Joelle Amery, British 14 y.o., Brings Her Empowering Short Film Big in LA to OC

The family of a 14-year-old girl who suffers from alopecia and was bullied for five years at her school in England since losing all of her hair, eyebrows and eyelashes decided to bring her to Los Angeles to cheer her up, videotaping her along the way. That culminated in Big in LA, an empowering short film/music video that went viral in the U.K. and brings Joelle Amery back to Southern California for an appearance Saturday night at the Indie Fest USA International Film Festival in Garden Grove.

]

The teen in even bigger back home, where she's been featured in the national press and on national TV. Brits have been eating up her anti-bullying story, evidenced by the positive feedback left with this recent piece in the Daily Mail. Her story was also picked up by papers in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Brazil and even China.

There is no cure for the rare medical condition alopecia (universalis), and the bullying Amery endured made her a shy, timid girl. That is not the bubbly, life-loving young teen shown prancing around La-La Land in Big in LA.

The film first brought her to the La Femme Film Festival in downtown Los Angeles last Saturday. She will next be at the Big in LA screening at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Festival Amphitheater in Garden Grove's Village Green Park. It's part of Indie Fest USA's Short Block 12 that also includes Posey, which stars veteran actress Sally Kirkland (also scheduled to attend; visit indiefestusa.com for more details.)

The fest's film schedule for today through Sunday follows on the next page, followed on the page after that by the music schedule …
[

Indie Fest USA was previewed in our Film section Oct. 17.

Indie Fest USA International Film N Music Festival Invades OC

The initial information sent to yours truly indicated festival films would be screened in the Gem Theater, save for some free outdoor movies in the Festival Amphitheater. But the final schedule below includes besides the Gem and Festival Amphitheater: Savori, 12941 Main St.; and The Globe Dine Bar, 12926 Main St., all in Garden Grove.

2013 OFFICIAL SCREENING SCHEDULE

Friday, October 25

4:30 PM

SHORT BLOCK 4 The Globe

Short Block 4: The Devil's Bargain, The Disappointment of Jonathan Bender, Double Shot (TRT 0:33.6)

4:30 PM

Feature Film: The K Effect. Stalin's Editor (TRT 2:09) The Savori

6:00 PM

SHORT BLOCK 5 The Globe

Short Block 5: What A Gun, Float, Water on Mars (TRT 1:03)

6:00 PM

Feature Film: GOD HAS ARRIVED (TRT 0:51:00) Gem Theater

6:30 PM

Feature Film: Seeds of Death: Unveiling the lies of GMOs (TRT 1:20) Festival Amphitheater

7:00 PM

Feature Film: Impact–After the Crash (TRT 1:21) The Savori

7:30 PM

SHORT BLOCK 6 The Globe

Short Block 6: Circus Techniques: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners, Darren Ockert: A Mini Documentary, Black and White Lines, (TRT 54:08)

8:30 PM

Feature Film: Mobster (TRT 1:27) The Savori

8:30 PM

Feature Film: The Insomniac (TRT 1:27:00) The Gem Theater

8:30 PM

Feature Film: Antarctica: A Year on Ice (TRT 1:32) Festival Amphitheater

9:00 PM

SHORT BLOCK 7 The Globe

Short Block 7: Go Up, Astro Safari USA: Future Cover Songs, Pandora's Hope, Birdsong (TRT 60:28)

10:00 PM

Feature Film: Secret Life, Secret Death (TRT 1:24) The Savori

10:30 PM

SHORT BLOCK 8 The Globe

Short Block 8: Ephemeral City, 2020, 4Chambers (TRT 37:20)

Saturday, October 26

4:30 PM

Feature Film: Not For Human Consumption (TRT 1:48) The Savori

6:00 PM

SHORT BLOCK 9 The Globe

Short Block 9: The Senator's Daughter, Real Change, Baby and the Big Tent (TRT 42.97)

6:00 PM

Feature Film: ZOR YILLARIN KAYIP (TRT 1:17:00) Gem Theater

6:30 PM

Feature Film: Man Up and Go (TRT 1:32) Festival Amphitheater

7:00 PM

Feature Film: Directors: A Comedy (TRT 1:45) The Savori

7:30 PM

SHORT BLOCK 10 The Globe

Short Block 10: Obscura, The Favorite, Hello Cruel World, The Prisoner, In the Wings, Practice Makes Perfect (TRT 61.94)

8:00 PM

SHORT BLOCK 12 Festival Amphitheater

Short Block 12: Posey, Big In L.A., Guys Book Club, Aoede's 'Fairy Tale Love' Music Video, Hope's Portal, The Ninety Nines (TRT 57.06)

8:30 PM

Feature Film: Infinite (TRT 1:10) The Savori

9:00 PM

Feature Film: Eva N Liza (TRT 62:00) The Globe

8:30 PM

Feature Film: Left For Dead: (TRT 1:35:00) Gem Theatre

10:00 PM

Feature Film: OGIWARA IKUZO (TRT 1:21) The Savori

10:30 PM

SHORT BLOCK 11 The Globe

Short Block 11: Under The Skin, Quicksand, Riff, The Pianoist (TRT 33:00)

The music schedule follows on the next page…
[
2013 OFFICIAL MUSIC SCHEDULE

When Event Title N Details Where

Through Sunday October 27, 2013 – Village Green Park, Festival Amphitheater, Gem Theater, The Globe Belgian Gastro Pub, Savori Gastro Pub,

Friday, October 25

4:00 – 5:15 Isham Village Green Park Main Stage

4:00 – 5:15 Fred Thomke Car Show – Azteca

5:45 – 7:00 Almost Anywhere Village Green Park Main Stage

5:45 – 7:00 Monkey Finger Duo Car Show – Azteca

7:15 – 7:45 To be announced Village Green Park Main Stage

7:45 – DJ Gummo Village Green Park Main Stage

Saturday, October 26

4:00 – 5:15 Piranha Sauce Village Green Park Main Stage

5:45 – 7:00 Imagine Tomorrow Village Green Park Main Stage

7:15 – 7:45 UNIT 287 Village Green Park Main Stage

7:45 – DJ Gummo Village Green Park Main Stage

Sunday, October 27

4:00 – 5:15 Mr. Moonshine Music Village Green Park Main Stage

5:45 – 7:00 Bootleg Groove Village Green Park Main Stage

7:15 – 8:15 Second Thoughts Festival Amphitheater

8:15 – 9:00 Awards Show Festival Amphitheater

9:00 – 10:00 After Party / Open Play / DJ Gummo Festival Amphitheater

10:00 PM FESTIVAL CLOSES its DOORS ON 2013 FESTIVAL

10:00 – Closing After After Parties Restaurants on Historic Main Street

Email: mc****@oc******.com. Twitter: @MatthewTCoker. Follow OC Weekly on Twitter @ocweekly or on Facebook!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *