San Diego Film Festival 2013 : Another GREAT Year!
After last year’s Almost Famous Block party I was hooked on the S.D.F.F.. I can remember last year saying “I have to come next year”. Now that’s a film festival! When you are not even done with your current event and you begin planning next year’s event?
This year the S.D.F.F. honored Judd Apatow with the Visionary Filmmaker Award for his work as a writer/producer/director of such hits as Knocked Up and the Oscar nominated film Bridesmaids. They held a special Q and A with Apatow at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art. The Festival also honored Mariel Hemingway with a Humanitarian Award for her work as both an eco and healthy life-style advocate. She writes books on health, which is a fantastic tradition in her family: her Grandfather was ERNEST HEMINGWAY. Mariel Hemingway is also an Oscar-nominated actress for her fantastic performance in 1979’s Manhattan directed by Woody Allen.
This year was a little more mellow for me. I decided to attend two of the panels. All of the festivals I cover I skip panels. I figured I’d shake this up a bit. I was especially excited about the Film Critic panel with long-time critic Jeffrey Lyons (in 43 years has reviewed 15,000 films, interviewed 500 actors and worked at NBC, ABC and PBS to name a few) and his son Ben Lyons, best known for being a critic for Extra and a contributing critic for “Good Morning America.” They are the only father/son critics in America.
For both, writing is a family tradition. Jeffery Lyons Dad was a writer, his Godmother was in the film business and so it naturally got passed to Ben. Jeffrey Lyons most interesting point was how he used to watch 5-6 films a day and realized that he’d have more to offer if he did other things too (the audience laughed). Jeffery Lyons said “I used to watch for up and coming actresses, like a young unknown named Penelope Cruz in The Hi-Lo Country (fantastic film from the late ’90s, but it starred Woody Harrelson, so really who was noticing Oscar-winner Penelope Cruz back then). Overall for Jeffery Lyons he said “the hardest part is to present bad news artistically.”
*****
Ben Lyons on the other hand was very open in his likes, dislikes and did draw attention to the fact we as audience walk in with expectations and that sometimes that really can ruin your opinions. He used the upcomingThe Counselor as an example. All I will say is two Oscar-winning actors, a multi-oscar nominated actor, story written by a guy who wrote a Best Picture Winner and directed by Ridley Scott. Ben hated the movie, but as an audience member I felt like, well is that fair? Do you hate the Lakers for blowing game 7 of the championship?
I asked Ben, probably the biggest thing all filmmakers dislike about critics (99% of critics have never made a movie or could not make it better). It is hard to make a BAD movie. It is up at 4 a.m. work until 6 p.m. and can run 5-7 days a week for 10 months to 2 years. All due respect, critics don’t work that hard. I know because I’ve worked on huge film sets and as I do this write up of S.D.F.F., I will say this is 150x easier.
I asked Ben “How did your perception change when you saw how hard it is to make a movie?” Ben replied “good question. I have to admit it did completely change my respect for the process and from that point on it is hard to separate, just trashing a movie.” He said a movie “has to just flat-out be bad, for me to look beyond what I now know goes into it.”
I took in a great feature film titled,Brahmin Bulls,about a father and son trying to mend their strained relationship. I have nothing to say but superb. To tie in what Ben said, for me, the movie was twice as good, because I know if it’s hard to make a bad movie; well it is VERY HARD to make a good movie. I love San Diego Film Festival and I am ready for next year.
Festival Review by Paul Booth, Lead Entertainment Writer
Visit, and “like” us on Facebook
