Family Literacy Day

By Krista Schwimmer

Some of my fondest memories of my early, child- hood years are of my parents reading to me and my brothers before bedtime. One such book was “Are You My Mother,” by P.D. Eastman, about a lost, little bird. My mother read this book to me so frequently that I surprised her one day at the age of four by apparently reading it to her. I had simply memorized it.

Imagine now that you are in a home where there is not a single book. No fairy tales to hear as you drift asleep; no shared memories of reading with any par- ent. Sadly, in California, this is too often the picture. Ranked 48th in childhood literacy, California is in dire need of help. Fortunately, three organizations are pre- pared to send in some troops: Raising A Reader, Sun- set Lodge #369 Free & Accepted Masons, and the Mystic Journey Bookstore. Armed with books, knowl- edge, and heart, they are ready to show the community how we can not only face this situation, but ultimately solve it.

On Saturday, June 1st, from 1 – 4 pm, Sunset Ma- sonic Lodge and the Mystic Journey Bookstore are proud to present Family Literary Day. The event will be held at the lodge, located on 1720 Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica. This free event will bring awareness to the amazing, national, literacy program called Raising A Reader. The day will include a book swap; a creative arts station; a model train display by Group 160; and a celebrity panel, discussing the issue of child literacy and children’s literature. The panel will include the local Venetian author and actor, Paul Michael Glaser.

In 1999, Raising A Reader was created to help lower income families of children aged 0 to 8 years old “develop, practice and maintain home-based liter- acy routines critical for school success.” They do this

in a simple, effective way: by providing low-income families with free books to take home. Having already helped over one million children, this group’s thirty years of research shows that children do better in school when the family is involved in their activities. The most successful activity is that of families reading books together.

Historically, Masons have championed public education. Just in California, they have lobbied for state-supported education and federal land grants; helped create a free system of public education; and created Public Schools Week. In the last four years, the California Masonic foundation has provided more than $5 million in educational scholarships and serv- ices to children.

Each year, the incoming Grand Master of Masons in California chooses a charity to support. For not only this year, but the next three years, the Grand Lodge has chosen to support Raising A Reader. Along with donating funds to the organization, the goal is to pro- vide the Raising A Reader program to 250 California kindergarten classrooms in the lowest performing schools, reaching an estimated 6,000 children at risk.

Locally, to support the Grand Lodge’s project, Sunset Masonic Lodge, in coordination with The Mys- tic Journey Bookstore, has created Family Literacy Day. This diverse and dynamic lodge has served the Venice Beach, Santa Monica, West L.A., and sur- rounding areas for more than a century. For this event, they reached out to the West Los Angeles area, starting with Will Rogers Elementary and Grant Elementary Schools. Ironically, although Raising A Reader was founded in Redwood Shores, California, the West Los Angeles region has been untouched until now.

The Mystic Journey Bookstore, founded in Octo- ber 2008 by Jeffrey Segal, joins Sunset Masonic

Lodge in their efforts. The metaphysical bookstore is located at 1624 Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Its mission is not only “to spread light and love, to enlighten and enliven, to intrigue and inspire,” but to “become a leader in our community.” The two organizations plan on promoting other charitable events together in the future.

Victor Hugo writes that “to learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out a spark.” Please join Raising A Reader, Sunset Masonic Lodge #369, and the Mystic Journey Bookstore on June 1st in lighting a fire for children in California, one spark at a time.

For further information about or to donate chil- dren’s books for “Family Literacy Day,” please contact John Stellar at 800-858-2712 or info@e-pr.com To learn more about the other organizations, please visit these websites: Sunset Lodge #369 F&AM, http://www.sunsetmasoniclodge.org; The Mystic Journey Bookstore, http://www.mysticjourneybookstore.com

Being Thankful on Thanksgiving, and Always

By Anne Alvarez

Venice’s spirit shone upon Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful day for our less fortunate, and often invisible, Venice residents, many of whom started their day off with a holiday feast and warm welcoming smiles from the volunteers at the dinner held at the Venice Basketball Courts.

Spearheaded by Anthony Perez from the “Send Me a Penny Foundation”, in conjunction with Pastor Eric Tietze’s  “Heart of Compassion”. Both men are equally dedicated to ending hunger city wide.

