By Michael Balderston
No two stories are the same, even when one is based on the other. That’s what Amy Saidman, Artistic Executive Director for SpeakeasyDC, was looking for when she started Speakeasy Shorts with DC Shorts Director Jon Gann, which celebrates its third year Friday, Nov. 14.
“I like to find new ways to take storytelling… I like to stretch the boundaries and experiment,” says Saidman. “One way to do that is these mashups, taking two art forms and seeing if they can complement one another and sort of push each other to a different place.”
Speakeasy Shorts combines live storytelling and filmmaking. The festival starts with 10 live performances featuring local storytellers. At the end of each story a team of filmmakers is selected to adapt, shoot, and edit that story in five days with the finished film screening the following week. The audience then votes for the favorite film.
Rob Raffety, a NoVA filmmaker based in Arlington, has competed in Speakeasy Shorts each year, winning the festival in 2013. Raffety enjoys the challenge the festival provides and the chance to work with new people.
“That’s one of the benefits of this format,” says Raffety. “It’s limited in scope. Five days you’re going to have a film at the end of it, so why not work with some new folks?”
The rules also allow a lot of creative liberty for filmmakers. Over the first two years Raffety has learned it’s a balancing act of honoring the storyteller, but finding new and entertaining ways to tell the story.
“I feel somewhat responsible with the stories,” says Raffety.” “These are true stories… I want to create a film that entertains the audience as well as honoring the storyteller.
“You can do whatever you want, so that’s a wonderful thing, but it can be a little intimidating because you have no rules, just make the adaptation. I find it liberating.”
Initially inviting filmmakers to partake in their first year, Speakeasy Shorts has grown to where it now receives interest from more filmmaking teams then they have slots for, signaling not only the popularity of the festival, but the growth of the film community in the DMV area.
“There are great resources in this area and anyone who wants to be a filmmaker… there are very low barriers for entry,” says Raffety. “That’s very exciting for anyone with creative ideas.” Certainly the Speakeasy Shorts is one of those great opportunities for filmmakers.
“You do it because it’s a blast,” says Raffety. ”You meet new people, you get another project under your belt, you gain some experience. And here’s the best part, you have two sold out audiences to screen it… you know people are going to watch it… It’s like opening weekend for a big feature film.”
Speakeasy Shorts starts Friday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. with the stories being performed live and continues Saturday, Nov. 22 with the completed films. Both events will be held at the U.S. Navy Memorial Heritage Center’s Burke Theater. Get tickets here.
