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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Monday, May 16, 2005

Rainbow Film Festival opening

By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

The 16th annual Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival kicks off next week at the Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Academy of Arts with a full slate of films and related events.

Dylan Fergus portrays Ed in "HellBent," possibly the first gay horror movie ever, at the Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival.

Courtesy of Rainbow Film Festival

The festival, formerly known as the Adam Baran Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, opens on May 26 with the world premiere of Marc Moody's "Almost Normal," a romantic comedy about a gay professor who finds himself zapped back in time to his high school days, with one twist: It's a world gone gay, and straight behavior is considered deviant.

The fest continues on through May 29 with a wide variety of films including the narrative feature "Girl Play"; "HellBent," believed to be the first gay horror flick; and festival closer "Transamerica," featuring Felicity Huffman ("Desperate Housewives") playing a transsexual woman who finds out that she once fathered a son.

The festival also includes the world premiere of the locally produced submarine adventure film "Tides of War."

But wait, didn't that film already premiere at the Hawaii International Film Festival's Spring Showcase?

Not quite. HIFF premiered the so-called "straight" cut of the film, titled "Phantom Below" for international release. "Tides of War" is the version made for here! TV, a gay and lesbian television premium cable network. The films are virtually identical except that "Tides" includes the additional back story of the lead character's relationship with another man.

"Tides of War" screens May 28 at 8 p.m. following a gala reception to raise money for festival host the Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation.

Organizer Lance Rae said the festival is looking to enhance its overall social experience with specially paired tie-in events immediately before or after each screening. For example, along with "Almost Normal," which includes a scene at a same-sex sock hop, there will be dance where opposite-sex dancing is off limits. "HellBent" will be feted with an "Out After Dark" Halloween-in-May party.

All screenings are $6 for Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation members, $8 for nonmembers. For more information, call 381-1743 or see www.hrff.org.

More from Mori

Animator Hiroshi Mori can only imagine how much easier his road to Hollywood would have been if there had been a film program at the University of Hawai'i when he was a student.

"If (the Academy for Creative Media) was around when I was in school, I definitely would have gotten into the industry sooner," Mori said. "I would have had my interests focused earlier, and I would have been better prepared."

Mori, who worked as a pre-visualization animatics artist on "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith," said he's impressed with the work done at ACM, as well as less recognized programs at the community college and high school levels.

Mori emphasized that for the local industry to be truly viable, it would have to be built from the ground up, with more support going to local filmmakers.

He acknowledged that large, outside productions do provide work and training for local crews and contribute to the overall local economy. Still, he said, a balance of priorities is needed.

"We keep thinking in terms of 'If we could only get this big TV show or this big film,' but when these productions come, they fill all the key positions with their own people from Hollywood," Mori said. "They make their film and they leave.

"There needs to be support for local filmmakers, not just incentives for outside productions," he said. "You have to start from the ground up with Hawai'i people and Hawai'i roots."

Mori said the film industry's increased reliance on computer technology is making the issue of location less of a factor. Given basic equipment and off-the-shelf software, Mori said, Hawai'i-based studios should be able to accommodate more production responsibilities while showcasing local talent and produce high-quality, competitive products.

"The playing field is level now," Mori said. "For what you would pay for a new car, you could have the same stuff we used at Skywalker Ranch."

Mori agreed with other local film professionals that the creation of a post-production facility in Hawai'i would do wonders for the local industry.

"I'd like to see that," he said. "Right now, Hawai'i is just used as a location, not as a place to really make a movie. A lot of the process of making a film happens in post-production; that's where a lot of creative decisions are made. As it is now, you shoot in Hawai'i and send it off the Mainland for post-production."

Lotsa 'Lost'

The first season of ABC's "Lost" wraps up this month with three episodes in five days.

A re-run of the special episode "Lost: The Journey" airs on Saturday, May 21. The episode, narrated in a linear fashion, offers a quick recap of the season for new viewers with a few new insights for loyal fans.

The two-part season finale starts on May 24 with "Exodus, Part 1," in which the French woman, Rousseau, shocks the survivors by showing up with a dire warning about "the others." Meanwhile, Michael and Jin ready the raft for sailing.

"Exodus, Part 2" airs the following night. In this episode, the castaways on the raft are surprised at sea by something they didn't expect. Meanwhile, the remaining islanders try to blow open the hatch, and a visitor to the encampment might be a threat to Claire's baby.

Training days

Anyone notice all the film and video classes available around town these days?

Japanese artist, director and clay animator Ichiro Miyamoto is teaching a class called "What is Clay Animation?" at the Academy Art Center on four consecutive Saturdays from July 30 to August 20. Topics include storyboards, set design, making the characters, shooting and editing. Participants need to bring a digital camera, tripod and basic video-editing software for Mac or PC. Four Saturday sessions from July 30 to August 20 at the Academy Art Center. Tuition is $250. Call 532-8741.

The University of Hawai'i's Summer Sessions also has a nice selection of noncredit courses, including "Low Budget Feature Filmmaking" with Jon Moritsugu, "Screenwriting Weekend Intensive" and "Writing Your First Screenplay" with Bob Green, "How to Sell Your Screenplay When You Live in Hawai'i" with Julie Oxendale, and "Underwater Videography" with Thomas Gorgas. For complete course descriptions and registration information, see www.outreach.hawaii.edu/summer/noncredit.

Noted acting coach Scott Rogers has recently expanded the facilities at his Academy of Film & Television. Check out www.AmericanFilmActor.com for more information.

Reach Michael Tsai at 535-2461 or mtsai@honoluluadvertiser.com.