TO PREPARE FOR CRC'S AND PAH'S ARRIVAL, I WAS SENT THESE QUESTIONS FROM MY SLOVENIAN FRIENDS.


What is PAH-FEST?

PAHFEST (PROJECT ACCESSIBLE HOLLYWOOD) is my digital empowerment/global
creativity festival. I believe the more people embrace the artist within,
share their creative selves while staying true to their inner voice, the
better off we all are and our world is. The digital arena makes this
possible now more than ever and we all can partake, not just a select few.
PAHFEST is about taking exclusive Hollywood off the pedestal and bringing it
"down" to the people via Digital Technology. PAHFEST is about celebrating
our collective HUMAN SPIRIT as well as the unique communities we come from.
I'm extremely excited about PAH coming to Slovenia.

Who would you like to see participating in PAH-FEST?

Not just filmmakers, I'd like to see how a plumber, fisherman, taxi cab
driver, sculptor does at making a 1 minute Cell Phone Art piece based on a
surprise topic I give them.

What is Hollywood?

Hollywood is considered the Filmmaking Capitol of the World. We can learn
from Hollywood's great history. I come from what many consider one
of the last great Hollywood Dynasties...but, the times have changed and now
Hollywood needs to learn from this brave new digital arena and open its
doors to fresh new voices from around the world.

What is film?

To me, it is both the opera and epic novel of today.

What's your first film-related memory (which film, where, what)?

I remember seeing Walt Disney's Pinnochio in Naples, Italy when I was 5. I
remember having a crush on the Blue Fairy.

Is there a particular film that 'marked' you?

Three films actually 1. Orson Welles' Citizen Kane. I was 8 years old. My
father projected a 16mm print of it for us. It was a big event. I can still
remember how powerful it was, larger than life. I was eager to make films
because of it. 2. Attack of the Giant Leeches. I was 9 nine years old. I
saw it on television at my grandmother's house, Seymour's Creature Feature I
believe. It really got under my skin, so I started to make scary Super 8
movies with cheap looking monsters in it. I liked to scare the kids in my
neighborhood. 3. Fellini's La Strada. I felt akin to it...the loneliness,
the circus, the simplicity. I made a little super8 film called "The Unknown
Circus" when I was 10 because of it. My brother Nicolas Cage played a
jealous clown who kills the tight rope walker for stealing his girl. I think
everything I do, including PAH, has a little circus vibe to it. I can't
help it.

When you meet your film-making relatives, what's the main topic of
discussion?

Food, Art, Baseball, Music and Politics.

What is better than film?

FISHING. But in terms of celluloid or digital, I don't think it's a question
of what's better. I think our world will all go digital quicker than we all
think. This is primarily because of economics as well as accessibility. And
it is important that we learn to keep the human touch alive through good
storytelling, so we stay connected and not just plugged in. But, that's why
they call me "The Digivangelist".

In terms of human expression... Highest Level: POET. It doesn't matter if
it's film, literature, painting or music.

What's the connection between food and film?

Both Francis and I make films and we both like to cook.


What's the link between bikes and film?

Both Nicolas and I make films and we both ride bikes.

Now the link between FILM, FOOD AND BIKES will be my new TV show THE
BIKERCHEF...which I will be unveiling later this year.

Who is Jan Cvitkovic?

A very talented poet filmmaker from Slovenia who I met in Germany. I met
him at Torsten Neumann's Oldenburg Film Festival. We were very different in
terms of our outlooks on life. I felt very positive, he felt very negative.
I would say, "we need to save the kids." He would say, "why not just let
them die." We drank together, test drove a new Audi together, and judged
films together. In the end, we became good comrades.

How do you imagine Isola Cinema?

Something tells me that besides discussing the creative process, great
cinema, the human condition and watching wonderful Slovenian films, there
will be great food and some drinking involved.

What do you think about the Isola Cinema poster and it's slogan
(Persistence of Vision)?

I love the poster and the slogan. It fits with what I have been preaching
at EARSXXI. Artists are the shamans today. They need to guide the rest of
humanity by steering the "everybody boat" with their persistence of vision.

DOES ANYONE OUT THERE SPEAK SLOVENIAN? IF SO, WHAT DOES BELOW MEAN?

to ze mam, ampak posterja pa ni...