Claire Fordham reviews the 19th Topanga Film Festival
If the Topanga Film Festival teaches us one thing, it’s that we don’t need blockbusters, car crashes, explosions or big budgets. Screening 70 excellent films from around the world, this festival put the focus on independent cinema at its finest, with great storytelling made with minimum funding, and sometimes almost no budget at all, as with The Sound of Paint.
The Sound of Paint was the Winner of the Best Feature Documentary award (and a personal favorite). It was beautifully directed, produced, filmed and edited by Joshua Williams. Phoebe Sarason, TFF’s programmer and head of jury, said, “This award was a unanimous decision by the jury. It was amazing because Josh was at the festival every day and was expected to be there at the awards ceremony. When we announced the award and had the trophy ready to present it to him, he wasn’t there! As I was stepping in to describe the film, Josh coincidentally walked into the room. He was so blown away. And his mom had come with him that night. It was such a gorgeous success story for Josh.
“It’s always fantastic when the filmmakers are there to spend the whole festival meeting people and connecting with our Topanga ethos.”
Shot over an incredible 14 years, Josh skillfully documents the triumphs and tribulations of Vincent (Vinny) Di Geatano, a “residentially challenged” artist and musician living on Ocean Front Walk, Venice.
The film captures how the Venice community—even some police officers—have nurtured and supported the creative spirit along this part of the promenade. Other local artists also share their wisdom and creativity, acknowledging that Vinny is king in this domain.
Both Josh and Vinny attended the screening and took part in the Q & A after. There is no denying that Vinny is a highly talented artist. And a tremendous character. He only paints clowns, in varying degrees of scariness. He just loves to paint, anything and everything from canvas to clothes to his beloved guitar. If he’s not painting, Vinny is playing his guitar and writing songs. Hence the title, The Sound of Paint, which surely deserves a special prize for best title.
Josh was “beside himself” for his film to win the Best Feature Documentary award. He said, “It’s nice to get this kind of recognition. The art is more complete when it gets validated like that. It feels like I did something right and I was psyched to share the film with an audience.”
After the screening, so many people came up to Vinny to tell him how much they enjoyed the film and his story. He told Josh, “I feel important now.” That meant everything to Josh and he thought, “I’m done. That’s enough for me.”
Josh has been a lifeguard on Venice Beach for 20 years and recently got promoted to full-time lifeguard for the LA County Fire Department, so it would be hard to give up that salary to be a full-time filmmaker.
“Based on the excitement around the film, I need to find ways to get more eyes on it,” he said. “I wasn’t motivated by money to make the film, but if I could secure a distribution deal for it to get Vinny an art studio and a place to live, I’d be happy.”
I wasn’t able to watch every film screened, but those I was lucky enough to see were massively impressive. Another standout was The Teacup, a short film by ZhiMin Hu, a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker based in Toronto, screened as part of the International Eclectic Shorts Competition. ZhiMin told me after the screening that The Tea Cup is the true story of her abusive childhood at the hands of her father and her journey to a place of forgiveness. The making of the film was a family affair with her own daughter acting as the daughter of ZhiMin’s character.
Cracking the Dream, directed by and starring Chopper Bernet, a true story about his dark journey to become an actor with a terrific twist at the end, was shot mostly in black and white on an iPhone 13. It was incredibly well done, acted and edited. Proof that you don’t need a fancy camera to make something wonderful and entertaining.
The highlight of the 19th TFF for me was watching my niece Marley Rose Gazaryants’ short film Girls on the Run screened at Corazon as part of the Emerging Topanga Auteurs section along with her cast, crew, family and friends.
Girls on the Run is a coming-of-age film about four troubled teen runaways, each with their own reasons for fleeing their homes. Their journey explores friendship, freedom, and the challenges of youth. Written, produced and directed by Marley, this is a strong first film, especially for a 19-year-old. The young cast and crew met on the Santa Monica College film course and are helping each other live their dreams to be filmmakers, at the same time making deep and lasting friendships. Marley’s second film has already been shot and is currently being edited.
Co-founded by Urs Baur in 2004, the 19th TFF wasn’t just about screening films. There were insightful Q & As after the films with directors, producers and actors, as well as helpful and informative panels with top filmmakers and chances to mingle with them at parties and receptions.
Urs said, “Our canyon has always been a place where art, nature, and activism come together in harmony, and that spirit guides every aspect of our festival. There’s an energy here — rooted in the earth and in the community — that allows creativity to flow freely. Our theme this year was “The Revolution Will Be Improvised”, and though we plan and prepare, the magic happens in those spontaneous moments when our tightly-knit festival team shows up, everyone deeply authentic, responding to challenges in the moment, creating something that feels both incredibly welcoming and deeply transformative.
“As we prepare for the 20th anniversary, my focus is on honoring the roots of this land and the creative freedom it nurtures. We’ll continue to push boundaries, embracing new ideas while staying grounded in the values of connection, activism, and a shared love for the art and this community that inspires us.”
Organized by local volunteer creatives, the Topanga Film Festival is a prime example of Topanga-ness—local people working together and sharing their creative talents to make something magical. Kudos to Chief Programmer and Moderator Adam Roberts for his boundless energy and good humor at all the screenings at Froggy’s. Before the festival, with its theme “The Revolution Will Be Improvised”, Adam promised the 19th TFF would bring connectivity and joy. “Not a violent revolution, but a revolution of community, common ground and creativity,” he said. Adam and the TFF team certainly delivered on that promise.
LIST OF WINNERS AT THE 19TH TOPANGA FILM FESTIVAL
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT Good Enough Ancestor directed by Cynthia Wade
BEST NARRATIVE SHORT A Summer’s End Poem directed by Lam Can-zhao
BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT The Sprayer directed by Farnoosh Abedi
MOST TOPANGA Mushroom Disco directed by Shaina Rose and Zeke Reed
BEST OF TOPANGA Minnows directed by James Mills
BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY The Sound of Paint directed by Joshua Williams
BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE Simón directed by Diego Vincentini
COVETED COYOTE AWARD FOR BEST OVERALL FILM The Serena Variations directed by Warren Fischer
