Kevin Lee is the vice president of programming and education at dGenerate Films. The film Beijing Besieged by Waste follows photographer Wang Jiu-liang as he travels to more than 500 landfills, fearlessly documenting Beijing’s unholy cycle of consumption and waste. This session with Lee was facilitated by FLEFF codirector, Tom Shevory.

8:32 "This was pretty much an illegal process."

8:33 "He actually lived with a few of them at the garbage site for a couple of months so he really was devoted to this project."

8:34 "They presented this as a photographic exhibition, which was a very shrewd move."

8:34 "It was the news agencies that realized, woah, this is an environmental crisis that is threatening to destroy the citizens of Beijing."

8:35 "They didnt want to catch the government off guard, because then the government gets upset and comes after you." 

8:35 "This is a really great example of an independant film in China leading to governmental reform."

8:36 Because of the censorship bureau, many of these types of films are never seen or shown in China. 

8:38 "Primarily we try to create a channel that can make their (filmmakers) films seen and distributed in the United States...in many ways this is their only way of making money off of these films." 

8:40 "Degenerate generally means unwanted" -- which ties into how unwanted these films are in China by their government. "But also the 'd' stands for digital." 

8:43 "As far as our standing with the government (China), I really have no idea" 

8:44 "The majority of chinese do not have any idea of where their garbage goes. And if they did, they would just be horrified." 

8:45 "And lets not just think about Beijing. Think about where our waste goes here in this country." 

8:50 "At first you think its morning fog-- morning fog over the Beijing waste dump, how romantic!-- but it could be fumes, it could be smoke."

8:51 "The American lifestyle is really unsustainable. And when you have 1.3 billion people trying to live like Americans...its a nightmare" 

8:57 "I would be happy to organize events or make the film available for educational purposes and environmental discussions." 

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

The problem with getting eyes on independent film is not distribution. The Internet has allowed mass circulation and platforms for open discussion. According to Carlos Gutierrez, Director of Cinema Tropical, we “need to make film relevant once again … how we see it outdated ... film is thriving as an art form, but we are still concerned with who directed it and where it was made.”

Simply put, we need to rethink our relationship with cinema.

Kevin Lee Vice, president of programming at dGenerateFilms, offered inspired advice for the students present at the session. A career is “mostly a process of self-discovery,” he said. A self-educated film critic, Lee has crafted his own career through new media and watching hundreds of films over the last decade. Lee helped shape a new artistic medium, and his work with video essays are changing the way people talk about film and television. Check out his work here.

The independent film industry is rapidly changing, but how we think about film is not advancing at the same rate as the methods of distribution, production and education. We need to keep up, and aspiring film professionals need be bold, brave, innovative.

How can the techniques behind shooting film mold the way the audience interprets the film’s intended message? If local spaces are microtopias, then what would the global marketplace be categorized as? These were the main two questions going through my head when watching the film Cotton Road, directed by Ithaca College alumnus Laura Kissel.

The film technique:

The cotton moves; the machinery moves, but the camera is still, like a painting, rather than the rougher shooting seen in many other advocacy films. Kissel explained this was purposeful. She is trying to invite her audience to engage more deeply. She does not want to tell the audience what to think. When you visit a museum you are given the time to interpret the visual. The purpose behind these shots, and their lingering, gives room for this same type of reflection and deeper thought.

The big picture:

Microtopias encompass the idea of sustainability. Yet, I believe the ideals and basis of capitalism will never fit into this same sustainable value because capitalism relies on the idea of surplus. Resources and labor are exploited, not given their actual value or worth, allowing for more money to be made from these products. The image burned into my mind from this film is one of a room full of young Chinese women with coats on diligently working on sewing machines. And it is fact they are not making the minimum wage we see in the United States. Maybe the global marketplace, as is now, would then be categorized as a macro-dystopia? Can a capitalistic society ever be reshaped to fit the sustainable mindset of microtopias? What do you think?

"Is it good; is it bad? I don't know, but we are part of it," said Kissel on consumerism and the complexities of the global marketplace.

Shelly Niro is a Mohawk/Canadian director for the film Kissed by Lightning. Jolene Rickard, head of the American Indian Program at Cornell University, is facilitating this discussion entitled: Indigeneity/ Film/Art/Collaboration. 

Thinking of the first indigenous peoples, it complicates the theory of diversity, making this understanding and recognition messy. Canada's dominant "other" population is indigenous people, unlike the US where the dominant "other" population is African Americans. Dr. Rickard said, "The work for filling out that broader context is being filled out more through the Canadian context rather than in the United States."

According to Rickard, Niro’s film, Kissed by Lightning, sparks an important discussion through a "reflection of a life we are unfamiliar with." The narrative feature is about a Mohawk painter dealing with grief and remembering her husband through his stories while on her way to New York

Niro began her career in film in 1991. Niro wanted to create a film to fill the lack of humor within native issues and native situations, and also to fill the lack of women on film. The film was screened in 1992, in a retirement home on a reserve—with the lights on. Yet, this was a community setting filled with people who cared about the issue, about the discussion. It was a local space filled with people who wanted to challenge commonly accepted ideas and think deeper about indigenous issues, creating its own microtopia. 

Shelly’s latest work was finished in October of last year. It is about the trauma caused by residential schools, a practice continued until 1990 in Canada. According to Dr. Rickard, the ideas behind these schools were to "save the human being, but try to erase the Indian within that human being." People were coerced into these residential traumas because of extreme poverty. These cultures, prior to this extreme discrimination, valued sustainability. These schools were not meant to respect this culture or teach these children, but moreso train them for jobs as maids, etc. Yet as Rickard pointed out, Niro’s films usually have a theme of resilience.

"You can expose the dark side, but you need to have some sort of reconciliation at the end or you will be giving in to the dark side,” Niro said.

Niro said she hopes her films can empower generations, especially younger generations, on these issues by breaking the one-size-fits-all perception of native people. She said there is more complexity than this package image.

“If you are not delivering that package to the dominant culture, you are not Indian,” Niro said. 

Importantly noted, there was an apology issued by the Canadian government to those who had to go through the residential process. Another essential point I believe Dr. Rickard made was that at least there is recognition and discussion of this discrimination in Canada. In the US, there is not a public dialogue about these issues.

How will you spark this discussion? What do you hope to take away from this film? 

Kissed by Lightning will be playing at 7 p.m. tonight at Cinemapolis. 

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

Released in 2009, this film follows the lives of three strong woman living in rural areas of Africa but making a difference in not only their lives, but the livs of others. As a part of FLEFF week, it was screened in Todd Schack's Issues and the News class on Thursday.

Amai Rose is a Zimbabwean housewife and business women. She was forced to leave school because her parents could no longer afford to send her. She married young, because that was the only option she saw to make her life better. Amai is doing everything she can to provide for her children to ensure that they have an education and life opportunities; even if it means leaving her children on a regular basis to go to a job in the city. Amai is building her own home, something that she could have never dreamed of, and something she wants her children to be able to do.

Phuti Ragophala, a teacher/principal at a rural school in norther South Africa, knows the importance of education. She and other educators at the school will pay out of pocket if need be so that their students can continue their education. Phuti said she wants to "break the chain of poverty" even if through educating just one child. There is a domino effect, she explained, when one child gets and education they can educate their siblings and neighbors.

Njoki Ndung'u is a human rights defense attorney in Kenya. Njoki works to inspire young women to have a career, to think about their lives being worth something more. Sexual education and self-defense play a large part in Njoki's work with young women. Incest and rape are serious problems, but the culture does not allow for discussion of these issues. Njoki works to give young women the confidence to stand-up for themselves and to want more from life than what women in their family have previously settled for.

Africa is a Woman's Name was a very powerful documentary, made even more so by the fact that the film was also made by African women. My ideas of what I can do, as an American woman, were changed after watching this film.

What do you do to empower yourself on a regular basis? I have a mantra that I tell myself whenever I have one of those days where everything seems impossible. 

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

Before you read the rest of this post, you should know that Kaley Belval blogged about an amazing interview with filmmakers Laura Kissel and Jessica Bichler earlier in the week.  That being said, I sat through a talk with Kissel and heard her talk in depth about her film, Cotton Road, and the ideas behind its production.

(P.S. Did you know she was a Fulbright Scholar?! That's amazing!)

Cotton Road is an analysis of globalization through one of the world's most popular commodities: cotton. The film shows the journey of cotton from South Carolina to factories in Shanghai to a retail store, while analyzing the landscape of social relations and the effect of globalization on the economy.

Kissel said that the following questions went into the creation of her film:

• Where do things come from?
• How does the movement of a commodity also structure social relations?
• Is globalization bad?  Or good?
• What defines our current moment?
• How does landscape help organize social relations?
• What is the true (and mostly hidden) cost of the t-shirt that you buy for $9.99?

Kissel showed us a sourcemap of a supply chain.  It was incredibly extensive and it helps individuals find out where product have gone and where they are going to go.  "We want people to think about mapping their own clothing and other products that they are interested in," said Kissel.  "What is the impact of shipping an object from South Carolina to China?"

Kissel also talked about the main issues that she is interested in that will be brought up in Cotton Road:

• The price of labor and the price of goods (since when is $19.95 the true cost of anything?)
• The environmental impacts of production and consumption
• Is [a product] global or local?
• Transparency and greater awareness

One of Kissel's main points was audience engagement and outreach.  "How should we tell audiences about the film?"  Kissel asked us.  "How do we engage audiences? And where are your audiences?  You have to find them... [For Cotton Road] the audience is students and young people.  So how can we engage those audiences?"

Social media, of course!  Kissel plugged the soon to be interactive website and encouraged us to like the Facebook page and to tweet @cottonroadmovie to share opinions and comments.  You should definitely check out the sites.

Cotton Road will be shown at Cinemapolis this Saturday at 2 PM, FLEFFers!  Are you as excited to see it as I am?

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

Isn't FLEFF awesome? I don't know about you FLEFFers, but I have had an absolute blast at FLEFF 2012.  From The Concert for Microtopias to the outdoor installation to the tons and tons of films I've seen already, this year's FLEFF can't be beat.

As a FLEFF intern, I partook in a private session with filmmakers Matt Poldolsky and Eddie Chung, who discussed their film Scavenger Hunt: An Unlikely Union.  The film's world premiere is tomorrow, Thursday, March 29 at 7 PM in Cinemapolis.

I definitely recommend that you check out the film, but for now, here are some choice quotes from the filmmakers about the film and how it affects nearly everyone. 

