The ninth annual Poppy Jasper International Short Film Festival, which runs Oct. 10 to 14, will be full of fun times for film fans and filmmakers. MHAT-19 is a sponsor of the event, and many of our public access TV station’s volunteers are giving their time and talent to make this year’s Poppy Jasper the biggest and best film festival for the South Valley so far.
The big news for this year’s festival is that the Granada Theater in downtown Morgan Hill is being re-opened after nearly a decade to show the selected films in its two auditoriums. Organizers of the Poppy Jasper worked with Morgan Hill city staff and the Economic Development Corporation to temporarily open the doors to the art moderne-style building which, with its distinctive marquee, is an icon for the city’s downtown district. They put in hours of cleaning and painting time to create the perfect cinematic environment for festival attendees to watch the many short films that will be featured – including films from Austria, Germany, Australia and England.
This year’s star speaker is Harry Manfredeni, a composer of more than 100 Hollywood films. He will do a Q&A-format talk with filmmaker Jessika Satori on Oct. 13, discussing the process of creating musical scores to enhance cinematic story-telling. Manfredini will also do two workshops in the Poppy Jasper’s lineup of filmmaking/film fan workshops.
The Poppy Jasper is noted for being one of the first short-film format festivals in the San Francisco Bay Area. The films are 30 minutes or less. But this year, film fans will also get to watch a set of specially invited feature-length films that are a variety of thrills and laughs.
· “Callous” is a drama directed by Joey Lanai. The story is about an abused and emotionally fragile child who grows up to be a single father. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders after being haunted by a painful childhood. It plays at 8 p.m. Oct. 10 in Theater 1.
· “Shutterbug” is a dramatic film directed by Minos Papas. It reveals the story of a photographer named Alex who, after looking into the sun and damaging his eyes, sets off on a journey of self-discovery guided by the supernatural visions he experiences. It plays at 8 p.m. Oct. 10 in Theater 2.
· “The Patient” is a 2010 drama/thriller directed by up-and-coming Finnish filmmaker Mikko Iho. Shot entirely in the visually stunning city of San Francisco, it tells the tale of a psychiatrist who starts to lose her mind. It plays at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in Theater 2.
· “The Dead Sleep” is a supernatural thriller directed by South Valley filmmaker Vicki de Mey. A man is driven to save his daughter from his unfortunate mistakes. It plays at 8 p.m. Oct. 11 in Theater 2.
· “Yakuza and the Mermaid” is a fantasy drama directed by Chris Benker. It features the story of a writer who is having trouble finishing a crime story. He meets a mysterious woman who literally brings his characters to life. Unfortunately, the gangster in his story just wants to be left alone, even if it means killing the writer. This film plays at 6 p.m. Oct. 12 in Theater 1.
· “Gleeful” is a musical comedy directed by John Bisceglie. It was filmed entirely in the South Valley – particularly at Christopher High School in Gilroy – and is a spinoff of the hit TV series “Glee.” It plays at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12 in Theater 2.
The Poppy Jasper is named after the gemstone that is unique to the Morgan Hill region. Although none of the short films that have been shown at the festival ever went on to win an Academy Award, several have been nominated for an Oscar. Last year’s Poppy Jasper Best Science Fiction Film “Time Freak” – made by Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey – was nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at the 2012 Academy Awards.
For more information on the Poppy Jasper Film Festival, visit www.poppyjasperfilmfest.org.
