Dropouts and those who don't fit in unite and form true friendships in "Defying Gravity," wherein good storytelling turns into very good filmmaking.

The film screens at 9 p.m. Saturday at the Mission Theater as part of the Fallbrook Film Festival. "Defying Gravity" is written and produced by Escondido filmmaker Lisa Savy James, who is also a math teacher at Paloma Valley High School in Menifee. Using a screenwriting Web site to test her words and ideas, James finished the long-in-progress screenplay with the help of fellow site user Michael Keller, who directed "Defying Gravity."

The collaboration resulted in a quirky but extremely humane story of disparate people coming together when they find common ground. The story concerns the mute 16-year-old Cassandra (Alexandra Mathews), who runs away from home, landing in Yermo, Calif., a lonely stop along the way to her final destination -- her mother's grave at a Los Angeles cemetery.

Cassandra is befriended by the delusional but intriguing Shore (Macauley Gray), a young man who lives in a minibus; the young Latino gardener Jorge (Mario Martinez); and the transvestite waitress Lola (William Belli), the vulnerable but strong-willed friend who manages to keep the unlikely quartet safe. This is especially important when a dangerous stranger from Cassandra's past appears on her trail.

Though each is hampered by gone-bad life decisions or just plain bad luck, each shows a remarkable pluck and the necessary fortitude to stand up to those who would prevent their freedoms, whether those involve school and career choices, or just being who they really are -- no hiding. The result is a funny, poignant and always interesting little film, built on well-designed characters and a fine story. For good measure, there's even a runaway Cadillac hearse to keep us entertained.

"Defying Gravity" is one of more than 80 films -- shorts, full-length features, animation, children's films, documentaries and more -- composing the first Fallbrook Film Festival this weekend, an event boasting an impressive and eclectic menu of film offerings at numerous venues in the city, with multiple extracurricular events.

Among those events is a varied lineup of workshops, including an acting for film and television workshop; sessions for filmmakers on how to get a film made; how to market a film; a cinematography discussion with former North County resident and longtime professional Thomas Del Ruth ("Stand By Me," "The Breakfast Club," "The West Wing"); and a session with Adam McKay, the filmmaking partner of Will Ferrell.

More than 100 of the festival filmmakers will be in town for the event, meaning festivalgoers can mingle with the directors, producers and writers, asking questions and getting more insight into the art and business of the craft.

B+

"Defying Gravity"

Starring: Alexandra Matthews, Macauley Gray, William Belli

Director: Michael Keller

Studio: Balancing Act Pictures

Rated: NR

RT: 91 minutes

Fallbrook Film Festival

When: 3 to 11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. April 27

Where: Mission Theatre, Art Center at Fallbrook, J.J. "Purty" Landers Irish Pub and other downtown Fallbrook locations

Tickets: $10 per screening, $30 for a one-day film pass and $75 for a weekend film pass; workshops are $30 each; $150 for VIP all-access, all-events passes

Phone: (760) 731-2278 (760) 728-6383

Web: fallbrookfilmfestival.com <<a href="http://fallbrookfilmfestival.com">http://fallbrookfilmfestival.com>