Dozens of local volunteers, eager to give back any way they could, baked fresh goods. Others donated clothing, and all donated their warm and generous spirits to make this a special day for those that are so often forgotten. Ashley Adams and her girlfriend, Rebekah Soto, heard about the event online and happily donated their time. As did Santa Monica resident, Teresa Russell, who has been doing this for the past few years, donating clothes and helping out at the food line.

About 10 tables comprised one very large buffet table, filled with turkey, ham and all the side dishes and desserts one can imagine. Over 300 people were fed, with many taking large plates and bags of food to go. The smiles on everyone’s faces were priceless, such as Gregory Crumby, a Venice musician who has fallen on hard times for the past 6 years, and didn’t imagine he would be celebrating Thanksgiving this year. Gregory, accompanied by Tommy Mingo, heard about the feast being provided near the basketball courts from 7-9AM, and cheerfully showed up and ate all the holiday favorites that we so often take for granted.

Many thanks went out to “New Community Jewish High School” whose students began a campaign to donate 20 turkeys to the event, and were so successful, they wound up surpassing that number and donating 32.

 

If you would like to share in the laughter and fill your hearts and spirits with joy, you are encouraged to join the next holiday event taking place Christmas day at OFW Basketball Courts from 7-9AM.

If you are unable to make it to this event but would like to contribute:

 

Heart Of Compassion (323) 727-7997  hocdistribution.com

Send Me A penny Foundation (310) 619-3885  sendmeapenny.org

Sparkly Party for SPARC’s 35th Anniversary

By CJ Gronner

It has been all about the art lately in Venice, and a recent Saturday night was a big one for it. C.A.V.E. (Center for Audio and Visual Expression)  Gallery on Abbot Kinney had the opening of renowned street artist Shark Toof’s Ping Pong Show AND it was the big celebration for SPARC‘s (Social and Public Art Resource Center) 35th Anniversary. A full night of greatness.

My dear friend, Shana Nys Dambrot, wrote the introduction for Shark Toof‘s new and completely gorgeous coffee table book, and we discussed Shark Toof’s fine art works on canvas with the man himself.

Shark (I’m gonna call him that, as I have a hard time with the f) opined on the state of sexual taboos in the world that gave his show its name.

“Ping Pong” does not refer to the hooker trick of yore, but rather the sex industry mores of Asia vs. here in the U.S.

Bright fluorescent stripes on the walls caromed about and around the paintings, giving the whole gallery an installation feeling, picking up the colors exploding off the art. The gallery was packed with collectors and hipsters, locals and even a couple tiger face-painted babies that could have climbed out of one of the paintings.

Shark is best known as a street artist, and his work has shown up on exterior walls all over the world, often featuring sharks.

With this new, crucial book, and gallery shows like this, Shark has taken his outdoor pieces inside, and successfully bridged that gap previously crossed by folks like Shephard Fairey and Banksy. “Post Art Bills” reads the box that houses his book. Yes.

The show is bright and profound and you can check it out on Abbot Kinney now through November 11th.

I raced from C.A.V.E. over to the SPARC affair at its headquarters in the old jail on Venice Boulevard. The entire building was lit up, with murals hanging from every inch of it.

The back parking lot had been transformed into a Big Fish style outdoor party, with lights strung up everywhere and music blasting from the stage, courtesy of Venice’s own Tom Schnabel spinning his KCRW brand of world beats, and later jazz and blues legend Barbara Morrison and her band getting everybody up and dancing.

SPARC was founded by Judy Baca, Christina Schlesinger and Donna Deitch in 1976 with their first project, The Great Wall of Los Angeles. It is the longest mural in the world, taking the viewer through important moments in our history all along the L.A. River bank. They offered tours of the massive mural (all done by volunteers and at-risk youth), led by Baca. I couldn’t attend the mural tour, but encourage everyone to get down there and see this true wonder of the world as soon as you get the chance. It is truly massive, and makes abundantly clear the importance of art as a tool for social expression and teaching history.

Awards were given, speeches were made, and there was an air of jubilation over the entire affair. It was a delight to see so many neighbors all out and having a good time under the stars, dancing, drinking (theme drinks like “The Mural”), and eating delicious fare from the booths set up by Hal’s, Casa Linda, and Ben’s BBQ.

You could participate in live mural painting on one of the back walls, and it gave you a sense of the camaraderie and effort that goes into creating the more massive pieces that adorn our fair city.

