Rogue Independent Film Festival

How nice to bring "Sixes and the One Eyed King" home to the Rogue Valley. Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday.

With Mardik Martin, screenwriter and professor.

"Sixes and the One Eyed King" director Ray Nomoto Robison (left) and the guys from "Cathedral Park," another feature in the festival.

A heaping helping of blog

The past couple of months have been so busy that the days have mooshed up against each other like so many gooey marshmallows between the graham crackers of blogs.

One of the reasons I haven’t blogged lately is because I’ve put a lot of time and energy into an effort to re-open the libraries in Josephine County. Kevin Widdison’s column in The Daily Courier (www.thedailycourier.com) about how shameful it feels to live in a community without a public library really said what I‘ve been feeling and motivated me. I often used the library before funding fell away and it closed. He organized a gathering on July 26 because of community response to his column, and I jumped in with others. I’ve learned a great deal about nonprofit law, creation of organizations and working with people over the past several weeks. I’m pleased to have met some good folks, and it’s encouraging to see the progress that is being made despite odds. I'm glad there are people out there like Gene Lucas, who are willing to share what they've done (http://www.genelucas.info/library) to inform and inspire others. I plan to continue to help as I’m able.

My time has also gone into the Rogue Independent Film Festival, now less than a month away. It’s been fascinating to help put it together, and I hope it’s a great experience for everyone involved. I’m eager to meet those who have made the 48 films to be shown; I hope many are able to attend. I started out as a secondary screener for the festival, giving a second opinion on films that were passed along to me as potential ones to be included, and I’ve had opportunities to help in other ways. It’s especially exciting to me that the festival is going to include an educational aspect, including a student discount.

Personally, helping with RIFF has taught me a great deal, including viewing the submissions I did see. I appreciate the talent, energy and hope out there. I know how it feels to not be accepted by a festival, and I sympathize with the filmmakers who weren‘t included. While some submissions could use improvement in areas such as storytelling, technical quality and craft, in some cases choices came down to discussions of balance for the overall festival. One of the challenges was figuring out the schedule and what might go well together. I wish more could have been part of RIFF. As it is, the festival added another night to the originally planned three days of films.

I initially offered to help with the festival after running into Greg, the owner of the Rogue Theatre, in the grocery store. We talked about the upcoming Billy Bob Thornton concert, for which tickets had just gone on sale, and my interest in independent film. I went to the concert on Aug. 24 with some friends and had a blast. We had great seats in a packed house. Greg sent over this photo of Billy Bob Thornton and impressive guitarist Michael Shipp.

I had the recent opportunity to immerse myself in creativity lately, and it reminded me of the need to charge my batteries by experiencing and appreciating what others have done. I get so busy that I let too much time pass between taking in a concert or a play or a museum or an art gallery. I recently used some vacation time to visit the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum in Seattle, a fascinating place I could have spent more days exploring. Nice folks, too, considering that I realized at closing time I’d lost an earring somewhere in the museum and they found it for me. I also had the opportunity to attend several plays this month, including a Barnstormers production of “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and several Oregon Shakespeare Festival productions, including “As You Like It,” “Gem of the Ocean,” a much funnier “Romeo and Juliet” than I ever remember the play being, Lisa Loomer’s emotional and amusing “Distracted” and “The Tempest,” whose cast includes “Sixes and the One Eyed King’s” own Orion Bradshaw. It is so much easier to create if you’re plugged into the creative grid, feeling that exchange of energy.

BOULDER FILM FESTIVAL

"Sixes and the One Eyed King" will screen at Colorado's Boulder Asian Film Festival on Aug. 17. A link to festival information is on the Boulder Asian Pacific Alliance web site, http://www.bapaweb.org/. I went through this area last year on my way to visit family in Kansas, and it's beautiful. I'm pleased that we're part of the festival's opening night.

I'm helping with the Rogue Independent Film Festival. The web site is http://www.rogueindependentfilmfestival.org/. I think it will be a good opportunity to see a festival from the inside out. I'm excited about helping to bring filmmakers to Grants Pass in October.

I've also started attending development meetings for another feature film. One of my goals is to get more production experience. I like the idea of help to bring things together.

CONNECTIONS

I was editing a manuscript while waiting for The Moody Blues concert to begin at Britt Festivals when the guy sitting next to me asked if I was a student. At first, I was pretty delighted to be mistaken for a college student, especially after having recently endured a birthday. Then I realized I was wearing a University of Gallifrey T-shirt. It’s a fictional place from the television show “Doctor Who.“

I bought the shirt a few years ago, having longed for one when I watched it in high school but didn’t have the money to contribute to the PBS fund drive. A necklace with a replica of a key to the TARDIS required an even bigger donation. I was going through some old videotapes and came across the episodes I’d recorded. I tried to hunt down a shirt to buy, something that looked like it could belong to a regular university. I wanted a subtle way of paying tribute to the show, like the Thor’s Hammer necklace a friend gave me that’s a reference to our mutual Stargate SG-1 appreciation. This was before the new version of Doctor Who inspired a fresh supply of merchandise, and I couldn’t find one I wanted. However, a company I contacted liked the idea and designed the one I own.

