October 4, 2013 - Southingtonlibrary.org

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The Step Saver/ The Observer
Friday, October 4, 2013
•Observing the Arts.........page 17
•Tasty Bites..........pages 19, 20
Our Night on the Town
•SHS Sports............page 36
Stills from some of the films at the New England
Underground Film Festival. From the left, ‘Hangdog,’
‘My Brother Jack,’ and ‘Common Misconception.’ All
three films are part of the New England Underground
Film Festival on Saturday.
Up from the underground and onto a Nutmeg screen
By MIKE CHAIKEN
EDITIONS EDITOR
The underground of
cinema is opening up in
Connecticut this Saturday.
And locally-generated
filmmakers are making
some noise.
Meriden-based Jared
Marmitt, Middletownbased
Kelly DiMauro, New
Haven-based Stephen Dest,
and Woodbury native
Kieran Valla (currently in
California) are among the
underground filmmakers
showcasing their work at
the New England
Underground Film Festival
to be held Saturday from
noon to 6 p.m. at the
University of Hartford.
Jared will be showing
“Common Misconception.”
Kelly will be showing
“Protector of the Kingdom.”
Stephen will be showing
“My Brother Jack.” And
Kieran is represented with
“Hangdog.”
What exactly do filmmakers
mean when they
say they are “underground?”
Jared explained in an
email interview,
“Underground films may
not be mainstream or high
budget. But, like many
indie films, I think that they
can be just as good or even
better, and they show a
more unique, personal
point of view.”
“I feel the term ‘underground
filmmaking’ can be
interpreted in a multitude
of ways,” said Kieran via
email. “My best definition
would be anything that is of
a non-traditional nature.
Whether that means in the
way it’s made or the actual
content itself.”
“An underground film
is often defined as being
against the mainstream,”
said Stephen in an emailed
interview, “but it’s a term
that in many ways doesn’t
apply all that much anymore,
with all the creative
filmmakers out there and
more importantly creative
audiences that are looking
for something ‘different.’
But in one very important
regard the term ‘underground’
still holds very true
today and that is in (terms
of limited) finances/ budget.”
Kelly said, “I would
define an ‘underground’
film as a film that does not
reflect the technical values
that say a medium or large
budget film might reflect.
Not that it doesn’t strive for
those values. But realistically,
it cannot achieve those
heights. On the other hand,
from a story telling perspective,
an underground
film can be just as relevant
socially, politically, and
emotionally as any film out
there.
The filmmakers were
asked, given their own definition
of an “underground”
film to explain how their
own work reflects that
term.
“(In) the case of
‘Protector Of The Kingdom,’
there was no budget,” said
Kelly. “There was virtually
no ‘crew’ to speak of. There
was no formal lighting and
sound. Aside from the editing
facilities, it was a raw
production.”
The small budget also
helps define his own work
as underground, added
Stephen.
“It was shot locally
with a small crew,” said
Jared, “without big budgets
or Hollywood influences.
Everyone who was involved
is a friend of mine.”
Kieran said, “I think my
film would fit this definition
in the sense that the
content is polarizing. It
doesn’t have a ‘traditional
ending.’”
For two of the filmmakers,
being raised in
Connecticut, had an influence
on his filmmaking
either by inspiring content
or by providing the
machinery to make it happen.
For another, the state
had less of an impact.
“I think Connecticut
has influenced me as a
filmmaker in a variety of
ways,” said Kieran. “My
subject matter is often
inspired by people I grew
up with or interacted with
while living in Connecticut
and the backdrops of my
films are generally set in
rural areas that match the
landscape I was raised in.
Also, the social dichotomy
of the community I grew up
in is represented in many of
my films.”
“Connecticut also provided
a wonderful place to
let my imagination flourish,”
continued Kieran. “I
grew up on 18 acres of land
where I could run around
and play make-believe all
day long. There wasn’t a lot
going on so I had to make
up stories.”
Stephen’s presence in
Connecticut also provided
the structural support for
his effort. “From the very
beginning, in the early
stages of pre-production, I
got the state and more
importantly for me, the city
of New Haven involved.
Reaching to local businesses
and media, I was able to
build a strong support
group for the film, hosting
events (kickstarter launches,
art exhibits, concerts)
that all linked to the film.