Eddie Chung on meeting Matt Poldolsky: I became interested because Matt presented this to me.  He worked in the recovery program and last year, I met Matt through a mutual friend of ours.

Poldolsky on his unique perspective: I came into this from the perspective of a biologist and I realized that the aspect of my day-to-day life as a biologist, every single component of our job could be tracked down to this one problem: lead poisioning.  If this issue was to be eliminated, this species would be self-sustainable.

Chung on the California Condor and lead poisoning: Condors are scavengers and are affected but it's also about other animals.  Coyotes, bears, all scavengers will be affected by lead poisoning by consuming these animals... Most everybody knows a hunter, and game meat is popular and is really good for you. The likelihood of [eating poisoned meat] is actually really high.

Matt Poldolsky on the film: It's an issue film, it deals with the issue of lead poisoning.   Our film focuses on what's unique about a recovery program for California Condors in Arizona, and how this reintroduced population allowed by wild biologists is in trouble and it's also about the implications that this research has.

Chung on the story: It's good to tell this sort of story and there's so many mediums, YouTube, there's TV, there's theaters... The audience becomes much much larger as a result of this becoming a film story.

Poldolsky on the goals for the film: Our ultimate goal with the project is to affect policy and to convince people to switch their current ways.  99% of all bullets manufactured are lead based; there's this one issue and the alternative is seemingly simple: use a different type of bullet.  It's seemingly simple but it's a question of outreach.

Hopefully you're now just as excited as I am to see Scavenger Hunt, FLEFFers! What are some of your favorite films you've seen this week?

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

This evening's weekly intern FLEFF class features some very special guests. Two men stand in front of us to give a presentation about their film, Scavenger Hunt. Filmmaking and biology, united under a common cause.

Their names? Matt Poldolsky and Eddie Chung.

Their topic? The highly endangered California Condor.

Some quick Condor facts from our speakers:

• Condors are incredibly social and intelligent
• The are massive birds - even mistaken in the sky for planes!
• Low point of species = 22 birds alive, in the 80's
• First species put on endangered species list in this country
• Contemplated "Death with Dignity", letting the species die out
• Little over 70 condors alive in the Arizona area that the film centers on
• Condors receive lead poisoning from the carcasses left behind by hunters

The film is about this issue, as well as "the vast political spectrum that has erupted as a result of the recognition of this issue."

Their zeal for these birds is evident just from the careful care with which they present photographs and statistics. Both men a eager to share their combined enthusiasm of filmmaking and science with all who attend their screening.

"This isn't just condors... It's wider than just the condors." It's about all scavenging species.

Come see Scavenger Hunt's FLEFF debut Thursday, March 29th, 7:00PM at Cinemapolis.

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

On Tuesday night, March 27, at the Hockett Family Recital Hall in Ithaca College's Whalen Center, "The Concert for Microtopias" dazzled audience members with a hodgepodge of classical piano selections, poetry, video DJ-ing, and contemporary music.

The fourth act of the concert was a performance of Langston Hughes' "Theme for English B" by Ithaca College theatre professor Cynthia Henderson.

In the poem, Hughes contemplates his existence while brainstorming for an English assignment; he says,

"It's not easy to know what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I'm what I feel and see and hear."

At "The Concert for Microtopias," I saw lush, beautiful fabrics draped across the stage and talented performers extremely dedicated to their arts. I saw real-time footage of the audience compiled with brightly colored digital projections, all manipulated during the concert. 

I heard heated conversations between two pianos, perfected vocal inflections from seasoned actresses, timeless wisdom from poetry, and the emotions of a trained baritone. 

At "The Concert for Microtopias," I felt moved, inspired, and-- at times-- a bit conflicted by the sheer variety of experiences that washed over me in a mere hour and a half. 

At "The Concert for Microtopias," I saw, heard, and felt FLEFF; according to Mr. Hughes' poem, I was FLEFF. 

During the remaining days of the festival, immerse yourself completely in the FLEFF experience. Allow yourself to see, hear, and feel without filtering or justifying. Allow yourself to experience, and, in turn, just be. 

And share your experiences and feelings with others! 

What image, piece of music, poem, or emotion stuck out to you the most during "The Concert for Microtopias?" 

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

I hope you all were able to make it to Hockett Hall last night for the Concert for Microtopias. If not, you should also read intern blogger Meagan McGinnes' post about the concert as a whole. She delves into the concert's connection to FLEFF's theme of microtopias.

The following is a list of my top five moments — though there were many more than five — from last night's concert. I've allowed myself some poetic license in the descriptions.

1. Pianos. Dueling pianos can be found in jazz bars across the country. I have experienced a few of them. But piano duets, now that is something special. Jairo Geronymo and Deborah Martin were perfectly in tune as their fingers danced across the keys creating an beautiful harmony. "Two Step" was one of my favorites, a more lively duet that conjured the image of swing dancers in 1950s garb smiling as they moved around stage.

2. Fabric. How do you dress a stage for such an integrative performance as the Concert for Microtopias? You use fabric, hanging from the walls. But, one sheer pink/purple piece of fabric lay across the stage, available for use by the performers. Which brings me to number 3.

3. "Lullaby." Brad Hougham has the voice of an angel, and as he sang to the piece of fabric (bundled and held like a baby) I had tears well up in my eyes. There was such a tenderness to his performance, a tangible love he displayed. It was powerful.

4. Farewell. The closing piece, a reading of the "Microtopias Benediction," brilliantly summarized the FLEFF theme. But Cynthia Henderson stole the show when she found a young boy in the audience just as she came to the line: "Microtopias never stay the same." The boy's father visibly had a 'knowing' reaction and the entire interaction was simply beautiful.

5. Water. Dr. Hougham had mentioned his apprehension to perform "Wade in the Water," an African-American spiritual song connected to the suffering of slaves. During the intern session in February, Hougham had said it is incredibly difficult to perform a song such as this without having a connection to those experiences. I must say, his apprehension was needless. I could hear a desperation in his voice, but there was hopefulness as well. The vibrato he held on the last "r" of "water" before he started to move on stage was incredible. 

The concert as a whole was beautifully executed, but those were a few of the elements that I am still thinking about today. What stuck with you from the concert?

Peter Cleary is the Communications Director for Vestergaard Frandsen. He is also an Ithaca College alumnus. He graduated with a degree in politics. Vestergaard Frandsen operates under a unique Humanitarian Entrepreneurship business model. Their mantra of "profit for a purpose" has transformed humanitarian responsibility into its core business.

4:00 Screening of Carbon for Water

4:10 Lifestraws are awesome

4:21 From the film: “Each small intervention together makes a very significant carbon reduction.”

4:21 As I am watching the film, I am trying to think how this expands the theme of microtopias. It is a local solution to a large problem, and it is not an ideal. Vestergaard Frandsen is making this sustainable push a reality, sparking a conversation about the issue of carbon emissions in third world countries and linking systems that may have seemed unconnected prior (for example, Kenya's water and the business sector). 

4:26 Question and Answer Session with Peter Cleary begins

4:26 "It is important to stress that nobody (in the film) who recieved these water filters paid anything for them." 

• They sell many to relief organizations or a third party who then give them away to people who need the filters the most.
• If could give away 900, 000 water filters could remove large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. 
• There is a ten year commitment to the Kenya community. This is not a short term commitment. 
• In Gold Standard Market. 

4:30 As Cleary talks about carbon credits, and JP Morgan's involvement, I am wondering why we are not seeing this in the business world more often? 

4:32 Goal for next year: give away 3 million water filters to Kenya, including not only homes but schools as well! 

4:33 Passes around personal Lifestraw water filter for audience to get a closer look (no batteries or electrcity needed) 

4:34 Cleary said, "Only about seven percent of Kenyans know their HIV status." 

4:37 Cleary said that they were the first private company to recieve carbon credits for public health water based program.

4:38 Built in production and manufacturing carbon emissions when calculating carbon credits. 

4:42 Originally founded as traditional tech style company. When third generation of company decided to try to take company over, they visited Kenya and fell in love with the area. Wanted to address the issues, especially regarding health. The goal is to prevent diseases and their spread. 

4:45 "If you can develop a product that prevents the spread of one disease, then maybe evetnually you can prevent the spread of a majority of water spread diseases." 

• With the idea of microtopias, a small, local space or change in a this space can translate to a larger impact for larger spaces. 

4:47 "Women do most of the work in this community. They do the hard work in this community...It is a community very greatly steeped in tradition." 

4:50 This film has been screened at 50 different film festivals.

4:51 Next film? Indonesia!

There were only a few questions/concerns I had with this event and film. I felt it was a very westernized view of the issue and the culture. For example, there were only subtitles on the Kenyan people, never on the Americans. If this film is truly international, then Kenyans would not need subtitles for themselves, but would probably want them on Americans. What if this is shown in Kenya?

Also, I definitely felt the film came off as a promotional video in comparison to other FLEFF films I have seen this week. Even with this, I ackowledge the film and the initiative is an important stepping stone between the business and environmental worlds. 

Have you heard of Lifestraws? Do you think carbon credits can transform the business world? 

 “If utopias are nowhere, microtopias are everywhere.”

Microtopias never stay the same. They are alive. Like an audience, they move, respond and engage.

The concert was harmonious in its differences, overlapping in a seamless manner. It took the microtopias concept of a shared world, applying it to the worlds of music, theater, poetry and live audio/visual mixing.  

Everything was fantastic and vital to the concert. The pianos. Brad Hougham’s angelic voice. The poetry brought to life. The visuals. My favorite use of the visual mixing was the combination of past rehearsal films and in-the-moment monologues. Also the overlap of close ups on hands with the larger shot of the piano performances was unique and strikingly beautiful.

Each aspect of the concert was a small place, a microtopia within the microtopia of the concert.

The performers, the visuals, the music all engaged in a conversation with each other, but also with the audience. They broke all performance boundaries — because there are no such things as boundaries within a microtopia. The possibilities are endless. Grow and see the world with different eyes and different perspectives; acknowledge different concepts.

For example, the purple fabric was transformational. Depending on the context, the small space within the concert, the fabric went from water to a small child being sung a lullaby. At one point, when the fabric represented the tide, it skimmed my foot as it was dragged down the stairs. Invested in the concert and the moment, I could have sworn water trickled over my toes.

But even with its different purposes, the transparent cloth was a constant throughout the entire concert. It was a staple uniting the pieces. It also united the audience, being carried over the their heads. The moment when everyone reached up, mystified, to touch the fabric was extremely powerful.

