Now it’s official, so now it can be told: Hollywood Forever will screen at the 7th annual Action on Film International Film Festival in Pasadena, CA in July. I’m very excited about this one, especially since a) I don’t have to take a plane to get there and b) I’m hoping that some cast, crew, and friends will be able to join me at the screening.
Given the contained nature of my film and the title of this festival, I wasn’t originally planning to apply. But when I met Janet Mayson (maker of the Libby Girl films) at the Bare Bones Festival, she thought that AOF’s director Del would love my film. Judging from his effusive phone call and swift acceptance, she was right. So not only am I very happy to get such a welcoming response, I’m starting to feel that attending these festivals is connecting me with a new community of fellow filmmakers. It’s great to be able to recommend and promote each others’ projects. Looking forward to seeing Janet and other Bare Bones pals in Pasadena next month.
And AOF is already doing a great job publicizing “Hollywood Forever” and the festival. Upon acceptance, I got a prompt email from their PR ace Nina Houlihan asking me a few questions, which she crafted into this fine press release:
Romance Film with Hollywood Nostalgia will Screen at the Annual Action on Film Festival
The Action on Film Festival will screen “Hollywood Forever”, a time-travel romance that offers viewers a modern-day look into Old Hollywood
Pasadena, CA — “Hollywood Forever” is a romance film inspired by the ever-changing town of Hollywood. The film will screen at the seventh annual Action on Film Festival in Pasadena, California. The festival is expected to showcase more than 600 films in its nine day run July 22-30.
In “Hollywood Forever,” decades intertwine as an earnest young man enters a vintage clothing shop and asks a jaded goth salesgirl to help him choose a suit. The film was inspired by writer and director Amy Ludwig’s love of thrift stores, fascination with the fluidity of time, and the main character’s timeless face.
Although having much writing and directing experience, “Hollywood Forever” is Ludwig’s first film. She says, “Making this film has been my film school. It’s given me a new, concrete understanding of the dynamic relationship between script, shooting, and post-production, and how a film is remade at every stage.”
Festival creator and director Del Weston says, “‘Hollywood Forever’ is a beautiful, nostalgic film that gently tugs on your heartstrings while taking you back to a place much sweeter than any reality.” He goes on to quote Jean Baptiste Karr, saying, “the more things change, the more they stay the same..this film proves that love is timeless and while fads, history, and fashion change, love always remains the same.”
The seventh annual Action on Film Festival will take place July 22-30 in Pasadena, CA. Featuring screenings, dinners, an award show, and a renowned red carpet event, the festival and celebration will attract hundreds of talented filmmakers, celebrities, and fans alike.
For tickets and more information on the upcoming Action on Film Festival, please visit http://www.aoffest.com. For a sneak preview, tune into NBC on Saturday nights at 2:30am to watch Weston’s show, Action on Film Television.
###
I’m in the process of finishing up the revised poster and trailer (Now with more wreaths!) and adding Italian subtitles for Salento. (Thanks to my work colleague Patrick for recommending his diving student Fatimeh to do the translation.) That’s another art form, I find; synching the titles with the dialogue so smoothly that they’re barely noticeable, because they don’t break the rhythm. Gives me more respect for yet another unsung cinematic task. Richiede molta pazienza.
Two more festivals have accepted “Hollywood Forever”! We’ll have the great pleasure of screening on consecutive March weekends, taking us into spring and completing a full year of a dozen wonderful festival screenings.
Hollywood Forever 