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

"'Color' Guitarist" Robbie Aceto spoke in front of tonight's FLEFF internship class from, as he said, the perspective of someone who's out there doing things, not teaching about them.

In school, he explained, you don't have to convince anyone that you can take chances, whereas in the real world you have to convince someone to let you take a risk. And this I took to heart, because as he told us, in college we are supposed to take every available opportunity. 

Hearing from an industry professional is always an exciting aspect of this experience, and Aceto did not disappoint. This year, he is a part of the intelligence behind the score for the 90th anniversary screening of Nanook of the North. 

It was extremely fascinating to hear his work synchronized with silent films such as "The Wildcat" and "Grass," how the music swelled emotion even though no voices or speech were involved. 

Silent films of this type are a large part of film history, but sometimes it is hard to stay at the same mindset of someone from a hundred years ago.

Aceto explained the difficulty of writing music without feeling innately superior to those of 100 years ago, because they did not have the current technology that we have. According to him, they had to work and think a lot more creatively than filmmakers do now.

"We've narrowed our expectation of what a film is supposed to be," he said, talking about the predictable patterns of films and the music scores embedded in them. Do you agree? Has our film experience diminished as time has passed? I think so. 

 I am sure everyone has heard of a little silent movie called The Artist. The musical score in this film brought the picture to life. The growing popularity of this film within mainstream culture has expanded the somewhat limited view we have about what qualifies as a good movie. For most, a “quality” film means explosions, a good love story and some 3D glasses. FLEFF, with the help of improvisational musician Robby Aceto, is bringing back the idea of beauty within simplicity. And even though there may be no explosions, simple does not mean boring. Because there is nothing boring about improvisational live music to a silent film.

Improvisation is all about evoking a response from the audience. It is interesting to think that improvisation could be considered the utopia for music—if we are applying the definition of utopia as a state of being without guidelines or restrictions. And this is not the only way in which the idea of a utopia, or better yet a microtopia, applies to improvisational music and its process. Aceto states in his improvisational trio, the first thing they need to do is establish a common base for their understanding of the film. There has to be a respect for the wish and intent of the director. Once that communication has taken place and once that basic understanding is met, all factors will work together, even if perspectives and interpretations between the musicians are different. Because differences create a textural sound-scape that allows the pictures to come to life off the screen (and without 3D glasses, imagine that!). As I have said before, FLEFF is all about the texture. In the microtopia FLEFF creates, communication is key. Though we may all be attending FLEFF for different reasons and with different viewpoints, we all have one thing in common: a basic respect for environmental advocacy and art through film. All the other differences, the unexpected interpretations of our minds—or even of the music—add texture, interest and excitement. Something you can’t get from your standard, explosion-filled blockbuster film.

What do you think of the idea that the category of improvisation is a musical microtopia? 

Tonight at our weekly FLEFF meeting, us interns got the amazing chance to hear electronic composer Robby Aceto share some information about the scores he has recently created and took some questions from the audience. You can get a chance to hear him as he will be improvising live music during the screening of the ninety-year-old documentary, Nanook of the North at Cinemapolis. 

"We are so sophisticated in our technologies, and a hundred years ago these things were just fantasy." He begins by speaking about the way sound in film has evolved over the past hundred years from live music accompanying each screening to revolutionary technology that made synchronous sound possible. Does the Jazz Singer ring a bell for all you film scholars out there? After that, he took some questions from the audience:

7:12 PM - Aceto informs us that the electric guitar has become a ubiquitous instrument in today's musical world, but as a "color guitarist," he deviates from this typical sound and offers a truly unique sound.

7:14 PM - "It's not the easiest thing to do." Striking, but true. Aceto talks about being a freelance musician and the negatives that come with it when it comes to getting gigs and finding your niche. However, he gives some optimistic advice: "be available and try to make a name for yourself." And let's be honest because this is true despite what field you are working in.

7:22 PM - Working in a group is kind of like duking it out. The baseline is respectable material and there is a sense of collaboration that goes into perfecting the piece. 

7:30 PM - We get to hear one of his pieces! As an outrageous and bizarre silent film appears onscreen (through an excessive use of vignetting), the music resonates with a sense of respectability and relevance. This proves that despite how ridiculous the visual may be, the power of sound in film is incredible and truly influential.

7:45 PM - Yet another piece comes on and the sound is remarkable. Through a myriad of instruments, including a toy piano, a cello, a mandolin and an open-air mic, a harmonious final result is achieved. No wonder the FLEFF co-directors Thomas Shevory & Patricia Zimmerman asked him to return to the festival for a fourth time.

7:52 PM - What is composing you may ask? "The idea is that you're not there to comment on what's going on. You're there to interpret and try to be a part of it." 

I think leaving off on these last words is appropriate. Although in context he happened to be talking about scoring music for film, I believe his words have the ability to speak on a much stronger level. By integrating yourself with what is surrounding you rather than take note of it exemplifies the interactive nature of FLEFF. Do you agree that actions speak louder than words?

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

Tonight, Robby Aceto visited the intern staff to discuss his role at FLEFF 2012.

Aceto is an internationally recognized "color" guitarist. He explained that the term "color guitarist" allows him to signal that he uses his instrument in unexpected, non-traditional ways.

He explained, "there's an expectation of what you hear from a guitar, especially an electric guitar...it's used in very narrow ways...[but] the capabilities of the instrument are really much broader than that."

This year will mark his fourth year performing at FLEFF. 

Aceto will be performing on the closing night of the festival at Cinemapolis, the local independent art cinema and long-time FLEFF partner.

He will be scoring the silent film "Nanook of the North," which is considered the first feature-length documentary film. 2012 marks the 90th anniversary of the release of the film. 

Scoring silent films is a crucial part of film history. Before synchronous sound technology was developed, it was very typical for orchestras to accompany the screening of silent films in theaters. 

In explaining the integrity of scoring silent films in modern times, Aceto also stressed the importance of active audience attendance and participation in these performances:

"Being there, you have an effect on the outcome." 

Many interns inquired about the process and technique behind improvisational film scoring. Some of his tips included: 

"Embrace the accidents that occur."

Ask yourself: "What did the filmmaker want? If he was here now, what would he think?"

"You've got to embrace the silence, as well as the noise." 

And, above all, "You've got to make it happen." 

The one thing that struck me the most about Aceto's presentation is the almost cautionary statement he made as soon as he stood up before us:

"I'm not an academic. I'm a person who is always doing things." 

The nature of Aceto's improvisational work for FLEFF is doing. He does not glue himself in front of his television watching and re-watching films, completing hours and hours of preliminary research before he performs. He sees, experiences, and feels the film, and then translates those raw emotions into uncensored musical language. 

In today's society, are we encouraged to process information by doing as Robby Aceto does? 

How does FLEFF create a safe space for artists and academics alike to explore ideas through action, through doing? 

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

Back for his fourth year, Robby Aceto is at FLEFF once again!

I got the chance to listen to Acteo speak about his work.  This year, he'll be performing live music to accompany the silent, 90-year-old documentary film Nanook of the North (he's part of an improvisational trio, how cool is that?).

Here are some choice quotes from Aceto's talk, ranging from live music to film festivals itself to contributing to the microtopia of FLEFF.  Hopefully this helps you become a part of the moment, FLEFFers!

"A big part of FLEFF has always been the pairing of live music with silent film.  Why do we do that?  It's a tradition that's just as much a part of film history as anything."

"There's a tendency to feel superior to people who created things hundreds of years ago... These guys were making films and they were making it up as they go along. They didn't have a lexicon of technology to choose from.  They had to figure out as they went along how they were gonna do this.  In a way, they had to work and think more creatively than a filmmaker does now.  I think that, as an improviser, that really speaks to me."

"First time at FLEFF, I was hired to be a guitar player for an ensemble that was playing a commissioned work.  There was some spoken word and it was a great experience, it was great fun, and then Patty said 'We want to do something again.' So get involved in as many things as you can.  It's a crapshoot, being a musician, but it's worth it."

"Not making a sound is just as much action as making a sound."

That last quote was my personal favorite; it held a lot of weight to me.  It really reminded me about how the difference that each person can make, no matter if it's intentional or not.  Every person's action (or lack of action) contributes to something, whether we notice it directly or not.

Aceto played some of his clips for us, and I can't wait to hear more!  Aceto calls himself a "color guitarist," but his music has clearly been influenced by his previous collaborations with musicians who specialize in other instruments.  You can check out some of his work here.

Lean back, pop on some headphones, close your eyes, and listen to Aceto's work.  Do you have a favorite piece?  Are you looking forward to hearing him perform at FLEFF?

Blog posting written by Hana Raskin, Communication Management & Design, '12, FLEFF intern, New York City

The room is whirring with conversation as we wait to hear from internationally recognized guitarist Robby Aceto.

Aceto will return to FLEFF for his fourth time, as he and his group perform on FLEFF's closing night. The trio will provide the soundtrack to Nanook of the North (1922,) to celebrate its 90th year! 

Aceto says to his audience of students: "you're in school now, this is your time to take chances"

"we might do the same film several times, but we will never do the same score. It's not static."

According to Aceto the biggest problem with composing scores for silent films, " is connecting with the mindset of someone a hundred years ago whose making a film. We're looking back at films from the silent era as people in the 21st century. We're so sophisticated with our technology, a hundred years ago these things were just fantasy. There's a tendency to feel a little superior"

"These guys were making films and they were making it up as they went along, they didn't have a lexicon of technology."

"They had to work and think a lot more creatively than a film maker now...." "As an improvisor that speaks to me."

"We've narrowed our expectations of what a film experience is supposed to be- go back to 1912, they weren't able to synchronize sound. There were musicians whose job it was to go to the theater every night and play to the film."

 A student in the audience asked why Aceto is referred to as a "Color" guitarist in his FLEFF bio- Aceto replies, "it's a way of differentiating my approach to the instrument , which is in a more textural way...." 

One student raises her hand and says what everybody in the room is thinking, "i saw you played with the talking heads." Aceto replies, "yeah i have an ongoing relationship with them..." "jerry harrison asked if I wanted to go to a jam and it ended up being the pilot for a record they were putting out." 

Aceto says as he explains the film clip he is about to show, "this is a good case and point where you have a film that is just so outrageous and you have to do something that shows that you took it seriously, and that's what we tried to."

The film, Die Bergkatze or "the wildcat" (1921) is a silent, black and white comedy. The audience chuckles in response to the character's exaggerated movements and expressions. According to Aceto, the director considered it an anti-war/ feminist film. 

Our resident film expert and connoisseur, Dr. Zimmerman informs the class that the film was directed by Ernst Lubitsch, a german expressionist. She says that people thought they were slightly crazy for screening Die Bergkatze, because it is generally Lubitsch's Hollywood films that are screened.

 But if you ask me, that's what is so great about FLEFF; we screen unique films and provide new and different experiences. 

Blog posting written by Andrew Ronald, Film, Photography & Visual Arts '15, FLEFF Intern, Mahopac, NY

FLEFF: A Different Environment

It's a promising tagline. Promoting sustainability, encouraging environmentally friendly habits, and even being able to capitalize on eco-friendly...well...anything. But it's not just about carpooling and recycling, and FLEFF's interdisciplinary nature speaks in a stronger and more influential way.

FLEFF is about bringing people together for an enlightened and highly cultured discussion. It's a microtopia of intellectual unification. It requires musicians, filmmakers, artists, and guests who reside along a wide spectrum of ages to hold sophisticated conversations. It's an encouraging outlook on engaged curiosity and unique lenses to view the world through. After all, culture is saccharine.

By proposing these requirements at the actual festival, FLEFF projects its own sense of captivating higher-level thinking. Curiosity drives scholars and an inquisitive audience towards ascertaining information, thereby making them capable of achieving remarkable results, whether they are as complicated as groundbreaking medical formulas, or as simple as finding a shortcut on your way to work. Either way, the environment is defined by this influential role FLEFF plays.

How would you define "a different environment?" 

Blog post written by Gillian Smith, FLEFF Intern, Journalism, Harwich, Massachusetts

Today we are visited by composer Robby Aceto, who will be playing live music along with the documentary Nanook Of The North on closing night of FLEFF.

7 pm: Robby is part of an improvisational trio, and they have played at FLEFF for several years. He says that filling the seats will be the number one thing that will keep the festival going, and believes FLEFF is at the caliber where it could compete with other national festivals. He describes how when film first emerged, the technology was not available to synchronize music so therein lies the importance of improvised soundtracks. 

7:05 pm: "A hundred years ago, a lot of these things were just fantasy. There's a tendency to feel superior to people creating things a hundred years ago. They look so silly. These guys were making films and making it up as they went along." Its incredible to see the passion that Aceto has towards the importance of composing music for film. "They had to work and think more creatively than a filmmaker now. I think they had a lot more on the ball than filmmakers now." Aceto explains how he's done both documentary and narrative films: "The way a story is told, you have an expectation of being overwhelmed with sound and I just don't feel like it needs to be like that. We've narrowed what our expectations of a film experience should be."

7:09 pm: Its really interesting to hear Aceto talk about the importance of scores on silent films, especially with the most recent Martin Scorcese film, The Artist, which was awarded five Oscars at the Academy Awards this past Sunday. 

7:11 pm: Aceto describes why he refers to himself as a 'color guitarist'. "The word came about as a way to say what I do is different from what you would expect from the interest. Guitars can do so much more than we think they can do." He also talks about being a freelance musician. "You have to diversify and see where the umbrella is of my talents. You have to look for situations where you can play. I consider myself a musician so I just look for opportunities. Working with FLEFF I was hired as a guitar player in an ensemble for commission on Anne and Phil's film. It was a great experience and great fun and it just went from there." He instructs students to make themselves available and make a name for themselves. 

7:14 pm He talks a little bit about his experience working with the Talking Heads. "I was invited to come along. I went down to what was a jam and it turned out to be a pilot session for a new album. After a question asked by a student, he goes on to explain the difference with recording and live improv. "Its just whatever happens. There's a different mindset. There's the rapport you have with the other musicians, you have to embrace the accidents that are going to occur and figure out how to utilize them and figure out how not to cause a disaster. There's a real adrenalin underneath all of this." 

