Blog posting written by Chloe Wilson, Television-Radio ’14, FLEFF Intern, Ashland, Massachusetts. 

FLEFF blew me away.

I guess it’s my own fault for not really knowing what to expect, but to be honest, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  The best things are the ones we don’t expect, right?

I never dreamed that FLEFF would be the intellectual, innovative, and global event that it was. 

FLEFF was the first film festival I’ve ever attended and I know that no other festival will be like it.  FLEFF, in itself, is a microtopia.  It is a microtopia that cannot be replicated in any other environment.

Personally, I had a ton of fun.  I saw great films, met amazing people, and immersed myself in all forms of media.  But the most important thing is that I learned something. 

I’ll be completely open about the fact that I’m a nerd and that I like learning, and everything I learned at FLEFF was not forced upon me.  FLEFF was a natural environment, where every aspect was fully integrated into a larger whole.

I had a great time at FLEFF, and I can’t wait to partake in next year’s festival!  I wonder what the new theme will be… any ideas?

Blog posting written by Isabel Galupo, Cinema and Photography '14, Towson, MD

Jon Reis, a local Ithaca photographer, visited our FLEFF class tonight to discuss the local financial considerations behind hosting a film festival. 

While he told us about his personal passion for supporting local artists and gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the local finances behind FLEFF, he indadvertedly gave us an invaluable piece of advice: always do what you love. 

At the beginning of his talk, Mr. Reis told us that he was a Sociology major in college...but he always loved photography.

In order to break into the the photography field, he got a job at the local paper. He admitted that the minimum wage pay wasn't that great, but he didn't mind because he was lucky enough to get a job doing what he loved.

Now, as a professional photographer, he has married these two interests and takes photographs that serve as visual social commentaries on American culture. 

Mr. Reis-- along with many of the filmmakers, musicians, and intellectuals involved with FLEFF-- has managed to find a way to integrate his multiple, seemingly conflicting interests into his livelihood. 

FLEFF is a space-- a microtopia, perhaps-- that brings together passionate, dedicated creators to live their truths, much as Mr. Reis has. It is a space that can inspire other artists and thinkers to do the same. 

Are you doing what you love? 

Blog posting written by Kaley Belval, Documentary Studies and Production '15, FLEFF Intern, Woodbury, CT. 

FLEFF was overall an amazing experience, and I learned a lot. 

As my first film festival, it was very special to me. I found that directors were much more approachable than I expected, and gave me amazing advice while being really interested in my passions. 

Every film that I saw gave me a new perspective on an issue or lifestyle, and I made connections between multiple films and ideas easily. 

The films that I saw-Putin's Kiss, Kissed By Lightning, Cotton Road, Veins in the Gulf, and Nanook of the North- and the Concert For Microtopias inspired me to look at my ideas and work in new ways. 

Dying to Live also had a powerful message, but the way in which it was presented was a little too biased for my taste. 

FLEFF gave me, and everyone that attended, a different environment. Yes, this is what it advertises, but it gave us an environment to intellectually discuss film, music, and ideas that I have never seen before. 

It was an unbelievable experience, and I cannot wait to be a part of the festival again next year.

"The sign of a true artist, whether you are an artist of music, words, paint, film, community or whatever, is the recognition and utilization of texture. Even the most unrelated topics become related, weaved together in lively and interesting way. It is the magic of FLEFF, stringing things together to make unexpected, but wonderful sense."

I said these words in a prior blog post before experiencing FLEFF. Never could I have realized how true they actually were. Everything about FLEFF was unexpected, but wonderfully insightful. I was able to wrap myself up completely in the warm, inviting, and colorful blanket of FLEFF. Microtopias are fragmented and yet can come together. It is a safe place to push boundaries, to question the preconceived and to create textures both vibrant and new. Each individual thread of the blanket by itself does not amount to much, but weaved together it becomes beautiful and creates a feeling of safety and comfort, but also wonder—wonder like that state of mind right before sleep hits, when you are straddling the line between reality and dream. To me, that in-between is where the best thinking happens, where boundaries are lost and where utopias and local microtpoias can be imagined. Then we wake up, shed our textured, woven blanket of conversation, and apply our newly gained concepts and perspectives to our local area. Microtopia.

Blog post written by Gillian Smith '12, FLEFF intern, Journalism, Harwich, MA

            Having the opportunity to intern with FLEFF has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have had. I was able to make some truly incredible connections, some with true employment potential, and learned to expand my view of the world to incorporate many new cultures and ideologies.

My favorite event this year was by far the multimedia concert at Hocket Recital Hall. I brought along a group of people and they absolutely loved the show. I thought the use of the voice actors in the beginning of the show was truly innovative and totally different than anything I have ever experienced. I truly appreciate when shows incorporate the audience in the performance, because it keeps us engaged and really helps us understand the messages of microtopias. 

The day after the performance, I kept hearing people walking around campus saying “micro…TOPIAS” “MICRO…toooopias” “MICROTOPIAS.” It was such a great feeling to realize that all the hard work we put into the festival was getting across to the campus community.

I thought the use of the camera was really awesome. I often found myself torn between watching the incredible performance and being totally absorbed by the VJ mixing the music and video. I have never seen a VJ work before, and I found it incredibly engaging.