05/22/00 - Temecula, CA

The Temecula Valley International Film Festival is one of my favorite things. I have taken my children to films for children and by children. I have seen original movies with my husband. I have hunkered down with a friend in the cool of a dark theatre on a hot summer day to have my mind opened and my point of view expanded by documentaries and short films. One of my first assignments years ago was to attend the first film festival. I’ve never missed since.

So when I read festival volunteer Angela Myers-Morris’ letter to the city council last week, expressing concerns the festival was unorganized and of little benefit to the community, my mother bear claws came out. Didn’t she realize that even if the shows themselves have yet to be well-attended, city businesses benefit from all the filmmakers spending the weekend in our hotels, eating at our restaurants, and taking a poker run through our valley exposing them to our locations? Doesn’t she know about festival donations to Friends of the Library, Temecula Valley Playhouse, Chaparral High School Education Foundation and a Temecula Valley Scholarship Foundation pledge of $2000 which last year went to Melissa Granger?

Doesn’t she know about the Star Trek episode and “Weekend in the Country” starring Jack Lemmon and the full-length feature film “Whine Country,” which spent two weeks here in 1996, using the Temecula name for their setting and hiring local crew? Maybe it’s more what have you done for us lately.

Jo Moulton is the founding force behind both the Temecula Film Council and the separate entity, the Temecula Valley International Film Festival. What she has done lately is been hired in San Diego to run their film festival. I despaired that Moulton had been stolen away, but even with her busy schedule, she doesn’t have the heart to leave the Temecula festival behind.

Myers-Morris’ concerns are a catch-22. On the one hand she complains about disorganization and then discourages the city council from funding that allows the festival to hire professionals. Her letter succeeded in pushing back approval of the city’s sponsorship money, delaying the festival’s ability to organize.

Maggi Allen, president of the film council, and a volunteer for the festival from the start handled last year’s office work. She is one who feels Myers-Morris’ complaints were off the mark. As to financial concerns, Allen said, “We report our financials every year. The festival is audited. One of the things I don’t think is clear is we’re not asking [the city] for funding. We’re asking them to sponsor an event. What they
are really paying for is their name on it.”

And that name gets international exposure. Sitting down with Jo last week, she showed me dozens of inquiries from all over the world. If we were smart enough to fund a salary for Moulton to work full-time on a film council, we would again be seeing the pay off of a clean, well-paying industry, dropping in and out of our city with cash in hand.

Paradise Chevrolet and Terry Gilmore have long been a sponsor of the festival. “From a person that’s been a volunteer for a long time, I’ve never taken criticism of volunteerism well. It is very easy to be an outsider and say there are concerns. The festival is one more thing that separates Temecula from every place else. We are so fortunate to have so many volunteers who put on so many wonderful events.” Councilman Jeff Stone said it his responsibility as a public official to perform due diligence on all enterprises where public money is spent. Some concerns raised by Myers-Morris have already been resolved by responses from Jo Moulton and the festival for more information. “I  realize successful film festivals take some time nurturing,” Stone said. “I have always been a supporter.”