JOYCE RUDOLPH
Dina Mande has a dream and hopefully it will be realized during the
Method Fest independent film festival continuing this week in
Burbank.
The Burbank resident pays the bills designing titles for feature
films and TV shows as art director for New Wave Entertainment in
Burbank.
But she hopes her experience completing projects once a month with
the organi- zation, Group101 Films, will be noticed when her short
"Small Change" is screened at 11:30 a.m. Sunday and 2 p.m. Wednesday
in the festival.
"I'm looking for representation by an agent or manager," she said,
so she can become a professional film director. "Hopefully, one will
be in the audience and see my film short."
The script was written by the film's star, Ryan Parks, of North
Hollywood, who met Mande after seeing her work at another film
festival. He thought their styles were compatible and asked if she
would work with him on a project.
Parks' story is about a gambler and his fiancee who discover a
magic coin. They put $4,000 down on a horse race to test the power of
the coin.
"We wanted to strike a balance between comedy and drama, so it's a
real rollercoaster of a story," Mande said.
She said the satisfaction of directing a film is seeing the
audience responses during the screenings.
"Hearing them laughing or gasping, you know whether your hard work
paid off," she said. "It's expense and backbreaking work, but if the
audience likes your work, you think, 'All right. What's next? What am
I going to do?' "
The sixth annual Method Fest independent film festival continues
through April 9 at the AMC Media Center 8 Theatres in Downtown
Burbank. For a schedule, go to www.methodfest.com.
Actor John Savage has been confirmed as one of the celebrity
judges for the Actor Competition finals from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday
at the Castaway restaurant. Admission is free.
Festival passes for all Method Fest screenings, panels, work-
shops and parties are available for $150, with individual screening
tickets priced at $8. For ticket information, call (800) 965-4827 or
visit www.ticketweb.com.
SPECIAL EVENTS
BURBANK MENTIONED IN NEW BOOK
Bob's Big Boy in Toluca Lake and the Burbank Police Department are
a few of the places referred to in Michael Joens' new book "An
Animated Death in Burbank."
It's the first in a series of murder mysteries published by St.
Martin's Minotaur. The heroine, Det. Sandra Cameron, who is brought
onto a case when a fake suicide note is found that says "That's All,
