Posted on: Friday, December 20, 2002
MOVIE SCENE
Students' talent with video featured in 'Rough Cut' festival
By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Writer
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| "No Smoking" is a video made by Megan Ferrell of Radford High School. It will be shown at the "Rough Cut" video festival. |
| 'Rough Cut'
A high-school video festival 7 p.m. Sunday (reception from 5 p.m.); 4 p.m. Monday; 1 p.m. Tuesday The Art House at Restaurant Row Free |
Ask Augustine Downes, a 16-year-old Punahou School junior and film buff, whose modest efforts to launch a high school video festival on campus have evolved into a legit thing at a real movie theater. "Rough Cut," the project he arranged and organized, makes its debut at 7 p.m. Sunday at The Art House at Restaurant Row. It's part of the "Beyond the Beach" film festival; see listings below.
A 5 p.m. reception precedes the screening of 15 videos that total a little more than an hour's running time.
"Even though this is the first-ever 'Rough Cut,' it's already showing promise," said Augustine, who prefers to be called Gus.
"I was looking for something to show during Christmas vacation," said Don Brown, marketing director who books the films at The Art House. "We don't want anything too heavy; our commercial distributors have dried up; this was perfect for students who are off and want to see what the kids are doing, and a wonderful alternative to visitors to see the homegrown talent."
Gus had solicited entries from all video teachers on the island; some wanted to put it on their lesson plans for next year, he said, but he wanted videos now.
With help from sponsors (Pacific Islanders in Communications and 'Olelo Community Television), Gus was able to get entries from O'ahu schools and lined up a program for a jury to examine.
The jurors included Brown, film producer Genie Joseph, and Dan Hale, Moanalua High School video instructor.
"I couldn't have done this all by myself," said Gus, who met Hale at the Hawai'i Student Film Festival earlier this year, when Gus' first video, "The Hit," was shown.
"It was (a video) I did for an 'Olelo producer class," he said.
"The impetus (for 'Rough Cut') was the Sony projector at the Restaurant Row house," said Brown.
The projector enables video to be shown in the movie theater.
Like a real reel festival, awards will be made to directors of Best Feature and the Best Documentary, with prizes to be awarded Sunday.
Gus, the son of two Advertiser employees (Mary Kaye Ritz and Stephen Downes), met Brown through his mother. Gus also works at Wallace's Keolu Hills theater.
| 'Beyond the Beach'
showcases films of Hawai'i "Beyond the Beach," a mini-fest of films and filmmakers showcasing a Hawai'i outside Waikiki, will begin a Christmas week run tonight at The Art House at Restaurant Row. A reception will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with two filmmakers on hand for screenings of their films: Maui filmmaker Kenneth Martinez Burgmeier and his "Ki ho'alu (Loosen the Key)" film featuring Keola Beamer; and Oahu filmmaker Gary Bowerson and his "Gemhunter in Afghanistan" film. The schedule: • "Ki ho'alu," at 7 p.m. today, 4 p.m. tomorrow and Tuesday, 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, and 7 p.m. Tuesday. • "Paul Horn in Tibet," directed by Tom Vendetti, and "Mount Kailish: Return to Tibet," directed by Tom Vendetti, at 7 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 p.m. Sunday and Thursday. • "Gemhunter in Afghanistan," at 9:30 p.m. today, 7 p.m. Monday, 4 p.m. Thursday. • "Paniolo O Hawai'i," directed by Edgy Lee, and "A Tribute to Hawai'i Firefighters," also by Lee, at 9:30 p.m. tomorrow, 7 p.m. Tuesday and 4 p.m. Wednesday. • "Waikiki in the Wake of Dreams," directed by Lee, at 1 p.m. Wednesday. • "Biography Hawai'i: Aunty Maiki," directed by Joy Chong-Stannard, and "Ke Kulana He Manu: Remembering a Sense of Place," directed by Kathryn Xiang and Brent Anbe, at 9:30 p.m. Monday and 7 p.m. Wednesday. • "Scenes from Contemporary Hawai'i," at 1 p.m. today, Sunday and Thursday. Featuring "Caretakers of Ka Lae," directed by Joan Lander; "Kaho'olawe: Breath of Our Ancestors," directed by Jackson Bauer; "Kamehameha the Great: Revolutionary, Reactionary, Reformer," directed by Irene Yamashita; and "We Are the Peacemakers," directed by Genie Joseph. Tickets: $5 for matinees until 6 p.m., and all day Tuesday; $7.75 for evening shows. Information: 526-4171. A number of free films, including the "Rough Cut" video festival (see story, above) will also be shown; check the theater for specifics. |
