8 Locations - 1 Glamorous Valley - 8 Totally Awesome Films! Movie Trivia From The (818)

As we all know, today's Valley Film Festival competitors are tomorrow's top Hollywood talent. In that spirit, here are a few not so well known facts about some top Hollywood films that were shot in (you guessed it), the 818.

1. 40 Year Old Virgin

The home of Andy Stitzer is located at 12012 Moorpark, just east of Laurel Canyon, in Studio City. (Andy no longer lives there, so please do not disturb the current occupants.)

2. Magnolia 

Named for the iconic boulevard that now defines North Hollywood, William H Macy declares his love for Brad the Barman at The Foxfire Room in Valley Village. 

3. Back to the Future  

Did you know that in the battle of the bands scene was filmed in the Burbank Community Center? In this Universal Studios classic (the whole trilogy was shot in the Valley), when Marty introduces The Pinheads, Huey Lewis actually plays the second judge from the left, and is the one who eventually says, "You're just too darn loud."

4. American Beauty

The Canoga Park branch of Carl’s Jr, 20105 Saticoy Street, at Winnetka Avenue, was transformed into ‘Mr Smiley’, where Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) gets a job serving up burgers – “I think you’ll remember me this time!” Fun Fact: Kevin Spacey graduated from Chatsworth High School, just a few miles north of Canoga Park. 

5. Superbad

Young genius? Depending on your opinion of the movie, but either way, Seth Rogen wrote the initial draft of the script when he was just 13, along with co-writer Evan Goldberg. Neither attend CSUN, in Northridge, where most of the film was shot. 

6. Boogie Nights

The Valley itself is the star of the film. Shot from Encino to Reseda to Van Nuys, and all points in between, this film is Paul Thomas Anderson’s homage to the porn industry. Yes, it's true, The Valley was the pioneering region for adult film production in the 1970s and grew to become home to a multi-billion dollar industry. According to the HBO series Pornucopia, at one time, nearly 90% of all legally distributed pornographic films made in the United States were filmed in or produced by studios based in the San Fernando Valley. You can find Vivid Entertainment, in the Cahuenga Pass, in Universal City. 

7. The Karate Kid

Produced by Columbia Pictures and Jerry Weintraub, this film was shot almost entirely on location in the San Fernando Valley. The film is set in a time when Asian immigration was dramatically changing the neighborhoods of LA (the Asian-American population in the US grew 70 percent in the 1980's). By making the hero of the Mr. Miyagi, a World War II veteran of Japanese descent who'd fought for the United States in the most decorated unit in the Army,  it suggests this influx could be a good thing for Los Angeles, that these newer Americans were every bit as patriotic as those who'd been here for generations.

8. It's a Wonderful Life

The town of Bedford Falls is actually Encino! When RKO sold their ranch in the 1950s, what was left of the Bailey's was subdivided into suburban homes. On the bright side, Balboa Park came out of the bulldozing. So, pack yourself a picnic and search for Zuzu's petals.

Contributed by Georgia Menides

100 Days to VFF12

It’s hard to believe that we’re about 100 days away from our next edition on November 7-11.  We’ve got great things in the works, and a lot more to do.

With our submissions period now ended, we’ve received a bunch of films in various genres, and have begun evaluating them.  Our screening committee watches all films in their entirety, and votes on them for creative and technical ambition and accomplishment.  Once we make our final selections, we email all applicants with feedback. 

We look forward to putting together a great program of films and other activities, including parties, panels, and presentations.  If there’s anything you’d especially like to see us do, let us know.  If you’re interested in volunteer or internship possibilities, send us a note:  valleyfilmfest@gmail.com

We aim to announce the program by end of August, and have tickets for sale online by end of September.

We’d like to welcome Production Hub as a new sponsor.

This year we’ll be at the Laemmle NoHo 7, a brand new, all digital, state of the art facility in North Hollywood.  Incidentally, while we’re 100 days out from the festival, it’s also the 100^th anniversary of Universal Studios, located down the street from the Laemmle, which is named after the founder of Universal.  Small world!

Stay tuned for more announcements.

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If you’re involved with independent film and interested in possibly being interviewed, or otherwise contributing to our blog, contact us anytime at info@valleyfilmfest.com

Sundance 2011 ~ Sundance Sunday Socials (Day 4)

Ideally, we'd like to see more films while at Sundance, but the parties provide such a great opportunity to network with peers that they are our first priority. That being said, my crew & I weathered the storm of parties yesterday and came out unscathed (i.e., no hangover) but we're definitely feeling the altitude after a whirlwind of party hopping yesterday:

@Noon ~ WIF Panel & Breakfast

The Women In Film 2011 panel was titled Fearlessness: Trusting Your Instincts and Getting Them on Screen.  Panelists included Sandra Valde-Hansen, Susan Saladoff, Joslyn Barnes, Karin Chien, Annie Roney, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and WIF President, Cathy Schulman. 

@3pm - NBC Universal

This is always one of my favorite parties for many reasons. For one, it celebrates the indie filmmaker in the (818) much like we do, but more importantly the Production Serviced department puts their money where their mouth is and raffles off production grants. This year, NBC Universal raffled off $45K in $5K & $10K grants and VFF friend Kate Logan won! We're very excited for her and wish her luck as she finishes her documentary.

