The inaugural Chula Vista Film Festival will be held Wednesday, June 26, at the Chula Vista Civic Center Library on F Street.
The festival will feature short anime/animated films by students and aspiring filmmakers.
The festival’s organizers are Ralph DeLauro, Carol DeLauro, librarian Jasmin Avila and the city of Chula Vista’s cultural arts manager, Lynnette Tessitore.
Ralph and Carol DeLauro, of Film Forum, have shown free films twice a month at the library going back to June 2017.
Film Forum was founded by Ralph DeLauro in 1984. He helped Doug Yeagley start an outdoor movie theater series, Cinema Under the Stars, in 1991.
“We felt it was important to have a film festival,” said Tessitore. “It grew out of the Film Forum. The film festival is a way to honor the many talented artists that speak through film.”
The notice to filmmakers went out on FilmFreeway.
“They set it all up. There was no fee to users or entrants,” said Ralph DeLauro.
“We had over 500 entries,” said Tessitore. Because of the large number of entries, the festival date was pushed from late May to June 26, to run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the library’s auditorium.
According to Ralph DeLauro, three main criteria were used in judging the entries:
1. Content – the story and structure.
2. Technical excellence and visual creativity: does the director have a high level of competence in cinematography, editing, lighting, and sound design?
3. Originality and over-all quality – depth of thought and over-all impression.
The panel of judges included Ralph DeLauro, Benito Bautista, Emma Francisco, and Judy Neeb.
Bautista is an independent Filipino filmmaker and Chula Vistan. Francisco is a San Diego based film producer. Neeb, is a city of Chula Vista Librarian I, and a part of Frida Cinema in Santa Ana and the Seattle International Film Festival.
“I watched some at work and streamed some at home,” said Neeb. “It was great to see the emerging talent from southern California, some from Los Angeles, and India.” Neeb is assisting in growing the film programming for the library.
The genre was limited to short animated films, 10 minutes in length, digital in format, and had to be appropriate for general audiences.
According to Tessitore the film festival will screen 10 films including the jury winners: “The Princess and the PD” by filmmaker Lacey Brauer, “Ugly” by filmmaker Melanie Tulagan, and “Dance Off” by filmmaker Thomas Boyd.
The festival was coordinated by the city of Chula Vista Cultural Arts Commission, the Chula Vista Library, and Film Forum San Diego.
The event is free but it is recommended to RSVP on Eventbrite or call (619) 409-5465 for more information.