7:16 pm "Not making a sound is just as important as making a sound." Aceto says he tries to get into the mindset of the filmmaker. He says you have to respect the wishes of the filmmaker, and what he achieved with his film. " You can't laugh behind your hand at it. Even if it looks silly, you have to remind yourself they were deathly serious about the film. Everything else has to go from there." 

7:19 pm: For a specific film, Aceto says you have to create an ensemble. This includes whether its kids toys making noise, a computer, or physical instruments. "You're always going to respond in a different way depending on how you feel about the moment. Thats why you can have the same ensemble but it will sound completely different unless you are performing a composed score." 

7:20 pm: A student asks how to make a cohesive sound when different artists can feel differently about a film. "If you respect the material, you can have a completely wildly divergent opinion, but you can still work with someone else's. You have to agree that whatever ideas you have, whatever concept you are going to use, it has to come to a fundamental agreement on the core of the work" Aceto says. With FLEFF, Aceto says all the films he has composed for have been well known films. 

7:26 pm: Lots of questions were asked of Robby before we get to listen to some of his clips. The interns are very clearly interested in what he does. He goes on to describe the scene for which we are hearing the music. "Robber Claudius and his men, the terror." The film is black and white, with quotations every few minutes. The music is fascinating to listen to. The segment was ten minutes long, and was highly entertaining. The score, which was very intricate and almost Indian sounding. It is truly impressive that this entire score was created by these brilliant minds in the moment. 

7:41 pm: We watch a five minute clip entitled "She Gives Him Up," as section of a German film translated as "The Wild Cat."

7:48 pm: The clip that we watch is a bit different from the previous clip, because we could hear the audience laughing during the film. Aceto describes that there is a mandarin, a key board that sounds like an accordian, a toy piano, and a technique called audio capture where he captures things happening on the stage and create textures that are overlaid. These textures are "created on the fly" he says, which is incredible. 

7:50 pm: "The idea is that you are there to underscore, not to comment." I would never have thought of how using literal sounds in these silent films could possibly ruin the film or seem as if you are commenting on them, but from Aceto's point of view it seems that they are trying to create a mood and take the filmmaker very seriously, even if the idea of the film is comedic. 
 

Blog posting written by Ian Carsia, Cinema & Photography '14, FLEFF Intern, Hamilton, NJ

6:51 p.m. Blogging live with Robby Aceto. Aceto will be performing in a live musical accompaniment of "Nanook of the North" for FLEFF 2012.

6:53 p.m. FLEFF T-SHIRTS ARE IN!

6:57 p.m. This will be the fourth time Robby and his co-conspirators have performed at FLEFF.

"Who has heard of Nanook of the North?"

100% of hands shoot up.

"Who has seen Nanook of the North?"

90% of hands go down.

WE ARE HERE TO LEARN!

7:02 p.m. Robby Aceto: "Right now, you don't have to convince anyone. You can just do it."

7:05 p.m. Robby Aceto: "The biggest problem that a group [of artists] has to overcome...is connecting with the mindset of someone 100 years ago making a film."

7:08 p.m. Robby Aceto: "We've narrowed our expectation of what a film is supposed to be."

7:11 p.m. Robby Aceto: "My approach to an instrument is to use it in a textural way."

7:17 p.m. Robby Aceto: "First, we try to get into the mindset of the filmmaker: What would he want?...Even if it looks silly to you, you have to remind yourself 'This guy was deadly serious' about whatever it was...And as far as doing it differently...just as a matter of course, it's going to be different."

7:43 p.m. Screening clips of accompanyment with Ernst Lubitsch's 1921 film The Wild Cat (Dr. Zimmermann: "The only German expressionist comedy.")

7:50 p.m. Robby Aceto: "Once you step into the realm of "This is what is happening on screen," you take it away from the audience."

7:54 p.m. About to screen a clip from 1925's Grass.

7:56 p.m. Robby Aceto: "None of the musicians know what the other's going to do...Not so much "call-and-response," more like...reaction..."

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

FLEFF Week 2012 is coming up fast, and the list of this year's festival guests is up on our website!

While every FLEFF guest brings something dynamic to the table, here are five guests that I am especially looking forward to meeting and learning from!

1. Cynthia Henderson: An Ithaca College Theatre Arts professor. Cynthia Henderson has countless acting and directing credits in the United States, Europe, and Africa. As I am pretty unfamiliar with theatre, I am hoping that Professor Henderson will shed some light on the intersections between live performance and social change and the ways in which live performance and film interact with and contradict each other. I am also extremely interested in her work on "A Wrinkle in Time" at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, as that is one of my absolute favorite books!

2. Chris White: As a cellist who actively performs both classical AND non-classical music, Chris White straddles the line of tradition versus innovation. White seems, to me, to epitomize the purpose of FLEFF; to make sense of (false) binaries and create new meanings out of tension and polarity. As the founder and director of New Directions Cello Association & Festival, I am sure that he has a lot of great insights about how to create a hub for like-minded artists and intellectuals to learn and grow together. 

3. Matthew Podolsky: A graduate of Ithaca College with a double major in Cinema and Photography and Environmental Science, Matthew Podolsky helps run the non-profit organization Wild Lens. Podolsky's very obvious interests in documentary production and the environment speak directly to FLEFF's mission, and I am excited to hear about his experiences as an IC alum. 

4. Toivo: From Trumansburg, NY, Toivo is a six-piece band that boasts of a hodgepodge of musical influences, such as Finnish and Tex-Mex, suited for dance traditions from all over the world-- waltzes, tangoes, polanise, two-steps, and many, many more! Much like Drs. Brad Hougham and Debbie Martin in their presentation about "The Concert for Microtopias," Toivo seems to embody the very "FLEFF-y" idea of creating meaning from conflicting musical forces. I am very excited for their performance, as I don't think that I have ever heard traditional Finnish music before!

5. Laura Kissel: A documentary filmmaker and Director of Film and Media Studies Program at the University of South Carolina. Her short biography on the FLEFF website already had me asking questions; I am excited to learn about her use of "orphan films" in her critical media work. As Kissel is heavily involved in academia, I hope that she will be able to provide faculty, students, and other FLEFF attendees advice on how to balance institutional demands with creative needs. 

Which artists are you most excited to see during FLEFF week 2012? 

 Coffee. Facebook. Lecture. Test.  Paper. Repeat.

I like to consider myself an academic; but in my role as a student, I sometimes find a feeling of emptiness after leaving class. The stream of information heavily flows in one direction. Our academic system forces students to become sponges: absorb everything we can to be “rung out” in those exact words over tests and papers. And then we move on to memorize and recite the next set of facts we are expected to know.

Though this conundrum is not as troublesome in college as it is at the high school level, it still is clear our brains easily are turned on autopilot as soon as we enter that lecture hall.

Coffee. Facebook. Lecture. Test.  Paper. Repeat. 

I believe my generation in particular is uncomfortable in a discussion-based environment because in this classroom setting we are not always encouraged to think outside of the box.  We do not have the opportunity to speak our mind—or if we do, the professor- student power pressure causes me to censor myself out of fear of sounding stupid. Has anyone else ever felt this way?

The environment of FLEFF greatly differs from this repressive environment of a classroom. FLEFF is all about scholarly discussion, encouraging inquisitive ideas and new perspectives of looking at the world. At FLEFF you are not solely in an environment of peers, but a diverse group where power in a discussion is distributed equally. This ties back into the idea of FLEFF being its own microtopia. The community it builds allows for an environment where curiosity flourishes and relationships form.

Do you agree with the environmental differences between FLEFF and the classroom? How will you use your voice to join the discussion at this year’s festival? 

Blog posting written by Ian Carsia, Cinema & Photography '14, FLEFF Intern, Hamilton, NJ

 Part III: Cannibal Holocaust

Ruggero Deodato has been accused of making some of the most vile, morally reprehensible films of all time.

Blog posting written by Ian Carsia, Cinema & Photography '14, FLEFF Intern, Hamilton, NJ

 Part II: How Osama Bin Laden Changed American Cinema

Obviously, these sterile, emotionless CGI spectacles predate the World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist attacks.

I still remember as a child in 1997 watching with complete awe as Roland Emmerich's extraterrestrial behemoths incinerated New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Seattle, and the rest of the U.S.'s major urban centers in one swift blow.

Don DeLillo wrote White Noise in the '80s, and yet even he sensed the correlation between advancing technology and the desperation to capture on film all the detail of hyperreal death.

Footage of the Pearl Harbor assault are fine, but in grainy black-and-white it lacks permanence in the imagination. It feels like the outdated tragedy of a bygone generation.

With September 11th, the morbid fantasies of '80s and '90s action movies exploded into reality. And what we realized was that it wasn't very cool.

Roland Emmerich? Michael Bay? Neither of them had anything on Osama bin Laden. 

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

A woman strides on stage.

She is tall, with big, diva-like hair, and she is brimming with confidence and attitude. She stares at us, the audience, before shouting; "my vagina is angry!"

I feel the man sitting to my left shift uncomfortably in his seat. 

On Sunday, February 26, I attended the IC Players performance of "The Vagina Monologues." Written by Eve Ensler and performed for the first time in 1996, "The Vagina Monologues" is a play based off of interviews with over 200 women about their sexualities and memories. 

Over the years, "The Vagina Monologues" has inspired the creation of "V-Day," a movement aiming to end violence against women and girls around the globe. 

As I sat and listened to the performer on stage denounce tampons and detail the horror of gynecologist appointments, I also listened to the sounds of the audience around me. 

We women were laughing, clutching our sides, howling at the absurdities being described on stage. We cocked our heads in sympathy and understanding during the more serious parts of the monologue.

We turned to each other to mouth, "that's so true!" or, "that's totally happened to me!" 

In that moment, I found a microtopia among the other engaged women of the audience. 

And it struck me that creating an environment of mutual understanding, empathy, and connection is exactly what FLEFF aims to do for its audience. 

By coming to FLEFF and committing to being active and engaged audience members, women, men, artists, observers, seasoned and new environmentalists, students, professionals, musicians, and everyone in between can enter into a safe space-- a microtopia-- in which sharing ideas, connecting to each other, growing, evolving, and empathizing with each other becomes possible.

How will you be an engaged audience member during FLEFF week 2012?

Blog posting written by Ian Carsia, Cinema & Photography '14, FLEFF Intern, Hamilton, NJ

Part I: War, the Game

"I see these car crashes as part of a long tradition of American optimism. They are positive events, full of the old 'can-do' spirit. Each car crash is meant to be better than the last. There is a constant upgrading of tools and skills, a meeting of challenges...it's not decay they are seeing but innocence. The movie breaks away from the complicated human passions to show us something elemental, something fiery and loud and head-on. It's a conservative wish-fulfillment, a yearning for naivete. We want to be artless again...It's a celebration. A reaffirmation of traditional values and beliefs...Look past the violence...There is a wonderful brimming spirit of innocence and fun."  - Murray in Don DeLillo's White Noise (207-208)

In my last review for the Ithacan (not yet published), I was tasked with qualitatively assessing Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh's Act of Valor.

It's a fairly by-the-numbers action movie, with its defining characteristics being that it stars active-service Navy SEALs and sports some pretty brilliant cinematographic work.

One of its strongest visual points is its use of extended P.O.V. during its battle sequences. They are shot in such a way that they imitate first-person shooter games.

Imagine that brief scene from the Doom movie, except with a greater degree of creative investment and cinematic literacy.

Another clever decision McCoy and Waugh employ is to fill in the blanks left out by Call of Duty: At one point, the P.O.V. is maintained as a SEAL drapes a blanket over the brutally tortured woman they are rescuing.

McCoy and Waugh's film is certainly propaganda, a male-centric recruiting tool that represents the military through a jingoistic lens. In its use of women, its rhetorical approach is not altogether different from D. W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation.

But I have a hard time judging Act of Valor as harshly as many critics have done. The Rotten Tomatoes summary of critical consensus even, hilariously, accuses the film of ignoring "the complexities of war."

Act of Valor is not The Hurt Locker. Heck, The Hurt Locker is not even The Hurt Locker.

They are both dumb action movies. They just happen to be rhetorical opposites.

The Hurt Locker is a dumb action movie that reflects upon itself. It presents us with all the self-indulgent tropes of action films and then forces us to confront how problematic they are. It just happened to situate itself within the context of a war that was occurring as the story was being told.

McCoy and Waugh at least try to use the propaganda film to comment on something that exists outside the film itself. With the use and subversion of the FPS-perspective, the filmmakers accuse their audience of engaging in sterile, sadomasochistic fantasies that undermine the complexities of war and the sacrifices of veterans.

Act of Valor is a recruiting video whose slogan is DAMN FEW.

Translation: "War is not a game. You are unworthy of the burden that it is your responsibility to shoulder."

If you genuinely found yourself offended by the artifice and jingoism of Act of Valor, I would like to take you on another excursion to the cinema.

On a previous assignment, I bore witness to a trailer for the upcoming Hasbro promotional film Battleship.

At one point during the trailer, amid the orgy of cartoonish destruction that the 'aliens' inflict upon the Earth, one image struck me in particular:

It was the sight of a piece of a destroyed building falling in such a way that it became stuck between its own remnants and the opposing building. Only a brief second long, I watched as the mass of glass and steel viscerally tore down the sides of its architectural kin like a piece of chalk crumbling against a blackboard.

Without a shred of context, I watched the implied death of potentially hundreds of invisible people.

"From Hasbro the Company That Brought You Transformers," the screen screamed.

My eyes suitably assaulted, the goal is to make me excited.

After over ten years, why am I still forced to re-watch 9/11?

Blog posting written by Jennifer Barish, Communication Management & Design ‘14, FLEFF intern, Skokie, IL

I sat down with freshman Television-Radio major, Dylan Armstrong, last week and discussed clowns, film, and micotopias over black tea at Ithaca College’s TC Lounge. 

JB: Why did you join FLEFF?

DA: I wanted to do something […] to reach a goal. Something related to my major. And something I enjoy doing.

JB: So what do you enjoy?

DA: That’s a loaded question. I really like films. And music. FLEFF has both. I’m also interested in marketing and this was a great opportunity to learn more.