Every surface was adorned with a mural illuminating important cultural characters and events. Even in the bathroom. In a time when street artists (folks like Shark Toof) get busted and jailed for beautifying spaces, and murals are under attack by small-minded building owners and corporate advertising, this was an especially satisfying evening in homage to the importance of art’s role in social justice.

Once all the donation pitches and speechifying was complete, it was time to simply party. Barbara Morrison and her excellent backing band tore it up, and people kept dancing even as the event was being cleaned up around them. A great cause, a great night of wonderful art, and another exclamation point on the SPECIAL! place that we call home.

As SPARC’s saying goes, “BE the Spark – to bring the past into the present to inspire the future.”

Shark Toof

The Ping Pong Show

C.A.V.E. Gallery

1108 Abbot Kinney Boulevard

Through November 11th

SPARC

685 Venice Boulevard

Hopefully Always

Abbot Kinney, thanks for the fun!

By CJ Gronner

We always look so forward to the Abbot Kinney Festival every year, and this year could not have been a more perfect day for it. Gone was the oppressive heat at the beach that some maniacs have been complaining about (Never me), and a gentle breeze blew through the sunshine to create the most gorgeous possible day for all of Venice (and friends) to come together.

Once again, the entire town seemed to be in a great mood, and once again it reminded me of a homecoming weekend, or Thanksgiving, when you see all the old, familiar faces that people get too caught up in their own lives to see every day. I actually (once again) didn’t get to look at too many booths or things, as every two feet you would have another friendly encounter. I love that.

I spent a good chunk of the afternoon kicking it at the Free Venice Beachhead booth, where I got to meet many of our town’s readers, hear their concerns, ideas, support and funny stories. One extra OG man told me how he’d lived in Venice all his life, and it “used to be FUN here … now the Pigs won’t let anyone have any fun. It’s all Yuppies and money now”. Though I did see a person with a real pig as a pet, I believe this guy was talking about the cops. They were pretty cool on this day, but they kind of need to be now, when many in our community are pretty down on them after the whole Ronald Weekley thing. One young lady asked “How can I donate to The Beachhead or become a Sustainer?” It made me so happy that someone in the teen demographic understands and appreciates the need and the work that goes into a FREE press. And that it’s a very important method for preserving OUR Venice, the way that man remembered it. Preserving the FUN, instead of being all about the money and hipster b.s. I headed back out into the mix, encouraged.

But this was a day for celebration, and everyone looked to be doing a great job at that. One great tip for ladies on Abbot Kinney Festival day is that the line for the ladies restroom is always the shortest at The Roosterfish. The ‘Fish was completely packed all day. Gay, straight, every single genre of person having a total ball getting sauced in the daytime on the patio, where great looking hamburgers were being grilled up right in the middle of it all. So fun.

The kids were having a whole bunch of fun at the kid area at Westminster School, where they could do a climbing wall, ride a little Ferris Wheel, and generally go nuts on all the sugar they were hopped up on.

People out buying things too, from jewelry, clothes and art to hot sauce, fairy wings and feather headdresses. You could also register to vote to show your appreciation for the improved economy we were witnessing.

You could eat anything you wanted, and there were so many delicious looking food booths that it made it difficult to decide (we went with Outdoor Grill and gourmet ice cream sandwiches – yum).

It has irked me in recent years that the music stages did not represent our Venice musicians, hardly, if at all, which seems lame considering we all know GREAT musicians in Venice. Same deal this time around, and I really only made a point to catch The LivingThings, who fired up the people hanging out at The Brig and the Palms stage.

With all to see and do at the Abbot Kinney Festival, the very best thing remains the people. The people watching. Seeing old friends and making new ones. Seeing that some people walk goats around as pets, and some people don’t really wear clothes. Some people wear really cool clothes. Some people get through the crowd on stilts. But everyone has a good time, and is happy to be here in our beloved Venice.

Back home later, I could hear the clanging of the poles on the ground from the booths being dismantled, another successful year of the fair coming to an end. I heard a drunken crew rolling down my street and one of the girls shrieking, “This was the best Festival EVER!!!” She probably hadn’t been to ones here in years past, but compared to others in the world, she was spot on. And the best part about the whole day every year is really that it’s one big benefit for our desperately needed Venice Family Clinic. Good begets good.

We love you, Venice! Thanks, as ever, for the FUN!

Venice – Where Art Meets Sublime

By CJ Gronner

The Hammer Museum came down to put on the “Venice Beach Biennial” (which the materials all keep calling a “tongue in cheek” play on the Venice Biennale in Italy – Thanks, we get it.), where a bunch of “Museum” artists joined the Venice artists that are down on the Boardwalk every day, to showcase both styles of art. But art is ALL art, no?

