This year’s Poppy Jasper Film Festival may be the biggest yet.
In its fourth year, the small cinematography wonder has gone above
and beyond expectations to attract some of the industry’s top
talent, according to organizers.
Morgan Hill
This year’s Poppy Jasper Film Festival may be the biggest yet.
In its fourth year, the small cinematography wonder has gone above and beyond expectations to attract some of the industry’s top talent, according to organizers.
The festival, which opens Friday evening with a kickoff jurors’ choice exhibit and reception at the Community Playhouse, will feature 45 short independent films, a women in film panel, three workshops for aspiring filmmakers and keynote speaker Chris Squires.
“We’re expecting a full house,” said film festival spokesperson Rosemary Rossell.
Film entries were required to be 30 minutes or less, and more than 80 submissions were accepted from independent filmmakers and students from around the world.
A free Saturday morning session will screen the work of Sobrato High School’s student film class, including a sneak peek at their first feature-length film in production.
A six-person jury of film fans and industry professionals will judge the films in seven different categories: Comedy, drama, social commentary, documentary, animation, science fiction and an open category for films that don’t fit into those categories.
“The films are the cream of the crop,” said Juror Peter Walsh, a Morgan Hill native and a 30-year veteran of documentary filmmaking.
Walsh said the most fantastic thing about the film festival is that filmmakers can move onto bigger and better things from here.
The prize for Best Overall Film includes $1,000 for the filmmaker.
Last year’s best film winner, “Binta y la Gran Idea” (Binta and the Grand Idea), went on to be nominated for an Academy Award for best Live Action Short Film.
Walsh said the jury is looking for three things in a great film: “Creativity, production value, and execution.”
In addition to the films, there will be a panel focusing on women in film featuring six powerful women in the film industry: Anne Goursand, editor of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula;” Laurie Agard, writer, director and producer of “Frog and Wombat;” Susan Cartsonis, executive producer of “What Women Want;” Fiona Gubelmann, actress in “Blades of Glory;” Marjo Silva, animator/sequence supervisor of “Star Wars Episode 1,” and Fran Lozano, the dean of liberal arts and sciences at Gavilan College.
The keynote speaker is Chris Squires, a camera and steadicam operator on such films as “Forrest Gump,” “The Usual Suspects,” “Fight Club,” and “Dangerous Minds.” He was also the director of the independent short film “Old Love,” which won the top honor for the International Cinematographers Guild.
The three workshops for aspiring filmmakers include a presentation on film sound by Gavilan College, a history of recording presentation by Morgan Hill Access Television and a presentation on screenwriting by the Bay Area Silicon Valley Screenwriters.
The films are not rated but a full description of each picture is available on the festival’s Web page at www.poppyjasperfilmfest.org.
Parents be warned: “A lot of the films are on the edge. Like right on the edge,” said Rossell.
The festival is also a great opportunity for the Downtown Association.
“Anytime we can bring in a different group of people to (Morgan Hill’s) downtown, that is great for business. It gives everyone a chance to see all the possibilities downtown,” said Theresa Kiernan, executive director of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association.
A scholarship program was created by the film festival for graduating high school seniors in which the winner of the best film received $1,000 for college. This year’s winner, Casey Schenkelberg, will attend
UC-Berkeley in the fall.
Submissions for next year’s scholarship are already being accepted.
The films will be shown Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Morgan Hill Community Playhouse, 17090 Monterey Road and at the Cinelux Theaters, 750 Tennant Ave.
Ticket packages range from $10 to $110 based on the variety of events and movies available. It is also possible to buy $10 tickets for a 90-minute block of film, individual workshops, and the panel discussion.
Tickets are available at the film festival’s Web page, at the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce, 90 E. Second St., or at the festival’s office located inside BookSmart, 80 E. Second St.
POPPY JASPER FILM FESTIVAL
- What: Poppy Jasper Film Festival
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When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
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Where: Morgan Hill Community Playhouse, 17090 Monterey Road and Cinelux Theaters, 750 Tennant Ave.
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Cost: $10 for one screening of six to eight films or one workshop or $110 for a festival pass to access the entire festival
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Details: www.poppyjasperfilmfest.org
or (408) 782-8087
