Tromadance 2007

Founded by Lloyd Kaufman (director of Toxic Avenger, Class of Nuke 'Em High, Poultrygeist) and Trey Parker (South-Park, Cannibal the Musical) in reaction to the Sundance Film Festival; TromaDance is an independent film festival organized by Troma Entertainment Films and held annually in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah. It is free for spectators and no fee for filmmakers to submit movies.

I was welcomed at the Brewvies Cinema Pub in Salt Lake City by Kiel Walker (Tromadance Director) and the eccentric Richard Taylor (blood boy for Poultrygeist).

I have to mention the excellent program presentation by Jonathan Lees. It was a well made random rendition: gore to experimental, comedy to surrealism, to end with animation.

The festival highlight goes to the opening movie: Viva. This superb retro-sexploitation feature was directed by Anna Biller, starring Anna Biller, Jared Sanford and the extremely charming Bridget Brno.

Anna Biller was not only the director and the exotic leading role of the movie, she wrote the screenplay, edited the film, worked on the costumes, sets and music. Thanks to cinematographer C.Thomas Lewis, Viva is full of saturated bright colours, a pure eye candy. I hope to see Viva in Montreal in a near future.

I really appreciated the horror short directed by Paul Bickel named 'Hollow'. The sensual comedy 'Filthy Food' by T. Artur Cottam and the hilarious mustache tribute from Rob Perri: I'm Keith Hernandez.

I had the chance to be accommodated for free at the Troma condo in Park City and party wildly with the Tromadance team. They gave me the privilege to look at a rough cut version of Poultrygeist Night of the Chicken Dead directed by Lloyd Kaufman. A funny and juicy movie caricaturing the fast food industry, delivered at frenetic rhythm in pure Troma tradition. A movie that will 'Troma-tize' the people in Montreal for sure.

I had a lot of good feedback for my post apocalyptic short movie ZORDAX II : THE METAL WAR. It was the US premiere and the first time for the english dubbed version with the voice of Matthew Saliba.

The ending night at Kristauf's Martini Bar in Park City, was a crucial point of the festival. Sprinkled with a few green 'Toxic Martini' specials, I was able to drop it with the real Toxic Avenger, Lloyd Kaufman, the Tromadance team, Clyde Lewis (Toxic voice) and not to mention the voluptious girls of Slippery Kittens Burlesque.

I will always keep good memories of my adventure at Tromadance and recommand to all the directors out there to submit freely their movies to this ecclectic festival!

Special thanks to Lloyd, Kiel, Kiel 2 (Kill 2), Richard, Jonathan, Gabe, Jack, Zack, Arvid, T, Eric, Gary, Becky, Maggy, Karol, Toxic, Sgt Kabukiman, Clyde, Paul, Jared, Anna, Bridget, C.Thomas, G4 TV, William, DJ Mike, Charlie, Contra, Nikki Rose, Afternoon Delight, Battle in the Sky, Ratt-Poison, Spanky Spanky and the Gray Dog passengers.