Review

Rapp Sheet 7-23-10: The Independent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City Shares Its Work

Sharon Wright works with cinematographer Kendal Sinn on "Change For A Dollar," which screens in the KC Fringe Fest 2010. Image: courtesy of the director

Besides the many great independently made feature films that have been coming out of the area for years, there is also a long-kept-alive tradition of the short-form film. Since the early days of the Calvin Film Company (to be explored in a future article) to the current works of the IFC-KC (Independent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City), short films have been mostly the entry of choice by local filmmakers. Short films are an effective (though not always efficient), lower-budget (though not all the time), and generally easier-to-screen medium. Perhaps it's that KC moving-image artists appreciate the ability to tell big stories economically — and garnish a calling card for bigger possibilities. Many locally produced short films have played in several festivals across the country and globe as well as scored kudos in national festivals (such as Gary Huggin's film First Date, which played in Sundance and his latest Happy 95th Birthday Grandpa which played at South By Southwest, and the several short films of Patrick Rea. Many of these filmmakers, Rea included, have gone on to make full-length features that currently play in international festivals, such as Ty Jones, and Joe Heyen.

Celebrating the art of the short, the Kansas City Fringe Festival will screen two compilations produced by members of the IFC, on several consecutive nights at the Screenland Crown Center theaters. With multi-faceted Best Of IFC and Best of IFC Horror programs, the IFC makes public what it has been formulating in the downstairs of the Westport Coffee House all these years.

"The IFC is a non-profit organization promoting regional independent film, video and media production," says President Brian Boye. "We provide a setting for education, artistic expression, networking, and cooperative sharing of resources to anyone with an interest in filmmaking."

Beginning in 1994 with fewer than 10 members, the IFC now has a membership numbers in the hundreds. Today’s representation incorporates a near-equal number of male and female members encompassing a wide ethnic mix. Videographers, screenwriters, producers, directors, actors, musicians, editors, lighting technicians, make-up artists, and set designers sink in to the theater chairs to network, laugh and learn at the Westport Coffee House every Wednesday night.

Since the time of their humble beginnings, IFC members have made nearly 2,400 short films and over 25 feature films, which have screened at the coffee house space, as well as at regional, national, and international film festivals. Several IFC films have won awards and been accepted into prestigious festivals and screenings.

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"Film production is rarely an individual pursuit," comments Boye, "It always requires the collaborative skills of many. At least 95 percent of our films are produced in the cooperative spirit the IFCKC fosters of filmmakers helping each other for little or nothing. We pay it forward and try to come to the aid of our fellow members searching for cast, crew, locations, what have you."

IFC films have also been practical training for actors and crew members who now have professional careers in the film and video industry. Via regular actor's showcases, budding and working film and television thespians get to show their filmmaking peers what they are capable of. To get great acting, one doesn't need to go beyond the rich talent pool that exists within our own community.

At a typical IFC meeting, one will find Boye using humor, valuable information, and, at times, gentle scolding, to keep the sometimes standing-room-only participants engaged. Being in the filmmaking trenches himself, Boye has created a number of award-winning short films, including Colors & Darkness and New Jersey: The Musical. His next project plans to be a Web series about "what happens when a super-hero and an evil genius get married and move to the suburbs."

"I'm excited that we get to represent so much of the unique talent that has been fostered within the IFC and be able to project it in a great space like the Screenland," says Boye. "Seeing your work up there before a real audience and in a major theater is a real treat, and having people be moved by your films is one of the highest compliments there is."

Among the many films showing in the Fringe Festival film programs is the acclaimed Change For A Dollar by actress-turned-director Sharon Wright.

"I was looking on the Internet and there was a one-minute film competition someone was sponsoring and the challenge was how far can you go with a dollar," says Wright. "I started kicking the concept around in my head, and I was on a road trip one night and saw a sign that said 'Change?' with a question mark. I started seeing this character of a homeless guy who affected other people's lives with one dollar, instead of using it for himself. I had the entire story laid out in my head by the time I got to my destination. It seemed like someone else was writing the story and just putting in into my head."

Change For A Dollar has had a promising start. In its first festival — the Moonlight Film Festival in Leesburg, Virginia — it won an Audience Choice Award. It has recently been accepted into the AOS Festival in Pasadena, California, where it has been nominated for an award, as well as a nomination for Wright as best female filmmaker.

Wright, a long-time IFC member, has only great things to say about the organization.

Paul Campbell plays the lead in Sharon Wright's "Change For A Dollar." Image: courtesy of the director

"I found my actor, Paul Campbell, through the group," she says. "He's usually behind the camera, but he is an amazing performer. I also knew (cinematographer) Kendal Sinn and other members who really came through for me. The IFC is a great place for resources. This is my first film directing, and thanks to the many experiences and advice through the IFC, I didn't have to go into it completely blind."

With two of the funniest entries in the festival, Jim Schweers's films come with the pedigree of a former-stand-up-comic sensibility and deadpan approach. How To Tuck In Your Shirt won both the Jury and Audience award in the recent 3-5-7 Festival.

