By Mary Thornton
Ambrosia / 2016 / Qin Yuke
For the 19th year, the Brooklyn Film Festival boasts selections from all over the world. With 107 films from 31 countries, there was no shortage of impressive films both feature-length and short. With an overall theme for the festival of "Experiment," there was no better place to be to be exposed to the up and coming people and trends in film.
Spanning from the first Friday in June with an opening party and screening to the following weekend through the award ceremony on Sunday evening, the festival presented its short films in groupings by genre. Even in a block of documentary or animated shorts, there was very little overlap in themes and stories. However, what really grabbed me about the shorts presented - especially in the experimental group - was the variety in visuals.
Solo Finale / 2015 / Ingo Putze
| I'm of the opinion that any story that can be told can be told best with gripping visuals, and thats exactly/entirely what I got from the experimental films at BFF. Some of the highlights included a 3 minute dance through Canal Street, a Netherlands film about a one-of-a-kind tourist attraction, and a stage performer stumbling through a dream. I've always been someone who enjoys my entertainment a little on the twisted side, and there was definitely content there for me. I especially liked one animated short with a clear nod to David Lynch's Eraserhead. |  Cosmic Kid, Just Landed / 2016 / Jason Evans |
Another great thing to witness at an event like this was what was happening in the world of sound design. Although not as easily noticed (or as easily shared in an article format), as visuals, I was interested in the way that Foley and music could come together to create a world. This was especially key in the shorts because of how vital it is to keep up a consistent atmosphere for anywhere from 3 to 20 minutes. One that I thought was a great example of this was the German short Solo Finale. The creaking and the echoes of an ancient organ in an empty, upside-down world works with the music and the conflict between the two characters.
Since each showing was followed by a question and answer session with the filmmakers present, it was always worth planning to stay longer. It was great to listen to filmmakers from different parts of the world answer the same question whether it was about their casting process or their original inspiration. One artist from Hong Kong was inspired to create his first ever film after a struggle with depression, and the unique sand art animation in his short Red Egg was a big part of his recovery.
 Last Door South / 2015 / Sacha Feiner |  #Meat / 2015 / Marc van den Broek |
 Crooked And Narrow / 2015 / Neal Dhand | Among the narrative features of the festival, there was a couple running themes I noticed. Themes of family, crime, and families involved in crime came up in more than a couple of the feature films. What interested me most of all was the way different filmmakers approached scenes and stories of violence and managed to accomplish very unique and often profound experiences with their movies in approximately ninety minutes. One such movie was Neal Dhand's Crooked and Narrow. |
With a story and characters reminiscent of a 1970's crime movie but the colors and writing of a modern day thriller, Crooked and Narrow managed to keep the audience's tension level high. I think the best evidence for this is how, even in expected scenes of conflict and violence, from my spot far back in the screening room I could see a number of audience members jump at every sudden punch or gunshot. It also speaks to how well the sound in the film was mixed. As I mentioned before, this is a time where many filmmakers and editors in particular have realized the important part that sound design can play. While I won't say any titles in particular, there were examples of films even at this festival that fell short even to the point of having key dialogue be inaudible. This, however, was not one of them. The sound and editing in general contributed so much to each scene that the film actually took home an award for best editing, which I felt was very well deserved.
Lead actress Lindsay Goranson brings a quiet, ferocious intensity to the character of Amy Walsh.
One of the things that made the festival exciting for anyone in the area is that, since it spanned a full week, each film was shown twice. This is, however, where commuting for the weekends of the festival made it difficult to get the full scope of everything the event had to offer. While I wasn't able to see every movie, I did attempt to see at least something from every category. While reading the descriptions of the films, I immediately had to stop at Lapachhapi. This turned out to be a very good decision.
| I may have mentioned that I am a fan of horror, but I will fully acknowledge that its not a genre typically associated with profound social issues. However, when I attended what turned out to be the world premiere of this scary movie from India I knew this was a movie that deserves to be talked about. Actually, a lot of the movie from the premise to the vintage jump scares and shrieking soundtrack brought me back to classic slasher films but as the director Vishal Furia and his team explained after the showing, this movie was inspired by something other than a serial babysitter murderer. I don't think there's anything I can explain about the message of the movie that wouldn't be better served by watching it with the informative text at the end, but it deserves to be noted for its bravery in taking a serious and grim modern-day horror and giving it front-and-center treatment in what is still an entertaining film for horror fans like myself. I'm glad to say the Brooklyn Film Festival judges apparently agreed with me, and the filmmakers brought a BFF Spirit Award home with them to India. I shall be keeping an eye out for this movie to get a U.S. release after the festival run and I hope anyone reading this does as well. It is definitely worth watching, either for the foreign take on horror storytelling or for its relevant social commentary. |  Lapachhapi / 2016 / Vishal Furia |
Overall, the festival that took place over several locations in the Greenpoint and Williamsburg neighborhoods certainly delivered on its theme. Between the exposure to and opportunities for international and local filmmakers and panels and networking opportunities for attendees, witnessing an event like this is truly a reminder that however intimidating the glut of films out there currently being made may be, there is always room for original and powerful storytelling. I actually had the chance to sit down with some of the filmmakers not mentioned in this article. I for one am excited by the trends in movies I saw from just about everything I watched, but I feel the three directors I spoke to are going to be particularly interesting to watch in years to come.
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