From November 12th - 16th, New Orleans will play host to the comedy event Hell Yes Fest, spread out across multiple venues. Like last year, a film fest will occur, showcasing several comedy flicks from several talented filmmakers. I chatted with film fest programmer Michael Domangue (MD) AND special guest presenter / pro wrestler / comedian Colt Cabana (CC) over email about the ins and outs of HYFF and what we can all expect!:- Film festival programming: working hard or hardly working?
MD: Working Hard! This year we received three times as many submissions as last year, and are playing more shorts than we ever had before. We've got an international lineup ranging from Melbourne, Australia to right here in NOLA, and many of our fillmmakers will be in attendance. Hell Yes Fest is bigger than ever, and Hell Yes Fest Film is growing along with it.
- The New Orleans Film Festival was last month, and the Horror Film Fest was the month prior to that. Why do you think that fall is a good time for these events?
MD: Don't forget Voodoo and Fringe Fest! This is festival season in New Orleans and I think it has a lot to do with the beautiful weather and the lack of competition from Mardi Gras season in the spring. Hell Yes Fest does some curating for the Moontower Comedy Festival in Austin every April and we're always putting together special events throughout the year like our screening of Kids in The Hall: Brain Candy with Kevin McDonald.
- Is this your first Hell Yes Fest? What attracted you to it?
CC: Why yes it is. In April 2014 I brought both my comedy show and podcast to New Orleans for Wrestlemania. They were both a success. Chris Trew is very instrumental in this because he also crosses over with both wrestling and comedy. Chris came to me this year to bring the act back to New Orleans and I'm stoked!
- I've noticed other wrestlers (Mick Foley, William Regal, etc) getting into comedy over the years. Are the two performance mediums more alike than people might think?
CC: Of course they're alike and I think ya gotta be a bit thick to think differently. There's so many ways to perform each respectively. For me. I've never said I'm in either one or the other, the two bleed into each other. I'm not a wrestler nor a comedian. I'm a comedic wrestler. I live in both worlds together.
- I've read bits and pieces about Trew 2 The Game: The Lost Pilot here and there, but honestly have no idea what it is. Should I (and others) go into it blind?
MD: Absolutely. Trew 2 The Game is part of a larger night of programming on Friday we are calling Pilot Night. You've got Outside The Inner Limits which is a cool variety show pilot from Chicago as well as Tim & Micah bringing their pilot from Chicago as well. Tim & Micah may be my favorite sketch comedy group in the country and we've been dying to play the pilot since the very first Kickstarter pledge. Trew 2 The Game defies all explanation, and this will be only the second time it has ever screened in front of an audience.
- On the official website, there are two separate film categories; "From the Gulf" and "From the U.S." What does this distinction say about our feelings towards being Hollywood South?
MD: I think Hollywood South is a good thing on the verge of being a great thing. It brings amazing production talent into the city, and gives us a stable year-round industry that employs many locals. I also think we've just begun building an environment where these great resources are used towards creating films by local filmmakers telling stories that you can only tell in New Orleans. Just as this city is organically growing an amazing stand-up scene, I see a day in the very near future where NOLA will be known for local directors and not NCIS.
- What can we expect from your performance at Hell Yes Film Fest?
CC: Wrestling is the backdrop for these two comedic shows. It's the theme, but you don't have to be a superfan to get the jokes. It's meant for everyone. The 7pm show is pretty easy as we just watch the 1988 cult film No Holds Barred and riff over it. The 9pm show is a variation of the show I've done at the Edinburgh Fringe Fest for the past two years. It's really developed to a great show whether it's with Brendon Burns, Marty DeRosa or whomever wants to bring the jokes.
- Death is easy, comedy is hard. Agree?
CC: Death isn't easy. You crazy. It's the worst...and it happens to EVERYONE. EVERYONE!!!!! Thanks for making me think of death.
- What is the process like for you in determining which film gets a "Wiseau" Award? Also... is it a trophy of a spoon?
MD: We've gone through great expense to secure 24 cans of Surge, otherwise known as the greatest invention of the 90's. Many of the cans will be awards at the Wiseau's on Sunday night and a few select cans will be randomly given out to guests of Hell Yes Fest throughout the week. If you follow #24cans on twitter, you might just own a piece of history. We've also have a special lifetime achievement award to give out to a very special local filmmaker who has warmed the hearts of the whole HYF Film staff.
As for determining who gets a Wiseau, it's about celebrating the shorts that didn't make the lineup for whatever reason, and honoring the spirit of filmmaking with the same enthusiasm as Tommy would. What we are trying to say is that there is no such thing as a bad film, just misunderstood.
- Are there any modern comedians that inspire your work?
CC: There's a lot of modern comedians that I love. Of course, with the success of my podcast it's easy to point out Marc Maron's influence. I also love the idea of performers who go out of the "norm" and create the comedy they wanna do like Rory Scovel, Eddie Pepitone, Howard Kremer and so many others.
- Best Feature Comedy of 2014 thus far?
MD: Frank. The best film about the creative process I've seen in a long time, along with a killer soundtrack.