There was a real old style Carnival in Windward Circle put on, interestingly, I thought, by the LAPD. Interesting, considering there are always talks about budget cuts and not enough officers to get the jobs done, but they can throw up a bunch of rides and man-power to watch all the additional people said carny rides bring out? Is it perhaps a little bit to help the image, or what? Interesting, that’s all I’m saying.

I’m not that into rides that are thrown up in a few days, so that whole deal was pretty much a bike through all weekend, but I’m glad the little kids had fun.  The great thing for me was seeing the focus on ART again at the beach. On the beach artists, to be specific, as though the Hammer project brought their artists down, they were not nearly as visible as the people crafting and selling their work every day of the week down there. Aside from the big show pieces nearest Windward Circle, it was nearly impossible to differentiate who came from where … it was just ALL art. And beautiful. If you couldn’t get down there, let me take you on a little stroll of the day with me. Imagine the sun warming your back as you walked, the sea salt breeze making it all perfectly comfortable, music everywhere, and the childhood smells of a day at the beach … except with the sage, incense, and weed smoke moments of now.

The day was so gorgeous out, it was a piece of art unto itself. One thing about the Hammer works was that they weren’t labeled or identified in any way other than a dot on a map they gave out, so people weren’t really sure what they were looking at. So I guess it was just look and enjoy.

Big Easter Island Moai sculptures by Alex Israel had everyone taking attention away from the skaters in the Skatepark for a minute. So cool.

Big pink balloons marked booths where artists were being featured by the VB Biennial, but most of them appeared to be the people that can usually be found down there, like colorful pieces by SKY (Stacey Kai Young).

I spoke to Arthure “Art” Moore who was the featured artist on the materials for the VB Biennial, with his Funky Pussy painting as the logo for the whole deal. He was stoked on it all, and said that the Boardwalk artists were selling more than ever, and really being recognized for their work. VENICE was being recognized as a destination for art again, and that was important to everyone involved. I saw plenty of people holding their own version of Funky Pussy, so Moore, with his homemade eye patch, was taking full advantage of his new celebrity.

In fact, we couldn’t chat too long as we were constantly interrupted by people who wanted their photo with him. Moore was happy to oblige and offered up his signature middle finger (with a smile) to all passersby and tourist photographers. Very Venice, very awesome.

Thank goodness Rara Superstar was back from showing his art all over Ibiza in time to partake in the Biennial, as his colorful pieces are a crucial part of the Boardwalk landscape. He too was kept busy all day taking photos with people and selling them a new memory for their home collections, while reminding them that “Love always wins”.

The day could not have been more pristine, so it was a complete pleasure to amble along and spend more time than you normally would really looking at everything. The bright sunny mood was infectious, and people were open and friendly and into it. One of those days like what could be bad.

All the art looked great against such a beautiful beachy background, that it made you want to get a piece from everyone you passed by. I made a lot of notes on who to return to when I need a perfectly Venice gift for someone. I think a lot of that was going on, really. What better souvenir to bring someone back than a piece of art from someone most likely painting it right there off the sand?

There were street performers and Hammer performers (none of whom did I see all day), and I was stoked to get my own little rap from Dr. Geek … Hey, Blondie, I like the way you wear your laundry … Rad.

Ibrahim was performing in full voice and drums down by the Venice Bistro, and it gave the day a wonderfully authentic soundtrack of badassness.

Art showed up in all mediums, from paintings to jewelry to crazy little heads of figures from Bob Marley to Wilma Flintstone, if that was your thing.

Humor was everywhere – also very Venice – as even the Funky Pussy official materials were pretty funny. Some guys were hawking “Official Bum signs – For just 1 dollar you can own your own bum sign!” yelled some very official looking gentlemen who had made funny cardboard signs for your purchasing pleasure. They wouldn’t let me take a photo. Of course.

I was just beaming all day at how fun and cool life can be, especially here in Venice. I think the best thing I overheard all day was from a middle aged couple – clearly tourists -  walking down the Boardwalk. The man said, “I think we’re going the wrong way.” The woman smiled and said, “I think we’re in the right place to be going the wrong way.

Exactly. She got it. I get it. In that moment, we got each other. And that’s what days like these are all about.