JB: Who would play you in the film version of your life?

DA: I hope maybe Carrie Mulligan. She is beautiful and one of the best actresses around. She is a calm and sensitive woman. And I like to think of myself as a calm and sensitive woman (laughs).

JB: I’m going to read you the description of FLEFF’s theme, Microtopias. Then, tell me, what are the first three words that come to mind?

DA: Culture. Individualism. Relationships

JB: Of those three words which word resonates most with you?

DA: I’m not sure. I think they’re all connected. Our culture is made of people trying to be individuals. I am one of those people trying to bring something new to the table.

JB: What do you bring to the table?

DA: A little pizazz. That’s where the relationship comes in. I bring something different to every relationship.

JB: Monster truck or clown car?

DA: Clown car. Then I can be with a bunch of people […] cramped in the back seat with a lot of clowns (we both laugh).

JB: Are you a glass half full kind of girl?

DA: Yeah, I guess.

JB: Glass half full of what?

DA: Black coffee.

The conversation quickly unraveled from here. We covered all the life bases: future goals, mundane week worries, love, and our frustration with the word microtopia. I sipped my tea (Dylan had coffee) and learned about a unique woman outside the realm of college classrooms or school-sponsored activities.

Our chat may have veered from academic theories and professional aspirations, but FLEFF certainly started the conversation.

It was a joy chatting with Dylan, and she will surely bring her quintessential “pizazz” to the festival.

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

The FLEFF intern program is a diverse collection of students from all years and majors, with all sorts of different interests and talents. One of these very talented interns is Michelle Montgomery, senior Cinema and Photography major with a concentration in still photography.

Montgomery says she chose Ithaca because she wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to major in, but she knew that she wanted to do something with communications. 

"The exploratory program allowed me to take classes within different majors, and Park is filled with so many great opportunities and experiences," she said. "I also really liked the environment. I thought the town was interesting and I liked how there are so many natural areas nearby."

Montgomery finally chose photography because she is a visual thinker and was interested in learning about the technical and aesthetics of photography as a way to improve her visual communication. At Ithaca, Montgomery said she has had a great experience. She is currently the photo editor for Fuse magazine, a publication by students for high school sophomores and juniors.  

"I have been able to take interesting classes, learn new skills, meet great people, have good jobs on campus and study abroad," she said. "Since freshman year, I was gaining hands-on experience in classes and in student media."

She said she was inspired to become a FLEFF intern to gain hands-on festival experience and to expand her knowledge of how film festivals are planned and how they operate. 

"I am highly interested in environmental issues and sustainable solutions, and I saw FLEFF as a way to make a difference and communicate the importance of sustainability."

Look for Michelle at the FLEFF events- she'll most likely have a camera in hand! 

Blog post written by Gillian Smith '12, Journalism, Harwich, Massachusetts  

That microtopias embrace adaptation is one of their greatest strengths. If we consider utopia to be unattainable, imaginary and perfect, we must accept that microtopias exist in our world of imperfection and reality. 

I had never heard the term microtopia before joining FLEFF, but after learning more about it with each new week, I am beginning to see microtopias in my everyday life. Last week when we visited the Music School, Dr. Martin and Dr. Hougham talked about the moment when the music connects with the audience and what that feels like. All of a sudden I realized that was their microtopia. That is the audience's microtopia. In that moment, I, too, found a microtopia. 

In my mind, those little moments that go unnoticed until days later are the microtopias. It's everything that is worth living for- the unpredictability of the next moment, and the one that follows, and every moment from here on out. Not every moment is going to be your microtopia, but the possibility is there to make each next moment your own utopia. 

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

In 1922, the film considered to be the first true feature length documentary was produced: Nanook of the North. 

This year, the film is being shown at FLEFF for its 90th anniversary, with an orchestra playing its score. And it is probably one of the things I am most excited about for the festival. 

This isn't just because I am a Documentary Studies major, either. 

Last summer, I went to a book signing event in Sharon, Connecticut, where my father works. One of the board members of the library where it was held, oddly enough, is Brian Ross, the senior investigative correspondent for ABC News. 

I met him once before, when he talked to residents at the library about his book on Bernie Madoff. And we talked about how I was going to IC, where his colleague David Muir went. 

I told him what my major was, and we discussed the difference between journalism, what I originally thought I was going to major in, and documentary. He explained it like this: in broadcast journalism, you only have time to tell the essence of the story, not all of it. That is why he wrote a whole book on his investigation of the Madoffs. But there's a trade-off, because you can tell the majority of the story in documentaries, with less of an audience. 

Here's the interesting part. He talked about how he watched Nanook of the North in college, and since then I have always wanted to watch it but never had the opportunity. 

With a film with this much history, including how the director, Rob Flaherty, caught the whole original footage on fire, why wouldn't you go to watch it at FLEFF? 

Blog posting written by Hana Raskin, Communication Management & Design '12, FLEFF intern, New York City 

Something that Dr. Zimmerman said resonated in my mind- "the best advertising for a festival is word-of-mouth." This brought me back to last summer when I interned at SummerStage, New York's largest free performing arts festival.

While all of our different forms of advertising worked symbiotically to get people to talk about and to attend our events, there was nothing like word-of-mouth marketing.

Our intern team would street team before the events by walking around the neighborhood, talking to people and handing out brochures. I can’t tell you how many times we would go up to someone and say, “did you know EPMD is playing in Betsy Head Park in half-an-hour?” and they would say “what! No way, I love EPMD!”

We would see them later on at the concert, dancing and singing along, and would feel great that we were the reason they got to see their favorite group perform in their neighborhood park.

Word-of-mouth marketing.

This is why this Friday at Gallery Night, some of our blogging team will be downtown, talking to Ithacans about FLEFF.

This is why we table at Cinemapolis and tell moviegoers about all that our festival has to offer.

This is why we should talk about FLEFF in coffee shops, at lunch in the dining halls, on the supermarket line and while working out at the gym. 

I can’t wait to see familiar faces at the FLEFF events, as they wait to see a film or attend an event for something they care about, and know that they’re there because they heard about it from me.

Are you talking about FLEFF?

Blog posting written by Kacey Deamer, Journalism and Environmental Studies '13, FLEFF Intern, Binghamton, NY

This past Wednesday night, Feb 22, music professors Dr. Brad Hougham, Assistant Professor of Performance Studies (Voice), and Dr. Debbie Martin, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Performance Studies (Piano) discussed their plans for "The Concert for Microtopias" to be held on Tuesday, March 27.

In Ithaca College's Whalen School of Music, about 40 other FLEFF interns and some FLEFF staff listened to Houghman and Martin both discuss and demonstrate what we can expect from the concert. "The Concert for Microtopias" will feature performances by  Hougham and Martin, as well as outside musicians. 

As the professors shared their musical selections, I was most struck by Houghman's discussion of performing Wade in the Water. He played Big Momma Thornton's version for us on YouTube and discussed the story behind the song's lyrics. An African-American spiritual song, Wade in the Water is traced to the suffering of slaves.

"I grew up on a cattle ranch so this type of suffering is not something familiar with," Houghman said. "So my challenge is how can I sing this music? What right do I have to sing this?"

Houghman, who grew up in rural Canada, explained that it is incredibly difficult to perform a song such as Wade in the Water when he doesn't have those experiences to relate to. As someone who appreciates music and integrity, I was moved my Houghman's discussion of finding that balance between performance and pretend.

FLEFF is a different environment. An interdisciplinary festival, FLEFF hopes to cross boarders and encourage discussion. So I ask you: what are your expectations of FLEFF and how has the FLEFF Intern Voices blog changed those expectations?

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

Doesn't 2008 seem so long ago?

It's so weird to think that FLEFF has been around for four years, let alone fifteen.  And so much has changed since FLEFF 2008!  We had a different president, The Dark Knight hadn't premiered yet, and I had no idea where I was going to go to college. (Spoiler alert:  I chose IC!)

So looking at information and schedules from past years of FLEFF, I was expecting to see a lot of differences.   You can find the website for FLEFF 2008 here, but here's a quick rundown of the differences between FLEFF 2008 and FLEFF 2012.

• FLEFF 2008's screenings took place at Ithaca College, Cinemapolis, and Fall Creek Pictures.

• FLEFF 2008 focused on four content streams: Camouflage, Counterpoint, Games, and Gastronomica.

• FLEFF 2008 did not have a Checkpoints Story Contest. 

• Buffalo Street Books was not an official partner of FLEFF 2008, but they're working with us for FLEFF 2012!

It's cool to see how FLEFF has progressed over time.  With FLEFF celebrating its fifteenth year anniversary this year, FLEFF has taught us about so many topics, ranging from environmental issues to electronic music to the science of food. This only makes me more excited for this year's events!

What's your favorite FLEFF memory?

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

What kinds of people are attracted to a festival like FLEFF?

FLEFF flirts with contradiction, embraces conflict, and accepts disruption. It forces us to take a good, hard look at the false binary of intellect versus creativity that is agressively promoted in our society.

And FLEFF represents the freedom that comes from actively dismissing that binary.

Knowing all of this, we can consider Anjali Patel a natural FLEFF-er.

As a Music Education-turned-Documentary Studies-major, Anjali is brimming with a multitude of passions; for human rights, for FLEFF, and for the transformative powers of music and art.

Read on to find out more about her and her involvement with FLEFF!

Isabel Galupo (IG): You came to Ithaca College as a Music Education and French Horn major; how did you come to major in Documentary Studies and Production?

Anjali Patel (AP): I auditioned to be a music minor, but they asked me to become a major. So I did. And it’s not that I didn’t like it; it just wasn’t for me. I knew about the Documentary program and had always been interested in it. It seemed perfect because it would allow me to be creative, as I am in music, but it would provide me with a way to also express my passion for human rights.

IG: How do you see FLEFF balancing creative expression with human rights issues?

AP: The festival is speaking out for environmental justice and the environmental movement, which is an extremely timely issue. But it’s also creating a hub of music, art, and film…and what better way to advocate for a cause than through artwork? Because everyone in the world can relate to that.

IG: You mentioned being passionate about human rights. Could you elaborate on one specific issue that you find particularly important to today’s society?

AP: I am extremely worried about the availability of the arts in inner-school areas. You always hear, “the first to get cut is the arts.” I think that a lot of people see the arts as something disposable but it’s not. I mean, getting the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument for free? That’s incredible! And many children in this country are not getting to experience the great cultural experience of participating in the art and music in school.

IG: As a musician, I am sure that you were particularly engrossed by Drs. Hougham and Martin's presentation about “The Concert for Microtopias.” What insights did you gain about the intersection between FLEFF and musical expression from their presentation?

AP: I love that this festival is giving musicians an outlet to experiment and combine selections like the ones we heard during the presentation in ways that they would not normally be combined otherwise. I also look forward to it presenting people with music that they would not normally be exposed to.

IG: What was your favorite piece presented by Drs. Hougham and Martin and why?

AP: My favorite piece was “Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte” partially because of the beautiful horn solo in the beginning (and I'm biased because that's my primary instrument), but also because it is so familiar and so beautiful. I'm not sure how I had forgotten about it, but it was nice to hear it again!

Anjali Patel is just one of countless dynamic, passionate, and enthusiastic interns involved in this year’s festival.

Stay tuned for more opportunities to get to know Anjali-- and our entire team of interns-- better through the "Intern Voices" blog!

P.S. Check out the Simon Bolivar Orchestra of Venezuela; it's one of Anjali's favorite orchestras! 

“So I have named this tree out in the natural lands called grandfather oak—don’t make me sound crazy,” said sophomore environmental studies major, Elly Linares. “And I go visit it frequently. It really grounds me. I mean it’s just this huge tree that I go sit under and all of the sudden I am rooted with it.”

Linares, a California native, loves the outdoors and the environment. It is these loves that first made her drawn to FLEFF. Linhares attends the Wild and Scenic Film Festival when home, so she recognized this internship as an opportunity to have that same sort of connection and experience while at school. Not being a communications student, she is enjoying learning about the skills it takes to run a festival of this kind. However, her true passion is still with the environmental advocacy behind FLEFF- this year focusing on the theme of microtopias.

“I think it is something the world is shifting to right now which is think locally, act globally. And I feel like microtopias and the fact if we were able to form really strong local environments, we would form a huge utopia based off that,” said Linares. “Will it be perfect? No, because the world is not, but its something really important to be local. And what a great place for FLEFF to be because Ithaca is such a locally conscious town.”

Linares’s mission of environmental advocacy will not end with FLEFF, either. Currently, Linares tries to live a sustainable life style. While at home in northern California, she lives on a farm run on solar energy. She finds being as environmentally conscious is more difficult while at school.

“I do what it takes to be at balance with the world, be it emotionally or physically, and sustain myself that way. So, like an example I don’t use modern medicine. I use herbs and then I eat organic. Of course recycling factors into that too." 

But, as is being discussed in many of the previous blogs, sustainability is not solely about actions, but also education and mindsets. It relates closely to how we relate to each other as a community—on a small and large scale. Linares plans on promoting this aspect of sustainability through work with the Peace Corps. 

“The Peace Corps is a great organization to represent the though that I was raised with,” said Linares. “My mom was in the nonprofit world all her life and she said ‘I’d rather be paid in love than money’.”

Currently, the Peace Corps work is only seven percent environmentally based, but Linares hopes to change this. After working with the Peace Corps, she plans on living off the grid in a primitive area of the world.

“In ten years, I will probably be coming back to the world, hopefully with a little better understanding of it and myself,” said Linares.

And what does Linares say to skeptics of the environmental crisis?

“You don’t have to agree with it, but you have to understand that humans are the only species that have the power to change it. And that is an extreme amount of power to have, and we are just sitting there and not doing anything with it.”

So here’s my question for all of you: Recognizing we have the power of change, what should we do with it?

*Also, here are some fun facts about Elly—in case you were wondering, because I was!

Favorite movie- Food Inc.

Favorite food- Any raw prepared food, and Mexican food

Favorite color- Purple, for now anyways

Favorite musical artist- Ingrid Michaelson

Blog post written by Sarah Lockwood, Cinema & Photography '15, FLEFF Intern, Blairstown, NJ

In order to define microtopias, I believe we must divide the word into two logical halves, toss in a little bit of etymology, then piece it back together again. With a little help from the Online Etymology Dictionary, of course.