"It's appropriate that these films get screened in an IFC program, because they were both inspired by IFC events," says Schweers. "I never do docs," he adds, "but I like books of tips about the best ways to do ordinary things and in one book I found a shirt-tucking method, which seemed odd, and it stuck in my memory.  So I decided to do a demonstration video. But the actual method took only 30 seconds to describe, so I made up the rest and gave it a personal chronological structure."

Suburban Shopping Trends In Recessionary Times, also by Schweers, explores the strange moments that can happen in the absurdist context of a yard sale, with Schweers starring as the proprietor. Schweers concocted it for the IFC's 2010 One Night Stand event.

The One Night Stand has been an annual challenge whereby participants complete a full film starting in the morning and finishing at a premiere screening at the Just Off Broadway Theater. In some of of the fun parameters, the filmmakers must use a certain object and line of dialogue in their film.

Director/actor Jim Schweers and actor Jerod Meagher haggle in "Suburban Shopping Trends in Recessionary Times." Image: courtesy of the director

Says Schweers: "On the eve of the 2009 version, I wondered what project I could devise that would naturally incorporate all of the possible objects and movie dialogue lines, and what I came up with was a yard sale, which could include any old object that might be for sale, including used videos for the movie lines. A few months later, I had enough pieces of the story to present them to (cinematographer) Todd Norris, who can shoot and edit at the speed of thought. When Todd said, 'I think this is doable,' I knew we had a film. All that was left to do was the script, storyboards, shooting schedule, casting, and finding four long folding tables — and enough luck to have a sunny day during which to shoot."

Butterfly Dreams, directed by Tim Harvey and written by Michael Loftus, is a trippy short-film journey with complexities to rival the most intricate feature length tale. In the film, couple Leo and Louise are playing a virtual-reality game in the comfort of their home. They "cast" themselves into parts in a noir-ish 1946 and a smokey bar featuring a mysterious moll. When things spin out of control, Leo and Louise find themselves questioning the nature of reality.

Director Tim Harvey on the set of "Dinnertime." Image: courtesy of the director

"An interesting and frustrating interruption came we had three-fourths of the film in the can and unexpectedly lost our primary location, the bar, for six weeks due to paying bookings," says Loftus. "It was too late to change locations because too much had been shot. We just had to sweat and wait it out. It’s a credit to the cast and crew that they came back to finish the piece when we were able to reclaim the location, and dispelled that old notion that a delay would cause a loss of momentum. The original cast and crew stepped back in as if no time at all had passed."

Adds Harvey: Butterfly Dreams was the first film I actually had auditions for, which led to working with actors Amy Kelly and Rich Zvosec for the first time, among others, all of whom I would cast again. It was a film that originally had a four-day shooting schedule, that for a lot of reasons got quite a bit longer, but it was a great bunch of people, the core of which were IFC members."

In addition, Harvey is playing one of his most popular films, Dinnertime, in the horror portion of the program. This hilarious comedy postulates the idea of Jason, Carrie, and Michael Myers all being in the same family and sitting down for a lovely dinner on Halloween night.

"Dinnertime was the first comedy I directed," says Harvey. "I made it just to amuse myself and my friends in the film community for Halloween 2008, but it's also been a finalist in the 2009 KC CreepFest. Several of the KC Horror Club were extras."

If you are an aspiring filmmaker, actor, or have any other interest in the moving image, but aren't sure where your support base is, come to the IFC and experience the valuable resources that are available to members. And if you are interested in meeting IFC members outside the context of the WCH and supporting your local filmmakers, check out the several nights of entertaining and eclectic films at the KC Fringe Festival 2010.

IFC member Amanda Dawn Harrision is a oft-featured player in Tim Harvey's noir series. Image: courtesy of the director

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Here is a full program of the IFC compilations, playing through the week at the KC Fringe Festival:

The Best of IFC Shorts (click here for ticket information), showing on Tuesday, July 27,  9:30 p.m.; Thursday, July 29, 6 p.m.; and Saturday, July 31, 4 p.m.:

End of the Line — Jonathan Price
Pot Roast — Deb Keeney
How to Tuck in Your Shirt — Jim Schweers
Last Call Under My Skin — Timothy Harvey
Change for a Dollar — Sharon Wright
Butterfly Dreams — Timothy Harvey
Playing with Fire — Timothy Harvey
The Pigeons of Potrero — Abigail McCord
That Thing — Tim Hamilton
The Space Between — Timothy Harvey
Town Topic — Bobby Thompson
Suburban Shopping Trends in Recessionary Times — Jim Schweers

The Best of IFC Horror (click here for ticket information), showing on Wednesday, July 28, 8 p.m.; Thursday, July 29, 9:30 p.m.; and Saturday, July 31, 9:30 p.m.

Deathtrap — Dave Berry
Ghosts Make Bad Roommates —  Matt Murphy
Owen Morgan — Drac. D. Lam
'Til Death — Dave Berry
Smoked — Bobby McGee
Species Felis Dominarus — Jason Hunt
Full Plate —Todd Norris
Bite — Marc Manley
Devotion — David Yonally
Numb – John Barnes
Dinnertime – Timothy Harvey

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