Jairo Geronymo told me this concert would be different than anything I ever could expect. He was so right. The Concert for Microtopias flooded me with passion and moved me to tears -- it shocked me in all the best ways possible. And now all I want to do is talk about it.

Welcome to FLEFF week. 

Kin Ship is that band you play during summer night bonfires at the beach. With tunes reminiscent of California in the 1960’s, you’ll remember every happy memory you’ve ever had. But not only are the songs joyous and fun- they are also maddeningly catchy. I challenge you to leave a Kin Ship show without humming at least one verse in your head. 

This talented quintet consists of: Conor Belcher, lead vocalist and rhythm guitar, Elliott Weaver, lead guitar, Megan Wood, keyboards and percussions, Pat Gaughan on bass and Julian Ciany on drums. They are no strangers to the local music scene, having played at venues across Ithaca. Back in December they opened for the War on Drugs at Castaways and in April they will perform at the North Carolina Grassroots alongside other Ithaca favorites, such as, the Sim Redmond Band and Rubblebucket.

I sat down with Conor to find out about the past, present and future of Kin Ship.

Q. How did the band form?

A. I spent a winter in Olympia, Washington writing a bunch of demo tracks. When I moved back to Ithaca, my friends and I started a band and rehashed live versions of the songs I had written. We started in an empty frat house and spent a summer playing music.

Q. Where did you get the name Kin Ship?

A. We’d been arguing about what to call the band for a very long time and all the ideas were very stupid. Half of us would like one name, the other half would say no way. You’re not a band until you have a name. I had been reading Chekhov- he had mentioned kinship, so I went back to that and split it into two words. Everybody was into it, so that was it.

Q. Who are your influences?

A. My personal influences I would say are: Harry Nilsson, Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys), Richard Manuel and the Beatles of course. I was raised on 70s pop like Terry Jacks and things like that, so that comes into it.

Q. Do you ever get stage fright?

A. No I don’t but I’m always nervous before shows, but not on my own account. I spend most of my life scared, but playing music is the only thing I’m not scared of.

Q. Where do you see Kin Ship in one year?

A. On a yacht in the straight of Gibraltar.

Q. If you could tour with any band what would it be?

A. Puddle of Mudd.

Q. What is it like being a musician in Ithaca?    

A. I started off my music career here and have never really played music anywhere else- it’s a very supportive community. Collaborating with the acts around town and seeing a younger music scene grow. The opportunities are definitely there to hone your craft.

Q. What are you looking most forward to about your set at the FLEFF After Party?

A. I’m looking forward to diversifying our set and playing to a new audience. To push the envelope and see what we’re capable of.

*****Kin Ship will be performing this Thursday March 29 at the FLEFF After Party, 8:30-12:30 at the Finger Lakes Wine Center.

In a couple years, you’ll be able to tell your friends you saw them before they were famous. 

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

The art of film is a dynamic fusion between a stimulating image and a moving soundtrack, and Patrick Winters is no stranger to proving his mastery of this balance as he specialized in sound design. In this interview, his passion vividly came alive when he told me that "...eventually I found sound editing and designing, or should I say it found me."

Background

Not only has he used his career teaching sound design in the Department of Television & Radio at Ithaca College as a form of stewardship, but Winters developed this fascination for visual storytelling at the age of 16 when he created his first dramatic 8mm film. He goes on to say that "I believe it's important for those of who have acquired a body of knowledge and experiences to pass those along to the next generation," and as an eager film student, I can't object to this.

What Are Microtopias?

"I see microtopias as communities of individuals who recognize their connections and work together to enhance each others lives. These communities are not limited by cultural, ideological, political or geographic boundaries. These communities share in the joy of life that comes from seeing the world as being engaging and limitless."

Advice For Students

One thing: create. "Follow your heart and do what calls to you, because that's what will be the most rewarding thing for you to do."

FLEFF 2012

Patrick Winters comments on his excitement over FLEFF 2012 because of the principle of the festival itself. It is very intellectual, complex, and mind-opening towards an interdisciplinary audience when it comes to creating and simply being.

Check out his workshop about sound designing on motion pictures and motion sound on Saturday, March 31 at Cinemapolis!

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

This afternoon I attended the screening of Dream Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project, a film about the murder of Sakia Gunn in Newark, New Jersey. Sakia was a 15 year old lesbian teen who was murdered on at a bus stop in the city because she would not sleep with the man who propositioned her. 

This film was an extremely provocative piece that explored the judicial system and the struggle of the black community in Newark. This film sparked an interesting conversation afterwards about the plight of people trying to fight for acceptance not only for black people, but also for the LGBT community. 

We discussed how the families of the murderer and the victim both had to use the courtroom as their only venue to express their suppression and anger with societal roles. I was impressed with the level of research that went into this film, and i think it is a worthwhile film for everyone to see and discuss. 

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

Laura Kissel isn't just a director coming to FLEFF, she is an Ithaca College alum ('91) coming back to the home of her undergraduate years. 

Her new film project, Cotton Road, incorporates both documentary clips and a source map that traces the development of cotton from when it is a seed until it becomes a product. It will be shown Saturday, March 31st at Cinemapolis, and Kissel will also be a part of the FLEFF workshops Friday, March 30th. 

The project focuses on how cotton is cultivated and manipulated to become a final commodity, as well as the effects this development has along the way. 

"I think the microtopia that we can almost say we propose  is that these processes are going on all the time, but maybe perhaps we could personally choose to reject them, and that we might seek some kind of alternative," said Kissel.

Jessica Bichler, who is helping Kissel with the film, is also an Ithaca College alum ('00).

"Each place that you visited throughout the film is its own little microtopia in a way," said Bichler. 

The film is not only a visual and interactive representation of the cotton trade, but a different way to look at how we purchase commodities as well.

"Perhaps people start thinking a little bit more deeply about the resources and energy required to make things, one would value them a lot more, so maybe our map eventually grows and expands to embrace the possibility of other maps that people will make and contribute, therefore lead to a whole new kind of community online," said Kissel. 

Interested about the reliance that we have on commodities and how the cotton trade functions? Come meet Laura Kissel Saturday, March 31st at 2 pm at Cinemapolis.

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

If you missed the official unveiling of the Microtopias art installation on the academic quad of Ithaca College yesterday, don't fret. The wind has died down and the art piece still stands, in all of its glory, on the quad until deconstruction this weekend.

As has been mentioned in pervious posts, the interns have been working for the past few weeks on this art project. A collection of recyclable/reusable materials molded into the word microtopias, the art installation is a visual representation of our consumerist society. Materials range from plastic water bottles, to wooden pallets and shipping crates, to old electronics.

Make sure you make the time to walk by the college's academic quad to see the installation, then come back here and tell us what you think.

Blog post written by Colleen Ryan, Television-Radio '12, Anthropology Minor, Lansing, NY

Toivo (pronounced Toy-vo) is back for their third performance at FLEFF!

Toivo is a six piece band, originating from just up the lake in Trumansburg.  They play Finnish, Tex-Mex, and original music suited to the traditional dances of the Finger Lakes Region - waltzes, schottisches, polkas, mazurkas, two-steps, hambos and reels. 

The band consists of Richard Koski, button accordion; Jason Koski, mandolin; Stefan Senders, banjo; Jim Reidy, guitar; Harley Campbell, upright bass; and Annie Campbell, snare drum.

I spoke with Richard this afternoon, who told me a little bit more about Toivo.

Meaning "hope" in Finnish, Toivo has been together as a unit for almost seven years, but some of the members have been playing and jamming together much, (almost thirty years), much longer.  Their main desire is to have a friendly band, concentrated in the Ithaca area.

"Toivo is down-home music at heart. Good for dancing; good for listening; good for love," their website says.

On their website, you can check out their music, learn more about their group, and catch their upcoming performances.

This local gem will be playing at the Finger Lakes Wine Center on Saturday, March 31st, 9 p.m. at the FLEFF after party.

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

Dr. Saunders, assistant provost at Ithaca College, has been instrumental in bringing FLEFF to campus and helping the festival grow to the national prestige it now has. FLEFF was assigned to Dr. Saunders when the festival moved from Cornell University to Ithaca College. She says she is happy to be learning from and contributing to FLEFF. 

"I have always enjoyed the creative element of FLEFF, that it is different every year and that the focus on "sustainability" allows for the participation of everyone who wants to be a part of FLEFF," she said.

On the topic of this year's FLEFF theme, Microtopias, Dr. Saunders said she is looking forward to the conversation that FLEFF generates not only through the films and festival, but also through the conversation on the blogosphere. 

"I like that FLEFF gives us topics for dialogue across disciplines and schools," Dr. Saunders said. "It brings the entire campus together for an interdisciplinary and international experience."

Saunders said she is particularly excited for tonight's multimedia concert in the Hocket Recital Hall. She added that she has enjoyed the evolution of FLEFF over the years. 

"Under the leadership of Dr. Zimmermann and Dr. Thomas Shevory, FLEFF has become a campus-wide collaborative, interdisciplinary and international endeavor involving both on campus and downtown community sponsors," Saunders said.  "FLEFF encourages us to look outward and forward, engages faculty, students and staff in conversations about ideas and issues that matter, and asks all of us to become informed and to care about others in the world community. In other words, FLEFF is not about film per se, but about the ideas and issues that affect us all and require our attention." 

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

I tried to write a blog post that accurately portrayed the passion, intellect, and creativity of Robby Aceto. But I couldn’t do his words justice, so I will let Robby’s words speak for themselves:

The Cloud Chamber Orchestra—a multi-sensory microtopia:

“Along with Chris White and Peter Dodge, I'm one/third of a group that's now known as CLOUD CHAMBER ORCHESTRA; we're an improvisational music trio making our fourth performance at FLEFF.

This year we will perform with the seminal documentary “Nanook of the North.” It's a riveting film and on many levels, a cinematic masterpiece. For NANOOK we've created a very spare ensemble; rich in atmosphere, and chilling natural sounds. I'm especially looking forward to doing it as I've decided to focus on a single instrument for the entire score; something I haven't done yet.

In terms of concept, small-group improvisation is my idea of the ultimate microtopia. Your very existence in this short-lived musical universe is tied to the concepts of volition, need, desire, possession, yielding, and almost as a primary need; a capacity for acceptance… acceptance of circumstance, acceptance of limitations, and the needs and desires of others.”

On the Cloud Chamber’s Sound:

“There are a few constants at the core of our sound; most notably Chris's cello, my guitar playing, Peter's winds, and the fact that we use electronics, analog looping, and live audio captures to create our improvisations. But both Peter and I are multi-instrumentalists, and more or less act as the wild cards. Also, Peter can do this sort of solfege-style of singing that just kills me it's so beautiful. In addition to our collection of nice instruments, we've also used everything from noise-makers and toy instruments, to circuit-bending with old casios and fuzzboxes, to using music apps on the iPad.”