This is something I don’t
think I would have been
able to do in a larger city. I
was even awarded ‘Artist of
the Year’ by the Arts
Council of Greater New
Haven. So needless to say
the city and the community
certainly help foster the
making of my film.”
However, Kelly said, “I
am still developing my
approach to film making.
And I am not sure that my
approach would be any different
if I was working in
any other part of the country.”
Like Stephen, Kelly
explained, “All of the
resources that are at my
disposal for film making are
rooted here in Connecticut.
I am primarily a stage
actor/director/producer.
And the pool of talent and
expertise that are at my disposal
come from that background.”
“That being said, both
Caroline V. McGraw (the
screenwriter) and Mariah
Sage (Rini, in ‘Protector”)
are from Cleveland originally
(just coincidentally).
But their ties to
Connecticut are strong.
Caroline is a Yale graduate,
having just competed her
master’s in playwriting and
has taught playwriting at
Wesleyan University. And
Mariah is a theater educator
in Connecticut, having
taught at Hartford Stage
Company (where I met
her), Fairfield University.
and as a freelance acting
and performance coach.
She is also a founding
member of Theatre 4 of
New Haven... Our editor,
Colin Stevenson, is a
Connecticut native and has
now edited two of my films.
The company he worked
for at the time the editing
was done, Anderson
Productions, is based out of
Bristol, and provides a lot
of the editing work for
ESPN.”
Just like many industries,
the rise of the internet
has had its impact on the
film business… for good
and bad. YouTube and
other streaming video services
have changed how
films are consumed. The
filmmakers if the changes
have had an impact on
them.
“Video outlet sources
like YouTube or Vimeo…
are great for filmmakers like
me,” said Jared. “Its an easy
platform to release our
work. In most cases, it’s our
only option to get our work
known without the tremendous
amount of capital
needed for a DVD release.”
“If anything it has
solidified my approach
towards filmmaking,” said
Stephen. “Tell a good story
and let the world know
about it.
Kieran, however, was
less enthused. “It has obviously
changed the way people
see content for better
and for worse. More access,
less theatrical distribution.
You lose that amazing feeling
of seeing movies
together. You lose a certain
sense of wonder that you
get in the cinema.”
“But a good story will
always be a good story,”
said Kieran. Also there are
more careers geared
towards producing online
content and fewer careers
in making cinema. Many
indie film directors now
make web content to supplement
their income.”
“To be honest,” said
Kelly, “(the new technology)
has been somewhat disappointing.
Oh, I guess that
the internet affords me the
ability as a filmmaker to
reach a larger demographic
and increase the audience
base that might be interested
in my work. And there is
the convenience of timely
access to films that I may
want to see at any given
moment.”
“But I am also finding
that the films I grew up
on— and truly love to
watch over and over
again— are almost completely
inaccessible in the
world of streaming on-line
access,” said Kelly. “I mean,
I haven’t been able to find
‘The Sand Pebbles,’ one of
my all-time favorites, since
the demise of the video
store industry.
“Finally,” explained
Kelly. “there is nothing like
watching a movie on the
big screen, in a big theater,
with all of the whistles and
bells that come with a theater
(ambiance, popcorn,
crowds and their reactions,
etc.). I guess maybe I’m an
old school traditionalist
when it comes to performance,
whether it is on
screen or on stage.”
“And I must say that I
am so looking forward to
sitting in the Wilde
Auditorium at The
University of Hartford, in
the dark, with my peers and
watching the light from
‘Protector Of The Kingdom’
fill the screen for their
enjoyment … and criticism,”
said Kelly.
The Wilde Auditorium
is one of the reasons why
the New England
Underground Film Festival
is back for another year. Its
previous venue in Hartford
shuttered earlier this year,
leaving the festival without
a location.
“Rather than cancel the
event, I did a quick search
and was able to secure the
Wilde Auditorium at the
University of Hartford’s
Gray Conference Center - it
is a handsome venue and I
am happy that our festival
has its new home in this
setting,” said Phil Hall, the
festival’s organizer.
With the roadblock to
the festival’s return, why
was it important for Hall to
ensure “the show goes on?”
“Underground cinema
represents both a pool for
new talent and an ocean for
iconoclastic considerations
See FILM, page 18