Hipsters, punks, and yuppies of all ages — X96 has closed another year of novice yet superb filmmaking. The fourth annual Radio From Hell Film Festival by X96 and The Tower Theatre — located in the historic 9th and 9th district — presented a night for local filmmakers and junkies to collect and share whatever their minds dream up. The festival awards one filmmaker among dozens $1,000 and a variety of other awards. This year’s theme, “Now That’s Funny,” and object of focus — a soccer ball — brought in pieces from around the valley and made for a lively night.
Radio From Hell’s Richie T ran the show as the charismatic MC. He also welcomed radio celebs Gina Barberi and Bill Allred. After the doors opened, the audience was able to partake in a plethora of catered Subway sandwiches, enjoy music from alternative band Solarsuit, and laugh at local comedian — and Kevin Bacon look-alike — Steve Soelberg.
The rules for this year’s films were to utilize the theme and tagline “Now That’s Funny,” and to incorporate a soccer ball somewhere in the film. There were around 20 films at five minutes each. The entries were broad, leaving you in hysterics one minute and feeling thoughtful the next.
Filmmakers left no boundaries untouched, from an objectophilia’s love affair with his soccer ball to “Rainbows in December,” which is about a gay man and his roommates hiding the truth from his visiting cousin, who belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Marlin Jenkins was a local filmmaker content to be there.
“I’ve always loved X96, and when they announced [the festival] on the radio I decided to go for it,” Jenkins says. “I’d actually written a script two weeks earlier that turned out to be perfect for it.”
Jenkins’ film was called “Utah Problems” and portrayed the underground Clean Flicks’ distribution of illegal DVDs.
“The process makes it all worth it. I love doing it and don’t care if it goes anywhere,” Jenkins says.
The Salt Lake Tribune’s movie critic Sean P. Means — fondly called the Cricket — was present as in-house judge for the festival’s overall winner. The awards for Best Actor went to Paul in “Hunger Strike,” a man who strived to start a hunger strike to end same-sex marriage but ended up cursing and indulging in pizza. Best Actress was awarded to Lacey in “Crazy Bad Sushi,” which portrays a woman who experiences hallucinogenic-esque effects after eating bad sushi. The two were awarded with tickets to The Used and Taking Back Sunday concert.
The next award was Audience Choice, the winner of which garnered a prize of $100 to any Subway restaurant. After text-in votes from around the packed theater were counted, “Rainbows in December” won by a landslide.
Finally, the winner of $1,000 and best film of the Radio From Hell Film Festival was awarded to “Trust,” a film that depicts a post-apocalyptic world where two men who find it funny to trust anyone and fight for the last scraps of food.
“With these films, when given a theme and given an object, it’s crazy to see what human minds can create,” Richie T says. “The Salt Lake Film Society makes all these events and other movies you may never find in Salt Lake happen.”
The array of groups, friendships, and people at the Tower Theatre proved that the films and locality in Salt Lake City can bring any individuals together.
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