Music and the move-going experience:

"From the screenplay, to the actors, to the camera work and editing and everything else… nothing can help that film succeed better, or allow it to fail more miserably than the music that is created (or selected) to go with it. I think it has something to do with the way humans perceive; light moves faster than sound, so images get to your brain first. But the sounds leave a lasting impression; possibly because they take us longer to absorb. If the intent of a film is to provoke feeling or thought, or engender a sensibility, everyone is aware music is capable of doing that entirely on its own."

On FLEFF and student engagement

"If you don't like to talk; think. If you want to know what others think; listen. Maybe next time, next panel, next screening, you'll discover you have something you want to say. That discovery alone; looking for that discovery is almost the number one reason you're here at school to begin with."

The Cloud Chamber Orchestra will perform at Cinemapolis on Sunday, April 1st at 7:00.

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

Anyone with an interest in film and independent cinema should certainly take the time to get to know Karen Rodriguez, the curator of the Upstate Filmmaker Showcase for FLEFF at Cinemapolis. I recently had the opportunity to interview Rodriguez and learned a lot about her.

Background

Rodriguez has had outstanding experience with production, videography, cinematography and lighting as her academic career has spanned across the historic country of Germany and the bustling city of Boston. As she studied photography, Super-8 and film analysis, her passion for film exploded and led her to independently produce features and shorts, followed by working at the Thaw festival where "we screened narrative, experimental and documentary short films and videos and it was a complete blast! My favorite parts of filmmaking are the actual production and attending the film festivals!" 

Production Work

"I think of myself as a bit of a generalist when it comes to production work...My own work that I'm most excited about falls into the personal/experimental form. While I love the camaraderie and focus of a large crew, my ideal mode of production would be analogous to a singer-songwriter writing a song where the filmmaker has an idea, picks up a camera and makes it happen." To me, this sounds like a beautiful sentiment as art forms are often compared to each other and it is interesting to think of film on such a microscopic scale.

What Are Microtopias?

"Microtopias is a rich metaphor and brings up for me many ideas. Most concretely, it reminds me of the idea that all politics are local meaning that sometimes it is difficult to think about affecting the world on a large scale, but that small efforts, local efforts can make a difference. It's connecting these local efforts to one another that is important for making large scale change."

Advice For Future Filmmakers

A strong recommendation Rodriguez deploys in her interview address the need to stay independent and work outside of the industry. This singularity, even if you are an independent documentary producer tackling corrupt politics and popular culture through a critical lens, facilitates the arduous process behind developing your own voice and artistic aesthetic that differs from corporatized media.

FLEFF 2012

"In addition to the two Upstate Shorts screenings, I'm looking forward to Patrick Winter's talk on sound design, the talk with Laura Kissel and Matt Podolsky on new forms of environmental documentary, "Veins in the Gulf," and "100 Short Films about Water," anything with live music accompaniment, and of course, the parties!"

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

Veins in the Gulf is a documentary that was originally set to follow the disappearing bayou culture of Louisiana, but over the ten year time period that it was shot, followed much more than that. 

Following the stories of their subjects, directors Elizabeth Coffman and Ted Hardin began by getting to know the people and culture of Louisiana. As shooting for the film continued, they encountered both Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill. 

The pair have worked together for the past ten years in "a dialectic relationship" through their production company, Long Distance Productions. They found their newest film somewhat similar to the last film they made, One More Mile: a Dialogue on Nation-Building. 

"We were just so amazed at how, just like in Bosnia, everywhere you looked there was a story. Someone had an interesting tale that involved race, it involved culture, it involved surviving hurricanes. You know, it's just fascinating," Hardin said.

While the two directors tried to truly understand and experience the culture of Louisiana, they wanted to represent it as accurately and objectively as possible.

"It's focused on a small geographic region on a community of people who, most of them, have known each other a lot of their lives," said Coffman. "We really made a concerted effort to tell the community story."

The film is very focused on environmental issues, something that they hope is translated into advocacy for their audience. 

"We're very much trying to do some of the political work around the film, trying to get politicians involved, funding for the environmental issues, trying to get support for the issues," Coffman said. 

Veins in the Gulf will be shown Sunday, April 1st at 2:10 pm at Cinemapolis. Have any questions for the directors? Come and meet them there. 

It is interactive. It requires effort. It forces you to give pieces of yourself, but also be willing to accept from others. It requires deeper thought.  It is a conversation.

Conversations are the backbone of FLEFF. It is the part of the festival that everyone from Naeem to Jairo is excited to get involved in and make the most of. And that is because conversations are interesting, spontaneous and alive. Which is what makes FLEFF Lab Friday one of the liveliest days of the entire film festival. FLEFF Lab Friday is a day of dialogue and conversation with festival guests, exploring and expanding the theme of microtopias — all the while taking part in a microtopia itself. There will be a flow of participants and members of the FLEFF community in and out of the various conversations throughout the entire day. The event in Park 220 is free, but the content will be rich.

With every previous post, I have asked how you will join the conversation. Will you seize the (FLEFF Lab Fri)day? What conversation do you think is vital or really needs to happen the most regarding microtopias? 

Join the conversation this Friday, March 30th, all day in Park 220. 

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

This year, Ithaca College's Park Media Lab is getting much more involved in FLEFF than ever before.

In past years, Park Productions has been the main aspect of the media lab participating in the festival through its entries into the Checkpoints Story Contest, filming live events, and the Finger Lakes Uncorked web series. 

This year, ICTV is getting involved with FLEFF by featuring guests on its program "The Director's Chair" such as Matt Podolsky and Idrissou Mora Kpai, among others. It will be an hour long FLEFF special airing March 28th at 9 pm. 

Park Productions also covered the Sunday, March 25th reading at Buffalo Books and other FLEFF events that will be shown in the special episode of "The Director's Chair." 

 Carol Jennings, the manager of Park Productions, orchestrates many of these events with students. Last year, she even brought some FLEFF films to the National Meeting of Short Films in Madagascar. This year, she will be bringing some of the work of director Idrissou Mora Kpai. 

The festival in Madagascar, she explained, was its own form of microtopia, but FLEFF provides opportunities to create microtopias that may not be initially recognized. 

"I think that the way students work in the Park Media Lab, including Park Productions and ICTV, is its own kind of microptopia. What's exciting is the way that their work can connect with FLEFF so that they can continue to work in the field of their expertise but broaden the impact of their work," Jennings said. "That’s what’s special about FLEFF; it’s a microtopia in itself, but it connects globally."  

For students, the Park Media Lab is providing them with production work for a world renowned film festival. How else can this become a microtopia for them?

Blog post written by Colleen Ryan, Television-Radio '12, Anthropology Minor, Lansing, NY

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Chris White, an extremely talented musician, and one of FLEFF's returning performers.

On Sunday, April 1st at 7:00 p.m., Chris will be performing an improvisational live score to Nanook of the North with trio members Robby Aceto and Peter Dodge at Cinemapolis.  

White is classically trained on the cello, and also plays the guitar and harmonica.

It was Dr. Patricia Zimmerman's (co-director of FLEFF) idea to bring together the three musicians for FLEFF several years ago, and the trio has been doing live improv film scores ever since.  "It was easy from the get-go," he said.  "We just flowed so easily. We each have our own bag of tricks, but a common vision and language that works well together."  

White told me that the trio watches the films by themselves, and then together practice improvising. They converse about the mood of the film and its transitions. Each time the score is played differently.  The trio doesn't practice too much so the day of the performance is fresh and well, improvised! 

"Every experience with FLEFF has been great," he said.  To him, playing and improvising with a film is a much different experience as a musician.  "It's liberating," he remarked.

Although the trio has only performed for FLEFF, and one other event for the Ithaca Motion Picture Project, White revealed to me that the trio is considering putting out a CD of their scores, perhaps in time for next year's FLEFF.  (I've heard samples from their work, and believe me, it's a must have!)

To listen to Chris's personal work with the Cayuga Jazz Ensemble, you can click here.

Although I, personally, could never fathom a career in professional music, to young musicians who wish to dip their toes into improvising, Chris's greatest advice is to listen to a favorite genre of music and imitate it. Practice the style, and put a lot of time into it. "It happens more naturally than you might think," he said.

With that being said, I'm excited to watch White and his cohorts perform.  It's something that indeed comes extremely naturally to them, while enjoying and appreciating their talent, is something that comes naturally to me. 

If I had longer arms I'd save you all seats, so get there early, it's going to be a happy and full house. See you Sunday night!    

The Bernie Upson Quartet is an Ithaca staple, consisting of: Bernie Upson on bass, Dino Losito on piano, Chuck Leo on sax, and Al Harland on drums. 

I went to Maxie’s Supper Club for one of Bernie’s gigs (he plays there the third Sunday of every month.) Bernie’s passion and aptitude for his trade were evident with the first pluck of his bass string. His soulful style brought the audience back to the height of the jazz age. Check out this awesome video of Bernie playing alongside Buddy Tate in 1982 at a concert Berlin to get an idea what i'm talking about. 

During a break I got a chance to sit down with Bernie and his wife Deb Clover, to learn about his long and distinguished jazz career and what advice he has for music students and aspiring musicians.

Q: What is your background?

A. I grew up in Harlem surrounded by music. I worked at the Apollo for a few years. I played with Diana Ross & the Supremes when they first came in from Detroit. I played bass for the shows at the Apollo, including Patty Labelle.

Deb on Bernie- He’s been doing this since he was 18. Ithaca’s lucky he decided to settle here.

He lived around the corner from Count Basie when he was a kid. Growing up in Harlem he was around a lot of great musicians. When he was an older teenager, he moved to Queens where he was also surrounded by a lot of jazz musicians. If you wanted to be a jazz musician it was the right time and the right place.

When he was playing in the Catskills at the Concord, he was playing in a lounge and Frank Sinatra was performing on the other stage. Then Frank came and sat down with them.

He made friends with Joe Henderson in service and they formed an army jazz band. They traveled all over the South where they were stationed. It was still so segregated. They would play in a club where they couldn’t walk in the front door.

Q: What was it that got him to where he is?

Deb on Bernie- Talent and passion for it. You can tell just by listening or looking at him. There are a lot of good players around, but there are few players who have the soul that Bernie has. I mean you can see it and hear it.

