Vita Art Studios

Outdoors at the OASIS (adjacent to the studios)

50 West Main Street, Ventura

Saturday, July 19, 2025

FREE EVENT

7:00pm: Reception

8:00pm: Performance

Following in the tradition of the Benshi during the silent movie era in Japan, these poets flip the script and re-narrate familiar films. Offering their own takes on work from The Twilight Zone to The Fifth Element and from Miyazaki to lesser-known directors, these renowned artists will turn the movies' sound down and surprise audiences with their thought-provoking performances and innovative storytelling. 

Francis Almendarez  Writer, Visual Artist, and Filmmaker here from CSU San Bernadino

Alicia Sainz Arballo Los Angeles Poet and Educator, and the Author of Transition

Jaime Cortez  Visual Artist and renowned Autor of Gordo

Nicklaus Hoffman Filmmaker, Comedian, and Chair of the Film Department at Ventura College

Dana Teen Lomax  Poet, Filmmaker, and Editor working out of Vita Studios

Benni Quintero  Los Angeles-based Filmmaker, Performance Artist, and Writer

Luzmaria Espinosa  Former Ventura Poet Laureate, Performance Artist, and Member of the Royal Chicano Air Force