Weird Weekend Comes to East Sierra
Friday-Saturday, September 21-22
Ridgecrest, CA
Ridge Writers, the East Sierra Branch of the California Writers Club, holds its fourth annual Weird Weekend September 21-22. The two-day event celebrates the stranger side of the desert – aliens, lost gold mines, apparitions, bigfoot sightings, objects moving when they shouldn’t, and an assortment of eerie tales.
The Indie Short Film Celebration starts at 2:00 p.m. Friday and calls for short films – weird, quirky, highly creative, “up to PG-13 rating, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, Death Valley, Twilight-Zone-ish, your grandkid dressed like bigfoot” – in good taste, no longer than 15 minutes. To submit, send name, contact info, length of film, and brief synopsis to ridgewriters@yahoo.com with an unlisted Youtube link to the film for consideration. Deadline closes September 15, midnight.
The Weird Storytelling Competition begins 2:00 p.m. Saturday. Entries must involve the stranger side of the desert, run 5-7 minutes, be original and in good taste. Truth optional.
Both the Indie Short Film Celebration and the Weird Storytelling Competition will be held at Ridgecrest Presbyterian Church. Prizes and bragging rights will be awarded. Plus both nights 7:30 p.m. Master Mystery Productions present the interactive murder mystery “What Happens at Sundown” set in 1960s Hollywood. For both contests, sign up in advance at Red Rock Books (206 W. Ridgecrest Blvd, 760-375-3454). Last-minute entries may sign up at the door on the day of the event on a space-available basis. Participants do not have to be local. Everyone is welcome to attend, watch, and enjoy refreshments. With paid admission, anyone may also compete, provided that the rules are observed. Admission is $5 per contest; $20 for “What Happens at Sundown.”
NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) Funding Passes
As chronicled late this summer by the Authors Guild, “The Grothman Amendment to slash NEA and NEH [National Endowment for the Humanities] funding was soundly defeated in the U.S. House of Representatives … by a vote of 297 to 114…. Representatives on both sides of the aisle spoke out in support of the NEA. Representative Calvert (R-CA), who chairs the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Sub-committee, argued for the importance of NEA funding, describing an art therapy program for military veterans that has helped them recover from PTSD….
“While artists can breathe a (temporary) sigh of relief, the fact that this amendment was brought to the House floor after the organizations’ funding had been approved is a sign that we must all remain vigilant to ensure that these important cultural institutions, and the arts in general, continue to be supported by our government.”