An Interview of the Director of “Future Weather”

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Posted:
October 29, 2012
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An Interview of the Director of “Future Weather”

by Veronica Pratt, PAIFF Youth Journalist

 

“Future Weather” is a movie about a 13-year-old girl named Lauduree who is home alone because her mother left her to go to California to pursue her dream of becoming a makeup artist. I met with the Director, Jenny Deller, to talk about her film. You are probably wondering, and so am I, why she casted these actors, specifically Perla Haney-Jardine as Lauduree and Amy Madigan as her grandmother Greta. For Lauduree, Deller was looking for an actor that was not too precocious, relatable, someone who looked different, and was grounded. The role of the grandmother was a really juicy one for a woman because most grandmothers in movies are just “meh” – they’re just there. The actor had to have a special charisma and she had to be fiery.

Veronica Pratt and Jenny Deller

The budget was very low for the film – just under a million dollars – yet Deller got well-known actors such as Amy Madigan and Lily Taylor. In 2009, the script won the Nantucket screen-writing award, and Taylor was on the jury. She liked it so much that fought for it. When Jenny met her, she thought Taylor was perfect for the role of the science teacher. When Jenny proposed that she play the part, Taylor said yes. Amy Madigan’s story was also interesting. They were very close to shooting, and the budget had been raised. Suddenly, Deller thought of Madigan and she said yes.

Deller really enjoyed shooting this film. “It was incredibly gratifying to take images you write and see on the page — and all of a sudden put them out into the world and have actors speaking the lines,” she told me. Yet there is one thing left that I needed to know: What about the final scene? Deller decided to leave the ending open to interpretation.

 

Posted:
October 4, 2012
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Looper

Written by: Cathy Rong, PAIFF High School Journalist

1 hour 59 mins.
Rated R for strong violence, drug content, sexuality/nudity and language
Directed by Rian Johnson
With: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Pierce Gagnon
A well thought out sci-fi film that impressively blends action and mystery with an uncommonly smart plot.

 

 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has made quite a name for himself since his first screen appearance on the 1994 Disney film ANGELS in the Outfields. Since then, he has starred in LATTER DAYS (2003), BRICK (2005), THE LOOKOUT (2007) and KILLSHOT (2008), before finally making it onto the map with his role in the cult favorite 500 DAYS OF SUMMER, released in 2009.  Levitt starred in Christopher Nolan’s INCEPTION in 2010 and this year, he is expected to star in four films-THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, PREMIUM RUSH, LOOPER and Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film, LINCOLN.

Of all of Levitt’s movies, LOOPER may well be the film that launches him into superstardom.

The movie is set in the year 2044, thirty years before time travel has been invented, and a time where the world has perished into squalor, with the rich partying at exclusive clubs with recreational drugs in the form of eye drops while the poor roam the streets. Like most criminal movies, LOOPER involves a Mob, a group of criminals who control the city and hire specialized assassins called “loopers” to kill their targeted victims. The Mob sends people from the future they want killed back in time to be assassinated by a looper who is waiting for them at a certain time and place. The loopers will then get rid of the body and any trace of the victim will be erased from the future, effectively smoothing things out for the Mob.

In certain cases when the Mob has decided the looper is past his prime, they will “close the loop,” where they send the future looper back in time for the present looper to unknowingly kill. If that does not happen, there will be dire consequences for said looper.

In this case, Present Joe (Levitt) unintentionally lets Future Joe (Bruce Willis) get away, thus setting the plot into motion. Present Joe is dead set on getting his life back and is intent on chasing down and killing his future self, but Future Joe has other plans.

Looper is the third film to be directed by Rian Johnson, but the first to be both written and directed by him. Johnson takes the typical sci-fi film and turns it on its head, adding new twists and exploring the film with insightful depth. Looper hits all the high notes that a great movie should, with incredible attention to detail right down to the facial alteration of Levitt to more closely resemble a young Willis. Levitt’s performance is impressive, he portrays all of Willis’s mannerisms spot-on so that the audience can truly perceive the two as one person.

“[LOOPER] has all the exhilaration of a bang-action film, but at the same time it gives you something to think about,” says Johnson, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Through his new mind-bending psychological thriller, Johnson aims to explore the “human element,” the fact that humanity is the driving force behind violence and devastation within the world.