He was also in the right place at the right time. He was studying bass with Wendell Marshall (bass player for Duke Ellington). Someone offered Wendell to go on tour, but he couldn’t go, so he said, “I have a student who can go.” He sent Bernie instead. The other musicians really looked out for him. They would take his money on payday and hold on to it for him. You know as a musician there are a lot of temptations; it’s a hard life. 

Q: What are you looking most forward to at FLEFF?

A. I look forward to playing for you folks.

Q: What advice would you give to music students or aspiring musicians about the music world?

A. If you’re serious about it, put your whole self into it. Never quit. Never give up. Always have something in the background in case you’re starving. Make sure it’s something you really want to do- it’s a hard life. If you chose to be an artist, make sure you want to be an artist. I would tell all young students to be an artist. Love music and if that’s your goal, pursue it. There’s definitely a chance to make it.

Check out the Bernie Upson Quartet at FLEFF’s 15^th anniversary party on Friday, March 30 at the Finger Lakes Wine Center. 

FLEFF Week 2012 has begun! Conversations about the microtopias installation have been bustling all over campus and the artists have made their way into Ithaca. As a matter of fact, I am in the Park auditorium right now at Art Jones' master class about remixing, new media, and the arts of collaboration. 

A generous introduction by Patty Zimmerman starts the workshop about how Art Jones has found his niche in the artistic world and addresses the way his inventive style defined a new, live VJ remix aesthetic. Following this opening, we got a little more into the details about what he does and how he does it.

After commenting on how remixing was popularized by modern culture and the MTV network, he elaborated upon its use – a personal use – as an individualized methodology. Art Jones’ artistry germinated with the creation of experimental films and documentaries about hip-hop and he developed a passion to translate these strategies to another art form - music.

"But why go live?" Zimmerman asks. "What's wrong with media that is fixed and is start to finish?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Jones chuckles. "Except when I started doing it, I was just a few years out of film school…but became so inspired by music that could engage audiences. I waned to remove the boundary between so-called high culture [galleries, museums] and low culture. I grew up in the Bronx where hip-hop was assembled. Hip-hop was on the low end. It would be better to find a way to organically integrate things that inspired me like hip-hop and generally electronic music."

One of the most striking things that came up during this conversation was his perspective that there was a sense of chaos that can cohere with moments. In response, Art Jones adopted a music model rather than a cinema model. If we think about music, whether it’s hip-hop, a rock band or fantastic pianists, the ephemerality of a still image is enhanced by the power of a continuous audio track through digital mixing and music processing.

If you missed the opportunity to attend his class today, make sure you check out his digital and remixing mastery at The Concert for Microtopias tomorrow night at 8:15 PM in Hackett Recital Hall! And as for a sneak preview of what to expect? "A generative art process in sense of the imagery [and] organic, biological structure that can grow the microtopia...It's going to be challenging and totally new!"

And for more current updates, make sure you follow FLEFF_IC on Twitter! 

1) If you are a college freshman, Art Jones has been remixing since the year you were born. 

Before there were computers and iPods, he utilized simple CD players and VHS decks.

2) Art Jones has the smallest DJ mixer in the world - DJ 2 Go.

He bought it just before getting on the bus to Ithaca, because he forgot his regular mixer at home.

3) The world doesn't need more filmmakers.

Or so a teacher once told him. Art uses this as a challenge to create films with meaning.

 4) Remixes are not unlike Baroque scoring and architecture.

Four or more levels are woven and 'built' within a single mix, from still images to text to moving images to animations, and more.

5) Seeing live music is akin to finally seeing a painting in a museum, that you've only seen in books previously.

"There is a huge difference between what you see represented, and what you see being there."

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

On Friday, March 30^th in Room 220 in the Park School of Communications, a “day of dialogue,” FLEFF Lab Friday, will occur. Multiple conversations are scheduled throughout the day, but one you don’t want to miss is the How to Get Your Break panel.

I spoke with Steve Gordon, the facilitator of the panel.  He is a current Ithaca College professor in the Department of Television-Radio and was previously the Executive Vice President of Creative Affairs for Viacom Productions.

We covered a range of topics in our discussion, but one major point that stuck out to me was how relevant FLEFF was.  Gordon talked about his experiences at multiple festivals, including Cannes and Sundance, but said that FLEFF was one of the most unique and intellectual.

Regarding the theme of microtopias, Gordon discussed the idea that it was about expanding already existing environments.  It was a different view that made complete sense to me, and I recommend going to visit Gordon during  FLEFF Lab Friday and asking him about it!

Regarding the How to Get Your Break panel, Gordon said that the members of this panel are “the best the panel has ever had.”   With filmmakers Laura Kissel, Jim Miller, and Shelly Niro, along with industry pros Kevin Lee, Carlos Guttierrez, and Rodrigo Brandao, I have to say I agree.

You can see a more extensive schedule of FLEFF events here, FLEFFers.  Happy FLEFF to all!

Blog post written by Colleen Ryan, Television-Radio '12, Anthropology Minor, Lansing, NY

In recent years, FLEFF added the Graduate Fellows of Color Program to the festival repertoire.

This past week I spoke with Warren Schlesinger (who has one of the best office views of Cayuga Lake I might add), the program's coordinator, who filled me in on a little more of what the fellowship consists of.

While the title is rather self-explanatory, I was pleased to discover the foundation behind the program:  In hopes to create more depth and discussion to FLEFF, Ithaca College created the program in hopes to bring highly educated individuals to the area not only to participate in the festival but to become familiar with Ithaca College itself. 

The program not only adds intellectual depth to the program and the college, but to Ithaca itself (which for its size is extremely deep with scholarly and enlightened minds!).  

Next week, eleven competitively selected graduate students with expertise ranging from Latin American History to Film, be attending FLEFF, and traveling from California to as close as Binghamton.

So why become a graduate fellow? Why not.  Not only is FLEFF a great place to be intellectually engaged, but it's also life enriching. Schlesinger told me that many of the fellows keep in touch long after the festival.  Intellectual networking?  Yes, please.

As a soon to be graduate student, I can't wait to pick their brains and learn about their studies!

The graduate fellows will be participating in many of the panels, screenings and discussions, so don't forget to say hello and ask them about their work!
 

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

From talking with Menna Khalil, an activist with the Arab Spring movement, it was impossible not to come away with a thorough understanding of the movement's past, present, and future. For those who are not familiar, I asked Menna to discuss a few topics, which I have condensed into the following explanations:

History of Arab Spring

The pot of Arab Spring has been boiling for decades, each country's actions and movements affecting and inspiring one another. In Egypt, specifically, where Menna specializes, most of the unrest derives from its political background - nearly thirty years of nepotism, the gradual diminishing of the middle class, and the domestication and domination of people's everyday lives as a result.

The straw that "broke the camel's back" for the revolution were the "notorious police brutality" found on the streets of Egypt. In one case, a young engineer living in Alexandria was found brutally beaten to death and mouth stuffed with drugs, in a framing of his murder Why?

This man had recorded, and distributed via the internet, a video of several policemen making a drug deal and keeping the money for themselves. This incident along with countless accounts of "humiliating treatment" and "brutal corruption" of the police forces in Egypt spurned the revolution once again.

Nostalgia of Arab Spring

Menna notes that much of the Arab Spring movement is derived from a sense of "nostalgia" in Egypt. What does she mean by this?

For years, Egypt existed as a nation whose sense of ownership and pride, "being Egyptian", was weak. In order to feel proud of your own society, says Menna, you had to "walk very close to a wall with your head down" and hope not to get caught. 

Smaller revolutions in nearby countries preceded Arab Spring, with the hopes of one day developing into a revolution or movement. As an area of the world who, in decades past, have been exposed to war and revolutions, the current generation was moved by a sense of nostalgia for revolution, as well as a desire for change.

Modern Media and Arab Spring

The incident of the policemen's drug actions distributed through the internet is a prime example of modern media's affect on the current movement, to which Menna responded emphatically.

Menna feels the internet works as a powerful source of circulation - allowing individuals from opposite ends of the world to share their revolutionary experiences and witness them, respectively. The modern age of connection and distribution gives rise to a movement unlike any other in the past. However, there is a level of caution to take.

Facebook invites to protest were often viewed as "jokes" by older revolutionaries in some ages and "a lot of what happens, can happen, is in the streets" and "is never fully captured by Facebook or Twitter."

Temporality of Arab "Spring"

As an Egyptian and activist, Menna hopes that the bittersweet term "Arab Spring" and its movement will not eventually fade. The term "spring" evokes the image of a flower "blooming in the spring", which is a beautiful sign for Egyptians and other persons living in the middle east.

However, it also evokes a temporality - that the spring may eventually fade. The middle east conditions are still unclear, not yet "at its best place" for Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and other nations. 

"As an Egyptian, I want to think that the revolution is not over, has not sprung then phased out into a different season." 

Listen to Menna and her husband, Michael Kennedy, discuss this movement further during their talk tonight, at 7pm in Williams 225, Ithaca College.

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

I had the utmost pleasure of speaking with Menna Khalil, an activist with the Arab Spring movement the Middle East, specifically Palestine and Egypt. For the duration of our talk we covered her personal background, the current state of the movement, and the influence of modern media on the state of the revolution.

Menna was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, until the age of 10. At this point her family moved to Chicago, Illinois. Chicago is home to a large, supportive Palestinian culture. She attended DePaul University in Chicago. During this time she joined Students for Justice in Palestine.

As a member of SJP for all four years of her college career, Menna continued the traditions of activism and connection that the predecessors of the club began. During her time as member, Menna helped to coordinate speakers and film festivals for Palestinian rights and activism, concerts from Palestinian groups, as well as an over two-year-long project to bring Palestinian works to the art museum on-campus.

By bringing together the DePaul community, the Chicago community, and the Palestinian arts communities together, Menna's work with SJP influenced a large portion of the activism work she would continue through her current graduate studies and field work in Egypt.

Her work during college combined with her family heritage has "absolutely" connect Menna to her current activism work.

Part Two of our interview will detail the current Arab Spring movement, about which Menna and her husband, Michael Kennedy, will be talking this evening (7pm, Williams 225, Ithaca College).

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

What exactly is a concert for microtopias? What is a microtopia? What is a concert? 

Have all your questions answered Tuesday night at Hocket Recital Hall in the School of Music.

For those of you who have yet to have the pleasure of attending a concert in Hocket Recital Hall, it will be one of the most incredible performances you have experienced. It's large, beautiful and perfect for a multimedia presentation. 