Micro

Sounds like - microscope, microphone, microchip, microeconomics.

What it derives from - Greek, form of micros, meaning small.

Topia

Sounds like - dystopia, utopia, digitopia, topiary.

What it derives from - Greek, topia is plural of topian, meaning a field, which is diminutive of topos, meaning place.

Micro + topia = Small place.

Small places, small worlds, small moments. How and where they exist.

Microtopias are different for each person, which partly embodies their brilliance. True to their etymological origin, the small places human beings create when they express themselves and connect with one another, create microtopias.

However I do pose a question as to the choice of microtopias for FLEFF 2012: the word is not, may I note, microUTOPIAS.

I fear that many who encounter the word microtopias will assume one end of the topia bias, in favor of divine perfection and ephemeral beauty, over the other topia with which intellectuals are familiar - dystopia, which embodies the abnormal, the difficult, the imperfect. 

Rather, topos or topia simply indicates a place - for good or for evil. 

Do you believe this neutral choice was deliberate?

Blog posting written by Jennifer Barish, Communication Management & Design ‘14, FLEFF intern, Skokie, IL

I'm here live at Ithaca Colllege's School of Music.

FLEFF will feature music faculty members Dr. Brad Hougham and Dr. Debbie Martin in a "colorful," "spiritual," and internationally-infused performance during the festival on Tuesday, March 27th.

 Dr. Martin:

"[this performance will bring about the most] extreme emotions."

"When you try to describe music you never have enough ways of saying things...you never know which message is going to get through."

 "If I speak the words 'I love you' to no one, it doesn't mean anything."

Dr. Houghham:

"I'm singing songs that I've always wanted to sing."

"I love pushing the ticket. I love surprising people."

"We're all there to share the same experience"

 This performance is the result of a dynamic collaboration between Patricia Zimmerman, FLEFF Co-Director, and the wonderful faculty musicians at Ithaca College. Bring your ears and an open mind. An empty house is just like saying I love you to a vacant room. Art is made to be received.

The music will be "eclectic" and we hope to both entertain and confuse.

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

 On Wednesday, February 22nd, Music Professors Deborah Martin and Brad Hougham presented their plans for The Concert For Microtopias, a FLEFF event which will be held on Tuesday, March 27th in Ithaca College's Hockett Hall. 

More interesting were the things that the professors said about their ideology. They talked a lot about things that are fragmented, such as differing styles of music. But somehow, as in the upcoming concert, they are bringing these things together. 

In the concert, they are bringing music from Bach together with soul music, for example, in a way that creates a new meaning. 

This, I think, hits on a large purpose of FLEFF. Professor Martin talked about how she can never go through a day without relating objects and experiences to music, no matter what they are. Professor Hougham discussed how FLEFF has opened his creative ability. 

FLEFF is all about making connections to different issues which may not have otherwise seemed related. It's about finding things that expand your ideas and coming up with new ideas based on those. How have you brought fragmented ideas, music, or images together? Let's see it. 

Blog Posting written by Meagan McGinnes, Journalism '14, FLEFF intern, Norwood, MA 

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.

Example: combining a film festival with a musical concert.

Brad Hougham, assistant professor for performance studies (voice), said this concert is one of his favorites to perform in because of his musical freedom. And, man, did he use that freedom!

The repertoire includes pieces utilizing an orchestra, organ, harpsichord, cello, piano and more. The material spans from lullabies to gospel. At times, they vocally will be trying to sound like other instruments to add an interesting and cool effect.

These pieces vary in rhythms, harmonies and dissonance. Just by listening there would be no obvious connection. Yet, the differences create intrigue. Intrigue leads to conversation. Conversation leads to community. Communities lead to microtopias.

“What you see will be something different than you could have possibly ever imagined,” Hougham said.

The same can be said about the FLEFF festival: it will be different than you ever imagined. FLEFF brings a diverse group of people with imaginative minds, creating a responsive environment. And what can move people to responsiveness more than music, an art form known for stirring emotions and kindling a spark in the soul.

“I love bringing excellent music to life in a different way so old music can speak to people,” Hougham said. 

Music, similar to microtopias, is fragmented and yet it can come together. It is a safe place to push boundaries, to question the preconceived and to create textures both vibrant and new.   

Has music ever moved you to responsiveness? What material's texture do you feel best exemplifies the "texture" of FLEFF? 

6:50 p.m. 

Tonight we are at the Music School on Ithaca College's campus for a presentation on how live music and concerts fit into FLEFF. 

Dr. Zimmermann says the goal is that the FLEFF concert should feel like a spectacle. It should "complicate, interogate and twist our idea for the events theme of the year." This year, they are producing a concert called  "The Concert for Microtopias," which opposes concerts for suffering and needs. Its goal is to bring people together over something enjoyable. 

Keep checking in for more updates on the presentation! 

----

7:05 p.m.

Dr. Zimmermann introduces Dr. Debbie Martin and Dr. Brad Hougham, discussing their many talents: Dr. Martin is an incredible pianist and Dr. Hougham is a baritone singer. 

7:07 p.m. Dr. Hougham says "This is my absolute favorite event of every year. Partly because no one is telling me what I have to say and I get to work with awesome people to make it all make sense." Dr. Hougham talks about how last years performance was entirely unheard of but was incredible, which is why he loves FLEFF. Dr. Martin says "We work with dead people all the time. We play dead people's music!"

7:09 p.m. Dr. Martin talks about Dr. Gironamo and the back story about his obsession with fabric. 

7:10 p.m. Dr. Hougham talks about the music choices. "We really want the idea of this is a little bit of this, this is a little bit of that, something you've never sang before." Dr. Martin explains that when looking for music for two pianists, the amount of available songs gets quite narrow. So they decided to choose their favorite songs they've loved playing in the past. " If you think of different things that would make you happy or inspired or feeling feelings at the most extreme levels, that's what you'll find here. Everything form different countries, to different takes on spiritual things, different ethnic things." 

7:13 p.m. Dr. Martin has the whole class stand up and stand clapping a rhythm to exemplify what one of the songs will feel like. 123, 12, 123, 12. She plays impossibly fast and upbeat, happy music. 

7:15 p.m. Dr. Hougham explained a Bach piece. There are two types of musical types in an opera. There's places of sing songy melodies, and other sections where characters talk to each other, he explains. That is the first thing he is singing, which falls on the heels of Dr. Martin's previous carnival-style piece. After a technological difficulty we got the Bach piece working. 

7:19  p.m. Dr. Hougham says he picked this piece because it is from a piece he has always loved and wanted to sing. He says its one of the most heart wrenching pieces we will ever hear. Meaning "Its enough" in German, the song is about how its enough that you had life when you are going to die. 

7:21 p.m. Dr. Hougham explains that he will be singing this piece, Cantata 82 in April along with one piano. Dr. Martin starts replaying the phrase from the Bach piece from memory. She picks up some music books and begins to play. She plays a slow piece that is from the same composer, that they will be playing. She then jumps right into a high paced, very happy piece that she explains will be put in between the two Bach piece. Its called "Vife!" a Brazilian carnival tune. 

7:23 p.m. Dr. Martin plays a lullaby with one hand. Its very simple and elegant and relaxing, as a lullaby should be. "Isn't that beautiful?" She says. There's a background piece to the lullaby with the left hand and it fills the whole room with a peaceful melody. She explains how Dr. Hougham gave her the music, and when she checked it out it was so much different than the lullaby she had heard on YouTube. Its in a minor key and she makes a funny face the whole time she is playing it. "As I'm playing this song, I'm just like.." and she makes a grimacing face. 

7:29 p.m. Dr. Hougham plays Cinco Canciones Negras: Lullaby, for us on the computer so that we can fully experience it. He talks about the composer who moved to Cuba and found his microtopia in Cuba. It was there that this composer produced these songs. 

7:30 p.m. They play a piece for us to see if we know it: "Pavane pour une infante defunte," which is in French. "The challenge here will be for us to sound like orchestral instruments," Dr. Martin says. "There are some really nice places for the harp here." Phil tells the room how this song is often played on September 1st in honor of Princess Diana's death. "He was known for his colors, which means how he used the instruments to create new and beautiful sounds," Dr. Martin says. 

7:34 p.m. Dr. Hougham says he will be singing Wade in the Water. He plays Big Momma Thornton's version for us on YouTube. 

7:36 p.m. "So that's the melody," Dr. Hougham says. "But it can sound any number of ways." He then plays a gospel version for us.

7:39 p.m. "I grew up on a cattle ranch so this type of suffering is not something familiar with so my challenge is how can I sing this music? What right do I have to sing this? Microtopias exist all over campus when teachers teach students and student teach teachers."  He talks about collaborating with Cynthia Henderson in the theater school. 

7:41 p.m. "A lot of these things have a dance thing going on, which I hadn't really thought about it," Dr. Martin says. "We've got Russians on the bookends." The last piece, Tarantella, comes from tarantula, and the dance comes from keeping your feet up and away from the tarantulas. 

7:42 p.m. We listen to a piece by William Finn, called "Anytime." He has produced for Broadway. 

7:44 p.m. Dr. Hougham talks about the challenge now of making it all fit together. "It has to have some sort of overarching theme, activity, event, that ties this music together."

7:47 p.m. Dr. Martin explains how when she goes to visit the other pianist in Berlin, they will be going over tempo, breathing, etc. "We don't feel constrained to feel things exactly as they were notated, so it is very freeing in that way. Two things will pull it together. One is the visual- I think it is a wonderful thing when you go to a movie, when I go, i listen to the music. I notice if its bad, but I'm not totally tuned into it. Maybe if you are a film person you notice bad editing. But I have a composer friend who goes and he barely knows what the movie was about. This will be one of those times when you can use the different sensory things to tie it all together for yourself. Also just the idea that has been created of the microtopias. If you really sit and think about how that's been described- the small moments of every aspect of who we are and what we are and its fragmented and you can take things that aren't normally together and put them together. That's what we are aiming for."

7:51 p.m. Dr Hougham: "This is Ithaca. Its a wonderful, small, safe place for people to expand and explore and take risks." 

7:52 p.m. Dr Hougham: "I love pushing the ticket and helping others experience old music in a new way." 

7:53 p.m. Dr. Martin: "I never go through a day where I'm not relating music to art, dance, literature. This just allows me to still go further and be freer in how we relates things and how it can all be a part of music. It doesn't stand apart, music is a part of life."

7:57 p.m. Dr. Zimmermann talks about Art Jones, the VJ who will be working with this concert. "He is someone really pushing the envelope on new technology," she says. 

8:00 p.m. "I think its interesting to wonder what brings people to concerts. What are they looking for? I think its great because people are there for the music and they have a love and an appreciation for music. Having a response is really great- not the applause at the end but having the sense of something being giving and received both by performers or audience. Laughter or gasps at the right moment. Always a sort of give and take," Dr. Hougham says. Dr. Martins says the first thing that comes to mind is "if I were to speak the words I Love You to no one, it means nothing. Its like a dress rehearsal. You could do a good job but its just not happening. Somehow, when people come into the room, you have a receptacle to what you are saying. Something snaps and it makes all the difference in the world. You may not be saying I Love You, but you're saying something. Its not that removed from a home crowd at a sporting event." 

8:02 p.m. Dr. Martin says she wonders what she can bring as a listener to a concert. Its easy to figure out what to bring as a performer but as a listener she wants to be entertained. "The very cool thing is you might come away with something entirely different than the person next to you." 

Bravo! 

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

I am currently sitting in the Igor room of Ithaca College's Whalen School of Music with about 40 other FLEFF interns. We are listening to Dr. Brad Hougham, Assistant Professor of Performance Studies (Voice), and Dr. Debbie Martin, Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Performance Studies (Piano), present about "The Concert for Microtopias," which will be held on Tuesday, March 27.

"The Concert for Microtopias" will feature performances by both Dr. Hougham and Dr. Martin, as well as outside musicians such as pianist Jairo Geronymo, and Art Jones, a VJ from New York City. 

Dr. Hougham's enthusiasm for FLEFF is extremely tangible from the get-go as he proclaims that FLEFF is his favorite event to participate in each school year.

He expresses the importance of FLEFF as a space of freedom for artists to pursue the pieces that they want to pursue. He touches on the interdisciplinary nature of FLEFF, expressing appreciation at how the festival forces him out of Whalen and gives him the opportunity to collaborate and brainstorm with professionals in other disciplines. 

Dr. Martin explains that FLEFF allows both performers and audience members to feel feelings at the most extreme and raw levels. In order to demonstrate how crucial these raw feelings are, Dr. Martin asked us to stand up and clap out a rhythm as she played the piano in tandem.

We felt, in Dr. Martin words, "some of the fun of the music."

Both musicians share with us some pieces that they are planning on performing at the concert. They discuss the ways in which these pieces will interact with and contradict each other, creating musical conflicts leading to intellectual experiences and insights. 

Often, Dr. Hougham and Dr. Martin stand back and let the music speak for itself.

Though I can often be seen walking around campus sporting ipod headphones, I do not consider myself a musical person by any means. Thus, I was excited to come to this presentation and really learn something about an unfamiliar field.

I thought that I would walk away with some tangible nugget of information about the ways in which music lends itself to film festivals. I expected to walk away with a handful of great soundbites from Dr. Hougham and Dr. Martin that succinctly explained the role of musical expression in FLEFF. 

Instead, Dr. Hougham and Dr. Martin challenged us to engage with the music on our own. We were left to digest the collision of tones, rhythms, and melodies ourselves, through our own lenses, just as FLEFF audiences will be expected to do.

The result, for me at least, was a more visceral understanding of how two extremely different ideas can collide and create a completely new, third idea.

And this collision and creation of ideas is what exists at the very core of FLEFF!

Are you all as excited as I am to attend "The Concert for Microtopias" and hear the sound of ideas being created during FLEFF Week 2012?

