Organizers set dates for Los Gatos Film Festival
By Gloria I. Wang
Following several weeks of meetings and discussions, the "pieces are falling into place" for the inaugural Los Gatos Film Festival, which will occur this fall, said Los Gatos Mayor Joe Pirzynski.
While the festival is scheduled for Oct. 5 and 6 in Oak Meadow Park, it will no longer run two nights, as originally planned. The film festival's steering committee, which is organizing the event, decided to drop a Saturday night showing of a film in the park. Pirzynski said that the decision was made so that all of the committee's efforts would be put into the first night to make it more special.
"It's not a matter of 'can't,'" Pirzynski said.
According to a town staff report issued for the Aug. 20 Los Gatos Town Council meeting, a "family-oriented" film--one with a rating of G, PG or PG-13--will be preceded by some short clips starting at 7:30 p.m. A guest speaker may make a presentation before the showing, and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks will be sold by the Los Gatos Police Foundation.
Although the next evening's program has been canceled, the daytime event on Saturday is still sceduled. Two or three independent films will be shown in the afternoon at Los Gatos Cinema for a "low to moderate cost."
A brunch is scheduled on Sunday, Oct. 7, to thank the event's sponsors and volunteers.
Pirzynski said that the major issue left is funding. Although the committee is in the midst of developing a budget for the festival, they have received sponsorship from several businesses and other groups in town. Pirzynski said that, as of Aug. 27, $6,000 of the possible $10,000 needed for film projecting equipment and advertising had been raised.
At the town council meeting, Pirzynski asked whether or not council members would consider co-sponsoring the event, if necessary. The council was reluctant to specify an amount of money that it would be willing to donate. "This is the cinema's event. It's not the town council's event," Councilman Randy Attaway said, referring to the Los Gatos Cinema.
Yet council members agreed with Councilman Steve Blanton, who said, "If it came down to the 11th hour and it was a small amount of money and it was the difference between being able to have a viable, successful event and not, I would certainly be supportive."
In the midst of gaining sponsorships, Pirzynski said that the steering committee is trying to reduce costs wherever possible, and that if the needed funds weren't received soon, a spring festival date would still be possible.
If more than enough money is raised, Pirzynski said, the surplus would be put into a fund for the second annual film festival, projected for summer 2002.
The 12-member steering committee consists of Pirzynski, other town staff, Los Gatos Cinema owners Jack NyBlom and Jim Zuur, and representatives from the town's parks commission, arts commission and Chamber of Commerce.
The steering committee has also developed a logo, chosen out of several options for its inclusion of stars and mountains. The graphic represents how people will be watching a movie under the stars, with the Santa Cruz Mountains as a backdrop, Pirzynski said.
The logo will be on all fliers and posters that will be distributed to various town events and posted around town. All of the advertising will target Los Gatans, since the event is meant to bring the community together.
Parking and traffic issues will be handled by the committee and Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department, with the help of volunteers. Both groups are jointly developing a parking and security plan.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
