The “Lost City Celebration” is scheduled for October 6 – 8 on California’s Central Coast where the 1923 historic feature was partially filmed.
Before the term ‘Blockbuster’ was invented, Cecil B. DeMille was arguably the first filmmaker to create large scale film productions with The Ten Commandments (1923). Filmed on the dunes outside Guadalupe, California, DeMille’s religious epic was a blend of grandeur and story. It featured the biggest motion picture set ever built, the “City of the Pharaoh” and when the film was done, he buried the set in the dunes, and it became a legend until it was unearthed decades later.
“The movie set is still gargantuan relative to today’s productions. It is the only remaining set from Hollywood’s fundamental formation years which set a precedent for today’s blockbuster films and popular culture,” L. Erika Weber, executive director of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center said.
The city of Per-Rameses was constructed on the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes near Santa Maria, California. A construction crew of nearly a thousand completed the work in mid-May 1923. Photo courtesy of the Cecil B. DeMille Foundation
DeMille’s impact on the film industry had lasting effects as he created the posts of studio story editor, art director, and concept artist. He was one of the first to use theatrical lighting on a movie set. In the late 1920s, when Hollywood converted to sound films, DeMille defied the sound experts, liberating the camera from a confining booth, and implementing the microphone boom. DeMille was also a founder of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Celebrating The Ten Commandments Centennial, The Lost City Celebration is a collaboration of The Central Coast Film Society along with their partners from the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, Guadalupe Visual and Performing Arts Center, San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, and the Clark Center for Performing Arts.
Friday VIP Dinner
The weekend begins on Friday, October 6, with a VIP dinner with documentarian Peter Brosnan (The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille), who discovered, and archeologist Colleen Hamilton who uncovered, the film set from the dunes. The dinner is $100 per person or $1,000 per table and will be hosted by the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center at Edwards Barn in Nipomo.
Free Documentary
On Saturday, October 7, the Central Coast Entertainment Expo will host a full day of workshops with local film industry professionals, hands on demonstrations, panels with filmmakers, networking and mentor events and the Central Coast Showcase at the Clark Center for Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande. The Showcase features films by local filmmakers and student film programs, including regional high schools. Included at the Expo is the documentary screening of Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic, an introduction to the legendary filmmaker. This portion of the event is free to the public, thanks to a generous donation from the Corki Clark Henderson Fiduciary.
Saturday evening brings a special ticketed event ($35 – $45) that features the history of silent films in the area and their impact on modern day films, and a discussion with Peter Brosnan on his role in uncovering the Ten Commandments’ buried set. Afterwards there will be a special screening of the segment of the Ten Commandments shot in Guadalupe with a live improvised score by acclaimed cellist Jonah Kim and pianist Sheridan Seyfried. This evening event is presented in partnership with the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, and through the generosity of the Cecil B DeMille Foundation.
Dig Site Finale
During the weekend’s Sunday, October 8 finale, the celebration will be brought back to Guadalupe with a dig site and museum tours starting at 9 a.m. at the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center. There will also be a documentary film screening and panel discussions at the Boys and Girls Club in Guadalupe. Kids can enjoy an archeological dig, bounce houses and games.
Visit here for more info on the events in Guadalupe and for more information about the Expo and tickets to the special screening visit centralcoastfilmsociety.org.