On my way to the bathroom, shortly before the concert began, I passed a guy who spotted the T-shirt and gave me a knowing nod and smile. I liked that brief connection, that tapping into a communal fictional experience. I’d like to be able to create that sort of platform for people. Inspire connections, invisible links drawn by shared enjoyment. Like singing along with others at a concert under the stars.

HAWAII FUN

Some final glimpses of the fun in Hawaii.

We found a cool tree and took turns posing by it. I had no desire to climb the tree.

Ray, Scott and Tamara by our lovely tree.

We encountered "wild" horses, one of which was especially curious and hungry. It made "friends" with Tamara.

Testing the merchandise while Ukulele shopping in Hilo.

While we were waiting for our several-hours-late United Airlines flight, Scott and Pat provided some ukulele entertainment. Tamara spotted musician Huey Lewis, who shared our flight back to San Francisco. No, I didn't take a photo of Huey Lewis or talk to him. Although I do like his music, he looked like he was doing just fine without me bothering him. I was glad of it later, when the United Airlines plane finally arrived hours late and a stranger approached me and kept saying loudly, "I think that's someone famous." Oh, to be famous enough that people will understand who you are when you explain it but not so famous that you're unable to get lost in a crowd.

MORE BIG ISLAND FILM FESTIVAL

One of the best things about film festivals is getting the chance to interact with other filmmakers. It's really a delight to connect with people and experience their efforts. I saw some things that I really enjoyed and some that didn't suit my taste. I remembered to take some photos of the people we met, although I wish I'd done more.

At the right is Leo Sears, founder and executive director of the Big Island Film Festival. He was a busy guy, of course, but it was nice to get some time to talk to him about his background and his vision for the festival. It's an ambitious undertaking, but he certainly carried a lot of energy into it.

Ray talks with Rick Stevenson, director of "Expiration Date, " after Rick was honored at the festival. I enjoyed hearing a veteran independent feature filmmaker share his thoughts about the process. Ron Beck, writer and director of "The Mini" and Ray. One disappointment is that we didn't get to see "The Mini," as it was showing opposite "Sixes and the One Eyed King" Friday night. Ron was in "Always Will," which showed at DancesWithFilms and was directed by Michael Sammaciccia, whom we met in Los Angeles. Mike was in "The Mini." I would have liked to have supported them.

I saw some really wonderful short films, ones that made me eager to see what the filmmakers will do in the future. James E. Hurd Jr.'s "Poet of the Swingin' Blade" about turpentiners in the 1930s is one of them. It was some beautiful writing from James and Linda Bannister. Here, James is at the right of Scott Ford. They said they were looking to put the story on stage, and I immediately thought of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Mason Farish, at left, created "On My Way to Pele," which gave me a chance to see parts of Hawaii I didn't get to experience while I was there, and it sure encouraged me to want to return! It also gave me a lot to think about in terms of storytelling from a sense of place that combines images and narrative.

A nice aspect of the festival was a morning chat led by Film Commissioner John Mason. It was a small, informal group, but it was a chance to talk about film and experiences from a practical standpoint. With so many films and things to do, it was nice to slow things down a bit and chat over coffee. He mentioned the range of locations on the Big Island, and he was sure right! If I had the opportunity, I do think I would go to Hawaii to film, or even to write. The Big Island Film Office has a list of movies shot there on its web site, www.filmbigisland.com, and I'll have to check some of them out. John is the tallest guy in the photo below, along with (from left) Scott, Pat, Ray and I.

MORE HAWAII

Here are a few more photos from Hawaii. More to come later as I get them sorted.

I traveled to the Big Island Film Festival with fellow "Sixes and the One Eyed King" folks. From the left, Scott Ford (Andy) and his girlfriend, Pat, director Ray Robison and Tamara Barrus (Brittany), who is sporting one of the lovely kukui nut-and-turtle necklaces the festival gave us instead of the huge cross she wears in the film.

We (OK, Scott, as I was going to get a nice sedan) rented a Jeep convertible, which proved handy for seeing the Waipio Valley and was a lot of fun. I found myself wishing I had a long scarf to wear around my hair and whip in the wind.

We saw an incredible sunset at Waikoloa, where we were staying in a condo near the festival, which was held at the Hilton, the Marriott and other nearby venues. "Sixes and the One Eyed King" and other films were shown in an outdoor theater, which was an experience that makes me think back to those days of going to drive-in movies. There was something cool about piling into the back of someone's pickup and stretching out with friends, even if I'd seen the film before. These were walk-in movies. Ours had the ocean nearby and torches for light.

I saw my first gecko in Hawaii. I hadn't understood others' fascination with the little lizards before. They're beautiful, and I was glad I had the chance to run across some. The array of plant life was also pretty incredible. I wish I were better with identification. Good writing earns flavor through details, and I rely on research and picture books where others carry ready knowledge. We had to balance time between sight-seeing and film-seeing.

There is much of Hawaii I would like to experience on a return trip as more of a tourist or as a longer working holiday. I don't regret seeing the films I did, though, and it was wonderful to mingle with others and see what they'd done.

Overall, the trip was quite relaxing, and I still have a bit of Aloha spirit clinging to me despite the busy return to my regular life.

I did hardly any writing on vacation, and I'm glad to be back at it, like a friend I hadn't seen for awhile.