Colleen Ryan
Television-Radio, Scriptwriting '12
Anthropology Minor
FLEFF Intern
Lansing, NY

It's an interesting experiment when you take a bunch of students unfamiliar with the music school, and have them try to find a room hidden in the corner.  Although many of us FLEFF interns are out our element tonight here in Whalen, we're all here for a common purpose: A behind the scenes look into "The Concert for Microtopias"

I can't express how excited I am for FLEFF week. 

Not only will the concert in Hockett Hall at Ithaca College the Tuesday (March 27th) of FLEFF be an amazing spectacle, but it will be an awe-inspiring event where great minds and performers have come together to combine many works of art from music to acting to on the fly image processing.

It's "The Concert for Microtopias", a concert thinking in ways of bringing people together over something joyful.

Dr. Zimmerman told the interns that many of the people involved with the performance are those "who push the envelope and go intellectually and emotionally farther than they have ever gone before."

I can't wait to see how all these elements come together.

Blog posting written by Andrew Ronald, Film, Photography & Visual Arts '15, FLEFF Intern, Mahopac, New York

"There are so many brilliant people on this campus. They are extraordinary musicians, fantastic friends, wonderful colleagues, and what I've learned from them is to have the guts to push the envelope and go artistically and emotionally where you never thought you would go."

7:05 PM - Dr. Patricia Zimmerman buoyantly informs us interns about the pianist, Dr. Martin, and baritone singer, Dr. Hougham.

7:12 PM - Musical decisions are announced! In order to promote the interdisciplinary culture behind FLEFF, synthesis of spiritual, ethnic and emotional music is declared.

7:14 PM - The audience rises! Clapping in rhythm, we get to preview the piano accompaniment, filling the room with energy and joy.

7:15 PM - Technical problems! Luckily us interns are technological people and know what to do!

7:19 PM - Beautiful opera music fills the room, lulling us into a daze as we hear Ice Habe Genug, meaning "I've had enough," addressing the state of human morality. As to why the selection was picked, Dr. Hougham comments: "I picked it because it's a piece that I love, love, love and wanted to sing." He continued to declare that it's heart-wrenching and I couldn't agree more.

7:25 PM - Dr. Martin blissfully plays gorgeous harmonies on the piano with a smile on her face. And yes, she's about as sweet and humble as her joyful music. 

7:30 PM - Dr. Hougham just said the word "microtopia." All the interns just got so happy on the inside. I could tell.

7:33 PM - "You'll hear a lot of harp, you'll hear strings and there's woodwinds, but there's some really nice places for the harp," Dr. Martin says. Live blogging does not give justice to the fantastic music we are listening to right now.

7:35 PM - "Children wade, in the water. God's gonna trouble the water." The familiar tune to Wade In the Water ripples throughout the room, and even after hearing three different versions, the message still remains the same. Dr. Hougham struggles internally, however, by questioning "What business do I have singing this music? However, one of the things that occurred to me about microtopias is that they exist all over the campus." Upon hearing that an African American student said, "Honey, I sing gospel music, I gotta help that guy," the theme of microtopias becomes definitive. Students teaching teachers and teachers teaching students. Either way, it's a microtopia.

7:45 PM - Anytime by William Finn comes on. I've never heard it before, but trust me, it's good. What a voice. 

7:49 PM - "When I go to a movie, I listen to the music. I notice if it's bad." As a film student, I'm loving this right now.

7:52 PM - "Personally I feel like FLEFF has opened my own creative parameters. This is Ithaca. It's a really tremendous place to try new things." I couldn't agree more, Dr. Hougham. I couldn't agree more...

7:54 PM - "When you try and describe music and creative art to someone, you never have enough ways because you never know what message will get through." Dr. Martin compares music to art, dance, and literature, and truly understands the fusion music plays in everyday life.

8:00 PM - "Why is it important to perform in a packed theater, and what does it mean to musicians? What does it feel like? Why does it matter?' Dr. Zimmerman makes the audience ponder the meaning of community and how often we can forget that the performer is actually aware of us. It reminds me a lot about the same question I asked myself when I wrote this blog post. We all come to the conclusion that the audience is really not that removed from the performance in the concert hall. It's more than mere entertainment. It's alive. It makes you feel different. After all, it's FLEFF: A Different Environment. 

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

Hey FLEFFers! 

So I'm going to liveblog a FLEFF session that is for the interns, but I figured all you interested FLEFFers will get a kick out of this info too.  This session is focused on The Concert for Microtopias and is hosted by two of the musicians performing in the concert.

Here goes!

-----

6:58 PM- Patty Zimmerman (FLEFF Festival Coordinator and Ithaca College professor) is introducing "The Concert for Microtopias" and it sounds fantastic!  Turns out we're using the Whelan School of Music for a concert location.

6:59 PM- Ann and Phil get a shout-out from Patty!  #Awesome

7:01 PM- The actresses involved in the performance are loving the microtopia theme!  The concert has been commissioned by FLEFF and is free!

7:05 PM- Patty Zimmerman is introducing pianist Debbie Martin and baritone Brad Hougham.

7:07 PM- Brad has the floor!  (He loves FLEFF because he gets to pick what he sings.)

7:09 PM- Debbie says that she loves working with dead people (musicians, I hope/am pretty sure of).  Debbie shares a story about a man and his fabric collection (and Brad bought the guy's house and it's full of fabric) and his fabric room.

7:11 PM- Debbie:  "We thought we'd start off my choosing some of our favorite things to play.  Different things that make you happy or inspired or feeling feelings at the most extreme levels.  That's what you'll find here.  You'll find everything from different countries to different takes on spiritual things to ethnic things.  Old, old-old music, new music, it's really a lot of different things."

7:14 PM- Debbie made us stand up and clap/dance along to music! It was hard to liveblog...

7:15 PM- Brad is playing us a German song with lyrics from a sacred text.  As somebody who has sung in German, it's really hard!  Gotta give the singer props.

7:16 PM- Recording isn't working... bummer.

7:17 PM- FLEFF Team Leader springs into action!  She saves the day!

7:18 PM- Discovering a love for German opera right now.

7:20 PM- The title of the song (when translated) is "I Have Enough," as it "I have enough knowing that I'll go to heaven."  What a great aria!  (Guess my older brother's interest in Gilbert and Sullivan is rubbing off on me!  Even though this particular opera is from Bach...)

7:21 PM- Brad gets to sing this piece? He mus be so excited!  (He is.  He also just said so.)

7:24 PM- Debbie is playing the piano for us.  It's such a soft melody.  Makes me wish I was that talented...

7:27 PM- Brad is playing a recording of the piece that Debbie just played.  The soprano is amazing and its such a soft lullaby!

7:30 PM- This soft opera lullaby is going to be followed up by Maurice Ravel's "Pavane pour une infante defunte."  I recognize this!  (I used to study at the New England Conservatory.  It was all music all the time!)

7:34 PM- Debbie says that the challenge will be to take these orchestral pieces and adapt them fully to piano.  It's going to be hard to adapt harp for two pianos!

7:35 PM- Next on the program?!  "Wade in the Water!!!!"  I'm so excited!  I performed to this in high school and am obsessed with this song. 

7:36 PM- Listening to Big Mama Thornton's cover!

7:38 PM- I always get chills listening to this song!  This cover is by the African American Choral Ensemble.  Loving the alto line in this!

7:40 PM- Brad says that microtopias occur all over the IC campus... when professors teach in their classroom, in organizations, etc.

7:42 PM- From Debbie: The word "tarantella" comes from "tarantula." Ew...

7:43 PM- Listening to "Anytime" by William Finn.

7:45 PM- Somebody is asking a great question about how to collaborate over long distances!  Brad is saying that they owe a lot to Patty and that she helps bring everyone together.

7:47 PM- Debbie is going to Berlin to practice with her fellow pianist!  I'm jealous, it's such a beautiful city and there's so much history. 

7:50 PM- Debbie:  "If you really sit and think about it... these small moments of every aspect of who we are and what we are and it's fragmented and yet it can come together... That's what we're aiming for.  This should be a new experience!  Something that you don't do all the time."

7:51 PM- Brad: "I feel that FLEFF has opened my boundaries greatly... Just knowing that this is Ithaca, it's a really tremendous and wonderful safe place where you can expand yourself as an artist."

7:52 PM- Brad: "I love music and I love pushing the limit.  I love having the music speak to people."

7:55 PM- Art Jones is the VJ for the concert!  According to Patty, he has never worked with classical musicians.  This will be a cool experience for everyone!

8:00 PM- Brad:  "It's interesting to wonder what brings people to the concert.  I think it's great that people are there because of music and their appreciation and love of music.  I think that having a response is also really important.  Not applause at the end, it's about the sense of something being given and something being received."

8:03 PM- And that's a wrap!  Brava!  Thank you!  Encore!  Many other words to express the thanks of the FLEFF interns.

What music would you want to hear at a FLEFF concert?  What if it could be anything (Britney Spears, Sutton Foster, Jarhand... literally, anyone!)? Sound off below!

Colleen Ryan
Television-Radio, Scriptwriting ‘12
Anthropology minor
FLEFF Intern
Lansing, NY
 

I’ve struggled for several days trying to come up with a succinct definition for “microtopia.”

Don’t ever ask me to write a dictionary, because boy do I like my verbose run-on sentences.

Language seems arbitrary at times.

A soon to be college graduate, and I still confuse the words “utopia” and “oasis.” I see both as a place to flourish. A place of seemingly untouched, uncontaminated beauty, that although possibly surrounded by arid dessert, still has the ability to adapt and prosper.

I’m not good at putting labels on things, and as a screenwriter, I battle with words that would be better expressed as images and emotions.

I think I’ll be better at describing how microtopias makes me feel.

Microtopias makes me excited to be alive. Graduating college ranks highly on the list of “Most Terrifying Things,” yet the idea of microtopias sparks excitement.

Parts of capitalism and corporate America have in a way “incepted” us all, subliminally telling us that the way to live after college is to immediately get a “career.” We’re thriving if we have a job. We’re happy if we have money.

But is that what life’s about? I want a sustainable lifestyle. Not just by contributions to inhabit the world in a better way, but personal sustainability as well. This does not mean spending forty hours a week at an entry-level job that I hate just because I think I should.

Happiness and well-being can also be sustained.

As a constant collector of passions and inspirations, microtopias make me feel at ease and zealous towards not being exactly sure what it is I want to do…yet.

It’s okay that I don’t know.

There are endless ways I can contribute and flourish, and places where I don’t need the label of a job title to make me feel like I’m contributing to society. FLEFF allows me to celebrate myself, and the idea of microtopias: A desire to use our dissimilar yet beautiful strengths to make the world a better place.

I want to know: How do microtopias make you feel?  What about them excites you?  What do you think of them?
 

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

I hesitate to open this blog post with a quote.

I admit it; in attempting to formulate my very-own-super-personal definition of “microtopias,” I turned to someone else’s words.

Specifically, I turned to the words of writer Anaïs Nin. Nin was a fantastic writer and thinker. She is most famous for her published diary (which inspired the movie “Henry and June,” starring Uma Thurman).

 She wrote:

“From the backstabbing co-worker to the meddling sister-in-law, you are in charge of how you react to the people and events in your life. You can either give negativity power over your life or you can choose happiness instead. Take control and choose to focus on what is important in your life. Those who cannot live fully often become destroyers of life.”

I discovered this quote about two years ago, while casually scrolling down my tumblr dashboard. It struck me then, so I saved it in a document on my computer…then quickly forgot about it.

However, I found myself coming back to it after reading Gretchen Rubin’s enthralling book “The Happiness Project” this past Winter Break (follow her blog about happiness here!) Rubin’s insights, along with Nin’s quote, informed my conscious decision to actively pursue positivity in an effort to control happiness in my life.

After becoming inspired by the words and ideas of these two women, I knew that I needed to test my new perspective.

Enter: my little sister, Lucia.

Lucia is an extremely creative, bright, compassionate, and outspoken five-year-old. She, like any five-year-old, can be also insolent, stubborn, and dramatic.

Before I committed myself to intentional positive thinking, I would get easily frustrated with Lucia when she refused to listen to me. Occasionally, I would raise my voice at her—and she raised hers right back. I began to think that the situation was hopeless, that she would never calm down and that things would continue to escalate.

And guess what? Because I thought that things were going to escalate, I panicked and got more upset. And the more upset that I got, the louder I raised my voice. So things, naturally, escalated!

When I thought negative thoughts, the situation would continue to produce negative results.

However, when I took a deep breath and spoke to Lucia calmly—the whole time thinking, knowing that she would calm down and everything was fine—she started to listen to me!

Positive thinking = positive action = positive situation.

I find solace in knowing that I, and I alone, have the power to control my emotions, and subsequently my life. My mind has the potential to become an escape from frustration, sadness, anger, and guilt— if I only choose to recall the hub of good feelings that are always accessible to me. If I can turn negative thoughts and emotions into positive ones, I can transform negative situations into positive ones.

I have come to learn that I can create my own microtopia simply through intentional positive thinking.

But, hey, this is just my personal experience!

I am sure that many people have denounced positive psychology, finding that it simply does not work for them. So I am interested in your opinions!

Do you believe the human mind has the potential to become a microtopia? Are different perspectives and outlooks on life, in essence, just different microtopias?

Blog posting written by Andrew Ronald, Film, Photography & Visual Arts '15, FLEFF Intern, Mahopac, NY

It has been really exciting for us FLEFF interns to get to know each other, and as a blogger, I took the liberty in getting to know my fellow colleagues I will be working with at the festival. I would like to introduce all you FLEFF activists to the spunky and ambitious Karly Placek, a freshman at Ithaca College majoring in Documentary Studies and Production. Karly is from Monroe, Wisconsin, and if you ever happen to be in the area, she highly recommends Brennan's Market, the cheese store where she works, or just a good field to go cow tipping in. 

ANDREW RONALD - What made you interested in becoming a FLEFF intern?

KARLY PLACEK - I was interested in the international aspects of it. I wanted to meet new people from different cultures and share ideas about art and media

AR - On that note, what have your experiences been like so far and have they upheld what made you originally interested in joining FLEFF?

KP - I like getting the chance to meet other kids at different schools [on campus] that I normally wouldn’t collaborate with. It has been interesting to brainstorm different ideas for the festival with them. These students come from such different backgrounds and I think it’s really great that we all get the chance to work together. 