Chariots Coming to Venice

By Greta Cobar

The Hare Krishna Festival of the Chariots is the world’s oldest religious observation, and this year marks the 36th such celebration in Venice. Called Ratha-Yatra, the festival is a celebration of the Deity Jagannath. People attend the festivities to catch a glimpse of Jagannath, whose statue only comes out of the Temple during this festival.

“Birth class determines who may or may not enter the Temple in Puri,” according to Sthavira-Bhakti Dasa, a Hare Krishna Pujari, or priest. The statue of Jagannath from the Temple in Culver City is brought out for the parade in Venice.

Although similar celebrations are held throughout the world, the largest of them all takes place on the East Coast of India, at the Temple in Puri, and is attended by three million people. Three richly decorated chariots commemorating the annual journey of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balarama and their lady Subhadra are pulled through the streets of Puri. Those chariots are five times bigger than the ones we have here, in Venice.

This year the Hare Krishna Festival of the Chariots takes place on Sunday, August 5, with twenty thousand free vegetarian food plates, music, dancing, and parading.

The Hammer Museum’s Venice Beach Biennial

By Dean Henderson

The Hammer Museum’s Venice Beach Biennial, an open air art exhibition, will take place July 13-15 on Ocean Front Walk. Fifteen Venice boardwalk artists will be among the nearly 50 artists exhibiting their work during the free three-day event. The Venice Beach Biennial (VBB) name is a reference to the famous Venice Biennale in Italy that draws visitors and artists from around the world.

The focus of the VBB is local rather than international, being part of the Hammer Museum’s three month long Made In L.A. 2012 exhibit series. In years past, before Venice was trendy, low-rent studio space attracted artists to the area and an artist’s community was born. This was, in a sense, a return to Abbot Kinney’s original vision of Venice as a center of art and culture. Inexpensive studio space is a thing of the past, but a large community of artists remains, some with national or international reputations.

During the annual Venice Art Walk, local artists open their studios to the public, and there are far too many to visit in one day. Not all of our artists work in studios and exhibit in galleries, a number of them set up in the open along the Venice Boardwalk to create and sell their work. Under the current vending ordinance, that number has grown. Aside from its bizarre and disturbing instance of politicians determining what is art (and jewelry is not art, according to the L.A. City Council. Tough luck Tiffany and Faberge), the ordinance has forced out most, but not all, commercial vendors of mass produced items, opening up space now filled with artists. Perhaps “artist” is not a title that applies to everyone painting, drawing, or otherwise creating and selling on the boardwalk. Fortunately, the City Council has left it for the public to decide what constitutes good art.

The VBB brings together boardwalk artists and more established artists, taking the latter out of their comfort zone of studio gallery and museum, and places them all along Ocean Front Walk and Windward Plaza. Artists working in a wide range of media including sculpture, video, ceramic tile, performance, paint, installation and photography will be part of the VBB.

Longtime local Venice artist Arthur Moore assisted in the selection of Boardwalk artists invited to participate, and his best selling painting, Funky Pussy, is the image appearing on all VBB promotional material.

More information is available at

www.madeinla2012.org

Cinco de Mayo Pancake Breakfast

Venice’s own Fire Station #63 will hold its annual Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, May 5, from 8 am until noon at the firehouse at Venice Blvd. and Shell Ave., next to Beyond Baroque.

Come and meet Capt. Rex Vilaubi and his intrepid crew, check out the big red fire engines and equipment, tour the station and enjoy breakfast with your neighbors. Great fun for kids young and old!

All the proceeds from the breakfast are used to maintain and upgrade the station house. This is one case where revenues generated in Venice stay in Venice!

Last year Station #63 responded to an average of thirty calls a day in the Venice area, mainly medical emergencies and traffic accidents.

They are always there for us – here’s a tasty way to show your appreciation.

–Roger Linnett

Boats Parade in the Venice Canals

By CJ Gronner

One of the most adorable things you could ever do in Venice, California is attend the annual Holiday Boat Parade in the Venice Canals. This year was the 30th one, and I think it might have been the best yet. I say that because the mood of the boating participants and the attendants that packed every narrow sidewalk and bridge was sheer buoyancy … and there is no pun intended there. There were plenty of to-go cups in gloved hands (it was beach chilly), but even without that help, everyone seemed to be in stellar spirits as they cheered and caroled under the clear, full moon evening. The Epstein-Mayers hosted the pre-party I attended (Thank you, our gracious hosts!), and we got our group gathered and canal-side just in time to see the first boat sail by, poled along, appropriately enough, by some old-style gondoliers (and “Mr. & Mrs. Abbot Kinney” that I didn’t know). Perfect.

