It’s almost time again for our annual Poppy Jasper Film Festival! Yes folks, it’s awards season in Coyote Valley and you are probably asking yourself should you stay clear of downtown and even avoid 101, lest it be congested beyond belief with fans and paparazzi. And, indeed, dare you show your less than camera-worthy face at all in the midst of this rarefied glitter and dazzle?
Fear not readers. If previous years are any indication, you might well find yourselves outnumbered in the Morgan Hill Playhouse by volunteers and ushers as you and one other couple mull over which seats really are the best in the house.
One has to wonder at the motivation for creating yet another prize mill for short film makers; or, to be more precise, for makers of all sizes of short films. But no, that’s not it either, not all sizes, just films under thirty minutes. Does anyone even care who won the Oscar for best short film in any given year other than the recipients themselves?
In the age of YouTube and bundled video editing software, is there a point to the Poppy Jasper Short Film Festival? Why would anyone bestir themselves to sit through a medley of obscure subject matter made for the most part by people with a McCain-like grasp of digital filmmaking today? And the answer is: they don’t. Festivals like this exist for the benefit of the contestants and the organizers. Full fare attendees are the icing on the cake, and you won’t get a sugar rush from this cake.
But if you are into movies, the good news is that the additional stadium seating screens are now open at Cinelux Tennant Station, which should vastly expand the breadth and quality of offerings coming to town—perhaps, maybe. The bad news is that the old Granada downtown remains mothballed and will not be breathing new cultural energy into our historic downtown with a rash of controversial art house movies any time soon, if ever.
On a final note, “W” is playing on one of the new Cinelux screens. It’s worth seeing, my only regret is that I can’t get that irritating “Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen” theme from the sixties out of my head ever since. Where are the WMD and where’s the Advil?
Sean Kenny is the author of four novels and numerous essays. Born and raised in Ireland, he pursued a career in high tech which eventually led him to Silicon Valley. His most recent novel, The Memory Trap, was inspired by a stint at Apple. He is currently one of the founders and CEO of Fresco Solar, a renewable energy company that has installed the first wind turbine in Morgan Hill.
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