A review of THE BUTLER for Annapolis Film Festival Fans!

The opinions and views expressed here are those of our guest bloggers and are not necessarily those of the Annapolis Film Festival. The Butler By Beth Rubin Ken Burns meets Forrest Gump in the bio-pic, “The Butler,” written by Danny Strong (“Game Change”) and directed by Lee Daniels (“Precious”). The seed for the full-length drama germinated from a 2008 Washington Post article by Will Haygood, about White House butler Eugene Allen who served eight presidents, beginning with Ike in 1952. In this fictionalized, fast-paced film, we meet Cecil Gaines, a deus ex machina for presenting a compressed version of the civil rights movement. For that alone, the film (even when it deviates from the factual or plausible) should be required viewing— for anyone who wasn’t around in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and as a reminder for those of us who were.  Young Cecil winds up in the White House mess, with its all-black staff and plantation model, after enduring unspeakable trauma and humiliation living on a Georgia cotton farm and working in a southern hotel. But he keeps taking it—his face, a blank slate; his voice, steady. In fact, he enjoys his subservient role, to the consternation of his wife Gloria (Oprah Winfrey). One son, Louis (David Oyelowo), joins the civil rights movement, creating a widening schism between father and son while the other, “good” son, Charlie (Elijah Kelley) does all the right things and fades into the wallpaper of the Gaines home before meeting a tragic end. Like Forrest Gump, activist Louis is front and center for every major civil rights event, never missing a sit-in, Freedom Ride, or Black Panther rally. This guy gets around! Hell, he’s even with MLK at the Lorraine Motel when King is assassinated. The acting, top to bottom, is as good as it gets. Winfrey shines as the loving, steadfast, hard-drinking and chain-smoking wife who wishes her husband worked normal hours. Liev Schreiber as LBJ, John Cusack as Richard Nixon, and Alan Rickman as a somnolent Ronald Reagan shine. Jane Fonda’s cameo performance as Nancy Reagan is spot on. (One has to wonder what Nancy Reagan thinks of Hanoi Jane’s interpretation.) The Butler is very good entertainment. But leave your nitpickers at the popcorn stand.                                                 ### Beth Rubin is a longtime Annapolis writer-author and film enthusiast who writes frequently about the arts.  www.bethrubinauthor.com

Hello Film Fans,
If you or someone that you know has a child interested in film or filmmaking, why not suggest that they sign up for FILMSTERS ACADEMY? www.filmstersacademy.com. In existence for 12 years, this summer film camp for kids 11-20 is a hands on experiential filmmaking program. It takes place in Annapolis from July 29th through August 9th.

It all begins on day one with an idea...each student is asked to pitch their idea for a short film to the whole camp. Ideas are voted on and the most popular ones are made. Small groups are developed and kids choose their jobs. It is all very democratic.

There are three levels of instruction... Beginners, Intermediates and Advanced filmmakers.  This is a picture from last summer's Advanced shoot for FLEW THE COOP. Director, Annie Schwartz is on the left, DP Antonio Marasco is being guided by Supervising Director of Photography, Tyler W. Davis.

This is the crazy cast of SUPER REDNECK VAMPIRE ZOMBIES FROM OUTER SPACE!

The Advanced class shoots a scene at Annapolis' Double T Diner with guest instructors supervising.

Acting coach, Paul Richardson, poses for a funny shot after Erica Rowe has applied special effects makeup.

A special effects shot is staged in front of a green screen with the assistance of guest instructor, Rick Kain, professional stuntman and stunt coordinator.

Lots of editing takes place in order to complete the films in time for the festival. Film camp teaches hands-on of final cut pro editing software on the latest mac computers. A student is guided by editor, Erica Rowe.

Jeff Gerheiser, Operations at FILMSTERS Academy MC'd the film festival and introduced all ten short films for an audience of over 500!!!

Be Sure to See...Part 2

Only the Young, to be shown at the AFF, has just been named one of the top five docs of 2012 by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.

Only the Young introduces us to three Southern California teenagers living in a small desert town known for its foreclosed homes and empty swimming pools. The town's single saving grace is its skate parks. Through these vulnerable, articulate, and rebellious youths, audiences get a close-up look at this generation's hopes and dreams as they learn the importance of friendship.

