Perry, Fama’s Experimental Short Has West Coast Premiere at Other Venice Film Festival
LOS ANGELES- Michael Perry and Joey Fama’s newest experimental short film will have its west coast premiere at the “Other Venice Film Festival,” October 2nd.
The Other Venice Film Festival (OVFF) is truly a one of a kind experience, or as OVFF puts it, “Like No other.” Its humorously named, the “Other Venice Film Festival,” which is a reference to the fact there is already a Venice Film Festival in Italy. Through its 18 year history of unique and inspiring programming, it has helped independent artists find their audience. The festival says it best “..[OVFF] seeks to discover, support and inspire independent film and theater artists.”
Taking place in Venice, a suburb of Los Angeles, the festival enjoys a close proximity to the epicenter of film. Films will be playing at the charming Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Center, a local arts center with an impressive bookstore, which hosts writing workshops and poetry readings. The festival is a weekend jam packed full of groundbreaking films and music running from October 1st to October 3rd. The Other Venice Film Festival links Venice not only to the greater Los Angeles area but to the rest of the world.
The festival’s highest honors are the Abbot Awards, which are, “…given to filmmakers who exemplify maverick film making
, by creating stunning and poignant cinema,” per the festival’s website. These awards seek to honor Abbot Kinney, the festival’s founding benefactor. Keeping with the goal of championing up-and-coming filmmakers, these awards are given to films that don’t have the benefit of huge budgets or large studio support. Instead, they recognize filmmakers who rely on their artistic energy and ingenuity. Winners are not limited to any one category, they could be a perfectly executed tragedy or hilarious comedy. One subcategory is the Local Maverick Spotlight Abbot Award, which is awarded to a local Venice filmmaker who as the OVFF puts it, “creates unforgettable celluloid and kick ass flicks.” Tickets for the Abbot Award ceremony are free to the public, while they last. The award ceremony will be high energy featuring live music as the festival draws to a close on October 3rd.
“The festival showcases full length features, short films and music videos that embody the spirit energy of Venice.” – Festival Director, Thomas Simon
“A New Sound Teaser,” marks the second project of the Perry and Fama filmmaking team. In the spirit of the avant-garde, the short will be playing in the experimental category of the OVFF. This category exemplifies what would be thought of as non-traditional film, often considered strange and ground-breaking. The short serves as a teaser for the larger project, “A New Sound,” which is a science fiction dramedy, drawing heavily from postmodern philosophy. The film brings forth the question, “What constitutes art?” Writer Joey Fama admitted that he was strongly influenced by the likes of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein while developing the project. “I was hanging out on the contemporary side of the National Gallery of Art a lot while I was writing it and I think shows.” You can catch the short and many other great films on October 2nd.
For more information visit: www.othervenicefilmfestival.com
