The L.A. Comedy Shorts Movie Festival was held on the last weekend of April at the small, suitably-named Downtown Independent Theater. Filmmakers from all round the globe sent in their artistic work. Lengths ranged as short as one minute to some that approached the duration of a full sit-com pilot.
"Doomsday Come" and "Me Wanna Go Home" featured several artists. They displayed their unique and sometimes twisted kinds of comedy.
Directors Stephen Cedars, Benji Kleiman, and Scott Yacyshyn created the movie, "To Smell and Back." It played on the traditional trope of someone being magically lulled away by the sweet smell of freshly baked pie. Only this time our protagonist's journey is a tough one that at the end of the day leads to his doom.
The film To Smell and Back (dir. Stephen Cedars, Benji Kleiman, Scott Yacyshyn) played on the classic trope of someone being magically pulled away by the sweet smell of freshly baked pie, only this time our protagonist's journey is a rough road that ultimately leads to his doom.
One memorable moment featured our hero falling down a very steep mountainside. The filmmakers shared the story of how they used a dummy for this shot, and actually scared a family picnicking in Griffith Park.
An animated piece-Last Call-took a light-hearted approach to a suicide-prevention hotline. The desperate man calls for help, only to learn that he must deal with an automated-voice system-similar to what's popularly used by airlines and credit card companies.
That is to not say artistic work could not be made on a short schedule. For example, "Timeless Seasons: Shea Butter" was created by Hannah Bos, Tonya Glanz, and Amy Heidt as part of a larger Internet series about a troubled home-shopping network. The three creators confessed that they generally shot as many as six episodes in a single day.
Many attending the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Competition seemed to be having an enjoyable time. After all, isn't that what comedy is all about anyway? While independent cinema often has a reputation for dark and miserable storylines, it's refreshing to see that there's a maverick group of filmmakers out there who try to deliver pleasure, joy, and humor into our lives.
"Doomsday Come" and "Me Wanna Go Home" featured several artists. They displayed their unique and sometimes twisted kinds of comedy.
Directors Stephen Cedars, Benji Kleiman, and Scott Yacyshyn created the movie, "To Smell and Back." It played on the traditional trope of someone being magically lulled away by the sweet smell of freshly baked pie. Only this time our protagonist's journey is a tough one that at the end of the day leads to his doom.
The film To Smell and Back (dir. Stephen Cedars, Benji Kleiman, Scott Yacyshyn) played on the classic trope of someone being magically pulled away by the sweet smell of freshly baked pie, only this time our protagonist's journey is a rough road that ultimately leads to his doom.
One memorable moment featured our hero falling down a very steep mountainside. The filmmakers shared the story of how they used a dummy for this shot, and actually scared a family picnicking in Griffith Park.
An animated piece-Last Call-took a light-hearted approach to a suicide-prevention hotline. The desperate man calls for help, only to learn that he must deal with an automated-voice system-similar to what's popularly used by airlines and credit card companies.
That is to not say artistic work could not be made on a short schedule. For example, "Timeless Seasons: Shea Butter" was created by Hannah Bos, Tonya Glanz, and Amy Heidt as part of a larger Internet series about a troubled home-shopping network. The three creators confessed that they generally shot as many as six episodes in a single day.
Many attending the L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Competition seemed to be having an enjoyable time. After all, isn't that what comedy is all about anyway? While independent cinema often has a reputation for dark and miserable storylines, it's refreshing to see that there's a maverick group of filmmakers out there who try to deliver pleasure, joy, and humor into our lives.