AR - Because FLEFF explores the theme of microtopias this year, how would you define this term in your own words?

KP - To me, microtopias are places that are created when people understand that ideas aren’t necessarily accepted in society as a whole. They are, in fact, created on a smaller scale to unite people with comment interests.

AR - How effectively do you think the interns this year are promoting FLEFF through social media and other forms of communication?

KP - I think FLEFF interns this year are doing a good job about getting the word out about FLEFF. Not only are they utilizing Facebook and Twitter, but they are working on promoting public relations via word of mouth, posters and stickers. 

AR - The screening of Oka! kickstarted the FLEFF experience unofficially last Sunday. What did you think of the film and the director?

KP - I absolutely loved it, and I think that has to do a lot with my global interests. Anything about Africa sparks my interest and I am personally an active member of Invisible Children, a club that aims to resolve conflicts in Africa. Having the director there brought me so much insight that I had never experienced in a film before. She really served as an example that I could emulate in the future with my own personal filmmaking career and anthropological exploration.

AR - What are you most looking forward to?

KP - I am most interested in meeting the directors and brainchildren behind international films and new media projects. I want to get advice from them and see what my career could actually be like in the real world. They have a lot to offer and I have a lot to learn. 

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

Most people think of utopias as these grand, beautiful places where everyone is filled with happiness and bliss. Other than maybe a vacation to Hawaii or some other island with clear blue waters, white sands, and palm trees, that does not seem very attainable. 

In New York City this past summer, there was a microtopia on Governor's Island as a project for the Figment NYC 2011 Festival. It was a small area created for children and the community, created by those who lived nearby. From May until September, it provided a place for the community to gather, learn, and have fun. 

This is the type of impact that I believe FLEFF will have on the Ithaca community, and on everyone who attends the festival. 

My idea of a microtopia is a place that is small, intimate, and a personal haven amidst the stress of everyday life. Personally, I found that when I went to Block Island last summer. Without much television, internet, or entertainment, the things that I normally did to keep myself occupied became extremely limited. Because of the lack of constant intellectual and visual stimulation, I actually began to lose track of time, read books, and spend quality time with the people I love-all without the interruption of technology. 

The point of microtopias, I believe, is to give everyone their own personal place to relax and find themselves. Each one is different, and specific to each individual, but it can do a lot. So what does your microtopia do for you? I would love to hear about it. 

 In 1516, Thomas More wrote a book called "Utopia." In the book there is an island that is described as the absolute perfect place with: no private ownership, no locks on doors, free hospitals and communal meals. Of course many features of this imaginary society are a little outdated, like having two slaves per household or punishing premarital sex with compulsory celibacy, but the idea is the same.

But Thomas More meant to suggest that utopias only exist in fiction books. The word "utopia" comes from the Greek words ou 'no' and topos 'place.' So the word in-itself suggests that a utopia is unachievable. 

But let's not despair; while this utopia we are told to aim for, is actually a joke at our expense, microtopias (or small utopias) surround us. Microtopias are often temporary and dynamic, like art installations, but can also be more permanent without being forever. They bring people together in conversation, in laughter, in common purpose. Microtopias are about looking at our communities, building community by creating third spaces, and improving our immediate environment. Just because a Utopia doesn't exist, doesn't mean we can't work towards a more perfect society. 

I feel like often times we are so overwhelmed by feeling insignificant and as helpless as small fish in a big sea, that we fail to recognize the importance of the micro in influencing the macro. We want to enact big change, but sometimes we need to start local and start small. 

That being said, although sustainability is a global responsibility, microtopias play a pivotal role. Instead of waiting passively for national and global laws/regulations that will protect and conserve our resources for future generations, it's up to us to create sustainable microtopias.

According to environmentalist and author Bill Mckibben, "people everywhere are excited by the treasures of the whole planet, but we crave, too, the security of belonging in some place whose scale makes sense. Anyway, in the end, it's only those vital local communities that can generate the music, the recipes, the solutions that are worth sharing around the world."

Even though the ideal society exists "no place," microtopias are everywhere. Let's not underestimate the power of micro. 

Blog posting written by Jennifer Barish, Communication Management & Design ‘14, FLEFF intern, Skokie, IL

Last summer, while interning in downtown Chicago, I attempted to be an adult. Pencil skirts. Train tickets from the suburbs to the city. Newspapers. Lattes.

My days were long, and after my unpaid commitment to a small consulting firm, I would take the red line home, throw my heels in the closet, and don a navy hat and gray park district t-shirt. I was a working stiff that hot summer—a corporate drone by day and a concession stand dish-washer by night.

This type of lifestyle was a culture shock, and my first taste of the “real world” was influential, but brutal.

Miles away from the dynamic Ithaca College campus where you can find impromptu string quartets on the quad, my life felt flat—a lit too stable, a bit too busy, and just uninspired.

But the train station made life deliciously more noisy and volatile.

Men and women singing the blues. Public displays of affection. Domestic disputes and heartfelt apologies. Bucket boys. Sports rivalries.

I put down the paper and started to listen, and the hot summer was soothed by these micro moments of chaos, music, and voyeurism.

The train was my microtopia—where my world could be dynamic, but safe, impulsive, yet calculated.

Blog post written by Sarah Lockwood, Cinema & Photography '15, FLEFF Intern, Blairstown, New Jersey

The crowd swells in anticipation. Whispers, conversations, coats rustling, the uncertain glances around the theatre. When will the film start?

I settle further into my chair, and then freeze. I blink. I take a breath.

The director, Lavinia Currier, stands five feet to my right. Her film, Oka!, mere minutes away from screening.

She glides past me on the way to center stage - I am but one of hundreds of faces in that packed theatre tonight. Yet simultaneously, I feel a sense of individualism. Of importance. Of connection.

The film screens, and once again Currier breezes past me, this time on the way to one of two wooden stools set up in front of the stage. The crowd buzzes with pleased admiration, of anticipation of the question-and-answer session that will follow.

My mind buzzes at the closeness. My first encounter with a director, an artist, the creator of a work of art whose screening occupied the last ninety minutes of my life, that stole it and transported it to the forests of Africa and the passions of a man for whom oka - a word meaning listen - was a command.

The creator of such a vision stood only moments ago, a foot from me. A pleasantly nervous fidgeting overcomes my muscles, a vaguely intimidating sense washes over me.

However.

Lavinia Currier is just a woman. An artist. A filmmaker.

An ordinary person.

An ordinary person, however, from whom we are able to learn so much.

Blog posting written by Ian Carsia, Cinema & Photography '14, FLEFF Intern, Hamilton, NJ

Charlie Ahearn's Wild Style is one of the coolest movies ever made. It's small. It's simple. And yet within its lines is a vibrant aesthetic urgency that mirrors the graffiti art that plasters the walls and train cars of its '80s South Bronx setting.

Many hip-hop scholars will note the film's significance within the culture and genre's formative years. But, as Jesse Stewart argues in "Real to Reel: Filmic Constructions of Hip Hop Cultures and Hip Hop Identities"[1], what Ahearn's film also did was pull together the disparate elements of South Bronx urban culture (the rappers, the DJs, the b-boys and b-girls, and the street artists) and cast them as a fully articulated whole.

The truth of Stewart's reading even challenges the notion of calling Wild Style "Ahearn's film." With a cast of non-professionals, mostly South Bronx-residents and many deeply entrenched in the emerging hip-hop community, the true author of the movie becomes the South Bronx itself, a multi-faced auteur who doubles as the star.

The definitive moment of the film comes at the end: a huge party at the Amphitheatre. Kids pack the open-air space, dancing to the beat, engaging in call-and-response with the rappers. The Amphitheatre itself is plastered with a huge mural depicting large, dark hands apparently trying to crush the spirit of the performers and the audience, but to no avail.

A quote often attributed to Emma Golden, really more of a summary of an idea she expressed in 1931's Living My Life, goes by some variation of this: "If I can't dance, I don't want to be a part of your revolution."

I see no clearer expression of this sentiment than the ending of Wild Style. However temporary and microcosmic, the Amphitheatre party is wrapped in so much of the South Bronx's own social, political, economic, and environmental allegory that it begs to be seen as a profound utopian moment even as the hands of a classist, white supremacist society clasp around it.

Like many seeking to define the concept of a 'microtopia', I turned to Google.

But my first discovery surprised me.

FIGMENT NYC 2011's own dabbling in the idea of the microtopia - in this case, collaborating with kids, environmentalists, and street artists to construct a temporary utopia of free expression - is illustrative of how the concept predates its categorization and definition.

A microtopia does not only find its expression in a hip-hop party. It can be in a mosh pit, or an open art installation.

A microtopia is a space where the humanity and self-expression of all individuals is emphasized and legitimized.

A microtopia has its own distinct wildness; it must have style, for without style it forsakes life.

Anybody else have some ideas on where and when microtopias come about? How they define themselves? What forms they take?

[1] For Stewart's article, just look up Volume 26, Issue 2 (Fall 2009) of Interdisciplinary Humanities. The particular volume is called Music in Context.

Also, a shout out to Professor Sean Eversley Bradwell for hooking me up with the Stewart article last semester. Great source. Great movie. Great class. If it wasn't worth five mics, it was damn close.

Blog posting written by Andrew Ronald, Film, Photography & Visual Arts '15, FLEFF Intern, Mahopac, New York

The theme of FLEFF this year explores the concept of microtpias, and because this definition varies on a number of levels,  I figured I would tackle my own definition of the term. And you can put the dictionary down because the idea behind microtopias is too abstract to be defined in a single sentence (and isn't even in the dictionary in the first place).

Alright, here's the English lesson for all you language aficionados out there. Microtopias is coined from the prefix micro, meaning small, and suffix topos, meaning a place. Microtopias therefore, are essentially small places. Logical, right? But is that really where the definition ends?

Microtopias are portmanteaus of reality and unification. The reality is that one singular, harmonious utopia cannot be achieved. In fact, to distinguish utopia from communism may call for a very interesting conversation. But microtopias are still unifying nonetheless, and this accounts for why they can be found on such a global scale. Utopias preach for a marriage between perfection and peace. But realistically, we must divorce ourselves from this idealistic society and strive to achieve unison in compartmentalized divisions - divisions we would call microtopias. 

FLEFF understands this notion. It's a microtopia of its own and leads to interminable conversations revolving around complicated situations. It makes us strive to perfect sustainability, mesmerizes us through music, gain insight through international films and disrupts the premise of a utopia. Microtopias are now and they are here to stay.

How would you define microtopias? Do you think the foundation behind building a utopia is unrealistic? 

In every academic paper I have written, I am always told to define my terms. But with a term as complex as microtopias, declaring a definition becomes daunting. The meaning of the complex concept of microtopias depends on personal perspective. But the same is true when defining utopias in general because perfection or the characteristics of a perfect society differs from person to person. So here are my terms. 

A utopia is an ideal, perfect society. We imagine this society without limits or constraints, reminding me of the inspirational quote, “What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?” For me, that means creating a sustainable community with a systems thinking mindset that utilizes nonviolent communication.

That being said, I define microtopias as a society that recognizes one cannot create a utopia for the entire world. Instead we strive to bring this concept to the little piece of world surrounding us. What makes up my entire world may not even be on someone else’s radar. It doesn’t make it any less important; it just makes it mine. Through this concept we localize, which is a vital characteristic to my utopian sustainable society that I defined above.

FLEFF itself can be defined as its own microtopian society. It’s here. It builds community. It sparks conversation about limitless solutions to local struggles.

How do you define microtopias? Is it possible to turn ideal into actuality? What would you do if you knew you could not fail? 

Blog posting written by Andrew Ronald, Film, Photography & Visual Arts '15, FLEFF Intern, Mahopac, New York

Alright, here's the scene: you are finally about to see the film you have been begging all your friends to sacrifice ten bucks for and go see with you. You get there, overcome with excitement for this movie. You are sitting in the middle of a packed theater with about one hundred other people who are as excited as you for the lights to dim and the previews to start rolling. Suddenly, this unfamiliar, yet bittersweet feeling of claustrophobia overcomes you. And for some reason, you love this feeling. We all do. And that is what we call community.

Community is ubiqituous. The sensation that is shaped through cliques of texting teenagers. The harmonious brotherhood that materializes in college fraternities. The cohesion between families that is created in neighborhood culdesacs. No matter where this dynamic manifests, it's undeniable that community is bliss. 

This was exactly what it felt like during the screening of Oka! at Cinemapolis, a film that jumpstarted the fifteenth anniversary of FLEFF. The theater was saturated with incredible passion, palpable energy and, of course, a feeling of togetherness. Audience members even expressed promising feelings that the amount of energy will only escalade as the festival quickly approaches. 

It's funny to think about how total strangers can be thrown together in a room and generate a better viewing experience than the one that would be created by being alone in a theater. But that's what communities do. It's astonishing to see how the idea of a communitiy can achieve so many rewarding effects. It creates a lingering sense of unity while still promoting diversity. It enhances companionship while preserving identity. It's basically what we would call a microtopia. 

Now here's some questions I will leave you all with:
Do you agree with the sensation of being in a packed theater?
What does it feel like before a film starts for you? 
What are your thoughts on the establishment of a community?

(And in case you didn't get the title, check this out. Save Community!)

Blog posting written by Jennifer Barish, Communication Management & Design ‘14, FLEFF intern, Skokie, IL

Many of my friends who study flute, guitar, or bassoon at Ithaca College usually laugh at my ignorance of quarter notes and half notes. I don’t know music. But I certainly can feel it.

During last Sunday’s showing of OKA! at Cinemopolis, the room was full, colorful, and boisterous. Director Lavinia Currier stood before the diverse crowd of professors, students, and native Ithacans alike--eloquently introducing her film and its components of magical realism.

I ate my popcorn far too fast, and then wondered how Ms.Currier could tie together magical realism, Africa, and an ethnomusicologist from New Jersey in the next two hours.

It was the music that tied it all together. I had no prior knowledge of Central African culture, ethnomusicology, or the dangers of living in the BaAka people’s dense forest. But there was something familiar about the melodic female chants and the textured sounds of the Pygmies.