LOOPER provides action, mystery, and thrills in one exceptionally well made two hour film, exploring the concept that everything comes full circle.

Posted:
September 30, 2012
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Looper Review “Coming Out of the Loop”

Written by: Eric Wong, PAIFF High School Journalist

Rian Johnson’s Looper is a creative and entertaining sci-fi thriller that adds a new twist to a classic storyline, making a notable addition to his already impressive resumé.

Director Rian Johnson, best known for his high school noir, Brick, immerses audiences with his dazzling futuristic thriller, Looper. Set in the year 2044, the film focuses on 25 year old Joseph Simmons, played by Joseph Gordon Levitt. Simmons works as a “looper” — a hired gun whose job consists of killing people sent back by the mob from the future. His glamorous, fast paced life is cut short when he fails to kill his future self, played by Bruce Willis. Now both versions of Simmons are on the run from the mob, who need to execute either individual to prevent a major time paradox from occurring.

Looper succeeds at establishing deep, well-rounded characters; this is most evident in the conflict between the protagonist and his future self. Both Willis and Levitt give convincing performances as the two different versions of Simmons: one is naive and unwilling to give up life in the fast lane, while the other is more mature and willing to do anything to secure his future. However, behind these contrasting goals are very deep and complex characters that serve to keep audiences rooting for both men. Johnson intersperses specific scenes throughout the beginning of the movie that help audiences identify with Levitt’s emotions and actions, while adding a heavily emotional back story for Willis’ character.

Johnson must also get credit for his use of the well-known “time travel paradox” storyline, with his unique take on time travel. By adding in subtle details like altered memories and paradoxical encounters, he is able to bring time travel onto a whole new level of believability.

With these features, Looper moves at a brisk pace that is full of twists and unpredictable surprises. The strong lead actors, as well as the innovative additions to the plotline, will have audiences on the edge of their seats.


Posted:
September 26, 2012
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Introducing PAIFF High School Journalists Part 1

At PAIFF 2012, twelve local high school students will have the unique opportunity to review films and talks, interview filmmakers, and interact PAIFF festival goers as members of the Press.  They were selectively chosen to represent the Palo Alto Int’l Film Festival as well as their respective publications at their schools. Here, we introduce some of our Journalists whom you may encounter during the Festival.

BY: CATHY RONG

I am excited for the PAIFF because the festival will give me a chance to experience films that address my interests. I am especially looking forward to viewing TIME ZERO: THE LAST YEAR OF POLAROID FILM, since I have a great interest in photography. It is one of my main focuses and I hope to major in photojournalism in college. I think TIME ZERO will be very interesting because it is important to know about the history of photography as well as the world’s transition from polaroid to DSLR. I am also interested in the sci-fi film LOOPER because I am a big fan of Joseph Gordon Levitt, and LOOPER seems to have an original plot. I am also looking forward to experiencing the outdoor theater, which will be a new feature this year, and the re-mastered classics that will be shown in 3D.


© TIME ZERO: THE LAST YEAR OF POLAROID FILM

BY: MARGOT RICHARD

When I was younger I would look at films as a way to escape boring life in my illiterate state. A sense of bewilderment and excitement has accompanied me to the cinema since childhood. Now that I have grown, my passion is still strong for film. I am excited to have a film festival such as PAIFF to be involved in my community. I was so eager to get involved with this festival because it stands out. For many reasons and connections including the fact that film did originally start in Palo Alto. Let’s also remember that our age of technology and Internet were born in Silicon Valley. This fuses together the art of film and the progressive state of our advancing age into a truly unique experience.

I am excited to see the foreign film CHILDREN WHO CHASE LOST VOICES FROM DEEP BELOW because it was directed by a well-respected animation director and should bring incredible artwork and technique to the screen. I am also interested in the technology-based documentaries because they will be very relevant to the crowds of this area. Also the workshops (SOUP TO NUTS) by actual people who have worked in the business have sparked my interest and I can’t wait to attend it and get advice about the business. The crucial part of my enthusiasm for this film festival lies in the fact that it brings film, art, and culture back to where it all began.


