The news is out: “Tharparkar, A Musing” shipped this week to contend in Floridian film festivals.

First, we’ve submitted to the “15 Minutes of Fame Film Fest.” It’s a newer festival in Florida with a humble mom-and-pop feel. As the name implies, this fest accommodates music videos, documentaries, and short films with running times like our 12 minute production. Awards certificates are available for many categories, such as “Best Florida Film,” which would prove to my cast and crew that our hard work deserves praise.

The “Central Florida Film Festival” opens another window of opportunity. It shows for four days in the heart of the state, Orlando, FL, and also, as the more time-honored event at an age of seven years old. Its dramatic shorts allow up to 30 minutes. (Even so, our dramatic work stands as worthy contestant at half the length.) All applicants receive a critique of their project which is a notable benefit of entering the competition at CENFLO. In my mind, the best feedback consists of constructive criticism and honesty from an attentive viewer.

These two film festivals expose “Tharparkar, A Musing” to something that we’ve all desired through our endeavor–some perspective. The creation of the film did just this, but… A little more can’t hurt.

15 Minutes of Fame occurs in Palm Beach, FL, Saturday, May 19, 2012.
Central Florida Film Festival isn’t until August 31st-September 2nd, 2012, in Orlando.

Expect an update if we’re selected as a candidate. Otherwise, onward to the next project!

Jon Morrison played the soundtrack today for the rough cut of Tharparkar, A Musing.

His vision contains many powerful musical choices, with the acoustic guitar dominating the narrative as the solo instrument, save a campfire scene, wherein he plans to use multiple tracks.

This is Jon’s first work as a movie composer.

Director’s Notes: On the surface, the music is simple and beautiful, perfectly conveying the emotion of the short film.

Jon’s work does two things.

First, it relieves the undesirable option of resorting to Hollywood style compositions. Such a route may prove substantial, but the odds of finding something culturally light yet powerful are low for our time frame. The acoustic guitar as a solo instrument allows for a cosmopolitan ambiguity that we likely couldn’t achieve within the stereotypes projected by powerhouse musicians. In response to choosing a “louder” music, I’d likely have resorted to orchestras–which are terribly complicated! Jon’s music fits well with our poetic theme.

Second, it does a lot by not doing. We attempt to reach the viewer on an intimate, subjective level in only a few minutes time. And in the same fashion as your average, storytelling narrative, this goal is best accomplished with a straightforward muse–like the acoustic guitar. Jon allowed for silence in his framework, often setting it up as a juxtaposition to other scenes. I found myself feeling… Anxiety. (Oops, am I allowed to say that word?) Plainly, the short film sets the stage for emotional intelligence and not just entertainment. But there’s both.

Viewers will basically know what’s happening through musical cues and visual structure. The heart of our short film seeks to stimulate feelings of curiosity and reflection–that there’s so much more to learn. Jon’s creative performance upholds our independent spirit, striving to hit that mark.