My mind instantly brought me to a sweaty park in Chicago as I heard tUnE-YarDs' front woman, Merill Garbus, sing a soulful performance at the Pitchfork Music Festival. I couldn’t help but hear the similarities between OKA!’s Pygmy music and Garbus’ vocal rifts throughout her newest album. Through my love for the tUnE-YarDs’ sound, I felt instantly connected to this foreign and mildly intimidating film. When I did a quick Google search after the showing, I discovered that Merrill’s experiences in Africa influenced her unique, musical style.

When I got home, I instantly turned on “Bizness” and danced before starting my Sunday homework.

This connection is messy. But I think that’s what FLEFF is supposed to do—mess everything up, take your mind to other experiences with art across the country, and make you dance unabashedly in your dorm room.

I'll leave these two pieces of music here for you all to make equally convoluted connections.

Where does the music take you?

Perusing all of the blogger introductions I realized that while we as FLEFF interns are united by a common purpose, our reasons for working for the festival are varied. Those reasons are shaped by our different experiences, our passions and our aspirations for the future. I was intrigued by my fellow intern's stories and wanted to know more, so I sat down with Freshman Television and Radio major Julia Manchester. Julia is from Orlando Florida, but don't ask her if she goes to Disney World all the time; she's more of a Universal Studios person. That isn't to say that she doesn't like Mickey Mouse.

Hana Raskin- Why did you decide to intern with FLEFF?

Julia Manchester- I'm interested in broadcast news journalism, but I think the environment is such an important part of news today. It's important to learn about, and FLEFF will give me the opportunity to do that.

HR- Can you talk a little bit about your experience so far?

JM- I tabled at Cinemapolis, which was cool because we got an inside look at how a movie theater works and how a festival fits into that.

HR- Do you feel like this internship has made you more a part of the downtown community?

JM- I definitely think so, I've gotten to speak to lots of people who live in Ithaca when I've been tabling at Cinemapolis or at events.

HR- What are you looking most forward to?

JM- I'm interested in seeing the films and meeting the directors. I'm more of a newsperson, so I'm interested in learning about the film side.

Passion: it’s an uncontrollable desire, an inner fire. For me, passion is the most important emotion to incorporate in every aspect of my life, whether that is through my writing, my friendships, or my other interests.

What is even more exciting and invigorating than personal passion is finding people with a shared passion. And I’m not talking about shared love of trends like sports teams, Harry Potter, Twilight or Lady Gaga. I am talking about true, down and dirty, this-is-going-to-change-my-life and I-want-to-change-the-world passion. Trends are superficial. Passion goes deeper than that. It’s an emotion of the soul that touches down to the inner cores of our being. Passion builds relationships, friendships, and community.

At the screening of Oka, the first film to kick off FLEFF 2012, the sense of shared passion in the packed theater was overwhelming. The buzz of excitement, the gasps of shock, the silence of intrigue had everyone in a joint state of hypnosis. This can only happen with a connection on that deep level that passion evokes. We were all there and present in that theater because of a passion for environmental advocacy, music, film, etc. I felt connected to the strangers in that theater because of it. We all shared a few hours together, soaking our souls in FLEFF goodness.  

I have found that the best friendships and strongest relationships in my life have not been formed because of a shared obsession for Urban Outfitters or the catchy television show Glee. They have grown from life loves and awe-inspiring aspiration. The best things in life come from passion.

What is your passion and how will you share it?

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

What's up, FLEFFers?

FLEFF 2012 is still a ways away, but last Sunday (unofficially) kicked things off with a screening of OKA!.  We had a full house and a great talkback with the director, Lavinia Currier.  Not only was it awesome to hear about the true story behind the film, but learning about the global issues the film shows was a great experience.

Us interns, meanwhile, have been busy learning about and planning FLEFF events!  I caught up with Gautam Singhani, Team Leader, and asked him about his FLEFF experiences and why he chose to work at FLEFF 2012.

Chloe Wilson: So you were a FLEFF 2011 intern.  Why did you choose to be a FLEFF 2012 Team Leader?

Gautam Singhani: Last year, I had a suberb time helping organize the film festival and publicizing events as a FLEFF intern.  I felt that there was much more that could be done to enrich the film festival experience, which is what drove me to apply as a Team Leader.  I have many ideas on how to promote FLEFF, and I hope to implement them in order to help the festival grow.

CW: What was one of your more memorable experiences from FLEFF 2011?

GS:  Meeting with the directors of some of the films last year was really valuable.  I was able to interact, ask questions, and hold very intellectual conversations with them.  I learned a lot about film making, but I was also able to network by simply holding conversations and listening to [the directors'] ideas and opinions.

CW:  Do you have any cool stories from FLEFF 2011?

GS:  Last year, I worked mainly as a projectionist.  While striking equipment and packing up gear after an event, I got to interact with some of the performers and directors.  I always found what they had to say about their own performances or films interesting.  But what I really enjoyed was being asked to escort the directors and performers to nightclubs after their performances.  There's no better sight than to see directors rocking it out on the dance floor!

CW: Are there any new changes that are coming to FLEFF 2012 that FLEFFers should look out for?

GS: FLEFF interns will be creating a huge recyclable art installation* on the Ithaca College campus to publicize FLEFF's theme this year- microtopias.  We have also modified our advertising strategy to attract a larger audience and set ourselves apart from other film festivals.

CW:  Any advice for 2012 FLEFFers?

GS:  Get involved with ALL of the events that take place and actively participate in discussions after panels and screenings.  Everyone can gain valuable information by interacting with directors and by asking questions during the event.  (I also highly recommend interns to stay after events and observe, if not help the directors and performers after events.  That interaction can help develop something further.)

-----

And that's one of this year's FLEFF team leaders!  Do you have anybody you want to hear from, FLEFFers?  Sound off below!

*Our art installation won't look like these pieces... but seriously how cool are these?! It's amazing what you can do with recyclable materials!

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

Life is interesting when you seek out issues that you have never known of before. That is my main interest, finding stories which I do not know much about and educating myself so that I can help to educate others. 

This is one of the main reasons why I wanted to be a FLEFF intern. I love learning about issues that I have no direct relationship to or know very little about. In learning about the experiences of others, it is much easier to be understanding and educated about our world. I became really interested in the festival the first time I came to visit Ithaca, and wanted to learn more. When I saw the website, I was extremely interested in the online Trafficked Identities Exhibition that was featured online last year. This past semester, I wrote an article for Buzzsaw Magazine about human trafficking. I find it to be a very fascinating issue that needs to be discussed in greater detail so that actions can be taken to prevent this phenomenon from occurring. 

FLEFF is something which I am really excited about, not just because of the exhibits and films that will be screened. As a Documentary Studies major, I am truly interested in seeing how an actual film festival operates, the type of people that attend, and being a part of the marketing process. It is very amazing that I have the opportunity to gain this experience and meet so many interesting people within the industry. 

What would you be interested in learning more about? Go out and expand your horizons. Maybe you will stumble onto a subject that you become truly passionate about! It's worth a try. 

Blog posting written by Isabel Galupo, Cinema and Photography, ’14, FLEFF Intern, Towson, Maryland.

Nomenclature. Lackadaisical. Coagulation.

These are just a few of my favorite words.

To me, understanding and respecting the power of words is a crucial skill for all people living in today’s world. Words can inspire life-changing epiphanies and spark revolutions. Words have the power to affect individual people at their very cores, while simultaneously resonating with entire communities and populations. Words can create significant and extraordinary change.

My love and respect for words is what brought me from my hometown of Towson, Maryland to Ithaca College. I entered my freshman year with a brand new pack of Black Papermate Profile Retractable Ballpoint Pens (which I highly recommend!) and an eagerly declared Journalism major.

However, I quickly discovered that my true passion lay in writing for film and switched my major to Cinema and Photography, with a concentration in Screenwriting. As an avid reader (I am currently in the middle of Michael Ondaatje's poetry collection The Cinnamon Peeler and Anne E. Kornblut's work Notes from the Cracked Ceiling), I use my love for words to connect to the Ithaca community and volunteer with The Family Reading Partnership. I enjoy playing with words to craft my own creative writing, in addition to writing Draft Resolutions during Model United Nations conferences where I represent the IC Model UN Team. 

My love for words is also what prompted me to intern for the 15^th annual Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival this semester. This year, the backbone of FLEFF is one singular word: “microtopias.” Though FLEFF co-directors Thomas Shevory and Patricia Zimmermann did an excellent job breaking down the nuances surrounding the word on the festival home page, I am excited to see how FLEFF will provide moviegoers, directors, students, artists, intellectuals, writers, readers, and dreamers a space to explore the multitude of meanings and possibilities behind the word “microtopias.”

Most importantly, however, FLEFF provides us all with the opportunity to reflect on the term “film festival.” At first glance, the definition of this word may seem straightforward. However, FLEFF’s interdisciplinary nature challenges all of us to question what we think we know about the limits of film festivals and the parameters of art.

Words are all around us. We often take them for granted, never pausing to savor the complexity and possibility that lies behind each and every one of them. In the upcoming weeks, I challenge all of you to practice challenging yourself in the way that FLEFF surely will. Ask yourselves: What is your favorite word? What possibilities lie within the multiple definitions of that word? How can you widen your understanding of words in order to effectively use them in our exciting and ever-changing society? 

 Blog posting written by Gillian Smith, Journalism, '12, FLEFF Intern, Harwich, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

A wise man, more commonly known as Mark Twain, once said that "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowline, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream." This, among many other things, is the driving inspiration in my life. 

Having the ability to dream has led me to many life opportunities that seemed out of reach. I grew up on Martha's Vineyard, a small island off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. For many months of the year, my world consisted of my 15 classmates and my family. I followed my dream of becoming a journalist and luckily made it off that tiny island, eventually traveling throughout Europe for six months and expanding my horizons greatly. Through my education, I have learned that I am a very creative person. I have always painted and loved the arts, but what I have learned is that my true passion is for writing and producing documentaries. Documentaries combine everything that I love about investigating a story with my need for hands on work. 

Being an Ithaca College student has both inspired me to reach beyond any goals I have set for myself as a journalism and has taught me the importance of living a sustainable life. Sustainability is not something that I was brought up with, or had ever really been taught to keep in mind. Living here has shown me the true importance of being aware of the environment and what effect I may have on it. 

This, in combination with my love of journalism and documentaries, is what inspired me to become an intern with FLEFF. I am intrigued by the idea of a film festival, and am truly excited to have the opportunity to get to work on a film festival of this caliber. I also applied to the internship because I have a new interest in sustainability, and take any opportunity that I can to learn more about it. I was surprised to learn that this internship is run mostly by previous interns. In my mind this is a great way to inspire the new interns and to also generate ideas rapidly. 

I will end this post with a question: what will we, as interns, to make this FLEFF season bigger and better than the last?

Blog posting written by Kacey Deamer, Journalism and Environmental Studies '13, FLEFF Intern, Binghamton, NY

Some people hate to talk about themselves. I'm not one of those people. I'll tell you just about anything you want to know about me. More than anything, though, I love to talk about the environment. That's probably why I am a double major in journalism and environmental studies. It is my job to write and talk about the environment, ranging from the science of climate change to eco-friendly lifestyle changes.

Working with FLEFF is a perfect combination of these passions. I get to promote an incredible, interdisciplinary environmental film festival through blogging! Through this platform I'll share with you the inner-workings of a festival: profiles, reviews, top 5 lists and many other musings. Think of this as a special preview, brought to you by students who care.

As a student who cares and who will be sharing stories on this blog, I thought I'd tell you some more about myself (since I do, in fact, love to talk about myself). I grew up in the suburbs of Binghamton, NY, which is not too inspiring in the environmental department. Despite that, I always had a consciousness of the planet and its well-being. Attending Ithaca College was an easy choice given the sustainability efforts of the campus and the perfect combination of majors.

My time on campus has been spent doing just about everything. On the journalist side: I'm an editor for Buzzsaw Magazine, the environment/sustainability beat reporter for The Ithacan, a member of SPJ and SEJ, and developing a personal blog. On the environmental side: I help maintain the student-run organic garden, am a member of the environmental society and Slow Food chapter. 

Off-campus I am a full-time foodie and wine connoisseur (which will come in handy working on the festival). I also have a fondness for DIY projects and therefore a new addiction to Pinterest.

I'm here, as an intern and a blogger and an insatiable academic, to broaden my understanding of the festival world and to find new avenues to share environmental messages. Why are you here?

Blog posting written by Andrew Ronald, Film, Photography & Visual Arts '15, FLEFF Intern, Mahopac, New York

The power of cinema is important to anyone who may be in the filmmaking business or studying film theory, and it even targets viewers who simply derive enjoyment from watching films. This affinity to cinema was something that struck me at an early age, justifying my current role as an eager freshman at Ithaca College working towards earning my BFA in Film, Photography & Visual Arts. It probably also accounts for why my friends vacantly stare at me when I hold interminable conversations about the latest feature film out in theaters that they “need to go see immediately!” It also explains why I find these jokes hilarious:

• Screenwriting tip: The best place for a character to breakdown and cry is always in the shower.

• In Fight Club, half the people in the movie talked about the damn Fight Club.

• If you really want to know why horror movies no longer scare people, just watch the news.
  ...and more entertaining movie humor!

Simply put, film is moving. Is it captivating. And it is inspiring.

This power, however, is not limited to the cinematic world, and this is something that the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival understands. FLEFF manifests this energy in such a way to permeate the minds of an interdisciplinary culture, ranging from aspiring filmmakers to individuals who are ardent about exploring human nature and even those who are passionate about the planet. Appropriately, this year's theme touches upon the concept of microtopias, an environmentally relevant subject as the festival upholds values of sustainability. Microtopias is indicative of the nature of the festival, promoting a liberal view on a myriad of subjects that will be presented at the festival.

