Screening Surf City

In director Kevin Louis’ contradictory world of film, graphic

violence is a plea for humanity, heroism is easily transformed into

brutality and the villain is strangely redeemable.

This week, the Orange County resident is screening his work as

part of the SoCal Independent Film Festival, Surf City’s first dive

in to the movie scene with a five-day cinematic celebration at the

Huntington Beach Central Library.

Louis said the brutality in “Dark Heart,” his sixth film since

graduating from USC, is an honest assessment of violence intended to

make the viewer feel uncomfortable.

“It’s a violent anti-violence film,” he said.

The movie is set in a cramped cabin in a rain-soaked small town.

Its main characters are a group of thugs who torture a Marine just

returned from the Middle East after they discover he has information

about a secret cache of money he stumbled upon while serving in Iraq.

Trying to avoid treating violence as a form of entertainment,

Louis realistically recreates scenes of torture and murder, including

a four-and-half-minute strangulation scene and a seven-minute,

single-shot rape scene.

“That’s really a horrible scene,” Louis said, “But I want the

viewer to be immersed in this. I want them to feel uncomfortable,

like a voyeur.”

Louis said he is forcing the viewer to deal with violence in its

most honest form. He believes the savagery in his film will send a

message that violence is a dehumanizing act, not just a Hollywood

special effect.

“We all have a dark heart,” he said. “We all have a capacity for

violence. What’s different is what will it take to bring out that

violent side.”

“Dark Heart” is one of the dozens of feature films and shorts that

will be showcased during the five-day film festival, which runs from

Wednesday through Oct. 15. This year’s special guests will include

“NewsRadio” star Andy Dick and director Marshall Cook, who will

premier their short “Adcorp Inc.” Director Chuck Rose and actor James

Marshall will show the feature comedy “Come as You Are.”

Most of the screenings will be independent films, said event

organizer Brian Barsuglia, who was inspired to break into the movie

business after the success of his recently completed horror flick,

“Dementia: An Experiment in Terror.”

“This is a chance [for] independent filmmakers and producers to be

seen by industry people and the public,” Barsuglia said. “There were

multiple reasons for choosing Huntington Beach. We get so many

visitors each year, and this seems like a great opportunity to

integrate the arts in the community.”

Library Director Ron Hayden said he was excited to host the main

event in the library’s theater; short films will be screened in

adjoining conference rooms.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to try something different, and

we hope it’s a success,” he said. “We’d like to schedule this every

year.”

The SoCal film festival won’t be your typical Hollywood hob-knob

event, Barsuglia said. There will be no red-carpet entrances, and

most of the celebrities and filmmakers will be accessible to the

audience. The awards ceremony will take place at the Huntington Beach

Brewing Company; T-shirts are mandatory, Barsuglia said, and ties are

optional.

“We want to be taken seriously -- this isn’t in a garage or the

back of a liquor store,” he said “But we also want to have fun.”

For more information on the festival, visit

o7www.socalfilmfest.comf7.