Jen's Column / 5.10.06

Hey everyone!
For those who don't know, I have a weekly column in Rochester's newspaper, the Post-Bulletin. Appears Wednesdays. Thought I'd post them on Haugenkoski's Blogski in case you non-Rochesterites are interested in reading them. Here's today's column -- in which both Jay and Christian (kind of) get a mention:

Short Films Get Big Laughs
I’ve always been short. And I try to be festive. But last weekend, I got independent, too. At the First Annual Rochester Independent Short Film Festival.

Making its debut at RCTC’s Hill Theatre, this first-ever film festival was the baby of MLT Group and the RCTC Digital Arts Club. According the program, they designed the festival to “provide creators of independent short films a venue for showing their works while simultaneously enriching the local community arts scene through public showings of these intensely individual projects.”

And “intensely individual” is dead-on. Ten films were featured — with topics ranging from M&M trails to demented roommates. And with a time limit of just 12 minutes per film, even the ones with shaky camera work were fun to watch.

In “Instant Black Belt,” filmmaker Jared Patterson spoofed infomercials with a martial arts product that turns lowly yellow belts into instant black belts. Just wrap the Instant Black Belt around your yellow belt — and suddenly you’re invincible. Never mind, of course, that the “Instant Black Belt” looks suspiciously like a garbage bag.

In “Bananas,” one of my favorite films of the evening, a man becomes obsessed with hand-feeding bananas to his roommate. Created by Christopher Yocum, the short ends as the main character stares open-mouthed into the mirror, trying unsuccessfully to feed the golden fruit to his own reflection. Twisted? Oh yah. But funny? Absolutely.

Another favorite, “Death of a Dream,” features a screenwriter who imagines himself as the hero of his “terrible, cliché-driven, paranoid thriller.” The best part of this film for me was when filmmaker Reed Rasmussen played the part of the screenwriter’s wife — her face covered in cold cream as she lies in bed demanding her husband get up and make hash browns.

Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit my favorite film, “Sasquatches,” was submitted by my own husband. A mockumentary about a team of misfits assembled to capture the elusive sasquatch, the film even had a part for our oldest son. Seeing as he played the role of “bait,” however, we probably won’t be showing him the film for some years.

At the end of the Saturday evening screening, after much laughter and encouraging applause, awards were given in several categories, including Best Picture, Best Audio, Best Visuals, Best Special Effects, Best Screenplay, Best Male Performance, and Best Female Performance.

I felt like a starlet at the Oscars, albeit in jeans and a black T, when my husband’s name was called — first for “Best Male Performance” and later for “Best Picture.” I beamed as my naturally shy counterpart whispered in disbelief, “Do I have to go up there?”

Still, one of the best parts of the evening was witnessing that creativity, individuality, humor and independent spirit is alive and well in Rochester. I applaud MLT Group and the RCTC Digital Arts Club for launching a program that celebrates the talent in our backyard. (And for supporting the local arts scene by establishing a $250 scholarship for the digital arts at RCTC with funds from ticket proceeds.)

If you missed the festival, you can see the films at www.Rochester411.com. All ten films will be available for viewing starting this week.