Marblehead Festival of Arts Presents an Evening of Film

The Marblehead Festival of Arts always-anticipated Film Festival will be screened on Sunday evening, July 1, from  9:00 to 10:30 pm. Twelve short films, ranging in length from 1:36 minutes to 17:28 minutes, comprise this year’s offerings. The films will be shown at Crocker Park, 11 Front Street, with a rain location of the Gerry #5, 210 Beacon Street.

Of the many films and videos submitted for this annual competition, these 12 entries were chosen from the Narrative, Documentary, Experimental/Performance and Animation categories. Chairman Mike Evers commented, “These works are intended to show the many ways that film and video can be used as an art form to inform and express. They are not commercial films of the sort that you can find in your standard multiplex.” 

Please note that, although some of these works can certainly be enjoyed by children, not all of the films will be understood by them. Parents should review the lineup and decide if these films are appropriate for their younger children.

These are the films, listed with their producers and running times, in the 2012 Film Festival:

Guidance                         Mina Healey                     (6:05 Minutes)

This comedy portrays the rocky relationship between three very different students and their long-suffering guidance counselor as they progress through their senior year. Mina Healey completed this film in 2011 under the auspices of the Lynn Raw Arts Film School when she was on her way from Lynn Classical High School to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The Cat Lady      A J Mungo and Amie Spindigliozi-Keefe   (5:57 Minutes)

Newburyport’s ace raconteur A J Mungo tells the shaggy cat story of his sister’s attempt to establish a cat rescue mission and the unintended consequences of that attempt.  Note the hilarious illustrations by Marty Riskin.

Bye Bye Linden     Perry Hallinan        (3:45 Minutes)

While children play, Peabody city workers cut down an old Linden tree. Although this is an entertaining film with a light touch, there might be more at work in this piece than you think. Perry Hallinan is a North Shore-based filmmaker with directing, camera and editing credits to his name.

Henry Loomis is Going to Die Tonight     Sam Stratton     (8:55 Minutes)

She’s about to turn 14, and cosmic forces decree that she has to kill off her imaginary friend. But he’s acting out, and she’s not sure she can do the deed.  Find out what happens! This piece was filmed in Marblehead and Swampscott and includes members of local families in the cast.

I Am Lynn              Oasis Film Institute          (8:00 Minutes)

Young Lynn residents tell their moving stories about growing up in a tough environment. The Oasis Film Institute is one of the activities of Lynn’s St. Stephens Episcopal Church.

This is Only a Test               Bill Sorice          (8:50 Minutes)

Life’s a journey, and we are all given tests that are “only” tests, but which have more impact than we think. Bill Sorice is a Manhattan-based director, writer and actor.

Moonsong             Jane Urban                      (3:52 Minutes)

Here’s another journey, an experimental music video based on Brenna Sahatjian’s Moonsong (Trash Monster): 

“The trees are our history

The forest is full of stories

We’ll never forget even when we’re in the city.”

Jane Urban made this video under the auspices of the ICA Fast Forward teen production program, and it was a finalist in this year’s Salem Filmfest Five Minute Student Film Festival.

Fahisha                  Nabila Eltantawy              (17:28 Minutes)

Fahisha, “abomination” in Arabic, documents what happens when kids who’ve grown up in strict Muslim families decide to come out as gay. Although the stories discussed here occurred in the Muslim community, the heartrending conflicts between parents and children, and children and peers, will be familiar to many American families. Nabila Eltantawy is a 19-year-old filmmaker living in New York.

The Color of Paint                     Sean Hennigan                (14:43 Minutes)

Stuck in a rut, a middle-aged suburban couple decides to repaint their bedroom.  Doing so turns out to be better than years of therapy. Many improvements follow. 

One Final Flower             Peter Rodriguez               (6:00 Minutes)

The editing and filming of this work describe the experiences and emotions of a child who has lost a loved one. Peter Rodriguez is an 18-year-old Lynn resident who made his film under the auspices of the Raw Arts Real to Reel Film School.

First and Last        Damien Patrik                  (11:00 Minutes)

This is a mordant comedy about a man who knows how to take advantage of the housing crisis. Damien Patrik is a Colorado filmmaker whose works have been screened in previous Film Festivals.

Where the Sidewalk Ends                   

Olivia Chuba, Jamie Ember, Marka Mayburry-Gaulke   (1:36 Minutes)

Three students from the Harvard-Westlake school in Culver City, CA, collaborated on a visual interpretation of the Shel Silverstein poem about a special place where the imagination reigns supreme. Like Eye Candy above, their film was part of the 15th Annual National Video and Film Festival, which was recently screened in Cambridge.

For more information, visit www.MarbleheadFestival.org.