NewEnglandFilm.com

Sundance, East Coast

Nine years ago, when the festival format was mostly unexplored, Judy Laster founded the "New England Sundance" with award-winning producer/director Kate Davis, who is screening her film "Southern Comfort" this year.

Judy should be so lucky. Sure, she’d like to make more films, but when? Mild-mannered lawyer by day, she also dons her (uncompensated) Woods Hole Festival Director hat for five months of the year.

Of course, she doesn’t do it alone. Starting with the call for films in November, a dedicated group of volunteers assists with "whatever they are passionate about." They watch submissions from May through July or manage staged readings, such as the buzzworthy Laura and Sal by Jody Lawaich. Volunteers this year have also organized workshops with the Boston Film and Video Foundation (http://www.bfvf.org) and Falmouth Community Television’s FCTV13 (www.fctv.org). 

Exactly how does one establish a film festival? In Judy’s case, a certain festival, which shall remain nameless, rejected her spaghetti western. Disappointment prompted her to establish a venue that would show her film. "Let there be film," she intoned, and the Woods Hole Film Festival was born.

Below are some of Judy’s picks, which will be shown in digital video. For a full schedule of events, go to www.woodshole.com: 

· Opening night film Blind Light by Pola Rapaport

· Floating by William Roth (shown at the Boston Film Festival last year)

· Swimming by Robert J. Siegel (doing well in the festival circuit)

· Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God, Be Back by Five (opening in New York, Boston and Los Angeles this fall; this one is my personal pick for "Best Title")

For Judy, it’s important to be "sensitive to the rhythm of the week." Accordingly, she saves the shorter, higher energy films for the weekend, when more people can attend. During the week, the features and documentaries are shown.

Woods Hole is an exciting venue where people can come together over film. The audience is happy to be present. Their expectations are quite different from say, the person next to you at the Cheri, where there’s always someone snoring, drinking, yelling at the screen, or starting a fire in the back row.

Augmenting the films is a series of filmmakers discussing their work at a local coffee shop, taped by Falmouth Community Television. Great public relations for the artistes, it also reaches the "man on the street" — or "the man in the café."

Reaching people is the festival’s raison d’être. "There is a special connection to the audience — more of a showcase feeling as opposed to a film market. It’s about people getting work seen — people on the way up doing interesting things; filmmakers who wouldn’t otherwise get their work out, like Marcella Hoekstra," says Judy.

Does showcasing emerging filmmakers preclude commercial success stories? Heck, no. Distributors call her for access to filmmakers, and she gives out the information with their permission. Many Woods Hole alumni have achieved critical acclaim, such as Brad Anderson of "The Darien Gap" and "Next Stop Wonderland." But, Judy insists, "That’s just not the point of this festival." I’m starting to suspect that Judy may not even have a cell phone.

Judy also tries to emphasize issues germane to Cape Cod. One product of this is "Striker’s Passing," filmed on Martha’s Vineyard, about the dying art of one line swordfishing. "Life on the Cape is affected by the ocean. What will happen when the fishermen leave? For them, there is no distinction between fishing and life," wonders Judy.

Viewpoint, WGBH’s independent film series, will be showing Woods Hole Film Festival picks. Their collaboration is one of the first between a public television station and a film festival, which evolved from a conversation with program director Chad Davis. "Viewpoint is a forum that’s out there. Reach out and use it," exhorts Judy.

Viewpoint used to air on Tuesday nights in April and May, but with a surfeit of worthy entries, they decided to air it year round on WGBH-TV 2 and independent film channel WGBH-TV Select 44. Catch it at 10 pm on Sundays.

Like concerns attract, and ardent community advocate Viewpoint likes to target heritage months to showcase issues for communities. In fact, they are in the early stages of partnering with the Boston Jewish Film Festival as well.

Both the Woods Hole Film Festival and WGBH stand to gain. WGBH gets access to the close-knit indie film community’s work. "The indie community may not think of WGBH-TV as an outlet for their films, but they should," says Viewpoint program director Chad Davis.

Viewpoint encourages local filmmakers to submit work. Committed to supporting the filmmaker, they’ll work on a case-by-case basis to come up with a successful market plan. So if you have HBO distribution rights, they’ll catch you later with a "cable window" to air your film.

In April, Viewpoint showcased New England films exclusively. In fact, they prefer native New Englanders and seek a "New England sensibility." Aspiring filmmakers can find calls for entries at www.wgbh.org/viewpoint. 

As aforementioned, Judy can’t be a lawyer, make films and run the film festival. Happily, she’s found a solution to her dramaturgical dilemma: the institute.

Not to be confused with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, she envisions a film institute that explores the intersection between science and art. "Scientific work has not been translated well to the public — it ends up in limited forms like documentaries — filmmakers could help give it new life," insists Judy.

I’ll bet you didn’t know that the film "The Abyss," was made with the help of Cape Cod scientists.

"It’s important that the festival continue because it fills a need," says Judy. And there’s no doubt about that. The Woods Hole Film Festival has consistently brought together a talented group of films and attracted a supportive community atmosphere.

Here’s to future festival audiences full of scientists and fishermen, and lots of applause for the selfless efforts of Judy Laster.