Right on their tail was a militant duck contingent bearing signs like “Duck-U-Py The Venice Canals” and demanding their just nest eggs. Venice always has a sense of humor, and we love it.

There was a fully-amped rock and roll band made up of both Christmas characters and Super Heros. This may just have been my favorite, for fun, enthusiasm and, of course, rock.

You can be as elaborate or as simple as you like in this parade, a big pontoon-type deal, or a single kayak for one, as long as you’re having fun.

The crowds lining the bridges and sidewalks shouted their approval the whole time, and the number of people only increased as the sun began to set. It was so pretty out, people were just gasping … locals and visitors alike.

Pop culture was well-represented, from vessels celebrating Barry Manilow (yes it was ) to Snoopy’s doghouse and the Starship Enterprise.

A darling little family of reindeer? More gondoliers? Fire people? were led by the exuberant patriarch in singing some rousing Christmas numbers, with the little kid barbershop quartet on the choruses. I thought I might explode from the cute factor. Happily.

Hanukkah was given many shouts out by the happy Rabbi in his Menorah/Dreidel (that spun!) boat. He was a big hit, especially with the kids shouting out for candy (chocolate gelt). It’s funny, the parade is like the new trick or treating, or Mardi Gras … kids seemed to expect the boats to throw out candy … Noted.

Even the dogs got into the act, as seen by this little reindeer dog, though his coat did say “Bark Humbug”. Hmmm.

Robin the Snow Queen sailed by with a real fire burning in the bottom of her boat. Very cool. It gave me ideas for the Viking Ship we plan to set sail next year.

The sunset turned the whole sky pink and the lights of the homes and bridges (and boats) began to twinkle in a breathtaking twilight you couldn’t even make up. Everyone looked beautiful … mostly because everyone looked so happy. Truly, even if it was just forgetting about regular life stuff and problems for the moment, and being present and appreciating life and fun and Venice and NOW, while we had it.

I think that’s because you couldn’t help but feel the HOLIDAY CHEER everywhere you looked, especially on this boat, with the coolest, happiest Snowflake Man (with his Christmas Tree friends on back-up vox) riling up the onlookers and getting them/us/me to join him in Karaoke Carols.

As the sky darkened and became more moon and star-lit, the boats wound their way around the canals, with more applause and cheers at every turn. The parade ended and the house parties around the canals began (though many looked not to be at home … are they crazy?! Those houses were MADE to be home on this night more than any other!),we paraded on foot back to our party, but not before being greeted and embraced and invited in by just about every friendly face you’ve ever encountered in town. Right up until this night, I hadn’t been feeling the holiday swing so much yet, with so many other things going on all the time, and time itself flying so fast. But then, as you see, the holidays were jump-started right in front of our faces!

The rowdiness eased into a full moonlight serenity after a while. We rode our bikes back through the canals later on, and I had to pause to soak up the simple loveliness of a Christmas-lit bridge with its reflection upon the water. I gave myself the moment for my own reflection, and with that, BANG! The Christmas Spirit was fully upon me. I’m feeling it! And I hope you are too.

With all the hubbub of the Season … remember to reflect. Appreciate. Have FUN!

 

The Other Venice Film Festival

By CJ Gronner

The 8th Annual Other Venice Film Festival was another success – and a blast – this year, featuring wonderful work from our own local filmmakers, as well as entries from around the world. The festival ran from October 13-16 this year, and it all started out with a big rager at Beyond Baroque for Opening Night.

The Featured Artist of the OVFF was William Attaway, whose art was displayed in and around the entrance to Beyond Baroque. It was great to see so many creative people all coming out to support each other in their different mediums, and something that I hope will only grow as more and more, our circles overlap.

The first event drew all sorts of local legends of skate and surf, as the Feature competition kicked off with a screening of big wave surfer, Allen Sarlo’s, documentary, Work To Surf. It was the hottest night of the year in Venice, I think, so we watched the film in chairs outside under the stars – and close to the open bar. I chatted a bit with festival founder, Reuben De La Casas, before the film started, and he said they had far fewer feature length submissions this year, and the ones that were submitted were mostly documentaries, as people are into them and really, real life is better than fiction most of the time. With the economy being what it is these days, shorts are more prevalent, and easier to produce, obviously. The economy being down also severely hampered the sponsorship support that has been contributed in past years, so most of this year’s Festival was coming out of Reuben’s own pocket. Ouch. Hopefully that can be sorted out for next year, as it really is a valuable display of the deep talent pool here in our Venice.