Starting at 8:15, the concert will feature Jairo Geronymo, Deborah Martin, Brad Hougham, Cynthia Henderson, Kathleen Mulligan, Art Jones, FLEFF's very own Ann Michel and Phil Wilde, and Mary Zebell. 

FLEFF Interns were fortunate enough to have a sneak peek of the Concert for Microtopias a few weeks ago with Brad Hougham and Deborah Martin, and from the passion and talent they expressed in that short preview, it seems that Tuesday's concert will be one of the best by far. 

So, why should you go? For one, it's FREE. And on campus. You really can't so no. Secondly, have you ever seen a multimedia concert before? Well now you can! 

Hope to see you all there! 

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

On Sunday, April 1st, self-described "queer multimedia artist" Shira Golding will be screening her documentary, "Empowered: Power From the People." The documentary takes a look at local people engaging in renewable energy. 

"The film as a whole presents our community as an emerging microtopia where a different relationship with consumption and production of power is possible," Golding said. 

Golding runs Shirari Industries, a creative consulting service for non-profits out of Dryden, New York, focusing on social and environmental justice. Golding attended Cornell University and the British American Film Academy in London and has previously worked in the indie film circuit in New York City for six years, where she directed the Media That Matters Film Festival. In Ithaca, Golding has invested herself in Ithaca Freeskool and has co-founded Share Tompkins, a volunteer based program for bartering and sharing goods. 

"Empowered,"  Golding's first feature film, tells the story of residents in Tompkins County who are meeting the needs of energy through entirely renewable resources: solar, wind, veggie oil and geothermal.  

Golding said that she is looking forward to presenting at FLEFF this week, and said she is looking forward to "getting feedback from other filmmakers and audience members and hopefully inspiring viewers of my film to make changes in their own energy use."

She added that festivals are wonderful opportunities to have your work scene, but she believes its just the beginning. 

"Think of your community and social network as a vast distribution network," Golding said. "If you have created something that inspires people, it will be embraced and spread in ways you could never imagine! With "Empowered" we are creating strategic partnerships with like-minded non-profits to take our film to communities around the region." 

Check out "Empowered" 12 pm on Sunday, April 1 at Cinemapolis! 

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

On Thursday, March 29^th  Cinemapolis will screen The Upstate Filmmaker’s Showcase, Volume 1. Curated by Ithaca College Professor, John Scott, the screening presents a unique collaboration between local filmmakers.

Scott is excited to see his work “in context with others,” and will present two short pieces featuring adaptations of Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry. Currently in the process of developing a more long form documentary on Pulitzer Prize winner, Elizabeth Bishop, he hopes to eventually integrate the shorter films into a larger project.

“The work as a whole” is a microtopia according to Professor Scott. It’s “uncommon,” he explained, that community filmmakers can come together to view and discuss each other’s work. The event is small, low budget, and a one-time opportunity to collectively discuss this array of locally grown film.

After speaking with Professor Scott, I learned that festivals provide a platform for “authentic feedback.” Packed with passionate, like-minded audiences, a festival screening can be energetic and unpredictable  "I never really know what my movie is until I screen it [at a festival],” Scott told me.

Being in a room full of people talking, discussing, questioning, and collaborating is unlike any other movie-going experience, and the festival environment can connect you back to the core reason "why you made the film in the first place."

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

It is evident that Karin Ash has consistently demonstrated a fusion between dedication and a hard-working personality to get where she is today as president of the Cinemapolis Board of Directors. Cinemapolis itself is an independent theater "...dedicated to providing a sophisticated community with the best in new international and independent cinema." I recently had the opportunity to interview Karin Ash and receive some insightful information about her and her interaction with FLEFF 2012.

Background

Karin Ash worked for thirty-eight years as a professional in university higher education administration including state universities in Florida and California and even Ivy League schools. Although these locations were very dynamic, one thing remained consistent: "I always focused on helping students gain experiences that would assist them in deciding upon a career direction, gaining relevant internship experiences and finding post-graduate employment." And in a way, this emphasis on helping students was actually symbiotic. Not only were college students being shaped into future denizens of the "real" world, but Ash claims that she "...gained a better understanding of the...challenges that are of concern to students [and] developed a fairly good overview of the career opportunities where students could make a difference. And, for many students making a difference in the environment, as defined by FLEFF, is paramount. Many students want to work in a field where they will have a positive impact on water, energy, health, international development, the food industry and education."

Advice For Students

In order for students to gain entry into the art and media world, Ash commented on the significance behind students expressing their interest in the art and media world as opposed to just verbalizing it. In order to become engaged and demonstrate this expressivity, students must construct a vast canon of experience during college, volunteer their time if they cannot find paid internships, especially during nights and weekends, and hold perspicacious dialogues with professionals.

FLEFF 2012

"I'm most excited about FLEFF's theme this year of microtopias. The theme is very much in line with the Board of Directors vision for Cinemapolis, 'a premier art cinema, where people of all ages broaden their horizons through artistically significant films, cultural camaraderie, and educational programs.'" Not only are the movies shown during FLEFF week inspiring and intergenerational, but they are accessible and invite patrons to learn about different environments - the whole principle of FLEFF in the first place.

Closing Words

"The Cinemapolis Board of Directors is extremely grateful to Ithaca College, and especially to Patty Zimmerman and Tom Shevory, who work so hard all year long to host this fabulous multimedia event."

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

Jim Miller has previously served as the Director of Development for The Shooting Gallery, the prestigious independent film company responsible for Sling Blade and You Can Count on Me. He has also served as Head of Acquisitions for Cinema Park Distribution.

For the past six years, Jim has worked as Executive Director of Brave New Films, a non-profit film company that focuses on social justice issues.

Their latest film, Koch Brothers Exposed, plays at the Cinemapolis on Friday, March 30 at 7 p.m. Jim, the film's producer, will accompany the screening with a Q & A session.

This spring, Jim took a call from me to ask about the film and its presentation at FLEFF.

Koch Brothers Exposed is directed by Robert Greenwald and inspired by Jane Mayer's expose on billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch from The New Yorker.

The film explores the extent of the political, economic, and social influence of the Koch family on everything from laws that suppress voter rights, to buying off politicians, to pushing for re-segregation.

Just as interesting and relevant as the film's content, however, is Brave New Films' unique advertising and exhibition strategy.

"We did a documentary several years ago called Outfoxed," says Jim, "And a lot of people really enjoyed the film. But the feedback that we heard was that people would watch the film and just be very upset and not know where to take that anger and what to do to make a difference.

"So, from there forward, we decided with the pieces that we did that we would have an action component."

This action component sees Brave New Films encouraging audiences to hold their own private screenings of the film in their own homes. Along with buying the film, individuals can download an 'action guide' so that they can discuss ways of fighting back against the influence of the Koch brothers.

"We've done a number of house screenings before, but with [Koch Brothers Exposed] we're partnering with a number of different non-profit organizations"--

Up to thirty, including the NAACP and Democracy for America.

--"and each of them are writing up a couple of paragraphs or a page of things that people can do."

On the uniqueness of this strategy and effort when compared to major studio social and political documentaries, Jim praises the film Food, Inc. and its action strategy, using their website in conjunction with the film.

Ultimately, however, the reason many documentaries fail to focus on action comes down to a very basic schism in the "bottom-line."

"I think the issue is between most film companies and ours is we're really a non-profit organization first and a film company second.

"Most of the pieces that we do are shorter, 3-to-5 minutes, YouTube, viral-types of pieces that have action components. And it's rare that we'll do, these days, a full-length documentary.

"But we're fortunate in the fact, since we are a non-profit, we don't have to worry about making a profit on our work."

Brave New Films' non-profit model can sometimes feel overwhelming.

"But there's so many heartbreaking stories and situations that you run into as we're putting these together...I mean that becomes overwhelming...We don't have to live a lot of the nightmares that these people have been threw...But that does help to understand that, "Hey, I have a job here, and my job is to make sure that these stories are not ongoing."

It helps that, in the years since Jim's graduation from Ithaca College, the means to make a film have become much more accessible.

"I mean, when I was at Ithaca it wasn't, the film explosion that happened through Sundance and through so many of the other great festivals, wasn't possible when I was going to school because making a movie was a lot more difficult."

This is part of what draws Jim to FLEFF.

"Well, I just love film festivals, first of all," he says, laughing. "It's like a candy store for me...I just love watching the different points of view that people have and also the evolving technology...So, I'm just looking forward to seeing the creativity."

As advice to college students looking to break into cinema and activism, Jim stresses passion and commitment.

"I think the filmmakers that I know that have been the most successful have been successful because they ahve the passion for filmmaking and for the specific subject.

"Especially documentary filmmaking, because you can spend two, three, five years making a documentary. It is a painstaking process, but if you have the passion for it, it's what makes the piece a work of art."

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

Tom Torello is a graduate of Ithaca College, where he majored in Television and Radio with a concentration in Advertising and Public Relations. He has worked in New York City as a media planner at a big agency, for clients like Proctor & Gamble and Richardson Vicks.

He started working in higher education marketing, first as the marketing director at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and later serving as Ithaca College’s first executive director of marketing communications. While at IC, he was also the marketing director for FLEFF.

Torello later assumed the position of Vice President for University Relations at Pace University in New York City. But now he is back in Ithaca, because, well, this is where his heart is and where he wants to raise his family.

He currently sits on FLEFF’s international advisory board.

Q. How did you become involved with FLEFF?

A. I was the executive director of marketing communications at IC when the school took over FLEFF. It started as a small environmental film festival at Cornell, but the provost at IC wanted to take it over and make it an Ithaca thing, and then Patty and Tom took it on.

Patty and Tom thought it could be so much more, a great local, regional and international festival.

We met with them to think about how we were going to remarket. We developed a new logo, because before, it was what you would expect a logo for an environmental film festival to be- a tree made out of film stock. We built the logo, the look, and talked about the marketing concept.

Q. How has the festival changed since your days of working on it? 

A. It has changed in that it’s become bigger. More people have come to know the festival so we get larger audiences and there's more of an international reach. Patty and Tom are so well known in their fields and are out there curating film festivals in places like India in the name of FLEFF. They bring in artists and develop connections with people all around the world. The reach of FLEFF over the past 5 or 6 years is incredible.  It has become known for certain things, like the music component or particularly, the silent films with music.

Q. What do you think FLEFF does for both the Ithaca College and Ithaca communities?

A. FLEFF brings in some incredible artists and films that people generally wouldn’t have the opportunity to see if they were not in a big city or at a large festival. It also brings people here to experience Ithaca that probably would not have come here otherwise, like FLEFF fellows. They wouldn’t have experienced our little corner of the world, and so many people leave just absolutely loving it. It’s great for the community and for the college. The people in India, Mexico or Germany that FLEFF touches, return with the Ithaca name and the Ithaca ideals. 

