Washougal Film Festival: Thursday Evening Wrapup
When I heard that there’s an actual International film festival just down the street from my house I promised myself I’d make it at least once to check things out. I have to say, I’m really excited that Breven Angaelica Warren has put this whole thing together and is attempting to bring some culture to Washougal. I was sad to see that the attendance wasn’t great, because there were some really great films this evening. I don’t blame the Film Festival folks for the low attendance, I just think it’s going to take a few more years for this event to catch on, and for the local residents to catch on, as well.
At any rate, I caught several films, of which I’ll do some quick write-ups below. I want to thank Breven and her people for putting this on and keeping it free. It really is a cool thing and I’m going to try to make it back before it’s done this year.
The Waiting List
I came in during the last five minutes or so of The Waiting List, but it looked like a really well-done film. There was a great element of humor that felt to me, similar to a Judd Apatow flick, which is a plus in my book. I really want to see the whole thing now. The Director was on-hand and gave a q&a afterward. Oh, and it was all produced in Portland!
Bathtub to Happiness
This was a really cute German-made short film. The story is quirky, romantic and humorous in a very European way. The director for this was also present.
Surprise!
One of my favorites. Really well-paced and written, funny and entertaining (sorry, could not find an embeddable version).
http://www.vodmania.com/bande_annonce_aWQ9MjEyJmJhbmRlYW5ub25jZT03MDg=
Clown’s Lament
One of the creepiest things I’ve seen in a long time. What this short film lacks in stamina, it more than makes up for in chills.
Zufallbringen
This is the most ambitious film I saw this evening. Very beautifully shot and edited. One of the Swiss directors was also on hand and he stated that the entire cast was made up of novice actors, which really surprised me, as they put in some epic performances. It had a very Darin Aronofsky feel to it. The story felt a little muddled towards the middle, but don’t let that distract from the overall achievement these two guys have made, who started making this film at the ripe age of 19.
UPDATE: It was very politely pointed out to me that I had incorrectly attributed Sweden as the country of origin for this film, when in fact, it was Swiss made. My sincere apologies for the error. I imagine that would be like saying a Canadian-made movie was made in the USA, so I’ve updated the article to reflect the correct country. That’ll teach me to write blog posts late at night…
There were a couple other shorts, two animations and one comedy. I’m not going into detail on these, but they were also entertaining in their own ways. Thanks again to the Washougal Film Festival team!
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Hi, my name is Bret. I do lots of DIY electronics projects (with an emphasis on audio effects and synths), as well as guitar builds/repairs, and some tube amp stuff under the name eightysix audio.
Sometimes I post writing, photography and other DIY pursuits. Hope you enjoy and gain something useful out of this. Thanks for visiting.
Thanks for the shout-out to The Waiting List. Sorry you missed the beginning. If you email me a shipping address, I can send you a DVD-R copy.
Hey Mike, thanks for getting in touch. That’d be most excellent and I’ll be happy to provide a full review. I’ll send along my address in an e-mail.
Bret,
Did you happen to catch the feature film JOY on August 13? If so, I’d like to now the reaction to it. Early in the film I play a minor role as the Baker during the scene in the bakery at Jungle Jim’s. I hope the film gets a distributor. It’s really good overall.
Thanks.
John Vanderplough
Fairfield, OH (where it was filmed)
Hi John, thanks for writing. Unfortunately, the only night I’ve been able to make it so far was the 14th. I am hoping to sneak over today for a little while, but I’m sorry I missed the movie you were in!
Bret,
I saw you had a bandmix.com page and you are from Washougal. I have recently moved to Washougal. I play bass and wanted to reach out to see if you wanted to try to get something going. From reading your bandmix page, it looks as if we have about the same commitment levels – practice maybe once a week, play maybe once a month or so. I also have a family and priority is to them. Oddly enough my wife is encouraging me not to loose what I have picked up over the past 7 years of playing on stage.
Thanks,
Josh
Hey Josh-thanks for writing. Sorry for the belated reply. For some reason, I didn’t get a notification that you had posted this comment. Anyhow, thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately, I’ve been playing with a bass player for awhile and we are in the process of working in a drummer right now. But, hey, if things don’t pan out for some reason, I’d definitely be into getting together. It sounds like we have very similar lives in terms of music needs. I’ll also keep my ear open for anyone who might be seeking a bass player. Actually, I know a couple guys in Camas who are trying to get something going and might need a bass player. I may pass your Bandmix page on to them. They’re in a similar situation, family/life wise. Cheers!
Well, I saw this post. So if you are still in the same situation please disregard my last message. Please send more info on the Camas band if they are still looking.
Thanks,
Josh