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period of the Civil Rights movement—post-Civil Rights movement, post-[Martin Luther] King Jr. stuff. It hit me, you know? The Civil Rights movement opened the South up to commerce in a different way. It opened the South up after 100 years of denial, 100 years of living in the past, 100 years of treachery, and dealing with villainy. The Civil Rights movement gave the South back to black people; gave them back their natural rights, their natural rights that exist there. It gave the South an opportunity to finally go into the humanity. But at the same time it also created a state for the large corporations, which now distance themselves from the relationships that they had in those manufacturing communities around the country. Those corporations moved to places where the labor was cheaper, small towns, places like where my mother came from like Bloomfield, Georgia, where they opened a curtain factory and they paid the workers less than they were paid in the Northeastern towns that they left to return to the South. Part of that time was about the exploitation of peoples’ work. I saw that essence in the film. Underneath that, it’s the other story that drew me in.
Because Santa Cruz loves to keep its fingers on the pulse of everything groovy, this SCFF flick, Saint Misbehavin’ stands out because of its heart. It weaves together some provocative never-before-seen archival footage and reflects on the significance of the man dubbed “the emcee of Woodstock.” Look for a downright fun and passionate Wavy testimonials from the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Steve Earle and more. Catch Wavy at 6:45 p.m. Friday, May 8 at the Riverfront Twin. (Meet the man and director Michelle Estrick, too.)
revealed their inner nature to the world. Times have changed—and many cite Pansy Division as initiating quite a bit of that change on the music scene—which is why the film Pansy Division: Life in a Gay Rock Band may stand out at the Santa Cruz Film Festival this year. Dubbed “one of the most important and influential gay music acts in the last 20 years,” Pansy Division certainly has spunk. Beyond basting itself onto the rock scene, its tenacity to overcome the odds is downright impressive, especially with little radio airplay or a record label supporting them. The doc itself blends original and archive footage as it covers more than 15 years as a group—the classic ’90s footage is noteworthy. Other things that caught our eye: the group’s early days in San Francisco’s underground music scene and the struggles the group faced trying to remain together. There was, too, a full-fledged stadium tour with Green Day that added more fuel to the group’s fire but watch how well the film handles founding members Jon Ginoli and Freeman as they overcome grueling tour schedules, prejudice and near-poverty to keep the band together. Ultimately, the group strived to make a difference. It did. See for yourself at 8:45 p.m. Friday, May 8 at the Riverfront. Have some fun meeting Director Michael Camarona and Pansy Division co-founder and bassist Chris Freeman—he DJs the night away with modern rock/post punk and new wave offerings at Mad House Bar and Lounge, (529 Seabright Ave., Santa Cruz) after the screening.
who has been documenting and actively participating in the scene for 30 years. “I’ve got a Ph.D. in art cars.” Blank grew up on a commune in Bonny Doon where he lived in a yurt and milked goats each morning, says he was initially an outcast at Santa Cruz High School until he decided to paint a rooster on the side of his Volkswagen Beetle. He says that the simple act gave him an identity and started him on a long strange journey. Fortunately, for those who share Blank’s passion—or just want to stare—it turns out that the art car connoisseur is also a UCSC film major who has managed to keep a camera running throughout his many travels. His film, Automorphosis, is an examination of the art car world and some of its wildest characters. It will be screened on the closing night of the Santa Cruz Film Festival (May 15). Blank currently lives in Douglas, Ariz., where he has begun work on an art car museum.
sounds deep and meaningful, that’s because it is. And so are the subjects of the intriguing documentary, Out in India: A Family’s Journey, particularly David Gere. After receiving a grant to spend a year in India, Gere—brother to Richard—and his partner, Peter Carley, and their two adopted children, went through quite a transformation. But so, too, did a huge chunk of India’s population, which witnessed, first-hand how Gere’s imaginative artistic efforts educated people on HIV, AIDS and how to combat it. This doc has quite a bit of heart—a moving testament that making a difference in the world is not only a choice, but, perhaps, somewhat of a karmic duty. Embrace it 4 p.m. Sunday, May 10 at the Riverfront.
Wilde’s Run is a 16-minute film about a man who returns home to right his wrongs after four years of self-imposed exile. This man’s best friend was killed in a car accident four years earlier, and he felt responsible for his friend’s death. He couldn’t face his feelings of guilt, so he left town, severing contact with his family and friends.
