Looking for something to do to disrupt the tedium of studying? Try the 7th Annual Oakland International Film Festival, a diverse showcase of films from across the globe, from first-time filmmakers to Hollywood veterans. Presented by The Oakland Film Society, it begins at 6:00 pm Thursday, October 18, and runs for seven straight nights at the historic Grand Lake Theater by Lake Merritt.
Variety is the key to this year's batch of submissions. A quick browse of the nightly schedules yields a wide range of themes, each film as individual as the next. There will be five-minute shorts and two-hour features; political documentaries, and slices of American history; family dramas and obscure biopics.
"California's Lost Tribes" details the impact the gaming industry has had on the lives of this state's Native American tribes. "Still Standing" is an eight-minute film that spotlights a grandmother seeking her way back to post-Katrina New Orleans. "Broadcast Cowboy", meanwhile, tells the history of Dude Martin, a "singing cowboy" and popular Oakland radio host of the 1930s.
To live up to the festival's title there are indeed a number of intriguing international titles. "This is Nollywood" (which reveals the successes of Nigerian directors from a country of scarce resources) and "Thomas Sankara" (about a charismatic political leader of the small nation of Burkina Faso) are yet two examples.
The Oakland International Film Festival has grown nicely over the years, but around seven years ago it sprung from small roots. Festival director David Roach says the inspiration was an organic process: "We used to do screenings at the Oakland Film Society to promote local filmmakers. After we produced a film that showed in a few film festivals, we kinda thought 'Why not have something like this happen in Oakland?"
As the idea developed, their goals became clearer. Says Roach, "we really wanted to see how we could bring out local filmmakers…as well as try to, you know, bring in some names that would bring credibility to the festival."
This year's selections have a little of both. For those cinephiles looking for films with a dash or two of clout in their movie martini, there are more than a few to choose from. "Grass Grows Greener" showed at the Sundance Film Festival; "Purgatory II", the sequel to the cult web-based movie, showed at Cannes; and "Namibia", another international offering, was a big hit at its North American debut screening recently at the L.A. Film Festival.
"Namibia" stars Danny Glover and Carl Lumbly, and is one of a handful of movies where the viewer can see some Hollywood stars at work. In addition, screen veteran Paul Sorvino ("Goodfellas") features in the drama "Greetings From the Shore"; Barry Shabaka Henley ("Miami Vice", "Collateral"), showcases the documentary "90404 Changing: The Vanishing American Neighborhood." And local Hollywood actress Terri Vaughn shows her documentary "Angels Can't Help But Laugh."
Roach says that this has been his best year for generating publicity about the festival, mentioning how local radio and TV stations, as well as such sponsors as AC Transit, have made that possible. Says Roach, "There's a real grassroots effort." In addition, local restaurants Zza's Trattoria on Grand Ave. and Vine on Lakeshore Ave. will both be holding after-screening events for film ticket-holders.
Among a deep selection of Bay Area films are Greg Young's "Still Kicking", Anthony D. Spires' "Tears of a Clown," and "Live at Tent City," by Peter Griffin and Aaron Bianco. To Roach a key goal is to promote local and first-time filmmakers, extending his appreciation to Grand Lake Theatre owner Allen Michaan for blocking off so many days to show more films. Says Roach, "It really takes a lot to make a movie and the filmmakers put everything they have into making that movie, and in the end they don't have anything left to screen that movie."
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