Silbiger and Rose Slam Film Festival as a Too-Brief, Poorly Planned Afterthought

The present outline, which the Council bumpily approved, calls for 3 short Laurel and Hardy films (19 minutes apiece) and one 8-minute Tom & Jerry cartoon to be screened throughout the afternoon hours in Council Chambers.

Since the entire daytime program consumes barely more than an hour, it is not clear what format City Hall will use in its presentation to stretch out the entertainment.

At more or less nightfall, 7 o’clock, the 1954 MGM film, “An American in Paris,” running a little under 2 hours, will be shown in the Courtyard of City Hall where there may or may not be more chairs than are set up for the weekly Music Festival concerts.

Two Opponents of the Current Concept

With their three teammates passively embracing the film festival, Council members Gary Silbiger and Steve Rose roared loudly enough to make the disapprobation sound unanimous.

They agreed that the 5 screenings feel like a hodge-podge rather than a carefully chosen selection. Instead of being thoughtfully designed and well organized, Mr. Silbiger and Mr. Rose said the total program resembles a hastily thrown together after-thought. “It is almost as if we put something together to say we have done it,” Mr. Silbiger said.

Minutes after Julie Lugo Cerra, Culver City’s historian, said she and Susan Obrow, Cultural Affairs director, had been impressed when they recently reviewed the films at UCLA, both Councilmen came down hard on the entire promotion.

Mom’s Birthday

Ninety has been on his mind this summer, Mr. Silbiger said. His mother turns 90 this weekend. Waiting 10 years for the community’s 100th birthday to justify a larger blowout does not make sense to Mr. Silbiger. He is convinced Culver City’s 90th birthday merits a far more elaborate party than 3 shorts, a cartoon and a feature film. After all, he said, this is the birthplace of the movies, the Heart of Screenland.

“Film festivals that I have attended,” said Mr. Silbiger, “go on for days.”

Mr. Rose, next in the queue, said “I totally agree with Mr. Silbiger,” one of the few times that sentiment has been articulated in the last 5 years.

Building His Case

“It is just too bad there is a lack of planning for this event,” Mr. Rose said. He was only warming up. “I agree with Mr. Silbiger. We are just putting it on because we are supposed to be putting it on.” He made the funding method his juiciest target. “We don’t have the money to pay ($15,000) for it from the city budget,” Mr. Rose said. “So we come up with the idea of taking it from the Redevelopment Agency and from Economic Development. I question how much planning has gone into this, whether we really want it, and whether we think the more money we spend, the better things are.

“I have a problem with spending Economic Development money ($5,000) and putting on this kind of event.”

After arguing, unsuccessfully, that a significant historical piece should be included in the afternoon programming because it is the city’s birthday, Mr. Rose voted twice against approving the film festival. He said he did it to send a message.

In other developments:

When officer Aubrey Kellum of the Police Dept. was cited for saving a young girl’s life, his markedly modest, succinct acceptance speech was the show-stealer…

At next Monday night’s City Council meeting, Fiesta La Ballona Week, Culver City’s 55th annual community-wide party, will officially begin. But the family action concentrated on the following weekend of continuous live entertainment and carnival-style ridesd, Friday, Aug. 24, Saturday, Aug. 25 and Sunday, Aug. 26 at Veterans Park…