of the year, at the end of a week of 100+ temperatures in Washington, DC. Cooped up by the oppressive heat, I had gotten a little stir crazy, so decided to venture out to check out Dance Day DC, where my friend and neighbor Cecile was volunteering
It was held at the Sylvan Theater, a little bowl next to the Washington Monument, with a steamy southern exposure. Things were pretty staid until the arrival of Mary Murphy, the judge from So You Think You Can Dance.
The audience knew as soon as she took the mic – I literally recoiled away from the speakers as her voice blasted out. She’s the loudest person I’ve ever met and probably didn’t even need a microphone.
Despite the crushing heat, she led the audience in a complex series of dances, part of a flashmob. This went on for a good half hour, dance after dance. I can’t imagine how hot it must’ve been on stage. I was off to the side, in the shade, doing nothing but taking pictures and I could barely stand it.
Murphy even taunted the sun. “I heard it was hot but, c’mon, is that the best you can do?!!”
It’s a good thing that she’s a celebrity. Otherwise, people might think she was insane.
My short story, “The Happiest Man in Washington” has been published in eFiction Magazine. You can read it below. If you roll over the pages, you’ll see backward and forward arrows. Click on the page and it will become a full-screen view.
This story was inspired by a homeless man I used to see daily at 17th and Rhode Island in DC. He was a neighborhood fixture, a happy face greeting commuters every morning. I wondered how he got there and if he ever thought about leaving the streets.
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Like this? Read more of my short fiction and my novel, Murder in Ocean Hall.
(For you WordPress geeks, eFiction is a magazine that was created using Issuu. You can embed and customize the viewer. I used the Issuu “customize and embed” tool to get the code to paste into my site. I made the embedded viewer one page across (instead of two) and to start on p.67, where my story is, rather than at the beginning of the magazine. The WP Issuu plugin was also necessary to make all this work. It’s not difficult.)