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I'm at the Los Angeles Film Festival filmmakers' lounge listening to Charlene Yi (actress, musician, writer, comedienne) rehearse for her gig tonight. After giving the drums a work out, she's progressed to the microphone where she's harmoniously singing "I'm talking in a microphone" and "sound check, sound check" which then elevated to "I hate you with all my heart" belted out to a rock beat. Not what you'd necessarily expect from the diminutive softly-spoken actress person. The project that she's brought to the festival, Paper Heart, is one I saw at Sundance, where I [click the link]  interviewed the actress and her director.

I'm covering a couple of the festival's events for the festival itself, and will post my blogs for Film Independent right here so you don't need to go chasing. But my interest here is in the relationship between art and film, or film as art, and so I'm attending the following two "Poolside Chats" at the W Hotel:

1. "Can film be more dramatic than life itself? How can you transform the everyday into the cinematic? An esteemed group of actors, directors, and writers, who have brought real lives to the screen discuss the challenges and rewards as they compare notes with real subjects whose lives have been immortalized on screen.  With activist Erin Brockovich, Oscar®-winning actor Martin Landau (Ed Wood, Crimes and Misdemeanors), Larenz Tate (Ray, Why Do Fools Fall in Love?) and others.  Moderated by Oscar®-winning director Taylor Hackford (Ray, Dolores Claiborne)."

2. "More than just a movie factory, L.A. intertwines the textures, flavors, colors, and sounds of the world through a freeway maze. Prominent Angelenos who have crafted careers by exploring the outer limits of Los Angeles show us there is a lot more to our city than meets the eye.  With filmmaker Thom Andersen (Los Angeles Plays Itself), muralist and activist Judy Baca, guerilla artist Robbie Conal, and DJ Garth Trinidad.  Moderated by writer/director Allison Anders (Grace of My Heart, Gas Food Lodging)."

I'll keep you posted on how they go! In the meantime, I'm almost finished my short for Project 140! Look forward to sharing that with you soon!

Until soon.
E.