The founder of the Malibu International Film Festival says he’s ready to return to Malibu when he receives financial support from the local film industry.
By Laura Tate / Associate Publisher / Editor
The 8th Malibu International Film Festival begins this Friday. Although the festival retains the name Malibu, it no longer takes place in this city, except for the closing night event, which will be at the Geoffreys Malibu restaurant.
This year, as last, all film screenings will take place in Santa Monica at the Aero Theater, and the opening night event takes place in Santa Monica as well. The festival’s Achievement in the Arts Award goes to actor Malcolm McDowell, who is not a Malibu resident. Past honorees have all been residents here. Although the festival lists a PO Box in Malibu, its offices are located in Santa Monica.
Founder and director David Katz wrote in an e-mail to The Malibu Times in response to questions about the festival not being a Malibu event any longer: “This is an international film festival that helps many filmmakers get their break whether they are from Malibu or elsewhere. When we gain the financial support of the film industry community of Malibu, we will be honored to screen films in Malibu. The rate to screen films in Malibu is $20,000 for a 190-seat theater; in Santa Monica it is $5,000 for a 400-seat theater. When we can afford to screen in Malibu, we will. Also, Steve Soboroff’s office informed the festival that construction was scheduled to take place during our event in the Malibu movie theater parking lot.” (Soboroff owns the property where the theater is located.)
Hollywood Theaters, which owns Malibu Cinemas, did not respond to questions about the rental rate or what the discussions were with Katz regarding the film festival.
The MIFF has struggled since its inception eight years ago, and questions about how it is operated and how films are chosen have been raised since then.
The first Malibu International film festival in 1999 started off in not-so-auspicious circumstances. Tents rented to screen films leaked rain and sun, almost destroying some films and ruining some screenings. Oversold tickets to the awards ceremony left many turned away at the door of the venue, and parking was bereft. In 2000, the festival was canceled due to lack of financing, and in 2001 it was shortened from seven days to three. However, Katz was able to screen films at the local Malibu movie theater, with the only tent in sight hosting sponsors, and a section for filmmaker question-and-answer sessions. The kickoff gala that year took place at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel and a Malibu list of who’s who attended, including Charles Bronson, Sean Penn, Shirley MacLaine, Stacy Keach, James Cameron and more.
The festival made an even stronger comeback in 2002, returning to its original seven-day format, with screenings at the Malibu movie theater, the opening night party taking place at Castle Kashan, and a drive-in movie venue was provided. Katz kept plugging on to keep the festival in this city-in 2004 the opening night film was screened at Malibu Pier, and films were screened at Bluffs Park and in Santa Monica. The closing night gala took place at Malibu Vineyard.
In 2005, all festival screenings and the opening night took place in Santa Monica. That year, the festival took place in the spring instead of the fall, with the closing awards dinner taking place at the now closed Granita restaurant in Malibu. It was also shortened again to four days. Malibu resident Pierce Brosnan was honored that year.
Last year, the closest Malibu venue for the festival took place at Gladstone’s restaurant for the closing night ceremonies. Even if Katz would have been able to rent the Malibu movie theater, it was impossible as it was closed after a fire burned several buildings at the Cross Creek Shopping Plaza. It has since reopened.
This year, in addition to the awards ceremony, the only other two known Malibu connections are two documentary films made by Malibu residents, “The Lost Wave,” by George and Paul Taublieb and “Women With Altitude” directed by Sarah Vaill.
Also this year, the festival has been shortened again to three days. A free mini Writers Boot Camp, sponsored by the organization of the same name, will take place on Sunday at the Aero Theater.
The selection process for festival films remains vague. When asked for names and contact numbers for festival judges, Katz said the panel of judges prefers to remain anonymous.
He did say regarding criteria for choosing films: “[The] quality of all aspects of filmmaking are taken into account from script to acting to cinematography and more.”
The 2007 MIFF Web site festival schedule listed many world premieres, including two feature films. However, upon a Google search, it was discovered that two feature films to be screened and called world premieres by the MIFF, “Played” and The Killing Floor,” had already been screened or released elsewhere. And a check of four short films-“Las Rosa y El Gato,” “Thomas in Bloom,” “Marrying God” and “Pretty Dead Flowers”-revealed that those films not only had been screened elsewhere, but several had also won awards at other film festivals. When asked about this, Katz responded, “We have corrected the misinformation on our Web site, thank you for pointing this out.”
However, upon further fact checking, The Malibu Times found more films called world premieres that had already been screened elsewhere. The short film “Real Men” on the MIFF Web site was listed as a World Premiere, but another Internet search showed that film, by Sean Hanish, screened at the Cleveland International Film Festival in March. It is also listed to be a World Premiere in the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival to be screened in May. Others that were listed as World Premieres, but had screened elsewhere: “Morning Fall” by Edward McGinty and “Damaged Goods” by Graham Rich.
In addition, on the MIFF Web site’s legal page, it is stated: “Films must have been completed after January 1st, 2006.” However, a search on the Internet Movie Database Web site revealed the short film, “The Quiet Assassin” by Alex Hardcastle, shows the film was made in the year 2005. It was also listed on the MIFF site as a World Premiere.
After an e-mail from The Malibu Times was sent to Katz Tuesday night before this paper went to print, questioning him why there were so many films listed as world premieres and who checks the veracity of filmmakers’ submissions, the column listing the Premiere status of all films on the MIFF’s Web site schedule was deleted.
In an e-mail response, Katz wrote: “We removed all premiere status listing to avoid any misinformation supplied by Festival Filmmakers, thank you. Answer: We set guidelines to follow and reserve the right to invite films that do not fit our guidelines on occasion. Veracity of a film, the filmmakers check themselves.”
“Thank you for finding the good in our event,” he added.