The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) is the largest organization of Location Managers and Location Scouts in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries. Their membership plays a vital role in the creativ
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14 • LMGI COMPASS | Spring 2024 LMGI Members Recognized at Golden State Film Festival Now in its sixth year, the Golden State Film Festival continues to recognize the outstanding achievements of independent film. This year's festival spanned seven days (February 24–March 3) and was held at the iconic TCL Chinese 6 Theatres. Festival Director Jon Gursha and Festival Programmer Peter Greene curated a lineup of more than 390 independent films during the event. LMGI members Kokayi Ampah and Karen Tusa both had films presented at the festival. "The feature-length documentary A Tale of Two Inner Cities Part One is the story of my life and those who influenced me growing up in St. Paul, Minnesota," said veteran location manager and producer/director Ampah. The film chronicles the Inner-City Youth League—a neighborhood arts and culture center helping countless residents navigate the transition from a marginalized world to the professional workforce. Said Ampah, "The Inner-City Youth League gave us access to Afro-Centric history that was not being taught in our schools. It fostered community in our neighborhood, and it exposed me to the arts and career paths in the entertainment industry. Before I left Minnesota for Los Angeles and my eventual career in film, I was Deputy Director for the Youth League. "This film has been used by social groups to talk about questions or subjects portrayed. That's what we made it for. A Tale of Two Inner Cities is my love letter to the Inner-City Youth League and all the people there that mentored me. The title denotes two inner cities when I came to LA. My first job was stage managing a play at the Inner-City Cultural Center, thus the title and the second film will be about that organization." Tusa was recognized for producing the short film family drama A Birthday Tale, written by Melva McLean and directed by Virgo Velasquez. Karen also acted in the film. "To date, we have won 12 awards, most recently, Best Ensemble Cast," she said. "By the time it was finished and entering the film festival circuit, we won two awards on our very first entry at the Independent Short Awards in California for Best Ensemble Cast and Comedy Short. "It was very cool to have it screen at the historic TCL Chinese Theatres for our Hollywood premiere. I got to connect with fellow LMGI members there as well." Karen also announced, " A Birthday Tale is an official selection of the WorldFest Houston, in Houston, Texas, and we won a Remi Award for Fantasy Short. We received funding from ACTRA, Manitoba Film and Music and Winnipeg Film Group. This is a DGC Award Qualifying Festival and a Canadian Screen Award Qualifying Festival. I entered it already into the DGC Awards and will also submit it for the Canadian Screen Awards." The Golden State Film Festival serves as a platform for emerging independent filmmakers to display their creative prowess. This competitive event offers exhibitors and prize winners unparalleled exposure to an audience brimming with passionate film enthusiasts L-R: LMGI members Miles Beal-Ampah, Alison Taylor, Tisha Jefferson-Tell, Kokayi Ampah, Diane Friedman, Miguel Tapia, Beth Tate, Karen Tusa. Photo by Robert Moore and influential industry leaders. Filmmakers hailing from the United States and beyond are invited to participate, with both short- form and feature-length works eligible for submission. To screen these projects and read more about them, please visit: A Tale of Two Inner Cities on Vimeo: https://vimeo. com/872220866 Password: TOTIC A Birthday Tale on Vimeo: https://vimeo. com/931759462/15eb44673a