© CHILDREN WHO CHASE LOST VOICES FROM DEEP BELOW

BY: SOPHIE KHAN

PAIFF was started to celebrate not only film, but the technology and the innovation that goes into it. It exemplifies the ideas that have been rooted here in the Bay Area since Leland Stanford had the first motion picture screened at his house in 1879. Film is also supposed to  convey important messages about the time that we are living in. That is why I am so excited to see a film that is all about expanding and exploring new ideas in the field of animation and a classic film that explores politics and journalism in a time not so different from ours, MARCO MACACO and MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON.

MARCO MACACO’s animation is computer-generated, so it will be interesting to see how that adds to the movie. Something that both movies have in common, though, is that their stories are representative of society’s bigger problems. While MARCO MACACO has monkeys, sea monsters, and robots, the main conflict is that a casino is built on Marco’s island and the owner of the casino wants to take over the whole island, leaving only Marco to stop him. It will be interesting to see if this is a commentary on imperialism.

The exciting thing about MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON at PAIFF is that the introduction of the film will show how audiences reacted to it back then, and then after the screening, there will be a discussion that includes a montage from director Frank Capra’s documentary about the WWII era. I am very interested in this because I love learning about history and how it is similar to our society now.

Both of these movies seem like they will be interesting, meaningful, and innovative, which makes me very excited to see them!


© MARCO MACACO


Posted:
September 24, 2012
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Noisebridge

S.F. Hacker Collective celebrates technology–and more.

Written by Maddie

“We make stuff. So can you.”

Hackers come together to learn, teach, and create in San Francisco’s Noisebridge. Photo: Dylan Tweney, Wired.com

Noisebridge: unless you’re engaged in the technological community, there’s a chance you’ve never heard of it. Noisebridge is an award-winning, educational, non-profit “hackerspace” for those who are interested in programming, hardware, sciences, mathematics, robotics, technology (of course), and any and all art–even cooking. According to the community, “anything that’s creative is welcome.” Similar to PAIFF, they place a special emphasis on the convergence of art and technology.

Hacking essentially refers to the tampering with/modification of software, hardware, or even unsuspecting crafts and furniture (see the extremely useful: Ikea hacks). Noisebridge was co-founded by Mitch Altman (TV-B-Gone) and Jacob Appelbaum (Wikileaks, Cult of the Dead Cow) in 2007, joining the global collective of hackerspaces, such as Metalab in Vienna and c-bace in Berlin. Hackerspaces (definition: a space for those with a common interest can meet, create, and collaborate) hark back to the artist collectives of the 60’s and 70’s. They are loosely organized, and revere a pursuit of knowledge and problem-solving, maintaining a pseudo-utopian frame of mind upheld by relentless cooperation and sharing.

Co-founders Jacob Appelbaum (top) and Mitch Altman (bottom). Photos: networkingart.eu, Wikipedia, respectively.

Whether you want to program a synth or improve your French, Noisebridge has it all. “Through talks, classes, workshops, collaborative projects, and other activities, we want to encourage research, knowledge exchange, learning, and mentoring in a safe, clean space.” Noisebridge provides the space and resources needed, with the hope that each individual will share their projects with the general community (and beyond) to further promote “the betterment of society through art, science and technology.”

A DIY-hacker learning how to work with Arduino at the Arduinos for Total
Newbies workshop at Noisebridge, July 2011. Photo: Mitch Altman.

 

Co-founder Mitch Altman shows a first-timer how to solder. Photo: Dylan Tweney, Wired.com

Noisebridge promotes three fundamental pillars: excellence, consensus, and “do-ocracy.” Noisebridge enforces that the members of its community “be excellent to each other,” through support, collaboration, and learning. Official decisions are made by consensus, engaging all of its members. “Doing excellent stuff” requires no permission–but it’s suggested that any uncertainty about a project should be dispelled by getting a second opinion.

For more info on how to get involved, visit https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/Noisebridge

Check out what people are saying:

“The people, the community! Great folks doing amazing work. The classes, the equipment. The beautiful space. The generosity and excitement about everything.”

“I love how many people there are who take matters of fixing things into their own hands.”

“It’s wonderful the way that people are greeted when they come in the door, and if they’re new, the way people show them around and make them feel welcome.”

“It definitely has inspired me to learn from others.”


