We got films.

Sanoguy wrote and asked for an update on the film festival. This year I am the chief judge for the third annual Fallbrook Film Festival. Not that that necessarily means much, I still only have one vote. I pout a lot and usually get my way. We had five judges and they all come from a different place and I respect all of them.  Anyway, we watched more films this year and had more submissions than ever before, well over 100 movies, some excellent, some fair, some not so good.

Last year we were besieged by movies about young crystal using white trash in trailers. That genre has evidently been mined to extinction, thank god. This year the shorts were a little peppier with more surprise hooks and twists, which I like. But it is getting harder and harder for me to put myself in the place of a twenty something college director and to see the world through their lens. Dark and so serious.

Dodge College of Film at Chapman University continues to produce thought provoking and technically superb movies. We also got a really nice local movie about the history of surfing in Carlsbad.

We had an outstanding selection of animation entries this year after a paucity last year. I think my favorite submission was an animated film, something that has not happened before. A very powerful film called Prayers for Peace.

Documentaries and features were a little bit lean. A lot of good shorts, some that I really liked were a bit twisted. My fellow judges and I watched every movie, mostly in their entirety. Painful at times but it is over, at least for another year. I will update you as I get more information on the festival. Hope that you will come out and watch the movies. They will be showing at the Ultra Star in River Village this year. The organizers have some great things planned. See you at the movies.