Tomorrow's auteur's today!

Photo: Robert Ribera

Any one of the winners and special mentions in this year's 2010 Redstone Festival, the annual contest for student filmmakers held by Boston University's School of Communications, could start working tomorrow for a Hollywood studio -- and that wouldn't be a moment too soon given some of the crap out there now. I had the privilege of serving as one of the three judges, so I know what I'm talking about. Charlie Anderson's  "All Day Yeah" (pictured above)  is a deceptively simple, meticulously subtle, totally authentic  tale of a disaffected homeless teenager -- it reminds me of  Gus Van Sant at his offbeat best. Atanas Bakalov's "Death Whish" is a diabolically dark, sardonically comic and uncompromising look at the wages of despair and artistic ruthlessness. Matt Lawrence's "Shoebox Redhead" (pictured below) is a richly inventive and funny shaggy dog story with a shrewd eye and ear  for detail, setting, dialogue and character. The rest are great too.  See these talented filmmakers tonight for free while you can -- it starts at 7 p.m. at B.U.'s Tsai Performance Center, 685 Commonwealth Ave.  It beats coughing up $11 for the likes of "Cop Out" or "Tooth Fairy."

Photo: Robert Ribera