AVFilm fest honors Ben Burtt, voice of ‘Wall-E’

Benjamin Burtt has a long history in film as a director, editor and screenwriter but he’s best known for the sounds he has created — the hum of the lightsabers in the first “Stars Wars” film, for instance.

He’s also a voice actor, who vocalized the “Star Wars” droid R2-D2’s beeps and whistles, which were augmented by synthesizer.

But his best-known performance is as the robotic voice of the title character of the 2008 Pixar animated film “Wall-E.”

So, do fans come up to him in public and ask him to do that voice? No. it’s more likely a mother will come up and say, “My child can do Wall-E’s voice,” Burtt explained.

“And then the kid does it perfectly,” he added with a laugh. “I realized they didn’t have to hire me. They could’ve just hired a 5-year-old.”

Of course, it’s not that simple. That’s why Sonoma County’s 10-day, 10th anniversary AVFilm festival, which opens Friday, will honor Burtt’s career with a tribute Wednesday at the Carole L. Ellis Hall at the Santa Rosa Junior College’s Petaluma campus.

The festival features films and filmmakers from around the world, with 21 feature films, 34 shorts, more than 20 panels and Q&A sessions and dozens of student works to be shown at venues in Healdsburg, Cloverdale, Geyserville, Windsor and Santa Rosa.

Admission prices range from free for some of the community events all the way up to $1,000 for an all-access pass for the entire festival. Tickets cost $5 students, $15 for regular screenings.

For film passes, individual tickets, the full lineup of films, and the full fest schedule, visit avfilmpresents.org/film-festival.

Following the tribute to Burtt, including a screening of “Wall-E,” there will be a Q&A period where fans can find out firsthand information about such arcane details as the the squawks made by the tiny holographic monsters on Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon spacecraft.

But, as Burtt said, “This event is going to focus on ‘Wall-E.’ There hasn’t been an event like this since the film was released.”

The sound designer’s big night is only one part of AVFilm’s sprawling celebration.

At 9.m. May 4, there will be a screening of the new 80-minute comedic horror film “Werewolf Serenade” -- shot mostly at recognizable locations in Petaluma -- at Longboard Vineyards in Healdsburg.

The film’s star, writer and director Daedalus Howell and producer and production designer Kary Hess will take questions from the audience after the screening.

Other AVFest program highlights include:

5 p.m. Friday -- The festival kicks off with the opening night film, “Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person,” an angst-ridden teen comedy, at the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center. After the film, celebrate 10 years of AVFest in Northern Sonoma County with a free community Block Party on the Boulevard!

6 p.m. Saturday -- The “Neighbor Night” event at Alexander Valley Hall in Geyserville includes a family-style dinner, film, and conversation. The evening’s spotlight film is “Common Ground,” which makes a case for regenerative farming.

6:30 p.m. Sunday -- The “World Shorts Showcase” at Longboard Vineyards in Healdsburg will offer a compilation of creative cinema from around the globe, with the storytellers joining in the conversation at the screening.

5:30 p.m. Monday --“The Grab,” also screening at Longboards Vineyards in Healdsburg, follows award-winning journalist Nathan Halverson and his team at the Center for Investigative Reporting as they follow a story. Following the screening, producer Jeff Ubben and director Gabriela Cowperthwaite will report on developments from the investigation. An after-party with filmmakers follows at the Little Saint restaurant in Healdsburg.

5:30 p.m. Tuesday -- The “Savor the NIght” event includes a screening of “The Art of Eating; The Life of M.F.K. Fisher,” a biography of the famed food journalist, followed by a panel discussion at Lo & Behold cocktail bar and kitchen in Healdsburg. The evening includes a French meal from Chef Marc-Henri of Maison Porcella. Director Gregory Bezat, Chef Kyle Connaughton of Single Thread, food writers Jerry Di Vecchio and Michele Anna Jordan, and Producer Gary Meyer will attend.

6 p.m. Thursday -- Catelli’s in Geyserville serves Italian comfort food and local wines on the restaurant’s patio. After dinner, the comedy “Thelma, fresh form its premiere at Sundance Film Festival, will be screened at the Geyserville Firehouse. Writer and director Josh Margolin will be available for conversation at the screening.

5 p.m. May 3 -- The festival screens finalists from annual Student Film Competition, open to students from Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino Counties. Students compete for $3,000 in prize money. After the screening at The Raven Performing Arts Theater in Healdsburg, AVFilm will celebrate ten years of student works of art and community building through cinema with a free block party on Center Street in Healdsburg.

6 p.m. May 4 -- The festival will present its J.E.D.I. (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) Award at at Longboard Vineyards in Healdsburg to filmmaker Alireza Khatami for crafting “Terrestrial Verses, a social satire about everyday citizens struggling for justice and equal treatment under the law. The program includes a screening of the film.

5 p.m. May 5 -- The festival’s closing night features a screening of “Ghostlight,” a story of of love, healing and family, at Longboard Vineyards in Healdsburg, Writer and director Kelly O’Sullivan, co-director Alex Thompson and lead actors Keith Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer and Tara Mallen are expected. After the screening, the festival’s closing night wards will be presented at The Matheson.

You can reach Staff Writer Dan Taylor at dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com or 707-521-5243. On X @danarts.