This is one of the main reasons I knew I needed to become involved with FLEFF. Of course during my experience as an intern, I know that I will be surrounded by an overwhelming (yet by no means exhausting) amount of film. After all, the first festival-related event includes a screening of OKA! taking place at Ithaca's local not-for-profit theater, Cinemapolis on February 12 with director Lavinia Currier. But I knew there was more to FLEFF than just letting the harmonious sound of the words "film festival" ring in my ears. There is so much more rewarding information to inherit by becoming involved with FLEFF (and some delicious wine to taste at the Finger Lakes Wine Center who was generous enough to host our evening celebrations!) The collision between social interaction, dynamic energy, mystifying adaptation, relatable locality, innovative technology, and rejection of utopia all seem to define FLEFF for what it promises and what it teaches.

So now I have a question for all you eager and ambitious FLEFFers out there! As a passionate film enthusiast, I am going to throw this question out there: What's your favorite film and how does it inspire you? Who knows, maybe your favorite film hasn't been discovered yet and will be screened on March 25 when FLEFF starts!

Blog posting written by Hana Raskin, Communication Management and Design ’12, FLEFF Intern, New York City

Welcome to my blog! This spring we will embark on a journey together, as we experience and explore all that the 2012 Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival has to offer.

My name is Hana Raskin and I am a senior at Ithaca College where I study Communication Management and Design. I am originally from the East Village, a vibrant and diverse neighborhood in New York City. My neighborhood has many claims to fame: "beat generation godfather" Allen Ginsberg lived in the East Village and used it as inspiration for many of his poems, and there were also the Tompkins Square Riots in 1988, which captured the neighborhood's struggle with pervasive gentrification.

Moving to Ithaca was difficult at first; it was hard to sleep at night without fire engines and bar fights serving as the backdrop to my dreams. However, I have grown to love this town and all it has to offer. Ithaca has provided me with a strong sense of community that I never had growing up. Community would be one of the main reasons I decided to become a FLEFF intern, besides of course, my love for film.

FLEFF brings together the Ithaca College campus community with the Downtown Ithaca community and then Ithaca with the global community. FLEFF looks past the subjective borders that separate us by bringing us together in a global conversation on sustainability, immigration and other pertinent environmental and human rights issues.

We have partners and collaborations around the world. The collaboration that I am most exited for is with Cinema Tropical, which presents Latin American cinema in the United States. In New York City, Cinema Tropical organized screenings of Amores Perros and Y Tu Mama Tambien, which are two of my all-time favorite films!

My love for foreign films stems from my being an adventurer with a wanderlust spirit. I have studied in Argentina and Spain and have traveled to over 15 countries. During my most recent crazy trip, I took two 24-hour bus rides to spend two days in La Paz, Mexico. No regrets.

I have told you why I identify with Fleff, now I want to know why you do. What is it about FLEFF that connects to you and to your unique story?

Colleen Ryan

Class of 2012

Television-Radio, Scriptwriting

Anthropology Minor

Lansing, NY

I’m a vagabond of passions.

One of my biggest regrets is ever believing I had to chose just one.  As a college senior, Ithaca College is my third undergraduate institution, and I’m surrounded by so many other students and faculty, who like me, have discovered it’s a beautiful thing to be abundantly passionate.

That’s why I know I belong at FLEFF.  I don’t have to choose one form of expression because FLEFF celebrates it all. 

I added an anthropology minor in the second semester of my junior year.  My love for the human condition was what made it hard to find my niche in media for so long, but now I know I can intertwine them.

When you’re a college senior the “real world” becomes ever more real and scary, and some how society pressures make it seem like graduating college becomes a quarter life crisis.  Who are you going to be?  What are you going to do?  How much money are you going to make?  How are you going to leave your mark on this world? 

It’s nauseating yet exhilarating.

These questions may not be completely answerable in one day, or one lifetime.  In many ways I feel like a born-again activist.  I'm a pescetarian, I've stopped using plastics (to the best of my ability), and have started to put extra money towards saving endangered species.

After living in Los Angeles for a month, in the fast lane towards my then dream of being a television writer, I realized that I didn’t want to contribute to society by creating entertainment, but creating change.  Media is a powerful thing.  It's a universal language and it's ability to tug on heartstrings and make a difference in this world is amazing.  I see it as a blessing to be in love with too many things, because there’s no such thing. 

FLEFF is allowing me not only to share my love of writing with you, but to give you an insiders look into the beautiful world that it commemorates.  

I’m thirsty for knowledge and love to be well informed – perhaps it’s because I’m the child of two academics.  I’m in love with the idea of FLEFF because it turns these issues into art and expression, and I can’t wait to be involved with all that it has to offer.

I'm a sap.  I cry when I'm happy, and I cry when I'm sad.  I get inspired easily. I want to know: Is there any film, photo, or piece of art (music included) that has moved you towards inspiration to make the world a better place?

Meagan McGinnes

Class of 2014, Journalism

Minors in politics and environmental studies

Norwood, MA

Fun Facts About Me:

1.     I am a Boston girl.

2.     I have a twin sister, who also goes to Ithaca College.

3.     I am addicted to caffeine.

4.     My favorite color is yellow.

5.     I have Bieber fever, and I am not afraid to show it!

Don’t laugh. I am 100 percent serious when I say that Leonardo DiCaprio helped me discover my passion for environmental activism. My ridiculous love for DiCaprio began with the release of the movie Titanic. While casually stalking him/scrolling through his website, I stumbled upon his eco-link. I was enlightened. I was shocked. I was hooked.

Since then, I have become dedicated to environmental advocacy and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles through my love of journalism (check out my blog from the Ithacan!). I am President of Ithaca College’s chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. I am also Co-Editor for the upfront section of Buzzsaw Magazine. I love to talk and meet new people, but even more so I love to write. Sometimes, I have a hard time articulating exactly what I am feeling, but through my writing I am able to take the time to say exactly what I want to say, how I want to say it. And trust me, I have a lot to say. Words are beautiful. However, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and now it is time for me to look for beauty elsewhere.

I am so pleased to be working with FLEFF so I can explore a medium of journalism outside of my comfort zone, while still advocating for something I love: the planet. I am captivated by this art form that uses visuals to stir action, and I can’t wait to learn more. But even more so, I am thrilled to be a part of the community created around this festival. Which is what the theme of microtopias is all about: building an ideal community on a local level to explore the world without constraints. We create boundaries and limits for ourselves all of the time.  My resolution at the beginning of this New Year was to live my life by the words of Neale Donald Walsch who said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” I believe this statement is true for the environmental movement as well. By breaking through these zones we create for ourselves, only then can we challenge existing systems, mindsets, boundaries and limits.

So here is what I want to know from you: other than participating in FLEFF 2012, what will you be doing to advocate for the environment in your own daily life? What will you do to break out of your comfort zone? How will you work to make your own utopia a reality rather than an ideal?

Blog posting written by Jennifer Barish, Communication Management & Design ‘14, FLEFF intern, Skokie, IL  (the largest village in the world)

A lot of the time, people tell me to quiet down. I talk too loudly, too often, and with too much food in my mouth. Standing proudly at five feet tall and one inch, I tend to make my presence known through quick-talking and uninhibited laughter.

I am not afraid to start conversations with strangers in the grocery checkout line (speaking of food, I highly suggest this restaurant when arriving in Ithaca for FLEFF), and I will usually give them my opinion. Loudly.

Naturally, I chose a major in the Roy H. Park School of Communications. As a Communication Management and Design Major, I wanted to develop my skills in articulating change while having the flexibility to learn about art, literature, and music. I have done an eclectic array of things on campus from working at 92 WICB to exploring Ithaca’s gorges and EcoVillage. FLEFF is a fantastic extension of my multi-faceted life on and off campus.

In the past few weeks working with the FLEFF staff, I found their approach to understanding the world incredibly powerful and effective. The interdisciplinary mergence of art, science, film, and politics is the only way to start comprehending the complex environmental crisis. This festival will start conversations through multiple lenses (pun intended) and is a multi-generational forum for discussion and debate.

There will also be a lot of wine and popcorn.

At our first meeting, Patricia Zimmerman told the blogging staff that festivals are all about conversation. She encouraged us to show up in her office early and often for face-to-face interactions. As a new writer for this massive celebration of thought, adding to the dialogue will be my most significant contribution, and I want to talk to even more strangers in grocery check out lines. I challenge you to read about this year’s theme, “microtopias” and start thinking. And talking.

In fact, I dare you to begin. How will you start the conversation?

Blog post written by Sarah Lockwood, Cinema & Photography ’15, FLEFF Intern, Blairstown, New Jersey.

Greetings fellow film connoisseurs, artists, environmentalists, and creative folk alike. My name is Sarah Lockwood. I spent my whole life up until the past few months in a small town in Northern New Jersey called Blairstown.

Blairstown’s claim to fame lies in the sole fact that decades ago, its charming campgrounds and eerie graveyards served as the setting for a film now considered a cult classic– Friday the Thirteenth. I live in smug satisfaction with the knowledge that I have driven down roads that, at one time, Kevin Bacon himself drove over, too.

My idea of a perfect evening is to spend a few hours in the cinema, only to emerge and discuss the film at length until my mind tires, or until my fellow movie-goers grow tired of me. More often than not, the latter occurs. The plight of an excitable film major, I suppose.

Not surprisingly, Friday the Thirteenth never quite inspired me. However, from the moment I was old enough to grasp that movies were not “real”, that they were created through human vision, I was hooked. From messily drawn pictures to my eventual (or shall we say irreversible) love affair with a digital camera, creativity has always been my primary outlet in life.

However, in a rapidly developing age of technology and communications, creativity no longer limits itself as solitary activity.  The internet provides the perfect medium through which human beings communicate with one another. It is with this intent that I search the web before spending money on movie tickets, have my own Vimeo account to host videos, and find myself blogging for FLEFF this 2012 season.

What drove me most to FLEFF was its appeal on many levels, though the true fun lies the amount of new information I learn with each passing day. For example, that FLEFF is one of the few festivals in the country that employs student interns. Additionally, FLEFF’s first even will be held in five days! Lavinia Currier’s Oka! will screen at Cinemopolis on Sunday, the 12^th.  

I am – as I am sure many of you are – extremely, extremely excited to ensure that this year’s festival surpasses even our own expectations.

On a final note, I invite you to answer two questions – Why do you believe humans choose to blog? And most importantly, what are you looking forward to most about FLEFF's 15th anniversary, MICROTOPIAS?

Blog posting written by Ian Carsia, Cinema & Photography '14, FLEFF Intern, Hamilton, NJ

When I first heard that the Criterion Collection was doing a release of Ishiro Honda's Gojira my excitement was indescribable. I only vaguely recall seeing the movie for the first time at the tender age of 3, but what I do remember was its irreparable impact. The metaphor flew right over my head, but there was a visceral power to the film, unparalleled by anything I had seen before or would see after.

Thus is the power of cinema, to be able to drive chills up our spines without our ability to articulate precisely why.

It was that experience which ignited my blindly stumbling journey, pursuing the allusive answer to that very "why". My majoring in Cinema & Photography, my reviewing film for The Ithacan (where my last name is oft-mispelled), and my maintenance of a personal critical/analytical blog, are all a part of that journey to quench the fires of that question.

Which is what draws me to FLEFF. With this year's theme of MICROTOPIAS, the festival once again seeks to bring together the love of cinematic art with passionate activism for human rights and the sustainability of the environment.

With this theme, FLEFF further implies a democratization of art made possible by the ubiquity of technology in our everyday lives.

For many, movies represent passivity and a detachment from the kinds of critical theories and ethical dilemmas that FLEFF seeks to address. (I believe Fran Lebowitz's fifth bullet-point offers a fairly humorous and welcome criticism of the 'art' of cinema.)

Unfortunately, this attitude has not been helped by a critical and analytical community that has emphasized more 'traditional' modes of making, exhibiting, and engaging with the cinematic art-form, and in such a way that mirrors the exact kinds of anti-democratic and elitist attitudes that defined cinema in its earliest incarnation as the un-godly entertainment of illiterate new immigrants.

FLEFF rejects these biases and its unarticulated pessimism. All individuals have the ability to make and engage with art and to effect profound change in the public perception of global affairs.

If you are passionate about FLEFF, then that means you too believe in and are a part of the Microtopia in which critical theory about art and activism collide into a techno-democracy above and beyond the prescribed notions of how one engages art and media.

It means you too are on a journey to find the answer to that "why". Far from pessimistic, you take profound pleasure in engaging the questions.

I do, as well. Will you enjoy this limited engagement with me?

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

Hello!

My name is Chloe.  I am a sophomore Television-Radio major with a concentration in scriptwriting.  I have a triple minor in Legal Studies, History, and the Humanities and Sciences Honors Program.

I grew up in Ashland, Massachusetts (the original home of the Boston Marathon!) and was determined to spend my college years in New York City.  I ended up not in New York City, and I couldn’t be happier.  Ithaca is the place that I’m supposed to be. 

As introductions go, I don’t do labels.  I find it impossible to identify myself without elaborating on why I used the words I did.  And yet, blog posts can only take so much space, so I’m going to do my best to introduce myself. (Concisely, of course.)

I love telling stories.  I love discovering characters in real life and I love creating them in my screenplays.  I believe that everyone and everything has an enthralling story.  It just may have not been found yet.

I love working with people.  I have a strong passion for peer advising, which rose out of my desire to discover the stories of others.  I also love helping people and enjoy working to make a difference.

I believe that we can learn from people just as much as we can help them.  This is why I was attracted to FLEFF.  It’s unique position as a curated and interdisciplinary film festival lets me partake in the dynamic intellectual engagement that no other festival offers.

I can’t wait for FLEFF 2012! I’m excited to become more active with downtown Ithaca through FLEFF. This year, The Finger Lakes Wine Center will host all of our after-event parties.  Try to tell me that that’s not awesome.  Go on. I dare you! 

As they did last year, Cinemapolis will host our film screenings.  The official film schedule for FLEFF is TBD, but Cinemapolis is screening OKA! at 4:30 PM on Sunday, Febuary 12^th.  FLEFF is co-sponsoring the event and a Q&A with director Lavinia Currier. 

Again: it's going to be awesome.

FLEFF 2012 is going to be the opportunity of a lifetime.  FLEFF challenges us to broaden what we know and immerse ourselves in what we don't, and this year's theme of microtopias only furthers that.

Personally, I'm really excited in learning about new media technologies through FLEFF.  What about you FLEFFers"  What are you most excited for in FLEFF 2012?