Lighthouse Cinema in Pacific Grove is coming fully back to life. This year, for the first time, the venue presents the Beacon Film Festival, a celebration of independent filmmaking in collaboration with Monterey Peninsula College and CSU Monterey Bay. The festival runs from May 18-19.
One of the movies is titled A Long Road to Tao, which features Salinas resident Mike Clancy. The original story comes from Michael A. Allen, who based it on real events from his life. It’s a tale about two friends, Dayne and Lance, growing up in California – riding the waves together and dreaming about becoming competitive surfers. One day Lance disappears. Some time later, Dayne embarks on a journey, not only to find his friend, but also to find himself. The book was published in 1997, and it was clear to Allen that the story would make a great movie.
“It’s the all-age quest,” says Alex T. Crarig, the Filipino-American director and co-screenwriter from Mountain View. “Everybody eventually asks, ‘What is my life about?’”
The Covid shutdown enabled it to happen. Allen and Carig wrote a screenplay and started looking for actors.
Clancy, a local passionate surfer who in the 1990s was making longboard surf films and is the author of Surf Trip: A Coming of Age Story in the Golden Era of Surfing, plays a small but important role in A Long Road to Tao. He acts in an assisted suicide scene.
The film includes shots from Monterey County (Big Sur, Carmel Beach) and Santa Cruz, and is already receiving awards (it won the Audience Choice Award at the Las Cruces International Film Festival) and participating in selected festivals.
“I grew up with ‘Lance.’ Later I found out that he was closeted,” Allen says, noting he eventually died of AIDS. Allen chose Tao as a motif to emphasize his interest in philosophy.
“The lesson is: Don’t judge by the cover,” Carig says. “Everybody has secrets.”
Beacon Film Festival shows short films across three categories: narrative, documentary and experimental. The grand prize includes a cash prize. Other categories include: Best Student Film, Best CSUMB Film, Best MPC Film and Audience Choice awards.
BEACON FILM FESTIVAL runs at 1pm Saturday, May 18 and 5pm Sunday, May 19. Lighthouse Cinema and Event Center, 525 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove. $15-$20. 641-0747, lighthousecinema4events.com
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