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The What You Got? Festival features bands, movies, art, workshops and more created by local youth. The festival is put on entirely by youth with only minimal guidance from adult staff, said theater manager Audrey Henley.
“I have a lot of faith in our youth, but this event really opens my eyes to how much they want to contribute to the community and how much they can contribute to the community,” Henley said.
The eighth annual festival will take over Fifth Avenue in front of Capitol Theater with an outdoor stage and skate jam on Saturday. Inside, movies from local youth filmmakers will show, and visual artists will display their work.
One of the filmmakers is Gabriela Capestany, a 15-year-old freshman at Olympia High School. She will be showing a one-hour movie at the festival, “Louisiana Scones and the Quest for the Pie of Eternal Life.” The film spoofs the “Indiana Jones” series of films by Steven Spielberg.
Capestany’s interest in movie making began with a love of technology, but now she enjoys the story-telling aspect as well.
“With a story, you can really change someone’s perception on how they view something,” she said.
Capestany is aware she doesn’t yet have the life experiences of older directors and writers. “At my age, you can’t really make an incredible drama. But you can make something humorous that people are going to like. I like to keep the audience entertained while still doing a wonderful story.”
More than 50 student actors from the Olympia area, ranging is age from 9 to 16, acted in Capestany’s film, which she wrote, directed, edited and produced.
Despite Capestany’s age, she’s no newcomer to film. She made a short film (“Chips”) while attending the New York Film Academy at Universal Studios in Los Angeles in July, and had a film in last year’s What You Got? Festival. “Chips” and another of her films, “Photo Fiasco,” will also be shown at this year’s festival.
Another group of budding creatives at this year’s festival will show their work on the runway. Artist Diane Kurzyna, also known as Ruby Re-Usable, and fashion designer Lily Smith held workshops earlier this year to help youth make clothing and accessories from garbage. The trash fashion show will show off those creations while Dub Narcotic’s Calvin Johnson spins tunes.
Youth representation at the festival is coming from Thurston County’s diverse cultures, Henley said. A rock band from the Nisqually Tribe will perform Friday as will bands from Stonewall Youth’s Queer Rock Camp.
The festival is not entirely “What you got?” There’s also some “What do you want to be able to do?” Free workshops on topics ranging from screen printing to zombie makeup are on the schedule.
Festival-goers also will be able to watch a new mural being painted on an exterior wall of the theater. Youth artist volunteer Arthur Crews is creating a modern take on vintage travel postcards.
Craig Sailor: 253-597-8541 craig.sailor@thenewstribune.com
What You Got? Festival
Presented by: Youth of Olympia Film Society
When: Today and Saturday
Where: Capitol Theater, 206 Fifth Ave. S.E., Olympia
Tickets: $5 per day or $8 for both days. Available at brownpapertickets.com, Rainy Day Records or at box office.
Information: 360-754-6670, olympiafilmsociety.org
