[Editor’s Note: A copy of the letter that the disappointed entrepreneur Ross Hawkins, founder of the Backlot Film Festival, sent to patrons last Thursday after he learned the festival’s previously approved dates for next year had been turned down.]
July 24, 2008
I regret to inform you that we will not be able to hold the 4th Backlot Film Festival at Veterans Memorial Building on April 1-April 4, 2009, as we had planned.
Mel Horowitz and I met with the Memorial Building Manager, Pam Robinson during the week of June 6 to discuss a definite date for the 2009 Backlot Film Festival. We spent two hours researching the possibilities and came up with the April 1 date because Passover starts on April 8; Easter is on April 12, which means that we would have no one in attendance during that period. The week following Easter is also dead.
The Cannes Film Festival begins on May 14, which means that many film critics, distributors and publicity people would not be on hand during this period. Also, out of the 41 films that we screened
this year, four of them were later screened at Cannes.
The date for our 2009 festival was logged in for April 1-4, at the end of the meeting. I had two phone conversations with Ms. Robinson since then, and nothing was said about any conflicts with
our chosen date.
On Tuesday, July 22, I drove Paul Pitti to the Veterans Building for a meeting concerning the oil drilling controversy with PXP. I walked by Ms. Robinson’s door and saw that she was in. I stopped in to say hello.
During our conversation, she casually asked me if anyone from the
scheduling office had called me. She told me that I couldn't have the 3rd and 4th of April because the dates were going to the Culver City Symphony Orchestra.
I asked why I wasn’t told this when we researched the date. She said there was a letter of understanding for that date with the Symphony. She said that I could contact the Symphony to see if I could get them to change the date. I don’t understand why it should be my responsibility to talk to the Symphony when it was Ms. Robinson and the Scheduling Office that made the error.
I conferred with six of my associates with the BLFF. The vote was 5-1 to find another venue rather than change the date.
We have since had conversations with three theatre/venues that would like to have us move the Backlot Film Festival to their location.
The 2008 Backlot Film Festival was a wonderful event, and a great success. We have attracted filmmakers from around the world, and we have helped to reestablish that Culver City was and is
the Heart of Screenland.
We encountered many problems in the course of our pre-production, which we were able to overcome. Apparently, no one knew that there were two 35 millimeter projectors in the booth at Vets. The Backlot film Festival and the Old Town Music Hall checked out the projectors
and made the necessary adjustments to them at their own expense.
Getting a firm price for the place was like buying a used car. For a set price, you got a room. If you wanted chairs, tables or the restrooms cleaned, that was extra. Several of my staff members felt we were overcharged for what we got.
We spent $7500 to put a decent portable sound system in the auditorium. It worked! Everybody present at the films felt that the sound system was better then anything they had
heard. The system was donated permanently to the Veterans' Auditorium by the Backlot Film Festival and the Old Town Music Hall. It is somewhat ironic that the system was used the week
after we left by the Culver City Symphony.
There were only two staff people on hand to help with the event, and many times we had to hunt for them. We were fortunate that one individual, Daniel Sanchez, who had worked there for
many years but was no longer employed at Vets, was on hand. We paid for Mr. Sanchez’s daily services through Saturday ourselves.
Twelve restaurants furnished food for a gala event on Closing Night and said that they were willing to do it next year. Many of the celebrities on hand said that they planned to attend next
Year’s festival.
The restrooms in the back of the building were in total disarray. We paid to have them cleaned. We had planned on donating a new screen so that films could be shown on a regular basis next
year and doing some more work on the sound system.
The Veterans Memorial Auditorium is understaffed, under-promoted and underutilized. If properly run, it could be a major source of pride and income to the city.
The restaurant is a disaster area that, according to my food vendor, would cost around $35,000 to fix. That money could be earned back in three months’ time if it were open on a regular basis.
If Culver City is to maintain its standing as the Heart of Screenland, it needs someone or entity to promote not just the good old days but also to help students and independent filmmakers get their work seen.
If anyone has comments or suggestions, I can be reached on my cell at 310. 3841009.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Ross Hawkins
President
The Backlot Film Festival
