MORGAN HILL
– Serious planning for next year’s Poppy Jasper Film Festival
got off to a rousing start last week when a roomful of people
packed the Holiday Inn Express. They heard about the fest and
offered to be part of Morgan Hill’s newest annual festival, planned
for a weekend in November 2004.
MORGAN HILL – Serious planning for next year’s Poppy Jasper Film Festival got off to a rousing start last week when a roomful of people packed the Holiday Inn Express. They heard about the fest and offered to be part of Morgan Hill’s newest annual festival, planned for a weekend in November 2004.
The PJFF steering committee is headed by Kim Bush, who says she has lots of help and encouragement from people who normally don’t come out to volunteer. Hotel owners, CEOs, and managers from local high-tech companies rubbed shoulders with a roomful of people anxious to work on films or the film festival.
“This has hit a nerve,” Bush said after the meeting.
She said the audience brainstormed and had lots of questions about how to promote the event and what kind of fund raisers would work.
The idea of a “Poppy Jazzper” fund raiser – with jazz performances – was received happily.
The official board of directors is forming, with author and Yahoo! executive Tim Sanders jumping on board first, closely followed by Muni Fry, owner of the San Jose SaberCats and, incidentally, wife of electronics mogul John Fry. Both new board members live in Morgan Hill.
When complete, the board will take over for a steering committee that has brought the event far in a short time since the idea was trotted out at the Taste of Morgan Hill in late September.
One emphasis of the festival will be urging females to move behind the camera or work on production. Volunteer Rosemary Rideout told the audience that, before 1940, almost 50 percent of all Hollywood films were produced by women. Now, she said, it is about 6 percent. Having more women take part in the film festival – one way or another – would give them back the voice they’ve had in the past, Rideout said.
A meeting Thursday discussed jobs for committees, a timetable, budget and overall schedule plus giving direction to the marketing end. The committees will get back into action after the holidays.
Rideout, who is head of the hospitality committee, described what she was looking for in the way of volunteers: “What I want on my committee are 25 of Morgan Hill’s friendliest people to welcome visitors, film producers and actors. I want our guests to leave absolutely convinced that some of the greatest and nicest people on the face of the Earth live in Morgan Hill!”
Brenna Gano, another steering committee member, talked about her experience volunteering in a similar and highly successful event.
“I’ve actually been a volunteer at the Mill Valley Film Festival, and one of the neatest things about the hospitality function is that you’re the one who gets to walk around serving coffee to film producers and special guests and making conversation with them. While you’re leisurely chatting with these people,” she added with a grin as she gestured to festival chairperson Kim Bush, “the event chairperson is running around staying on top of hundreds of festival details.”
Details: www.poppyjasperfilmfest.org and e-mail: in**@*****************st.org
