Ben Popik, and his collaborators in the comedy troupe Olde English, decided to take a creative writing exercise and

apply it to their comedy routines. “We would film the meeting where we’d

assign each other rules,” Ben Popik explains, “and then we’d show that to the audience. So the audience would get to see the rules, and then they’d get to see the piece that the person wrote using those rules. And the interesting effect that we saw was that even when the piece would bomb, the audience would still laugh, because they would understand why it did terribly, and that provided a new layer of comedy.”

In one case, Ben challenged a fellow comedian to write a sketch about his three most embarrassing moments, gave him a five-minute deadline and handed him a pen.

“And as soon as the video is over, lights (come) up on the stage, and they get to see what he wrote in those five minutes,” he recalls. “Now, what he wrote was horrible. How could it not be? But the audience loves that it’s horrible! And that was just fascinating to us. Because if you just showed them what he wrote, (they) would never appreciate it. But knowing the context of the writing just added a whole new level of comedy.”

Even failure can be a form of success in this format, when the audience is in on the joke, which they decided to apply to filmmaking. The result: “The Exquisite Corpse Project.”

Five comedy writers divided up the writing of the film’s script. Each had to write fifteen

pages, but only saw the five pages directly before their section. The resulting film goes beyond the somewhat disjointed script they produced and looks at creative process itself, which has inspired audiences.

“We’ve had a lot of people ask us, ‘can I try this concept with my friends?’” Joanna Popik, Ben’s wife and co-producer on the film, explains. “I know a lot of people have tried it with high school students and film classes.”

Although made on a shoestring budget—Ben jokes that “we never actually raised any money!”—the film’s biggest non-financial challenges, such as creative disputes between the writers, all made it onto the screen. They discovered the best comedy gold of all could be mined there. —Lara Klaber

Improvising with the Popiks The Buzz is your source for the latest festival highlights and best bets for films each day. You can also catch “The Buzz” video program with Meaghan Earley on Facebook or YouTube. For more information visit www.clevelandfilm.org/social.

What’s Buzzing at the 37th CiFF sunday, april 14, 2013; CiFF Day 12:

Start your day at 9:20 a.m. with “Yoko,” a magical adventure with young Yeti from the Himalayas.

At 12:30 p.m., it’s time for “Jury Shorts,” the short film collection of the best of the Festival—selected by a group of judges in eleven award categories.

Join us for “The Crash Reel,” at 1:30 p.m., in which a U.S. champion snowboarder is on the road to the Olympics when a devastating accident changes his life forever.

Screen “Oldies But Goldies,” at 4:05 p.m. in which an elderly actress, chafing against her bland nursing home, gets a visit from a long-time fan and the two embark on a road trip together so she can audition for one more film.

Frolic in “Flower Square,” at 6:35 p.m. There you’ll meet Filip, a poor children’s performer who has the police, the Mafia and the Church after him. Find out the latest information about these films and other festival events by picking up The Daily, reading the festival website and, of course, seeing as many films as you can.

the Buzz

Presenting Sponsor for ‘The Daily’

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DAY 12 / sunday / 4.14.2013

TOWER CITY CINEMAS clevelandf ilm.orgTOWER CITY CINEMAS clevelandf ilm.orgTOWER CITY CINEMAS clevelandf ilm.org

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the exquisite Corpse projeCt is playing today at 7:00 p.m.

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CIFF T-SHIRT dayaT THeFIlm FeSTIval

Ben Popik hopes young Cleveland filmmakers will be inspired to try what his wife and production partner, Joanna, calls “this weird, twisted game that Ben came up with.”

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Wear any 37th CIFF t-shirt (or sweatshirt) and enter a drawing to win two all-access passes to next year’s Festival. And, once again, a photo booth will be set up so that you can capture your Festival fashion statement on film.

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LEFT: Three generations of the Gund family celebrate last year at the 36th CIFF with Executive Director Marcie Goodman (second from left). CIFF presented George Gund III, known as GG3, with our Legacy Award at the 36th CIFF. At the time we said: “George Gund III means the world to the Cleveland International Film Festival and we want the world to know that.” MIDDLE: George Gund III loved hockey as much as he loved film—the 37th CIFF is dedicated to his memory. RIGHT: Buzz reporter Meaghan Earley wears “GG3” eyebrows in honor of the longtime festival supporter.

GG3TOWER CITY CINEMAS clevelandf ilm.org

“Tio Papi” director, Fro Rojas, is one of this year’s Focus on Filmmakers award winners. Rojas has directed many award- winning short films—“Tio Papi” is his first feature film.