Combat Girls, Marisa, a 20-year-old working-class German, loves and hates with equal passion. When 14-year-old Svenja joins Marisa's violent Neo-Nazi group,  the older girl incorporates Svenja's ideal of combat girl fighting into the group's ideology. But things change when Marisa encounters a young Afghan refugee. Authentic, brutal, and powerful, Combat Girls explores the gritty, complex nuances of national and personal identity; love, family, and friendship.

Behind The Scenes

Meet AFF’s founding members and Co-Creative Directors, Patti O. White and K. Lee Anderson.

Patti has been a producer/director/writer in the fields of TV, journalism and film for over 30 years and is co-owner of Filmsters, a TV and film production company in Annapolis, which is currently developing and producing several documentaries and series.

For three seasons, she was Producer and Senior Producer for ABC’s Extreme Makeover, a People’s Choice Award-winning show. She spent over 15 years at CBS News in New York where she produced 60 Minutes and CBS Reports and received three National Emmy Awards, three additional Emmy nominations and the coveted George Foster Peabody Award. Patti produced and directed the multi-award winning 2001 feature documentary, If I Could, narrated by Sally Field. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County for 17 years.

Lee is a Producer and Line Producer who began her career as a news and commercial producer for ABC and CBS affiliates in Maryland before joining Filmsters in 1994.  Her credits have appeared on ABC (Extreme Makeover), CBS, TBS, Lifetime TV, Discovery Health and Current TV.

Lee just completed production of a national event for Google. As a producer on the award-winning documentary, If I Could, Lee spent many months on the festival circuit.

Lee and Patti are co-founders of Filmsters Academy, an annual filmmaking program for young people between the ages of 11-20.

- Annapolis Film Festival

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Be Sure to See.... Part 1

Among the many films being featured at the Annapolis Film Festival, be sure to see...

Charles Bradley: Soul of America, 

which charts the extraordinary late-in-life success story of 62-year-old soul singer Charles Bradley. His debut album rocketed him from homelessness and tragedy to Rolling Stone magazine's top 50 albums of 2011. Thefilm tracks the volatile months between his 62nd birthday and his album release and world tour. Bradley's incredible transformation from a James Brown impersonator to a soul legend was a dream in the making for 48 years. Prepare to be inspired! The film's director, Poull Brien, will be a guest at the Festival. For a taste of Charles Bradley's gut-wrenching sound, listen to him singing "Heartache and Pain" with the Menahan Street Band here.

Get Together Girls, the true story of six former Kenyan "street" girls who became fashion designers. After graduating from their "home for marginalized children," the girls are taken under the wing of Grace Orsolato who teaches them to sew. Now, with their Get Together collection of fashionable women's attire, their future is secure.

The Exquisite Corpse Project, a comedy/drama/doc/thriller/action movie/buddy picture/heist flick! Five comedy writers met the challenge of writing 15 pages each, after reading only the previous 5 pages. You've not seen anything like this before. The movie resonates emotionally and is consistently laugh-out-loud funny! These comedic filmmakers will be on hand to do some stand-up comedy, live at AFF. 

- Annapolis Film Fest

Come & Meet: Ambassador Shabazz

Ambassador Shabazz, producer, writer, diplomat, and the eldest daughter of Dr. Betty and Malcolm X Shabazz. A member of the AFF advisory committee, she will lead a panel discussion at the Banneker-Douglass Museum on the African-American experience in education. 

Ms. Shabazz is the founder of the Malcolm X Shabazz Birthplace & Foundation and a frequent contributor to Time, Essence, El Mundo, and other publications. In 1999 she penned a new foreword to her father's classic, The Autobiography of Malcolm X.

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SNEAK PREVIEW

The first annual Annapolis Film Festival will transform Annapolis into Hollywood-on-the-Chesapeake for one magical weekend, March 21-24. Programmers are making final selections from nearly 400 submissions from countries around the globe-Iran, Italy, South Africa, Bolivia, Uganda and Israel among them.

- Annapolis Film Festival