‘Fool’s Ball’ brings light touch to MorristownGreen.com Film Fest, Aug. 24

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By Ben Burgess

With plenty of sports hijinks and a wacky cast of characters, the short mockumentary Fool’s Ball promises to keep things light at this year’s Sixth Annual MorristownGreen.com Film Festival.

A scene from 'Fool's Ball,'  which will compete for prizes in the 2013 MorristownGreen.com Film Festival.
A scene from 'Fool's Ball,' which will compete for prizes in the 2013 MorristownGreen.com Film Festival.

Set at a fictional foosball tournament, the film tells the tale of one man’s quest to become a foosball champion, no matter the cost.

And therein lies a seed of truth for director Danny Sobol and writer Joey Viola, who collaborated on last year’s MG Film Festival comedy Journey of Legends, and editor/assistant director/set designer Andy Keyes, who teamed with MorristownGreen.com’s Kevin Coughlin to create Apple of My Eye, also shown last year.

“We really do take foosball very seriously, so it was kind of nice to be able to make fun of ourselves,” said Viola.

The Sixth Annual MorristownGreen.com Film Festival

Saturday, Aug. 24, 2013

Hyatt Morristown, 6 pm

Admission: Free. Live music: SteppingSTONE Band

Home-grown short documentaries; vote for your favorite!

Bring lawn chair / beach blanket for indoor beach party

This year’s film fest, which will kick off at 6 PM on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2013,  inside the Hyatt Morristown, will sport a performance by the SteppingSTONE band, and prizes for People’s Choice, Critics’ Choice, and Diversity.

Regardless of the outcome, the filmmakers–former classmates at Morristown High School–will take away some great memories about bringing Fool’s Ball to life.

“I came up with this character that wore jean shorts, because that was the most ridiculous, funniest thing I could think of,” Viola said.

“So the day we started filming, I found the worst pair of jeans I had, and I cut them as high as I could. And I didn’t tell anyone until I went into Danny [Sobol’s] bathroom, changed and came out. They all cracked up.”

Of course, with a five-minute time limit on all MG Film Festival entries, not all of Viola’s zany scenes were destined for the silver screen. A full, 15-minute director’s cut will be posted on the trio’s YouTube channel, xCornerProductionsx, after the festival.

But in all seriousness, Viola said, he will be content as long as this mockumentary tickles some funny bones.

“I love dramatic things, putting your whole soul on the line and telling a really dramatic story. And I’ll do that one day. But for now, I just like making jokes.”

MG Correspondent Ben Burgess, a 2012 graduate of Morristown High School, plays bass with Timeless Jazz and was a finalist in last year’s MorristownGreen.com Film Festival. He attends Carnegie Mellon University.

MORE ABOUT THE 2013 MORRISTOWNGREEN.COM FILM FESTIVAL

DIRECTIONS, PARKING, FOOD, AND MORE

MG Film Fest 2013 hyatt poster 2

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