Special Guestsamy Finkel FUREvERjudd ehrlich hiawatha johnson, jr. reed spool MAGIC CAMPCecilia peck inbal Lessner BRAvE MISS WORLDruben thorkildsen Martin Lund THE ALMOST MAnBen popik joanna popik THE ExqUISITE CORPSE PROJECTtim Cawley FROM nOTHInG, SOMETHInGKmele Foster Dan hayes paula nelson julian plaster HOnOR FLIGHTjorge hinojosa ICEBERG SLIM: PORTRAIT OF A PIMPBoštjan ikovic joe Valencic Franci zajc SHAnGHAI GYPSYjoel potrykus APEandre LeBlanc THE STORM

Michiel ten horn THE DEFLOWERInG OF EvA vAn EnDjohn Massarella tim Flaherty CHAnGInG REELSDamina j. Veg teymour tehrani LIGHT YEARSKief Davidson OPEn HEARTzachary guerra THE DEvIL’S DOSHDaniel Mitchell THREE SIxTYMartin Lund TWIGSOn TIES THE KnOTjeffrey schwarz I AM DIvInEtreva Wurmfeld amy hobby SHEPARD AnD DARKnic Balthazar TIME OF MY LIFE / BEn xjoey Dedio TIO PAPIpaul emerson CLIFFDrew Mylrea LISAalfred thomas Catalfo ROCKETSHIP

Joey Dedio has the “greatest parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew in the world.”

But his “Tio Papi” family—all six kids and their parents and families—became his family during the film’s shooting.

The film is all about family. “It just happens to be that it’s about a Latino family, but it’s touch-ing African-Americans, whites, rich, poor… and I think anybody can relate to that—what really matters most is family,” he says in an interview with NBC Latino.

“We are all amazingly close to this day,” he says.

Dedio stars in the film as the unmarried uncle, or tio, who “inherits” his sister’s six children after an unfortunate accident. He is also the film’s producer.

You may recognize the face, as he’s been in several TV shows, including a stint with the soap opera “Another World.”

He loves acting, but says “being the producer allows me to see a project through from beginning, middle to the end.” It also gives him “the responsibility to make sure that the

finished product is something that I am very proud of” and that the message the film is trying to convey is understood by the audience.

Throughout the shooting of the film, Dedio was delighted to work with the kids. “They brought joy to the set every day,” he says. He fondly remembers the laughs during every scene.

Dedio is in the process of making “Tio Papi” into a TV series. “We … already have the first year of show ideas written,” he says. He hopes to begin shooting the pilot this year. If that happens, this acting veteran will return to TV and play the lead role in the series as well.

—Anne M. DiTeodoro

Family First

Challenge matchhelp us exceed our goal of $100,000

a $10 Donation quaLiFies You For these FaBuLous prizes!!

OUR WINNING SEASON: If you love our teams, you’ll love this package! It includes tickets to 2013 Indians, Cavaliers, Browns and Columbus Crew games, gear from the Cavs, Browns and Great Lakes Brewing Company, and a variety of packaged meats for your pre-game tailgating!

THEATRE: This is a theatre lover’s dream package! Enjoy dinner at The Greenhouse Tavern and two subscriptions for The Cleveland Play House new Ground Theatre Festival.

thanK You For Your support!

Official Airline of the 37th CIFFThe Cleveland International Film Festival receives public support with local tax dollars from Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, to preserve and enrich our region’s artistic and cultural heritage.

added screenings:Sunday April 14thomamamia 9:25 am Blondie 9:35 amgood ol’ Freda 9:45 am g-Dog 10:30 am

time Change:Sunday April 14th halima’s path 2:10 pm

Late additions:Sunday April 14thWhich Way is the Front Line From here? the Life and time of tim hetherington 4:55 pmthérèse 6:30 pm

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BE THE APPLAUSETOP: Filmmakers and participants of the film “Reject” Peter Brauer (editor), Don Williams (participant), Ruth Thomas-Suh (director), Herb Thomas (Ruth’s Dad) and (soundtrack composer) Simone Guiliano.LEFT: “From nothing, Something” director Tim Cawley talks to the CIFF audience about his film. RIGHT: Director Judd Ehrlich and Hiawatha Johnson of “Magic Camp.”

The Daily hasn’t shrunk; it’s online. Read exclusive content that’s not available in the print edition by visiting The Daily online edition at www.clevelandfilm.org/festival/the-daily.

TOdAy’S ONlINE vERSION INClUdES:

• CIFF Trailer Series Authentic Films team Kate O’neil, Kevin Kerwin and John LaGuardia talk about the process of creating the 19 CIFF trailers.

• Shepard and dark (Playing today at 11:35 a.m.) Director Treva Wurmfeld shares the inspiration she found in two lives.

• Time of My life (Playing today at 2:20 p.m.) Someone to Watch awardee nic Balthazar discusses his two films and his multimedia play.

• I Am divine (Playing today at 2:30 p.m.) An interview with Director Jeffery Schwarz.

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Joey Dedio performs during a take on the set of “Tio Papi.” In addition, Dedio both wrote the film’s screenplay and produced it.

Last rta train of the day . . . RED Line EAST: 12:17 AM RED Line WEST: 12:35 AM BLUE Line EAST: 12:15 AM GREEn Line EAST: 12 midnight

tio papiis playing today at 3:45 p.m.

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