The first annual Ovation Short Film contest premiered at the Bing Auditorium of the L.A. County Museum of Art on Thursday, June 24. The program combined top picks by Ovation TV’s viewers and by an esteemed panel of judges. The result was something we do not see enough of these days — grounds for optimism that the future will be even better than today.
The “Viewer’s Choice†Winner was “Me, You, a Bag and Bamboo†by Lara Everly. This sentimental story of strangers in a park balances the ideal and the real and adds a healthy dose of helpful advice. It is all the more impressive for having been filmed in a brief two day period right here in Los Angeles.
The “Top Film†winner, “Primera Comunion†takes viewers 
much further away, to a small village about 100 miles south of Mexico City. This drama presents a moving portrait of young children and teens struggling so survive in a poverty stricken area with little hope. The production is all the more impressive for casting youths with no acting experience and engaging an American audinece with sparse subtitles. The subtitles of the Mexican dialect dialogue add to the production, but the acting is so compelling and the youths are so natural, the film is as compelling as any of the great silent era dramas. Director Eduvues Carrera received accolades from the audience both during and after the screening (photo above).
A standout among the category winners was “Winning the Peace†a 2004 drama that connects an Orange County soccer mom with her husband serving in the Marines during the Iraq War. It
presents a realistic view of the daily tension of combat and adds compassion that the daily news never seems to have time to cover. Eli Akira Kaufman wrote and directed the film.
The Animation category winner was “While You Were Out.†This gives doodling an entire new perspective and shows that even a checkbook can have an artistic side. “The Tribe†won the Documentary category by analyzing Barbie’s inner princess. It may leave you wondering whether her relationship with Ken had an incestuous side, but still packs in more information than you will see in most 60 minute television news magazines.
And if you were wondering whether the program included a “Boy Meets Girl†classic, rest assured that it did. “Foolishly Seeking True Love†by Jarrett Lee Conaway won best comedy.
Seeing six outstanding short films together at one time makes a vivid impression. The format requires a laser focus and a fast pace. Characters do not have time to develop and are bold reflections of themselves from start to finish. There is no time for twists and turns in the plot, making the drama or comedy move at fast forward speed.
You can see the films on the “small screen†on the Ovation television network. It is broadcast by almost all cable and satellite service in Los Angeles. The special broadcast is scheduled for July 19.
