|
|
|
December 2, 2005
Get ready for a film festival in your living room.
When holiday stress makes you want to escape the glaring lights of the mall for the comforts of home, there’s nothing like kicking back with a soft blanket and watching some quality television (it still exists I swear). On December 12, video i is going to bring the largest west coast film festival to your very own living room. That’s right, the Cinequest film festival in San Jose was smokin this year, and we’re bringing you highlights of the filmmakers, special guests, and films that make it all happen, starting with a special clip of academy award winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley. I got the opportunity to ask him a few questions at a Cinequest press conference. Kingsley can masterfully play such disparate characters with ease…from the peace-loving Ghandi, to the ruthless killer Don Logan in the film Sexy Beast. He is one of the rare actors that is trained in both Shakespearean and motion-picture acting, even though the two are extremely different. I asked him what he does to prepare for these demanding roles, both personally and professionally, and his intense answer will astound you.
Chatting up indie film maverick Jon Polito…
I also got to chat with the affable and charismatic Jon Polito. Now you may know Polito either from Coen Brothers’ films like Miller’s Crossing, or you may know him as Silvio, the accented Hispanic janitor on Seinfeld, with his trademark comb-over. He had me constantly laughing with his antics and stories—and unlike the networks, we don’t cut and paste the celeb interviews, we show you the whole darn thing! I wish there were more actors like him in the business, a class act with passion for his craft without taking himself too seriously.
I lost my chick in San Francisco…
We’re also going to show you three short films that made the cut by the Cinequest judges. One that stands out in my mind is called Chickens in the City. As a native San Franciscan, I had never heard of wild chickens running around downtown, but apparently, this is a common occurrence. The documentary playfully explores how keeping chickens has shaped the eating philosophies of urban chicken-owners. For instance did you ever think about how those shrink wrapped chicken breasts you buy at the store barely resemble the original bird? This show also includes candid conversations with the filmmakers to give you a view of their creative minds at work.
Community notes
If you’re a budding filmmaker yourself, Cinequest is accepting submissions RIGHT NOW so get crackin! You can also send your film to my peeps at video i, and all that information is provided on the “video i” link.
Now if you still decide to shop till ya drop, you can help the less fortunate and be environmentally aware at the same time. One of my favorite stores, H&M, has finally opened in San Francisco. H&M is a pioneer in making eco-friendly clothes, restricting the use of hazardous substances and water pollution in the manufacture of their clothing. They are also donating a portion of their jewelry profits to my favorite charity, UNICEF.
The opening party, which I covered for ABC, was an absolute mob scene. Lines of fashionistas wove around Powell street, anxiously awaiting the doors to open so they could raid prized pieces by Stella McCartney and racks of almost one-of-a-kind clothing . DJs were spinning house music in the 35,000 square foot space as models paraded, socialites imbibed, and serious shoppers seized hordes of clothing off the racks. Now for those of you who are unfamiliar with H&M, it’s a Swedish clothing store that’s chock full of European fashions at a fraction of the price. The styles are so cutting edge that some of them seem only suitable for the runway, but there are more wearable pieces that seem to follow three categories this season. The trends are minimalist, (black and white simplicity) rustic, (thick woven shawls with fringe layered on top of heavy sweaters) and barococo, which is basically a combo of baroque and rococo. This vintage style happens to be my favorite, think Gwen Stefani meets King Louie XVI. Unfortunately, no Stella McCartney pieces were to be found anywhere yet (except on Ebay), but you still can buy fashions that are in style in Europe now, rather than waiting at least two years to get them like before. What I love about this store is that the up-to-date styles are affordable to the masses, without producing things en masse. So the fashions you see there today won’t necessarily be there tomorrow.
I’ll be back with more info on upcoming shows in December, but until next time, have a very merry cocktail on me. ;)
Mediterranean Martini
8 oz citrus vodka
5 oz fresh lemon juice
20 oz pomegranate juice
2 oz pomegranate syrup (grenadine)
Sugar to taste
3 tbs. pomegranate seeds
Stir all ingredients well with ice and serve in chilled martini glasses. Or,, whirl in blender with ice if you prefer
Cheers!
|
 |
