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 A scene from “Abuelo.” Image courtesy of AFI.Clocking in at a mere 12 minutes, Joanna Jurewicz’s “Rooms” was the shortest film of the evening. Set entirely in an ugly-to-look-at airport hotel, the film is a captivating character showcase built around a wistful maid, played by fellow AFI DWW director Marianne Jean-Baptiste. Jurewicz is a NYU grad whose first short, “Shave,” was a Student Academy Award regional finalist; her second, “Goyta,” screened in the Cinefoundation competition at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
Alexa-Sascha Lewin contributed one of the most masculine-themed shorts of the evening, the 16-minute Chinatown-set crime story “The Honeysting.” Working from a script written by husband Brad Rister, natural history filmmaker Lewin secured $10,000 toward her production budget via an Animal in Content Entertainment (ACE) grant through the Humane Society. Although the short won over the majority of the audience with its ambition, a smattering of derisive viewers couldn’t take the film seriously.
The penultimate film of the evening, “Gosia’s Witch” from Poland-born writer/director Dominika Waclawiak, revolves around a confrontation between a ruler-thumping nun and fanciful Catholic schoolgirl. The main storyline is woven together with an elaborate fairytale that gives the conflict additional depth. Waclawiak’s background is in computer generated visual effects. Her credits include the upcoming “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” and “Land of the Lost.”
The closing short, “Void,” kept the audience on its toes. The plot begins with a female FBI agent arriving to investigate a string of gruesome murders. Very quickly, the viewer begins to suspect things aren’t exactly what they seem in writer/director Meredith Berg’s scenario. Although the acting in this 20-minute film is uneven, unexpected and satisfying plot twists made “Void” one of the most talked about pieces at the post-screening reception. Berg’s background is in theater and comic books.
Martha Coolidge, the first and only female President of the DGA, was the guest of honor at the Red Carpet Showcase. In her introductory speech, she stated her hope that one day a film director being female wouldn’t be something remarkable. The partisan audience heartily applauded this sentiment. At the start of the screening, current workshop members were given a quick introduction. The class of 2009 consists of Angie Comer, Deborah Correa, Lisa Gold, Emmy Grinwis, Maggie Kiley, Kaz Phillips, Sylvia Sether, and Kinga Suto. Judging from the 2008 results, I’d recommend attending next year’s screening. But make sure to get there early-I’m sure once again it will be standing room only.
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