Independent Film Festivals are often wrought with a strange kind of irony: promote the art of cinema without creating an event that takes on Hollywood
Independent Film Festivals are often wrought with a strange kind of irony: promote the art of cinema without creating an event that takes on Hollywood’s delusions of grandeur. Now in its second year, the Independent Film Festival of Boston is developing a noteworthy reputation because it carefully walks the fine line between success and selling out. From the Independent Film Society who organizes the festival, to the filmmakers, to the attendees, there is a genuine feeling of love and respect for the art of making movies.
One of the reasons IFF-Boston distinguishes itself is it creates an interactive environment for filmmaker and filmgoer. Throughout its four day run, the festival is one giant conversation between directors, producers, actors, subjects and audience. Whether through the lively Q&A; sessions or after party banter, it is clear that these pictures, be they documentaries, shorts or feature films, are labors of love.
Below are some of the highlights, including a list of award winners, but be sure to check out ifsboston.org for a list of films to keep an eye out for. And check back soon for our features on two of the festival favorites, Dig and Saved!
Rick
Director Curtiss Clayton introduced his opening night film with true tongue and cheek: welcome to my movie, it doesn’t have a likable character or a happy ending. Rick, starring Bill Pullman and Dylan Baker, is certainly the antithesis of Hollywood fare, which is precisely what makes it so interesting. At times outlandish and nearly absurd, Rick explores capitalism’s web of ethics. As Baker, who plays Buck, a corporate hit man, explains “Buck’s a guy – what can I tell you – Buck’s about business and getting ahead. In today’s business and political climate it’s really easy for people to take it to his level.”
For Pullman, the lead was a chance to get out of the nice guy role where an actor can cheat a lot. “It just seems like in [darker] films the characters are more resonating.”
Written by Dan Handler, who ironically is best known for his children’s books, Rick is based on Verdi’s tragic opera, “Rigoletto” with the character of the Duke updated as a big business CEO who seduces his colleague’s daughter online.
With Rick, Clayton moves from the editing table to the director’s chair. “It was great to take over the process,” Clayton, whose editing credits include Gus Van Sant’s Drugstore Cowboy and To Die For, told the audience. “[As an editor] you experience a lot of frustration since you spend so much time with the footage but ultimately have no authority. On a creative level it was a joy to be able to stay with my creative vision and not have to worry that someone would come in and change directions.”
Word Wars
It is a fiercely competitive, high stakes, drug inducing, obsessive world filled with idiosyncrasies and genius. It is of course the world of “Scrabble.” Word Wars follows four “professional” players as they prepare for the national championship. It is Spellbound all grown up….with a bit more grit and a lot more angst.
Director Eric Chaiken, himself an authority in the field of “recreational linguistics” (wordplay), says the game’s tension is often ignored. “It’s like Joel says in the movie, the emotional and spiritual part of [playing in Scrabble tournaments] is really underestimated,” he explains. Although friends with profiled gamers, Chaiken (and his Co-Director Julian Petrillo, were cognizant about the exploitive nature of their character study. “Marlon is Marlon. He saw it and said, I wish I wasn’t so fat. I mean all of them are pretty self-aware,” says Chaiken. He jokes, “If anything I wanted to try and encourage more sex and drugs.”
Deadline
In 2002, a group of Northwestern journalism students uncovered the wrongful convictions of three death row inmates. As a result of their discovery, Illinois became a hotbed of death penalty debate. Chronicling both sides and Governor Rowland’s unprecedented consideration of granting clemency to all death row inmates, Deadline is an emotional ride on the rights, wrongs and somewhere in betweens of the death penalty. Featuring interviews with Scott Turow, key Illinois personnel and notable Death Penalty activists, Deadline is a compelling look at our justice system as well as our citizens’ ability to make a real difference in our democracy.
Big City Dick: Richard Peterson’s First Movie
Richard Peterson is best known for composing “My Second Album,” the first track off the Stone Temple Pilot’s Purple. But to the Seattle community, Peterson is the trumpet-playing, eccentric, musical savant frequently seen in front of the King Dome or on the streets of the city.
Big City Dick follows Peterson through nearly a decade of his life, depicting his many personal oddities as he seeks a regularly paying gig as a musician and composer. Directors Scott Milam, Todd Pottinger and Ken Harder, had begun documenting Peterson’s life separately until 2002 when they realized combining forces would create a greater retrospective for the film. While at first they didn’t agree on how the film should be presented, Big City Dick allows the experience of Richard to reveal itself rather than including narration.
A tricky character study, since Peterson is clearly not your average guy, Milam was very aware of the ethical issues involved with the project. “We didn’t want for people to just make fun of him,” Milam explains. “So we did edit out things that could be potentially hurtful. Like his pants’ crotch being ripped, stuff like that.” However, it was clear from the onset that Peterson was excited about making a movie. “He’s a born showman,” says Milam. “He wanted to make the movie about his life. When he first saw it he was glued [to the screen]. He started to count all the personalities featured.”
Awards were given to the following pictures:
Grand Jury Prize Narrative Feature: Flower & Garnet directed by Keith Behrman
Special Jury Prize Narrative Feature: Luck directed by Peter Wellington and Azumi directed by Ryuhai Kitamura
Grand Jury Prize Documentary Feature: Monster Road directed by Brett Ingram
Special Jury Prize Documentary Feature: Double Dare directed by Amanda Micheli
Grand Jury Prize Short Film: Tomo directed by Paul Catling
Special Jury Prize Short Film: Gowanus, Brooklyn directed by Ryan Fleck
Audience Award Narrative Feature: Seducing Doctor Lewis directed by Jean-Francois Pouliot
Audience Award Documentary Feature: Double Dare directed by Amanda Micheli
Audience Award Short Film: The Puppeteer directed by Gary Henoch and Chris Schmidt
E.C. Thomas is an independent filmmaker, photographer and writer in Boston: dragonflyROAR.com
