First Ever: Benicia Film Festival Next March

Next March 1-3, 2013, a celebration of film and music acknowledging local, national, and international filmmakers will take place in Benicia. The Benicia Film Festival is being organized by the Benicia Arts and Culture Commission.

I’ve heard rumblings about the Arts and Culture Commission now and then through Judy Donaldson, who was Chair last year. Next month, she’s going to Thailand for a year. The Commission and all who know her will miss her cool head and thoughtfulness. She’ll be practicing her feminism by working at a girl’s school, as well as studying Buddhism. As she prepares to leave, Elaine Eisner has taken over as Chair. She has a strong business background and an ability to get things done.

Evidence of that is this enormous task of putting on a film festival—without any experience, however, involving Arts Benicia, Benicia High School’s film production teacher, Soroptimists, filmmakers, and musicians, all of whom bring expertise and abilities in a variety of ways.

Films will be shown at the Veteran’s Memorial Hall. The Benicia Yacht Club will have a reception. A fundraiser is being planned for Sunday, September 30 at Winterhawk Winery.

Seems there’s lots of good energy happening in this commission—they mean to make things happen. They’ve developed a brochure and are planning a public art walk—one to start but I believe it will take place on a regular basis.

Like I guess a few others here in town, I watched Pappas get it’s makeover on television. It’s a little more up close and personal than I like—all that stuff about money and family that seems, well, too private to have on television, but I know, everything on tv is hyped and pitched in a way those doing it think will reach us.

I hope the restaurant does well. More than one person I spoke with thought the outside needs some spiffing up. The fence and big, plain parking lot aren’t exactly inviting, but apparently the food is better and the place is cleaner. Can I forget those dismal scenes from the kitchen? I’m not sure.

Finally, congratulations to Kitty Griffin and Mary Frances Kelly-Poh, Benicians who are being honored as “living legacies” by the Senior Coalition of Solano Country for their plethora of community activities.

From my own experience with Kitty, she’s been a stalwart member of the Benicia League of Women Voters. (I met her years ago when we were both having lunch at the counter at First Street Café.) The League’s annual meeting is Thursday evening at 7 p.m. at the Camellia Tea Room. Following the business portion of the meeting, there will be a presentation on Measure L. The public is invited. Details: http://www.lwvbenicia.org/