Q. What are you looking most forward to at the festival this year?

A. Parties (laughs) and the silent films and music, but I met some incredible filmmakers and artists at the parties. It’s great to go to a film and then go to a party and talk to the filmmaker directly after.

 Microtopia does not necessarily mean a small utopia. As Naeem Inayatullah has pointed out, the “u” has been removed, causing the meaning to actually translate to a representation of space.

“Microtpoias stands for creating social relations in local spaces, that’s how I translate it,” said Naeem.

Naeem argues this can be translated further, expanding the theme in three different ways regarding the Buffalo Street Books reading of "I, IR: International Microtopias"
with Naeem and Sorayya Khan 
at 
3 p.m. 
today. He says the event itself is free, buffalo street books acting as a microtopia. Then there is the book itself, which created the local space/atmosphere for collaboration. It is a set of essays built around group who wanted not to write academic essays but with an academic background.

He said we are “bound by a logic in which we access each other as things with costs, with benefits.” He went on to say human beings resist this by creating a social life and social relations, refusing to treat each other as just commodities. The book’s purpose is to explore these personal social relationships and to discuss their actual lives, which seems so much richer and more important to talk about then the theoretical work that seems to be constantly in our everyday dialogue.

“Its not just a book. It’s a relationship between 17 people who are trying to say similar but slightly different things but similar things and all of them can be seen as a conversation around this microtopia of the book,” said Naeem.

Lastly, the relationship between both readers at this event, Naeem and his wife, will create a space that will revolve around their family life.

It is these local social relationships and ties that make FLEFF so special.

 “The most important part of FLEFF is not necessarily the formal event—although those are important, the films, the presentations, because a lot of work and energy goes into those—but what’s important, what I would try to look forward to are the conversations that occur after the event or before the event or alongside the event,” said Naeem. “Its the social connections through conversations that are most exciting and most important.” 

Who are you looking most forward to meeting and talking to? How will you participate in your “local space”? 

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

 What is a VJ?

"What does a DJ do?" Art Jones asks in response to my question.

A DJ at an event pools music from multiple sources, mixes and edits them through spontaneous editing to suit the audience, creating a mixture of songs and moods that is eventually "greater than the sum." 

A VJ executes the same remixing and audience reading, except visually. 

And what do you need to VJ? "A place with a projector."

A first-time FLEFF visitor this year, Art Jones is excited at the prospects of what may come - in fact, he isn't even sure how his own remixing class will proceed!

With this comment, Art laughs. That may be exaggerating to a degree, but mystery and spontaneity is what truly creates an authentic remixing experience. Most of what his class entails depends on the audience, the mood, how he choses to remix at that point in time.

This element of surprises mean one thing - the only way to truly understand DJ/VJ-ing lies in the experience.

Come see for yourself just what possibilities Art may unfold here during FLEFF week.

During FLEFF week, Art Jones will host a master class titled Live Remix Revisited (Monday 3:00pm, Park Auditorium, Ithaca College) and contribute his DJ/VJ skills to the Concert for Microtopias (Tuesday 8:15pm, Hockett Hall, Ithaca College) 

 Jairo Geronymo is taking part in a “musictopia” at the Concert for Microtopias, happening on Tuesday March 27th at 8:15 p.m at Hockett Recital Hall.

Geronymo is the pianist for this concert, which is embracing this year’s theme in a unique and exciting way. The repertoire greatly contrasts. The musicians are using the pieces to try to portray images of various utopias, all contrasting and connecting at the same time.

“I hope the audience will enjoy. It will be a trip through different worlds of music,” said Geronymo.

Geronymo has been playing the piano his entire life. Geronymo, originally from Brazil, said his mother’s family was very poor.

“So when people ask me how did I choose piano, I say I didn’t have a choice!”

However, after playing for nine years, he realized piano was an art he really enjoyed. He went to the United States to go to college and get his masters degree. After living in Seattle, he came to Ithaca College to teach for four years. Now Geronymo has been living in Berlin for four years. Yet, throughout his time at IC and in Berlin, he has been an engaged participant and performer in FLEFF—a festival he is intrigued with because of the mixture of having a multimedia experience on so many levels, with the music, the beautiful poems, the singers and of course with the images through film.

“It’s about the collaboration and creation of these works,” Geronymo said. “I think many times people think classical music can be elitist. I dare everybody who thinks that way to come to our concert because it will certainly be something very different, not what you expect.” 

And that’s something he believes college students should embrace to get the full college experience—the different, the unexpected.

“People can just go to Ithaca College and go to classes and do nothing. But the college has so much more to offer. It’s a question of personal; it’s a personal choice. People can come here and do nothing or they can take part in something—like FLEFF. It’s a really unique experience to really open up your minds.”

So open your mind, and your ears, at the Concert for Microtopias. Click the link for more information!

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

Every Wednesday night, the staff of FLEFF interns are instructed by Ann Michel and Phillip Wilde, co-directors of the production company Insights International. In this class, Ann and Phil guide us on how to market FLEFF to the Ithaca community, how to engage with festival guests and artists, and how to think about the business of film festivals in creative and innovative ways.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Ann after class last week and learn about her experience as a media professional, her paradoxical interests in mathematics and filmmaking, and her thoughts on live performances in FLEFF: 

On her work for Insights International and her March 27th "Workshop on 100 Films about Water:" 

"Insights produces social issue and science films...[the films at the workshop] are very short, bite size science...we're hoping with our filmmaking skills to bring people into the science fold that haven't really been in it before." 

On the influence of math in her work as a filmmaker: 

"Mathematics is a very concise language...the shortest sentence in the world is e = mc². In 5 letters, you have described the universe. Good filmmaking, in my opinion, can also be concise." 

On what makes FLEFF a unique experience: 

"FLEFF always tries to do outside of traditional film screening events...watching a movie is not a big deal, so to get people out of their houses and into a theater...you have to add value to the experience, and one way to do that is to have performers...so that it becomes a more theatrical event."

Be sure to attend the "Workshop of 100 Films about Water," hosted by producers/directors Ann Michel and Phillip Wilde on Tuesday, March 27th in Park 279 from 2:35 - 3:50 P.M. Ann and Phil will be presenting segments of films that deal with the science and politics of water.

Carlos Gutiérrez met his business partner Monika Wagenberg back in 1997 when they were both students in the Cinema Studies program at NYU. At the time, Latin American cinema was not very prevalent in the United States. Carlos and Monika wanted to find a way to "promote cinema from the region, locally," and thus, Cinema Tropical was born. Now, Cinema Tropical (CT) is the leading presenter of Latin American cinema in the U.S.

I got the chance to talk to Carlos about Cinema Tropical, Latin American cinema and how it all ties in to FLEFF.

Q. How would you say that Cinema Tropical has impacted the distribution and awareness of Latin American films in the US?

A. It’s hard to assess, but I think one of the key aspects of Cinema Tropical has been creating a community of film professionals and an audience. We’ve been here for almost 11 years, really pushing hard. We can now see it’s a very different world from when we first started. There are more films getting released and more attention is paid to Latin American cinema, with many more Latin American films in the film festival circuits. 

 Q. What are some advantages and disadvantages of promoting “Latin American cinema” as a genre, rather than promoting by nation of origin ('Argentinian films' or ‘Mexican films’)?

A. I frankly think, as a more personal opinion, that the national cinema approach is outdated; cinema is such a trans-national endeavor. I think national cinema theory is very limited in understanding what is happening in the world.

Film is going through an amazing time right now. Cinema has enabled a lot of different art forms and social activities, like journalism, to thrive. But film theory is still shortsighted. We’re still discussing film in terms of who made it and where it was made, which is limiting.

Cinema Tropical has a more flexible way to go about it, without just focusing on the distinction between art house and commercial, but showing the potential beyond categorization. We’ve been experimenting a lot to present film in a more general way, for people to enjoy film and get closer to the film offerings from Latin America.

Q. How do you think the mission of FLEFF ties into what Cinema Tropical is trying to do?

A. FLEFF has become such an important platform locally. We are both on the same wavelength of trying to redefine and to understand cinema. The festival has opened up a more scholarly way of looking at cinema. Sometimes, academia is kept separate from practical film, but FLEFF combines the two.

Q. What aspect of FLEFF are you looking most forward to?

A. First of all, I'm thrilled to visit Ithaca, as it'll be my first time there. In regards to the festival, I particularly look forward to seeing some great film programs- it looks like a terrific lineup. I also look forward to meeting some of the special guests in person. 

***Interested in Latin American cinema? Make sure to check out Marimbas from Hell (Las Marimbas del Infierno) at Cinemapolis. It's a "narrative film about marimbas, gangs, heavy metal and rock bands in Guatemala." Here's the trailer too. 

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

1) What are you presenting/participating in for FLEFF 2012 and how does this relate to and engage with Microtopias?

"I am teaching a course together with media arts artist and Ph.D. candidate at the Information Science department of Cornell, Nicholas Adrian Knouf.

The course is entitled 'Microtopias Lab' and deals with utopia as a concept and practice in the context of histories relating to the junction of arts and sciences."

2) What is your background with FLEFF? How did you become involved with the festival and why?

"I am a graduate student at Cornell in the History of Art and Visual Studies. My work and interests are situated on the intersections of media arts and activism.

My dissertation work deals with the relationship between play, art, and social change. I look at artists using videogames as activist tools, as contemporary forms of intervention that have deep histories in interdisciplinary strands of arts, sciences, and counter-culture movements.

FLEFF began to include electronic media in 2007 when I first was invited to present at the "Gaming Meme" panel with film scholar Lisa Patty and network theorist Ulises Mejias. I've been part of the festival ever since in various qualities, mostly as a lecturer in the last three years."

3) You have collaborated with new media artist/activist Nick Knouf in the past. What has made this collaboration effective? What skills and attitudes do you both bring to your work?

"We have similar interests and thoughts about media arts and the political imaginary.

Both of our work deals with the histories, transdisciplinarity, and performative aspects of electronic culture conceived in a very broad sense, as a conceptual lens and set of practices."

4) What are you most looking forward to about FLEFF 2012?

"I am looking forward to the films--here is a list of a few films that I am really looking forward to see to begin with:

Marimbas from Hell

Freddy Ilanga: Che's Swahili Translator

California is a Place

But the festival is really about the conversations and encounters that happen unplanned."