Work to Surf was super entertaining, and most deserving of the Best Feature Abbot Award that it ultimately won. Jaw dropping big wave surfing plus laugh out loud funny at times, it takes you to the “War Zone” of 1970’s Venice, when, as Jeff Ho says in the film, “Their JOB was to go out and tear the waves apart!” Then they grew up, and Allen Sarlo decided to get into real estate so he could subsidize his travels to go surf big waves, and there you get the title. The working just to surf tied in with the soul surfing ethic, and Sarlo and his good friend, Mark Foo, made a pact that they would always “Work to Surf”. Foo died at Mavericks on a day that Sarlo didn’t go. He was crushed by his friend’s death, and the film is dedicated to Foo. Known as “The Wave Killer”, Sarlo is described in the film by Kelly Slater as, “The thing about Sarlo is he’s just a good guy … until he gets in the water, then he’s an animal!” And now, still working to surf, Sarlo’s legacy will be carried on by his two surfing kids, Sophia and Colton. I loved this film, and agree with Mr. Slater that Allen Sarlo couldn’t be a nicer guy.

 

 

The bar re-opened for an intermission, and then we saw another good and funny skate film, A Day At The Pool, about how maybe a guy named Benton Shakely was really the guy who started the whole skating pools thing. After that, the party was on, and off the record.

Friday night’s “Premiere Night” segment saw the brilliant short film, Admissions, (directed by Harry Kakatsakis) steal the show. It was produced by local Venetian, Gavin Behrman, who told me that they finished it under the wire, as it was important to him that it premiere in Venice. Starring Academy Award nominee, James Cromwell, as the guy at the Admissions Desk leading to Heaven or Hell, the film is a (15:00 timed) discussion between an Israeli couple and the Palestinian suicide bomber who killed them. It is so wise and well written (by John Viscount) that I honestly feel like it should not only win the Oscar for Best Short Film next time (maybe it will!), but probably deserves a Peace Prize too. Honestly. As Cromwell says in explanation to both outraged parties, “You can’t want Hell for other people without being in hell yourself”. It’s very deep, very profound, and should be required viewing for people in conflict the world over. After this (truthful) gushing, you will be happy to know that Admissions won the Abbot for Best Short, (voted on by the audiences over the weekend) so it’s off to the races! GO!

Short Films that stood out to me on Saturday, (which ran very behind, as everyone shrugged, “It’s Venice”) were Sandbox Lullaby, directed by Joey Indrieri – a very dark tale shot all around very sunny Venice, and The Unicorn Girl, a beautifully shot fantastical story about a girl (local Amelia Mulkey, who also directed) – and a unicorn. Thanks to Amelia’s swag of a headband with a unicorn horn attached, I also had a Halloween costume! Win, win! The New Bicycle was a good one all the way from India, by Arshdeep Singh Jawandha, about a kid who is desperate for a bike – Venice people can understand that one.

The Abbot for Best Music Video went to “Love Is Love” by Gabriela Tagliavini, and I had to miss that section as there was a beautiful wedding on the beach in Venice that I had to attend. But Congratulations to all the winners, and to everyone that participated at all! Making a film is hard work, from idea to screening, by everyone involved, and it’s kind of a drag that there even has to be a “Best” of any of it. Having said that, the ones that won were really, really good.

Everyone had another ball at the Closing Night award ceremony, hosted by the hilarious Jill Jacobson. The three Abbot Awards were given out (cut back to three this year as those things are expensive) and the fact that great film making is alive and well in our community was duly celebrated. It’s a special festival, and also a lot of work – done mostly by Reuben DeLacasas by himself with volunteers. There may have to be a change of venue next year, as it’s all been too expensive, and even non-profit Beyond Baroque wouldn’t budge much on their profit, but maybe the local community can help each other out a little more and band together to make this thing awesome – and not break one guy’s bank. Venue donations, sponsorships, HELP – I think we have it in us, right?

Cheers to the Other Venice Film Festival, for a great time/s, and for giving all this excellent and thought provoking film work a place to be seen, right in the neighborhood.  Bravo!!!