Posted:
September 23, 2012
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Golden Age of Animation – Part 2

Written by: Maddie

Welcome to the Golden Age

Disney’s success was unparalleled, and in part due to the development of story lines and characterization—each character was unique, had their own specific attributes and quirks, and each contributed their own personality to any given plot. In the short “The Moving Day” (1936), starring Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, the former two are faced with eviction charges and desperately try to move, but their furniture will not cooperate. Donald’s short temper and anger became a trope, as did Goofy’s—“aloofness,” for lack of a better word. Aside from the character development, Disney’s success can also be attributed to how he capitalized on sound and saw it as a necessary part of an animation.

Production for the Disney Studio escalated rapidly, as they began producing feature-length animations. The first of these—and the first feature-length animation in America– was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which came out in 1937. Critics predicted it to be a failure—claiming that the audience would find the “colors too bright.” They could not have been more wrong. Snow White was a worldwide success, exceeding the American population to reach a global audience. With this success, Disney proceeded with full steam, producing both Pinocchio and Fantasia in 1940. Unfortunately, they were not nearly as successful as Snow White and received generally mixed reviews. Between 1941 and 1961, the studio produced the following, still-cherished films: Dumbo, Bambi, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the tramp, Sleeping Beauty, and 101 Dalmations, to name a few. While some were unfortunately shelved due to WWII (and thus were box office failures), eventually they all became part of the Disney canon.

Room for one (or two, or three) more?

Although Disney was one of the largest, if not the largest, names on the animation scene, Fleischer Studios and Warner Bros. both produced a slough of household favorites. Max Fleischer, a big Disney competitor, worked with younger brother Dave to produce the hits Betty Boop and Popeye the Sailor. Betty Boop cartoons generally had pretty risque content which eventually had to be toned down to abide by censorship laws. Unsurprisingly, this resulted in a drop in their popularity.

Fleischer Studios were responsible for the legendary Superman cartoons that came out between 1941-1943 (although production for the second half was in the hands of Famous Studios, re-named under Paramount’s rule). Unfortunately for Fleischer, Superman was their final hurrah.

Around this time, former Disney animators Rudolph Isling and Hugh Harman created “Looney Tunes” (a clear play on Disney’s “Silly Symphonies”), which was distributed by Warner Bros.  Monetary disputes led to Harman and Isling leaving their producer, Leon Schlesinger. Under Schlesinger, Harman and Isling had created Bosko, but took the character with them upon their departure. Schlesinger pressed on, hiring animators Friz Freleng and Tom Avery. Freleng is responsible for having introduced or taken part in the development of characters such as Porky Pig, Tweety Bird, Sylvester the Cat, and Bugs Bunny, among others. Warner Bros. and Schlesinger admittedly produced a few controversial “toons”, banned from broadcast in 1968 (a decision that still holds today). Warner Bros. was not too concerned with competing with Disney; they focused on attacking animated cartoons from a wackier, zanier angle. This angle set them apart and gave Looney Tunes their edge.

On a smaller note, Walter Lantz replaced Charles Mintz (remember him?) as Universal Studios’ producer.
The only success to emerge from Lantz’ productions was Woody Woodpecker.

With your time in mind, I’m leaving off here. The Golden Age of Animation saw tremendous progress: animators constantly worked toward a more impressive product, utilizing synchronized sound and sound effects as well as cartoons in full color. Most of our favorite childhood characters emerged from this period, a period that was a crucial turning point for animators and Hollywood in general.

Disclaimer: despite the length of the above post, this is truly the tip of the iceberg for America’s animation history. For further reading, check out the following links:

Books:
Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons (Plume Books)
The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life
Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in its Golden Age

Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Age_of_American_animation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_and_American_animation
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheGoldenAgeOfAnimation

Posted:
September 23, 2012
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Golden Age of Animation Part 1

Written by: Maddie

Mickey Mouse, Tom and Jerry, and Betty Boop: these are just a few of the numerous celebrated characters that emerged from the Golden Age of animation. Feature length animations that rose to prominence introduced many others that were to have a lasting impression; most famously, Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi–again, to name a few. But what’s their story?

Laugh-O-Grams and Oswald
In 1923, Walt Disney moved from his hometown of Kansas City to Los Angeles to set up shop in his uncle’s garage. Walt’s previous cartoon studio, Laugh-O-Grams, had to file for bankruptcy. However, he hired back many of his original team members, including Ub Iwerks, who would eventually become the credited co-creator of Mickey Mouse.

