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Mill Valley Film Festival opens its 29th year
Wednesday, October 4, 2006 4:30 PM PDT
Novato High graduate's film ‘Klunkerz' in festival
By Jamie Oppenheim, Staff Writer
With Rock'n Blues by the Lake last Saturday and the 29th Mill Valley Film festival opening tomorrow night, Marin County is reeling in arts and music lovers from throughout the Bay Area.
The Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) - the longest running video festival in the U.S. - opening Oct. 5 and closing Oct. 15, will show 231 films from 43 countries.
This year, Novato has its fingers inside the film festival. Former Novato resident Billy Savage will showcase his documentary, “Klunkerz,” a film about the early mountain bikes and the rogue riders who saddled the contraptions. Savage, a 1983 Novato High School graduate, got the idea to create the film after watching the skateboarding documentary “Dog Town and Z-Boys,” a documentary that tracks some of history's most influential skateboarders to southern California. “That movie made me think about documentaries in a whole new way,” Savage said. Set mostly in the hills of Marin County, Savage's movie features original footage from mountain biking's beginnings and interviews with mountain bike pioneers such as Gary Fischer, Joe Breeze and Allen Bonds. A bike enthusiast himself, Savage recalled riding his Specialized Stump Jumper around Novato during his senior year of high school. “Back then I would ride to the end of Fairway Drive in Ignacio. I mostly used it for transportation.” Savage, who said he's always been interested in the performing arts, got his first job in the film industry working as a carpenter at Skywalker Ranch in Lucas Valley. “I was always drawn to performance. I was in jazz band and I used to hang out with the drama geeks,” he recalled.
It wasn't until Savage moved to Los Angeles in 1991 that he began working in movie and television production; however, Klunkerz was his first experience in the director's chair.
“It was an incredible experience getting to know these incredible athletes. They were inspired to do what they did for the love of cycling. They taught me a lot, not just about bicycles, but about myself,” Savage added. “Klunkerz” will air Sunday, Oct. 8, 6:30 p.m. at the CinéArts@Sequoia.
Also from Novato is Pete Crowley, co-producer and cinematographer for Watt Fuse,” a documentary that follows famed rock and blues guitarist GE Smith throughout the summer of 2004. The movie features interviews and concert footage and examines his prolific career as a side musician for artists such as Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger and Hall and Oates. “This is my home,” Crowley said. “I'm pretty excited I got the movie done after two years.” Crowley, a 10 year Novato resident, said he has worked in the music industry with bands such as Smashmouth, Jewel and Third Eye Blind. Crowley has also been a long time fan of GE Smith.
“He's a really down-to-earth guy. We both love music. He has has one of the best guitar collections in the world,” Crowley added. Watt Fuse” will show Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. at the Rafael Theater and GE Smith will perform with friends on Oct. 7, at 9 p.m. at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre. The MVFF event is presented by the California Film Institute (CFI). Films will be shown at the CinéArts@Sequoia and 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley and at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael.
For additional information and a complete schedule call 383-5256 or visit mvff.com.
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