So Iron Man 2 opens in theaters across the country this Friday and I guess I’m supposed to be going nuts with excitement, but I’m not. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the first one quite a bit. I watched it once and thought they did a good job and somehow managed to make an entertaining movie about a character that I have never cared about in my life. I just didn’t go completely insane over it like most people I know.

That said, I have to admit that Mickey Rourke as Whiplash looks like a lot of fun and you can never go wrong when you put Sam Rockwell in anything (I could watch that guy stand in line at the bank). Also Scarlett Johansson doing superhero stuff in skin tight leather should at the very least keep me awake. I’m a little annoyed for consistency sake that Don Cheadle is replacing Terrence Howard as Rhodey soley because it drives me nuts when characters are re-cast in a film series (which made the Batman movies from the 90’s almost completely intolerable, or was that just Joel Schumacher’s direction?). Still, this is the Robert Downey Jr. show and he’s what people are paying to see.

Behind the scenes banter, local filmmakers and some wildly inventive programming stand out as the Santa Cruz Film Festival enters brand new territory

Under a newly created Leadership Team of longtime board members and Festival veterans, the ninth annual Santa Cruz Film Festival begins Thursday, May 6, and runs through Sunday, May 15. Expect 133 fiction—and non-fiction features and shorts—from 33 countries (40 of them locally produced), which will unspool at three venues in Downtown Santa Cruz: the Del Mar Theatre, the Regal Riverfront Stadium Twin, and Community TV. The festival also offers a full slate of panels, workshops, parties, live music and gala receptions.

SCFF IX continues its longstanding commitment to green politics, partnering once again with the EarthVision Film Festival to present nine features and 18 short films dedicated to environmental activism. Other local, national, and international features are organized into thematic categories: World Cinema, Documentaries, and “Keep Santa Cruz Weird”—local films by local artists. Five documentaries and five fiction features are in competition for Jury prizes. SCFF IX will also see the inauguration of a new prize: the Morton Marcus Audience Award for Best Feature. Several film-related panels and workshops will also be offered free to the public.

The festival kicks off May 6, the day this issue publishes, at the Del Mar, with the music documentary Soundtrack For A Revolution, followed by a gala reception at the Museum of Art & History on Front Street. The festival concludes May 15 with a closing night gala and awards ceremony at the Del Mar and a screening of the locally made feature, Etienne, followed by a closing night party at the Cypress Lounge.

In our ongoing coverage of the Santa Cruz Film Festival, GT interviewed several locally affiliated filmmakers whose work will be showcased this year. Dive in … | Lisa Jensen
Festival passes are available for $175 (general admission), $150 (senior) and $100 (student). Tickets can also be purchased on a per-program basis, $7-$9 for regular programs, $18-$20 for the opening night, and $10-$12 for the closing night galas. For a complete lineup of films, events, schedules, and ticket info, visit the festival website at scfilmfest.org. Film Schedule & Tickets

At first glance Shawn Dollar might not strike you as someone that hurls themselves down a 55’ foot wave. Let alone in the middle of the 2009-2010 Mavericks contest that held some of the biggest waves ever for a paddle in competition. Dollar represents Santa Cruz in solid form, born on the Westside he moved to the Eastside when he was 8 and started junior guards where he fell in love with surfing. The first days of surfing for Shawn were weekends with his dad being pushed into waves at Cowell Beach and surfing different reefs and beach breaks as he progressed. Fast forward to Shawn attending Cal Poly and searching out the highly coveted Central California big wave spots alone defining his big wave surfing.

You recently honored Santa Cruz resident Eda Lew Balsam at the State Assembly’s Holocaust Survivor Memorial event. What led to your selection of Ms. Balsam?

Ms. Eda Lew Balsam is a longtime resident of Santa Cruz County whose harrowing journey began in Antwerp, Belgium when she was just 12 years old. At the time of the Nazi occupation, Eda’s family fled to the United Kingdom, but was forced to return to Belgium where there was a growing threat of imprisonment and death. Eda’s family subsequently traveled to Paris where they were subject to the threats made by the Vichy government, but were fortunately hidden by a non-Jewish family.

Their flight took them on to Spain, through Cuba, and finally to New York City, via Florida. In 1989, Eda moved to Santa Cruz and has written a book about her experiences entitled Escape from Antwerp.

On April 19, 2010, Eda visited the Capitol with her son, David, where she was recognized and honored in the Assembly Chambers with other holocaust survivors and WWII veteran liberators. The ceremonies were powerful as many voiced the historic and moral imperative to “never forget” the crimes of Hitler that gave rise to the term genocide in the wake of the extermination of over 6 million Jewish people. 

The State Legislature has declared May as “Mental Health Awareness Month.” As the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Health, what significance does this issue have for you and your committee?

Mental health issues impact all communities and all demographics. The man you see talking to himself on Pacific Avenue is only one of thousands who are suffering from this painful disease.  Currently there are 3,557 people who regularly receive mental health services from Santa Cruz County.

