"The biggest reward for these local filmmakers is to have their films shown on the big screen," says Joanna Talesfore, a CineCats committee member.

In 2002, a group of volunteers from the Los Gatos Film Festival organized an independent film showcase to support the festival and to encourage local filmmakers. For one afternoon only, it gave local filmmakers of all ages the exciting opportunity to watch their film on the 20-foot screen at the Los Gatos Cinema and to see how audiences reacted to it. Those whose films were screened received special certificates. Now, CineCats showcases are becoming a town tradition of sorts.

For each showcase, CineCats advertises for local filmmakers to send in their independent short films, which have to be 25 minutes or less in length. Filmmakers have to be past or present local residents or have family that lives locally. In the showcase's first year, CineCats hoped for 10 submissions and was pleasantly surprised when 28 came in. For the second showcase, which took place in March of this year, CineCats was overjoyed with 50 submissions.

"One of the most exciting elements about CineCats is that we are finding out how many filmmakers there really are in Los Gatos," said Talesfore. She added that another delight is to see the wide range of ages of the filmmakers. In the last showcase, 17 films were submitted by Los Gatos High School students under the age of 18, and one film was submitted by Los Gatos resident Sabera Taluker—who was only 7 years old when she made her film.

"My movie was about what it is like in the first grade," said Sabera. "I asked kindergartners what they thought first grade would be like and what they wanted to learn. I asked first-graders what math and homework was like, and I interviewed our first-grade teachers and asked them what they thought of the students and how they liked teaching first grade." Although Sabera's film was not selected to be shown in its entirety, clips were featured in a montage that was shown of films not selected.

"I was nervous," admitted Sabera. "But people said I did a great job." Sabera, who attends Van Meter School, says she wants to be a photographer when she grows up and definitely plans on making more films in the future.

CineCats accepts films in two age categories: 19 and under; and 20 and over. For the showcases, the committee tries to get a fair balance of films from each age group, but really, says Talesfore, the showcase selection is judged predominantly on the quality of the films. For the last showcase, five or six out of the 15 films shown were from the 19-and-under category.

Los Gatos Film Festival

"We really try to encourage talent at every age," says Talesfore.

CineCats now aims to make its showcases annual events. This year, Talesfore says, the organization is excited to be teaming up with the fourth annual Los Gatos Screen on the Green and Film Festival, which is coming up on Sept. 24 and 25.

On Sept. 24, a free showing of the popular musical Grease will be presented on a giant, 28-foot screen in Oak Meadow Park. Festivities begin at 6 p.m., with a live deejay spinning rock & roll hits for dancing. In keeping with the 1950s theme of Grease, period attire such as poodle skirts is encouraged, and a hula hoop contest will kick off at 7:15 p.m. Grease will start at 7:30 p.m., and right before it begins, two CineCats films will be shown—a 40-second film entitled Water Skiing Goose, by Los Gatos resident Keith Donaldson, and Rex and Red, by former resident Chad Merserve, a Los Gatos High School graduate who now lives in Los Angeles.

On Sept. 25, the Los Gatos Cinema will open its doors for a CineCats Showcase at 11 a.m., with free admission. Talesfore says it will be a retrospective of 10 films that have been shown in past showcases.

At 1:30 p.m., the Los Gatos Film Festival continues with a showing of Guerilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst and, at 4 p.m., a showing of L.A. Twister. Tickets for each of these two films are $9 and will be sold at the door. That evening, the "It's A Wrap Party" will be held at Café Rouge, located at 42 Elm St., from 6 to 7:30 p.m., with free admission.

"This event is very exciting, and it's just so community-oriented," says Talesfore. "It really highlights the rich talents our community has."

More fall events

As summer comes to an end, fall is definitely starting to sizzle, with several fun events springing up around town.

The Los Gatos Brewing Company's Oktoberfest will be just a little early this year, on Sept. 25, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It will take place at 130 N. Santa Cruz Ave.

On Sept. 25 and 26, Cinnebar Vineyards and Winery will be holding its 12th annual Grapestomp from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 23000 Congress Springs Road in Saratoga. There will be grape stomping, souvenir wine glasses, wine sampling, tours of the winery, mariachis, Shakespeare and more. Admission is $10 or free for those under the age of 21.

Testarossa Vineyards will be celebrating its Fall Release Party on Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the winery, located at 300 College Ave. in Los Gatos.

Visit the CineCats online at www.CineCats.org. For more information on the Los Gatos Screen on the Green and Film Festival, visit www.losgatosca.gov or call 408.354.6832. For Oktoberfest, call the Los Gatos Brewing Co. at 408.395.9929. For information on the 12th annual Grapestomp or to purchase tickets, call 408.741.5858, ext. 23. For information on the Testarossa Vineyards Fall Release Party, visit www.testarossa.com/news/releaseparty.shtml.