Recently, I attended the Pasadena International Film Festival. Many films were screened; many short films, and a number of feature films as well. I greatly enjoyed my time there and seeing so many wonderful independent films. Each film was distinct in its own way and many were well received by the audience. Here are some of my highlights. I'll talk about some of the films that I saw and mention their awards if they received any.
Ride Shared
An Uber driver is faced with a difficult task; comforting a passenger who has learned terrible news minutes before being picked up. These two strangers are bonded by this single moment. How does one comfort another in this situation? Ride Shared shows us only one example of what some Uber drivers have faced, including the director himself. In the Q&A after the screening, he explained that the film is based on personal experience.
It is a fascinating experience that demonstrates the occasional awkwardness at the beginning of a trip with Uber, when the driver and passenger initially meet. Except, this particular Uber trip is unlike any other. We see the passenger (Dana Powell) as she tries to understand and come to terms with the news of her best friend passing away just minutes before getting into the car, and the driver (David Tenenbaum) try to understand what happened without trying to get too personal as not to upset her more. While the film is only seven minutes long, it is a powerful seven minutes. I give Ride Shared an A.
Occupants
Annie and Neil Curtis (Briana White and Michael Pugliese respectively) are going on a diet that Annie chooses to document. She places cameras all around their house so that she has plenty of footage to make a documentary on their journey of clean living. Part way through their experience, they begin to notice that the cameras are picking up some alternative footage as well. While still in the same positions, the cameras begin taking video of a different couple, Annie and Neil in an alternate universe. The documentary Annie wanted to make is no longer the documentary she is going to make.
Occupants is a film done in the "found footage" style. That means that something happened to the characters that caused the footage to be released by someone else. Who that is is often a mystery. So essentially what the viewer is seeing is an interpretation of what the characters want us to see. It is a fascinating and increasingly popular style of filmmaking, often used in horror films. Occupants begins as what seems to be a film done in documentary style, without any particularly thrilling moments, yet as the film progresses, takes on a very different tone. It becomes a thriller/horror film. The transition is slow but extremely well done. It takes the viewer on a long ride and becomes very suspenseful at times. At the beginning, it seems like viewers might easily lose focus or become bored, but the film wants viewers to think that. As the alternate footage starts to show up more and more, the viewer can become more easily hooked into the film. And by the end, one might be on the edge of his or her seat. I certainly was.
With solid acting from Briana White and Michael Pugliese, excellent direction by Russ Emanuel, and a great script by Julia Camara, Occupants is an independent film that is sure to thrill, and possibly even spook audiences. I give Occupants an A.
Don't Tell Larry
We've all experienced times when we have to keep a secret from somebody. There are various reasons why people do this as well. Larry is an emotionally unstable worker at a particular company. One of the other workers in this company is having a party and most of the company has been invited, but not Larry. Two co-workers aren't sure how he will react if he finds out. One thing leads to another, and these two co-workers have to figure out how not to tell him what's really going on about a number of situations even when he constantly stops by to see what they are talking about.
This short film is hysterical! There are almost non-stop laughs right from the beginning. This is a film where the audience knows more than the characters on screen do, and it only adds to the comedic effect. It is a brilliantly written story filled with inside jokes and perfect comedic timing. With each passing section of the film, one simply cannot begin to imagine how the situation could get worse, yet it does.
I give Don't Tell Larry an A-.
Candice & Peter's Smokin' Hot Date
Candice & Peter's Smokin' Hot Date was screened in a block of short comedies called The Best Medicine, and was easily one of the most entertaining films of the festival. Candice and Peter are attempting to cook pork chops for their date at home. While trying to figure out what goes best with the pork chops, the pork chops are forgotten for a few minutes. Their dispute grows more and more intense, and the pork chops begin to not only char, but catch fire. Their whole date quite literally goes up in smoke!
I give this film an A-.
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