Independent Film

Five weeks ago, Matthew James Reilly sat for an elegant dinner at the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, on the French Riviera. Around him were acclaimed filmmakers such as Alexander Payne, Michael Haneke and many others, and earlier that evening, Reilly himself had been honored with a Cannes student film award for his 17-minute short, “Abigail.” He had come a long way from Glendale High. “I've been an avid fan of the Cannes festival since I first got into filmmaking in high school,” says Reilly, 22. “I used to geek out on it every year and watched what films came out of it. To be able to be a part of that, to be honored, is unreal.” It was an astonishingly unexpected outcome to a film he'd made for a class at New York University, but the quietly evocative story of a young woman who quits her job at a gas station in an attempt to change her life clearly made an impression.

Gerald Lancaster's technology lab at Wilson Middle School is chaotic, even when the students aren't there. Computers line every wall in the converted shop class and lawn mower motors sit in various states of disassembly. A keyboard is tethered to a computer next to the radio studio, and miniature ceiling trusses await strength testing on a cluttered table. "It's organized mayhem," said Lancaster, who wore a tie imprinted with a colorful schematic of a computer circuitry. "I have 17 projects going at once."

It is a ritual. For three years, a group of about 20 has gathered at the corner of Broadway and Brand Boulevard to passively protest the Iraq War. They don't get arrested. They don't shut down businesses. They ask people to sign pre-addressed postcards asking U.S. Sen. Diane Fienstein to bring the soldiers home. Nancy Kent, 58, a retired elementary school teacher, might be called the leader of the group except there isn't one. "We're just local residents. We're not really an organized group," Kent said.

James Evangelatos has made his mark in the world of independent films. Working as an executive producer on the low-budget production “Local Color” — opening Friday in Southern California — the longtime Glendale resident is proud to see his name in the final credits of a film that has a little something for everyone, he said. Although Evangelatos wasn’t attracted to a career in film in his early years, no matter what career path he chose or what project he took on, the entertainment industry seemed to be a step or two away, he said.

LaCrescenta native Bryan Goldsworthy has sold his first feature film, "Searching for Wooden Watermelons," for U.S. and Canadian home video distribution. Some thought Goldsworthy was just a dreamer when he set out to produce and direct his first feature film, but his talent and perseverance will pay off in a big way when thousands of DVD's and VHS's show up on video store shelves from Winnetka to Winnipeg on May 25. With over 5,000 independent films shot each year and only 300 ever securing distribution, Goldsworthy has accomplished a great feat.

Those who know Debby Ryan are familiar with her role as Bailey Pickett on Disney Channel’s original series “The Suite Life on Deck,” a spin-off of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.” But what most of her fans don’t know is she’s a photographer, collage artist, equestrian and has started a blog that features her interviews with bands, she said. “I’m super close to the equestrian center and go riding with my friends,” she said.

A care package drive for the homeless, organized by the student club ACT (Active Charities Team), is under way at Glendale Community College. ACT is helping the homeless in the community by preparing Thanksgiving care packages of essential items. The drive continues through Wednesday. Students, faculty and staff are placing donations in boxes in the San Rafael Building, San Gabriel Building, Library and Administration Building lobby. The community is invited to participate.

The Glendale Community College Media Arts Department offers certification, training and hands-on experience in disciplines such as digital cinematography, digital audio recording and editing, DVD authoring, podcasting and digital post-production. This fall, courses include Intro. to Video Production (TV studio production with multiple cameras), Intro. to Digital Cinematography (using new digital HD cameras), Video Production Practicum (for advanced students), Intro to Audio Production, Digital Video Editing, and Media Streaming and Production.

So this guy walks into a talent agent's office and tells him that he's a got a great new act that he'll want to book. After hearing the guy describe the vivid details of a family doing unspeakable things to each other and their pets, the agent asks for the name of the guy's act -- and the guy says they're called "The Aristocrats." "The Aristocrats" is a documentary about the world's filthiest joke and features 100 different celebrities discussing and telling the joke.

Local color is disappearing I really, really miss Tower Records, Music Exchange and that other small music store that was across the street from them on Brand Boulevard, and the Glendale Central Cinemas on Orange Avenue, with their occasional independent films and subdued style. Is it just me, or is Glendale seriously lacking in locations or businesses remotely resembling an “arts district?” With developer Rick Caruso’s latest “contribution” to our community, alongside one of the largest malls in Southern California, I couldn’t help but think “why?