Oakdale resident and photographer Kevin Fox can now add the title “Award Winning Filmmaker” to his résumé.
Fox was named the winner of the 2010 Modesto Reel Film Festival for his five minute short on the Annual Testicle Festival earlier this month. This is the first time the independent filmmaker has submitted a film for consideration.
As a photographer for the past 23 years, Fox shared his interest in filmmaking began over four years ago.
“It didn’t really take me long to make the transition,” Fox said. “The thing about photography is that you are trying to tell a story in a single frame.
“In today’s world of multimedia, You Tube, Face Book … it just sort of made sense to transition. In film you can use all the elements to convey the story.”
The photographer/filmmaker stated he has worked with the Oakdale Cowboy Museum for the past six years and produced his first film for the Annual Cowboy Museum Dinner and Auction.
Since then, Fox has spent much of his time documenting stories on film for the Cowboy Museum. His most recent venture “Changing the Game” is a one-hour documentary on the Camarillo family due for release in November.
“They say do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life,” Fox shared. “I’m truly blessed. The support of this town, the town history … a lot of what I do is through a concentration on Oakdale.”
As for the five minute short he produced on the Testicle Festival, Fox stated he recognized the attention the event was receiving in the mass media. Acknowledging the humor many find in the event title, he wanted to offer a different insight to the event.
“The message of this film is the fact that we are celebrating the ranching lifestyle and what that means for this community,” Fox said.
The Modesto Reel Food Film Festival, sponsored by the California Poultry Federation, The Modesto Art Museum, the Modesto Film Society and the State Theatre, is reported to be the only food film fest in California. The event is comprised of classic as well as contemporary films about food and eating. Film submissions may be between one to 45 minutes.
“I didn’t expect to win,” Fox said of his submission. “I did do a great deal of promoting the film.
“When I arrived that day (to the event) and saw all the Oakdale support that showed up, I was overwhelmed.”
