Mitch Levine & His Award-Winning Short – In Confidence
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer
We love to head to the theatre to sit, relax and watch films as a means of escape from our day to day lives. Sometimes those films are made with the most personal of touches, invoking the greatest meaning in our lives.
Film festivals around the world introduce us to new cultures, amazing talent in front of and behind the camera, and unimaginable experiences, all within one venue. If you are a fan of the theatre, you most likely are familiar with American Cinematheque, based in Los Angeles, California. It is an independent, non-profit cultural organization dedicated exclusively to the public presentation of the many forms of the ‘Moving Image.’ Its first screenings began back in 1987 and it has been making its mark on society ever since. It also serves as a means of educating those that are fascinated with film, by providing a forum where students and film enthusiasts can listen to leading filmmakers, actors, writers, editors and cinematographers discuss their passion.
A category of film that is becoming more and more prominent in the film industry is the short film, commonly referred to as ‘shorts.’
Mary-Lyn Chambers (Producer)
Mitch Levine (Director)
Svetlana Cvetko (Director of Photography)
On Thursday, July 17, 2014, the historic Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles was the place of cultural charisma as
American Cinematheque a new and unique short film titled ‘
In Confidence.’ The debut of this film was part of a program that highlights inspiring and diverse shorts covering everything from comedy to drama to animation and exploring documentary genres from Los Angeles-based directors.
Award-winning director,
Mitch Levine, brought his audience this provocative short film which was based on a play by
Deborah Pearl, developed at the world-renowned
Actors Studio.
‘In Confidence’ succeeds in presenting only one character that carries the film captivatingly from beginning to end. He has much experience in the industry and is founder and president of
The Film Festival Group. He serves as a consultant to many filmmakers and film festivals around the globe.
Beege Barkette, an actress best known for her outstanding role in ‘The Fabulous Baker Boys’ amongst a host of other leading acting roles, brings us convincingly into her world of turmoil as she addresses the camera directly throughout the entire film. To pull this off as successfully as she did was astounding. She plays Molly, a normal woman with curiosity, who makes one choice that creates consequences that will haunt her for the rest of her life. She decides to take money for sex, the one opportunity that changes everything. We are witness to scenes that cut between her conscious and sub-conscious lives, making it all the more believable.
Molly played by Beege Barkette
Director Mitch Levine is very passionate about filmmaking. It is his avenue to tell a story in its purest form. When he saw this play on the stage, it ignited something from within his inner being. Perhaps it was the powerful and poignant story that it told. From there, Levine took it from the stage to the film screen. Levine credits the success of the film to his entire team, calling them extraordinary people who supported his vision of creating the film. As strange as it may sound and as unbelievable as you can imagine, the whole thing was shot in just one day because of the limited availability of the principal collaborators. The post production piece took approximately seven months.
There is a bit of advice that Mitch Levine is eager to give to aspiring filmmakers. He talks with a proud and firm belief that it will work. ” Believe in your vision, surround yourself with the very best people – and embrace their artistry and creativity in helping you realize it.”
Mitch Levine and Deborah Pearl
Photos Courtesy of Susan Szotyori
Molly played by Beege Barkette
Mitch Levine and Deborah Pearl
Comments are closed.