A majority of the most seriously mentally ill patients are covered by Medi-Cal, but more needs to be done. The Assembly Committee on Health, which I chair, recently passed out Assembly Bill (AB) 1600, authored by Assemblymember Jim Beall, which would require insurance companies to provide coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment at parity with other medical conditions. Additionally, the committee passed AB 2234, authored by Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal, which would increase the provision of mental health treatment and services to older adults.

The stigma of mental illness has prevented communities and the government from affording full coverage and protection for individuals and families afflicted with mental health issues. Building and protecting a network of mental health services, housing, and employment opportunities for individuals is critical to the overall health of our communities. I encourage everyone to learn more about mental illness and the services that are available to treat and employ those afflicted with this disease.

PQ: Mental health issues impact all communities and all demographics. The man you see talking to himself on Pacific Avenue is only one of thousands who are suffering from this painful disease.  Currently there are 3,557 people who regularly receive mental health services from Santa Cruz County.

Plus Letters to Good Times…
Embracing the Best
Earth Day Insult
Strong Brew?
It’s Take: 9 for the intrepid and ever-inventive Santa Cruz Film Festival. This week, our home-grown fest unleashes a wild array of unique films, many from local or locally affiliated filmmakers. In our ongoing coverage of the fest, GT spoke with some of the locals whose work made it into the festival this year. All their hard work and creativity is illuminated under the spotlight. But there’s more: The entire SCFF program is inside as well. In it, you will find everything there is to know about the fest in general—from informative capsules on each film to a list of parties, panel discussions and so much more. It promises to be a memorable outing so nab some tickets and enjoy. The fest opens May 6 and runs through May 15. Look for more exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage from GT in next week’s edition and also online. Let the drama begin …

Pulitzer Prize-winning author pens poignant new novel
Literary maven Jane Smiley is no stranger to fame. She has published four works of non-fiction and 13 novels (including the critically acclaimed “A Thousand Acres” which I read in my American Authors class while studying English in college and promptly fell in love with her writing) in the time that many people take to decide where to travel for summer vacation.  Her latest literary foray is entitled, “Private Life,” an illuminating new novel that spans the life of an ordinary woman married to an extraordinary yet self-indulgent man. Or so she thinks. The 20th century has just dawned and Margaret Early, a native of St. Louis, Mo., blithely marries the man her mother chooses for her, and resigns herself to be a dutiful housewife. Her secretive new husband moves her to Northern California, where she endures two world wars, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and myriad personal tragedies. Little does she know of the trials and tribulations she will endure as the wife of a Navy captain that fancies himself a scientist of the highest degree. What begins as a marriage based on convenience and security turns into a prison sentence, and Smiley’s lyrical prose explores the life of one woman who lives a life she grows to loathe. To outside observers, Margaret’s existence seems charmed, but on the inside, turmoil and unhappiness threaten to disarm her will to live.

Terry McInerney’s strong, fashionable handbags make a dent in Santa Cruz
There are days in life when fate waits around the corner for you. For Terry McInerney, that is how success manifested in her life. Early last year, McInerney, a married Santa Cruzan with two children, was out shopping with her young daughter. They stepped into a local store and her daughter started chatting up a patron, someone she recognized from swimming lessons. “She told her, ‘My mom makes bags,’” McInerney says of her daughter, who turned out to be quite a marketing genius.

Birthdays are always an occasion to dine out. Five of my women friends and I headed to The Greek restaurant on Front Street to celebrate a friend’s birthday. One friend in our group, who is Greek, knows the owner, Vasili Karagiannopoulos, so as soon as we were seated he started plying us with typical little appetizers – in true Greek hospitality style. Meantime, we had all ordered an entrée, so in less time than it takes to say yassou (hello in Greek), our table was weighted down with all kinds of good Greek food.

Three years ago I interviewed Dave Greenberger, owner of Dave’s Gourmet Albacore in the Harvey West neighborhood, where he cans flash-frozen, line-caught fish. Recently I noticed they’ve added a large deli complete with tables, as well as numerous canned products.

Dave’s albacore has so much flavor that it can be enjoyed undressed. Each piece of prime fish is cut by hand, individually canned, and then cooked, retaining all of its flavorful and healthy juices. The Tuna Bagel Melt ($8) showcased this mildly flavored white fish with tomatoes on two bagel halves, topped with thin slices of cheese and broiled. Salty, smoky albacore was pulled from the case to fill another tender bagel with cream cheese and capers ($8).

Capitola’s Sushi Garden combines the best of traditional Japanese cuisine with creative fusion rolls
At Japanese restaurants I find it difficult to choose between traditional dishes, old school sushi, and the gustatory surprises that may be hidden in a fusion roll. And so it was at Capitola’s Sushi Garden where all of the above are offered. Japanese ingredients like shiso herb leaves and burdock root gobo join jalapeños and macadamia nuts integrating cultures.

At lunch, when most entrées cost $9.50 or less, choose from noodle soups, teriyaki, and donburi rice bowls. Two- and three-item Bento Box combos ($9.50/$12.50) include a small selection of main dishes, potstickers, sushi, sashimi or a California Roll. At dinner, expect to add about $7.