10th Annual Big Bear Lake International Film Festival

    The 3-D Movie Division brought 3-D to Big Bear on September 19, 2009, for the third straight year.  Nineteen shorts, mostly selected from our last two competitions and representing five different countries, were screened and  a panel of SCSC movie-makers (Ray Zone, Eric Kurland, Tom Koester, Rich Collado and John Hart) shared their camera equipment and fielded questions from the enthusiastic crowd.

   In a decade the BBLIFF has grown from humble beginnings to one of the premier festivals in the United States.  The Big Bear Performing Arts Center (PAC) is a beautiful venue for main events.  Several screens in one of Big Bear's small multiplex theaters as well as the Northwoods Resort were also used for festival activities.

   Festival president, Ty Warren, presided as awards were presented to film luminaries.  Oscar-winning Philippe Rousselot was given a lifetime achievement award for cinematography.  David S. Ward's accolade was for screenwriting.  Lou Diamond Phillips was recognized for acting excellence.  A community appreciation award went to eighty-five year old actor John Grandi.  John is still going strong in local theatrical productions.

   Among presenters were Noel Blanc who entertained the crowd with the voices his father made famous--Porky Pig, Bugs Bunny, etc. as well as the feisty, peroxide-blonde Sally Kirkland, who popped in later to enjoy our 3-D screenings.

   Having been squeezed into small quarters in the PAC for the past two years, this year the 3-D Movie Division was delighted to be offered space in the Northwoods Resort Ballroom.  The room was perfect.  Our screen fit exactly between two "antlered" chandeliers and we were able to accommodate all who were interested.

   Local restaurants, a winery and brewery all kept us well-fed and watered.  As film-makers we were eligible to attend all events gratis.  We were fortunate to be able to rub elbows with the makers of some of our favorite entries.  One young couple, Justin and Shel Rasch, had created a delightful, award-winning claymation piece, Gerald's Last Day, and surprised us by telling us that they had begun work on their next claymation feature which will be in 3-D.