Ed Wood Film Festival
By Grace Carballo ’ 17
On Friday evening I had the pleasure of attending USC’s 19th Annual Ed Wood Film Festival. Getting the chance to show your visiting friends the beauty of the film school itself is one thing, but getting to show them some of the talent of its students is another entirely. The red carpet, assorted cookies, and the general ambience of the Radisson (unrivaled ice water) didn’t hurt, either.
The idea behind the festival itself is hilarious to me. I didn’t know who Ed Wood was prior to attending but was prepared to pretend I did in a sticky situation. Luckily, my friends Jessie and Lucas opened the screenings with an introduction to this filmmaker whose legacy is actually notoriously bad films. Wood fancied himself as a producer-writer-director triple threat of sorts and this, unfortunately, was not the case. The program from the event even elaborates, “When criticized for [his films’] innumerable flaws, he’d cheerfully explain his interpretation of the suspension of disbelief”.
So now we know if ever your work is dubbed “on par with Ed Wood’s”, you should not be pleased. The goal of the competition behind the festival is to show that USC students can make better films than Ed Wood with just twenty-four hours for the entire process.
Every year, there are also requirements, presumably to prevent the overly ambitious from preparing before the 24-hour period. The filmmakers have to include a specific line and utilize a prescribed prop, but aside from that, the world is their oyster. This year the films were required to say “risky business” and also incorporate Nutella.
The wide array of interpretations based on these restrictions was amazing to me. Thrillers, comedies, dramas, all with that delicious hazelnut spread we all know and love.
I felt things. Lots of emotions along with a tremendous pride to be associated with these people. Some of my classmates from courses in the film school I have taken helped create and even starred in my favorites among the 12 finalist shorts that made it into the festival.
A quick “USC Ed Wood 2015” search on Youtube is truly worth your time if you want to reaffirm your hope in not just the future, but the future of film.
Roof won Best Overall Film and “Females and Males” won Best Directing and Audience Choice. They’re both linked below, respectively.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuB6R9jBXe8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoxwXoaczvo
If you missed it this year, stay tuned for the 20th Annual Ed Wood Film Festival next year. And, if you work well under pressure and have a knack for creative cinematography, definitely consider entering the competition. The fact that these films were conceived and created in 24 hours really speaks to the procrastinator in each and everyone of us.