Disney had an animated short series titled Alice’s Wonderland that caught the attention of Margaret J. Winkler of Winkler Pictures, who favorably agreed to distribute the short. Winkler’s husband Charles Mintz took over when she became pregnant, and signed a deal with Universal Studios, securing an even larger distribution. Disney Bros. Cartoon Studio (as it had become) was on its way.

Though the Alice shorts were what initially attracted Winkler, in 1927, Mintz argued it to be economically unreasonable to continue on and told Disney to stop the production of them altogether. Mintz was looking for something that he could sell to Universal. Iwerks and Disney diligently moved onto the next project, creating Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

A poster for an early Oswald cartoon.

Universal rejected the initial short starring an old and unkempt version Oswald, but signed on after Disney and Iwerks created “Trolley Troubles,” which featured a youthful and spunky Oswald. Regardless of a rough start, the refurbished Oswald was a hit, and was the first major success for the studio. Unluckily for Disney, Mintz’ decision to sign with Universal meant that Walt had no rights to the character. Disney had wanted to expand upon and improve Oswald, but was unable to do so. Mintz caused further problems when he threatened to drop Disney if he did not accept a budget decrease. Though most of his team had crossed to Mintz’ side thanks to Mintz’ under the table hiring, Disney refused to accept the decrease—along with the loyal Ub Iwerks, who stayed by Disney’s side.

Goodbye Mintz, Goodbye Oswald: Hello Mickey!

Needless to say, Disney wanted more control over the animations and characters he produced. Shortly before leaving Mintz and Oswald entirely, Disney and what was left of his team members created a new character in secret. They sought to replace Oswald, and so Mickey Mouse was born. Unfortunately, no one knows who exactly should be credited. Certain versions of history claim that it was Disney’s entirely, others credit Iwerks. Whomever is responsible, Mickey was serious fuel for the animation flame. In 1928, Disney produced the short Steamboat Willie–Mickey’s first real debut, and also one of the first sound cartoons to have synchronized sound.

Thanks to Steamboat Willie, Disney once again had a distributor, and began producing the “Silly Symphony” series—including “Flowers and Trees,” the first full color short to come out of the Disney studio, made possible by Technicolor. Pluto, Goofy, and Donald Duck emerged shortly thereafter.

Posted:
September 22, 2012
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A Matter of Reinvention

Written by: Maddie

We live in a world of rapid technological progression. And yet, our preoccupation with repurposing and appropriating outdated technology is evidence that we will always fondly revere the camcorders, Super 8s, and floppy disks that came before.

Whether it’s art or accessory, vintage cameras, televisions and computer platforms have weaseled their way back into the current world with fresh integrity. Defunct or not, the retro aesthetic has become a commodity. I am guilty of owning a potentially useless Revere Power Zoom that sits as an “objet d’art” on my bookshelf. I also recently (and shamelessly) purchased a home phone line for my apartment “for the novelty of it.” Applications for the iPhone, such as Instagram and Hipstamatic, let users replicate the look of vintage photography—filters, light leaks, vignetting and all. The (almost) obsolete is now coveted, owned and manipulated for a variety of reasons.


The prop camera in question.

Because outdated technology lends such a desirable aesthetic, some reassign purpose to defunct machinery for the means of creating art and music.

Glasgow-based artist and filmmaker James Houston remixed Radiohead’s “Nude” to be performed by old computer parts. The music video, titled “Big Ideas: Don’t Get Any,” was a response to an online contest held by Radiohead to remix the song—a relatively challenging task. According to Houston, “Nude is in 6/8 timing, and 63bmp. Most music that’s played in clubs is around 120bmp and usually 4/4 timing. It’s pretty difficult to seamlessly mix a waltz beat into a DJ set.”

Houston approached the challenge by taking a collection of “old redundant hardware, and [placing] them in a situation where they’re trying their best to do something that they’re not exactly designed to do, and not quite getting there.” A Sinclair ZX Spectrum (an 80s, 8-bit personal computer), an Epson printer, an HP scanjet, and an array of hard drives become the bass, guitar, drums, and vocals. The struggling technology, paired with the retro educational-film style of the video itself, is a haunting vision of technology speaking from the grave.  Watch the video here. 