@4:30pm - IndieGoGo Panel & Party

We missed the panel (actually, we were in the next room because there were no seats available) but dig IndieGoGo for crowdfunding projects. Unlike other crowdfunding companies, IndieGoGo lets you keep the money you raised even if you don't meet your ultimate goal. VFF will definitely be using them this year!

@5pm - Seattle Independent Film Festival

Casual and comfortable with pizza, beer, and lots of conversation. Now, if only I can find the business cards collected...

@6pm - Sony

Sony celebrated its new, Super 35mm, F3 camera at Sundance. Over sumptuous hors d'oeuvres and strong cocktails, two F3 cameras made their rounds for all to touch and ooh and awe over.  

@8:30pm - FotoKem (Indie Moguls Party)

Year after year, this is another favorite destination of ours...massage therapists, oxygen bars, and awesome guacamole. The Snow Park Lodge in Deer Valley provides a large and comfortable environment to network and discuss ideas.

VFF10 Shorts Program ~ Made in the (818)

Made in the (818) is The Valley Film Festival's signature showcase of films shot in or showcasing, and/or made by filmmakers currently living in The Valley.  VFF believes that the San Fernando Valley has a diverse landscape for every film shoot, whether you're using the backlot of Universal Studios or shooting guerrilla style at Hansen Dam. VFF encourages local production by creating a showcase just for these films, and we hope you'll consider the fabulous San Fernando Valley for your next film shoot. 

We asked our Made in the (818) filmmakers to share a little bit more about their film, themselves, and their favorite place in The Valley:

Born in Chicago and raised in Woodland Hills, Beth Einhorn is proud to be a Valley Girl and is the writer/director behind 500 DAYS OF ZANKOU. In this comedy short, SNL's Abby Elliott falls in love with Zankou Chicken. Shot entirely on location in the (818), Beth and her crew used Zankou Chicken in Toluca Lake and a private residence in Studio City.

When Beth isn't working on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, or preparing for her next film shoot, she can be found at Fryman Canyon, Brent's Deli, Corbin Bowl, Candy Cane Lane, and Zankou Chicken (of course) on Sepulveda.

Some things are better left alone and Burbank based director, Michael Barton, delivers a creepy comedy in BY A HAIR. During our submissions process, this was the first film we screened that made us go "a-ha" and it was also one of the few that made us squirm in our seats. 

From the mind of multi-hyphenate (writer-director-dp-editor-colorist) and Valley-born Mike Halper comes DECEIVERS. Shot in under two days in Mike's Sherman Oaks apartment, this thriller is about betrayal with so many twists, turns, and more twists, that you'll never see the ending coming. 

A purist through and through, Mike can be found on the sets of short films, web series, or feature films being shot in The Valley. Next time you drive past a set, shout out to him!

THE DISAPPEARING GIRL TRICK, from director David Jackson Willis, is one of the older films screening at The Valley Film Festival, having been completed in 2001. While most festivals allow a two-year window to screen a project, VFF doesn't put restrictions on our submissions. In this gem, Broadway sensation, Susan Egan, stars as a TV producer who goes undercover as a magician's assistant to expose the "Disappearing Girl" trick. Even though this film was shot entirely at The Magic Castle in Hollywood, the producer gets props for being Valley-based!

Made for the 48 Hour Film Project, DRAIN DESERT TANNER follows the (mis)adventures of a Forensics investigator who makes an outlandish attempt to get himself out of a bad situation. Another multi-hyphenate (actor-director-editor-writer), Shant Hamassian comes to us from Calabasas where the old Paramount Ranch is.

Directed by Jimmy Lu, THE HURRICANE FIST is an action-packed Kung Fu film shot in the Angeles National Forest, starring Toy Lei of Sherman Oaks. When she's not mastering stances, punches, or kicks at the Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Park, you can find her snowboarding.

LEAGUE OF S.T.EA.M: FOOL'S GOLD is a steampunk short film produced by VFF09 alumni and Burbank based Trip Hope. Don't know what steampunk is? Neither did we before this year, but we've come to learn that it is a fusion of 19th Century (Victorian era) and fantasy. Not to mention awesome costumes and cool gadgets! Sneak a peek here.

From NoHo based filmmakers Surge L'Rodriguez (director) and Preston Northrop (producer) comes the gritty drama MOTEL SAN FERNANDO. Shot and set in the SFV, an out-of-luck woman risks everything to provide for her younger sister during the current economic crisis.
 

Hailing from our state capital, writer/producer Denise Dougherty has been a Valley resident for 36 years and shot WILL TRAIN RIGHT PERSON in Van Nuys. Making its world premier at VFF10, this family-friendly tale proves that in this economy, everyone is looking for work.  Rita Wood generously donated the use of her office building, providing Denise and her crew with a functioning set that allowed them to play around with geography and reality, a theme to their film. 

Denise recommends Emle's on Reseda Blvd. in Northridge for their great food, atmosphere, and people!

These titles aren't the only films in the festival with an (818) connection, but we felt they complemented one another and showcased the diversity of what is possible in The Valley.

Made in the (818) screens on Friday, November 12, at 5pm, at CAP Theatre in Sherman Oaks. Purchase tickets here.