Tennille Wright
Staff Writer
Friends of the Pomona Fox and 909Junkie partnered to present the first annual 909 Film Festival on Sunday at the Fox Theater in Pomona. Laughter, gasps and cheering could be heard throughout the theater all night.
“This film festival offers filmmakers an opportunity to represent the 909 in their own way,” Eddie Gonzalez of 909junkie, said.
The movies had to be under nine minutes and nine seconds long and have a 909 area theme or be filmed in the 909 area code region, which covers eastern Los Angeles County and parts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Films were as short as one minute, though some directors used all the time allotted.
Categories included narrative, animation, documentary and experimental film or video.
Don Pollock, professor of communications, submitted several short films directed by ULV students. Of the 13 films selected for screening, ULV alumni directed two, “Lymindum” and “Fairview Farms.”
“I was surprised that my film was selected because it was from so long ago,” said Yesel Manrique, LVTV program director, KWST assistant and 2006 graduate.
Manrique’s film, “Fairview Farms,” caused chuckles throughout the theater as viewers watched the film about the Fairview Farms attraction at the L.A. County Fair.
“Lymindum,” an experimental film about a girl with suicidal ideas, was directed by a La Verne alumni Joseph Valencia, Adrianna Castillo and Evan Mobley.
Measured by applause, “Empire” was named the winner of the first annual 909 Film Festival. “Empire,” directed by Andi Campognone, was a visual journey through downtown Pomona.
Although neither of the films produced by La Verne students won the festival, they received great reviews from viewers.
“I really enjoyed all the films. The techniques they used to shoot were awesome,” Tami Lindsey, San Bernardino Valley College student, said.
The audience definitely plans to come out again next year to support their local filmmakers.
“I would totally come back next year,” Adrienne Lindsay, a viewer of the 909 film festival, said.
909Junkie plans on hosting the event again in 2011, making it bigger and better.
Tennille Wright can be reached at tennille.wright@laverne.edu.
