From Sept. 25-29, the 2024 Burbank International Film Festival brought filmmakers and talent both local to the area and from various parts of the world to the AMC Burbank 16 — one of the highest-grossing AMC theaters in the country — for a five-day celebration of talent and independent filmmaking.
While many major festivals at this time of year like TIFF and Venice get people talking about the big feature films gearing up for awards campaigns, BIFF’s focus on short film programming shined a spotlight on indie creators often working on original projects. Multiple blocks of shorts screened each day, with categories ranging from Comedy Kicks, Nothing But Drama to Fantastic Films by Women. Student films from AFI and USC also made their way to the festival.
With the many directors, writers, and actors I got to interview and meet, there’s one phrase I couldn’t escape when asking about what they learned from the filmmaking process: “Check your ego at the door. Refreshingly, there was no mention of auteurs during any interviews, post-screening Q&As, or after-party mixers. Instead, conversations focused on how projects can grow and prosper through the input of multiple different voices.
Many films were made by director duos, such as siblings Rita and Luke Konopasky, who co-founded SDG Pictures to spotlight the human condition through film. They were at the festival with their short Tacenda. Rita and Luke have also known the lead actor, Matt Davies-Morris, since middle school theater. When writing the script for Tacenda, they already had Davies-Morris in mind for the lead role.
“In the time that I’ve collaborated with them, I’ve watched them grow even stronger as filmmakers,” Davies-Morris said. “It’s been really cool to see each step of the journey … on set every day, watching them work so well off each other, passing the baton back and forth.”
For many of the creatives at the festival, watching their films in packed auditoriums made for a rewarding experience. Actor Kash Hovey, who reteamed with Wyni Landry and Mario Zermeno on the short thriller The Hit, remarked on his sold-out audience. “It was very epic to be in the audience and see everyone’s reactions to it and how they interpreted [the films],” Hovey said. “Getting to meet the other filmmakers that I have so much respect for was empowering.”
While some films were notably shot in Burbank and the greater Los Angeles area, larger world issues and fears were on the minds of many filmmakers: especially with the upcoming Presidential Election. One of the most topical films from the festival was DISPLACED directed by Amy Leland. Co-producer and lead actress Tiffany Hodges based the screenplay on her own lived experiences, weaving together three distinct cases to show how broken the system is for undocumented immigrants.
Producer Cristina Doikos was a pivotal part in bringing the film to life, helping Hodges with the rewrite process to understand how to build the story around budgetary limitations — mainly with the one courtroom they were able to film in. “We talk all the time about how creative producing is,” Doikos said. “I don’t think many people realize that. They always think, ‘Well, it’s the actor that’s being creative or the director.’ But really, for us, the whole process was so collaborative.”
On the flip side, director and writer Mike Montagna’s Sunrise Boulevard (a play on the 1950 Billy Wilder classic’s title) took on the aesthetics of a Classic Hollywood film to critique the established studio system. Producer Roy Shellef talked about Montagna’s inspiration to illustrate the artistic process. “Everybody changes in this story once this actress goes into the facility and she brings light, happiness and joy,” Shellef said. “They find this passion back through her … the beautiful things in life are way more common than we think.”
There were also a few feature films that played throughout the festival, mainly in the evening slots. Cash for Gold, adapted from co-director Deborah Puette’s Black List finalist script, won the Feature Audience award, while the twisty thriller Fluxx took home the Tim Burton “Native Burbank” Visionary Award.
Speaking of Black List scripts, there was also a screenplay category that spotlighted six Television Pilots and Feature Film screenplays from exciting writers. One of the most notable topics explored was gender transition through the eyes of a non-conforming person in the half-hour comedy Transitions. Writer Rachael CG Cudlitz’s non-binary friend asked her to work on the project, which Cudlitz described as a huge honor – and also loads of fun to work on. “All of us are in a place of questioning, whether it’s gender or who we are,” Cudlitz said. “It’s normal and everybody does it in different ways.”
The festival closed out with a star-studded Red Carpet gala that brought Burbank native Paul Feig to accept this year’s Vanguard Award, alongside notable names like Ken Jeong and Sarah Baker. But in no way did the star power ever overpower the festival’s core, which is celebrating diverse talent.
The rich experience of seeing hard work projected at the AMC Burbank 16 wasn’t lost on anyone — especially those who consider it their home theater.
Matt Minton is a dedicated, passionate entertainment journalist finishing out their last semester at the Ithaca College Los Angeles center before embarking on a six-month reporting internship with Variety. Matt is primarily interested in screenwriting and producing in the entertainment industry, driven to spotlight stories within the LGBTQIA+ community every step of the way. Matt always cherishes going to the theater to experience new and old movies alike.