Stills from “Big Ideas: Don’t Get Any”

James Connolly and Kyle Evans are responsible for another project aptly filed away under “But What Did It Do Originally?” called Cracked Ray Tube. It’s a “collaborative realtime project” that consists of an assortment of televisions and computer monitors that produce generative art. Generative art is art that is created with a system found in, for example, chemistry, mechanics, manual randomization and data mapping, among others. This term is most often used to describe computer-generated artwork that is programmed as an algorithm (for a visual definition, check this out). In this case, the generative art in question is a display of “flashing, screeching, wobbulating, self-generated electronic noise and video” that is produced by busted ray tube televisions. The video documentation of the installation itself is almost challenging to watch, but the stills captured offer a psychedelic glimpse into the brain of possessed, junk machinery.


Generative art created by a cracked ray-tube television.

We can’t help but hang on to outdated technology because it gives us perspective. It offers a tangible solution to a quickly increasing nostalgia for the days of film and analog. Whether it is just for aesthetic’s sake, or for the sake of reinvention, the otherwise defunct and outmoded have become attractive and prized, and given a second chance.

Sites used:
Info/quotes taken from the cracked ray tube site; Houston quotes came from the info box on his youtube video. (Same info is not under the vimeo one)

Posted:
September 22, 2012
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Computer History Museum


An arc of early computer software lights up the Revolution exhibit.

Written by: Maddie

Located just down the street from Google, the Computer History Museum celebrates the “artifacts and stories of the information age.”

In January 2011, the museum unveiled its new exhibit: “Revolution.” The exhibit focuses on the first 2000 years of computing, and is home to some 100,000 artifacts.     Each gallery explores a different stage in the history of technology: the abacus, Babbage’s machine, technology and the U.S. army, robots, videogames, and so many more. Visitors can revel in having grown-up alongside a significant amount of technological progress, and also discover countless devices you never knew existed.


Above: Museum-goers marvel at the robotic pet dog AIBO (Artificial Intelligence roBOt), manufactured by Sony and released in 1999.

The exhibit also profiles the people who imagined and realized every step of the way. Examples include Charles Babbage, English mathmetician and engineer, Steve Wozniak, iconic Apple co-founder, and Allan Alcorn, designer of Pong.


An ad for the Apple II, introduced in 1977.

It’s best to do a quick walkthrough of the museum so you can take note of what the exhibit has to offer, and how you’d like to devote your time.

The Computer History Museum is a local treasure that Palo Alto and the surrounding communities should take full advantage of. The museum is a wealth of information and excitement–and perfect for all ages.

When addressing the museum’s unveiling of the Revolution exhibit, museum president John C. Hollar said, “We are trying to construct an institution that will live forever, that will be around 100 years from now, and will tell the story of computer history that’s not over yet.”

Visiting information:
General admission: $15
Student/senior/military: $12
Museum hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Note: the museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
For more information about hours & admission, or to become a member, visit: http://www.computerhistory.org/hours/

Info and pictures taken from computerhistory.org & Google Maps
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2375610,00.asp

Posted:
September 21, 2012
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Introducing PAIFF’s Youth Jury!

PAIFF constantly seeks out ways to create opportunities for youth filmmakers to become actively involved with the Silicon Valley film community.

In July 2012, PAIFF was excited to inaugurate its first ever Youth Jury Workshop. The program was led by the Youth & Education Program’s manager, AJ, and intern, Maddie. 10 accepted applicants joined us at our office in downtown Palo Alto, where we held a daily viewing of local youth short film submissions as well as potential PAIFF feature-length films.

Each of the three days, the Youth Jury deliberated as a team to decide which shorts and features were a good match for PAIFF. Prior to viewing, we talked in depth about what it means to be a juror: what do we have to look at? What aspects of a film determine our vote? A guide for certain film terms was handed to cover the basics—the level of cinematic involvement varied greatly. Though some were filmmakers and others were simply passionate about cinema, their variety of input and opinion made for a unique, collaborative experience.

The Youth Jury Workshop was a success. We really enjoyed working with the jury, and can’t wait to see what next year’s workshop brings.

Be on the lookout for the Youth Jury at the festival!

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