5) What advice would you give to college students wishing to become involved with new media art as well as activism?

"At present, the new media arts are pretty much tied to creative economies, more so than in the 1990s when the enthusiasm around the internet provided a space for more politicized expressions.

On the other hand, the global activism emerging in the recent year incorporates some of the practices then seen as art-activism. Think of the impromptu beamed projections on the walls in New York in support of the occupy movement making the rounds on youtube, etc..

Artists like Krzysztof Wodiczko made a career of similar interventions in public space, then groups like F.A.T. Lab took this practice over, and finally it appears on the street in the context of large and urgent protests.

Historical consciousness is key to activist and artistic practices, but one makes history by doing.

I think that utopia is an essential energy for those interested in creatively engaging and changing our present condition."

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

When Lynne Cohen moved to Ithaca, NY, she noticed that the community needed film—not just commercial blockbusters, but substantial pieces of art that could infuse a small town with big city culture.

In 2000, current Executive Director, Lynne Cohen, co-created The Seventh Art Corporation of Ithaca, Inc. The non-profit currently owns and operates Ithaca’s Cinemapolis with the goal to bring the best international and independent film to the community.

After chatting with Lynne, I learned how a small community cinema could become an epicenter of new thought and multi-generational conversation.

This year Cinemapolis will host the 2012 Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival. When Patricia Zimmerman approached Lynne Cohen about partnering with the festival, Lynne welcomed the idea because holding the festival would strengthen Cinemapolis’ mission to “encourages central New York residents to explore the power of film.”

FLEFF gives Cinemapolis a chance to screen a unique array of international films only available through the festival. And Cinemapolis gives FLEFF a beautiful facility to present poignant films in a venue loved by the entire community.

During Cinemapolis’ reopening in 2009, the community flocked to build the new theatre. The location is truly a reflection of the passionate, Ithacan patrons who support art in the local community.

Starting March 29^th at the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, Cinemapolis will open its doors to community members, students, and guests from around the world to discuss complex ideas in a new, equally passionate micro-topic community.

And Lynne’s advice to initiate your own, artistic microtopia?

“Be passionate….find a need that’s not being met….take a risk, be thoughtful, and be brave.”

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

As a FLEFF Intern for the 2012 season, I have had the pleasure of attending class weekly with two brilliant and inspiring internship coordinators - one of whom is Philip Wilde. Phil was kind enough to spend an extra ten minutes of his evening discussing his background in film, his involvement in FLEFF, and some advice for festival goers this year:

On His Journey to Video

Phil began his college career as a science major at Cornell University, here in Ithaca, NY. However, his true calling began in 1971, the year in which he first picked up a video camera, and "never looked back." Phil operates a production company with his wife - and fellow internship coordinator - Ann Michel. Together they create videos, mostly scientific in nature.

On His Involvement With FLEFF

Seven years ago Phil joined the FLEFF staff, due mostly to his good friend Dr. Patricia Zimmerman, co-director of the film festival. Also based in Ithaca, Dr. Zimmerman knew of Phil and his interest in all subjects technical theatre and video related, and asked him to join the process of running the festival.

Over the years, Phil noted that the most noticeable change in the festival is that it has become "more intellectual", a noticeable evaluation of film and the film environment.

On the Perks of FLEFF

To put it simply, the "excitement of possibilities", that "anything is possible". FLEFF is not limited by the academic world or the real world - it is a place to "make experiments", and revel in the results (in successes and mistakes).

Phil's Advice

"Go to everything you can possibly go to. Talk to everyone you can possibly talk to."

Plain and simple, a film festival is about involvement and communication. Equal interaction with all people present at a festival - interns, directors, guests, crew members, audience members - is crucial. 

And most importantly - "Don't talk too much, listen."

 In Scavenger Hunt, director Matthew Podolsky explores the efforts of biologists in the remote northern Arizona to re-introduce the highly endangered California condor. Through these efforts a much larger problem is revealed: the toxicity of lead based bullets and ammunition. Ammunition incorporates lead because it allows for the bullet to fragment, better killing the animal rather than it simply being wounded and dying in the woods—thus losing the meat. No waste, what’s the big deal? Well lead is also toxic. When condors eat the animal remains, they also eat the lead fragments, which poisons them.

With the film’s world premier, Podolsky is pleased to be at FLEFF because of its uniqueness in comparison to other film festivals. Other film festivals focus on wildlife or animal behavior films with a more traditional approach, shying away from films that focus on conservation issues. However, it is these conservation issues, like that of the condors, that are most controversial and where education is needed the most.

“I think the focus on community involvement and the relationship between human communities and communities in nature is a really important focus that is pretty unique to the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival,” Poldolsky said. 

Poldolsky also believes this film truly epitomizes this year’s theme of microtopias.

“You can get bogged down by trying to deal with the bigger picture,” Podolsky said. “But if you try to focus on smaller communities then it is easier to come up with realistic solutions to that issue. And that fits perfectly with what we are trying to do with this film.”

 The film is all about the sparked conversation about this highly polarized national issue being addressed on a local level. I’m not going to give away too much about California condors’ commitment to action for the condors (you NEED to go see this film because this organization’s work is truly amazing), but here is just a little preview. Podolsky has been involved with the California condor program since 2005. A lot has happened since then. He said at this point every hunter who hunts up in that area knows about the issue; they know about the condors; they know about lead bullet fragementation. And close to 90 percent of hunters who hunt in that region use nonleaded ammunition voluntarily.

 “I think that (the percentages) shows that it’s possible,” Podolsky said. “I think it shows that hunters do have that conservation ethic and that when you explain the issue to them, 90 percent of them are willing to make a small change, pay a little bit more for ammunition and stop polluting wildlife.”

Podolsky himself is an Ithaca College alumnus, with a double major in Cinema/Photography and Environmental Studies. He grew up in Wellesley, MA. After graduation, Podolsky focused more on wildlife biology with a field job in upstate NY with retired IC professor Dr. John Confer—and it was Confer who got him the job with California Condors in Arizona. 

So check out Scavenger Hunt and meet Matt Podolsky after the film’s world premier! Where else can you partake in something this big for less than 10 dollars? As per usual, I am always amazed by the magic of FLEFF and the greatness of the types of people that come together in the name of film, art, environmental advocacy and good conversation.

Were you aware of this environmental issue with condors before now? What do you think about it?

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

It is officially spring, and with that comes the beginning of FLEFF. This Sunday the festival officially kicks-off with a reading at Buffalo Street Books. One event, I know the title says 5. That's because this is a 'to do' list; there are other activities that can help you prepare for a week of FLEFF events.

1. First of all, put together your schedule. What films, concerts, new media events, guests do you want to see? How many at Cinemopolis and how many on campus? Plan it out now, because once the festival starts you will be overwhelmed by all of the incredible things we have going on in only 7 days.

2. Now that you have your schedule of events together, spread the word. Find a group of friends to go to each event and make it a special outing. A festival is about the people, so share the experience with others.

3. The Microtopias art installation on campus opens Monday, but it is being built Saturday and Sunday. Want to see art in action? Stop by the Ithaca College academic quad to watch FLEFF interns (myself include) build this massive art piece spelling out "microtopias" with recycled/reclaimed materials. Even better, pick up a hammer or hot glue gun when you come by and help put the installation together.

4. Define "microtopia" this weekend. Really think about what it means to you. This way, your FLEFF experience is heightened as the definition will change with each film or event. Be prepared to change your mind.

5. Come to the reading! "I,IR: International Microtopias" with Naeem Inayatullah and Sorayya Khan at Buffalo Street Books on Sunday at 3 p.m. (P.S. It's FREE)

I'm ready for FLEFF. Are you?

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

Sorayya Khan is a world-renowned author.  Not only was she the recipient of a Fulbright Award, but she has written two novels (including Noor) and has previously worked with FLEFF in writing the essay for a previous year.

Because I’m incredibly lucky, I got the opportunity to talk to Khan about her work, her role with FLEFF 2012, and her definition of microtopias. It was hard to narrow it down, but here are some choice quotes from our discussion!

On FLEFF: “I’m so happy to return to work with FLEFF this year.  I’ve previously worked with FLEFF writing the festival essay and am really excited for the theme microtopias.”

On her reading this Sunday: “I will be reading my essay from Autobiographic International Relations: I, IR.  Most of the papers written are by academics so mine stands out in that sense. It talks about how and why I write.”

On microtopias: “I think the theme being microtopias, it means sharing worlds.  Collaborating worlds as well.  I just think about the world coming together.”

Be sure to listen to Khan’s reading at Buffalo Street Books this Sunday at 3 PM!  You can find more information about the event here.

Are you excited, FLEFFers?  What other events are you interested in attending?

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

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of sitting down with Stephanie Khoury - who goes by Steph - a fellow freshman and FLEFF Intern like myself.

Some quick facts about Steph include the following:

• Born and raised in Jefferson, New Jersey (at one time also home to the Ringling Brothers!)
• Major is Documentary Studies & Production
• Minors in Environmental Studies and International Politics
• Is extremely involved on-campus with clubs such as Her Campus, Take Back the Tap, Habitat for Humanity, and more
• Contributes to on-campus journalism through Buzzsaw and SeeSaw

What I found most intriguing about Stephanie was her major - it was not originally her major of choice!

For Steph, high school provided art and video production classes, all of which sparked her interest and creativity. However these alone were not enough to push her in the direction of a definitive college major. She had though halfheartedly about attending an art school or major in art, however the sentiments were not fully realized.

Then began the long, arduous journey towards choosing a college... 

In a sea of college applications and campus tours, Stephanie and her family passed a sign for Ithaca College, a school that some of her friends had recommended in passing. Nearly on a whim, she took the tour and ended up applying - and, eventually, attending!

Steph's interest in documentary works and environmental activism brought her to the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival - where we are happy to have her this year! 

 Blog Post Written by Gillian Smith '12, FLEFF Intern, Journalism, Harwich, MA

In anticipation of our upcoming festival (just one week away!!) I've compiled a list of the top five musicians you just can't miss out on seeing this year! 

Drumroll please....

1) Robby Aceto: 

After visiting our class a few weeks ago, Robby Aceto quickly jumped to the top of my must-see list. The samples of his previous work that we got to experience were absolutely breathtaking and truly engaged our class as the audience. This 'color' guitarist has one of the most eclectic and truly incredible sounds I have ever experienced and I simply cannot wait to hear him this year!

2) Li'l Anne and Hot Cayenne:

Whenever the term 'groovemasters' is used, you know its legit! This group of musicians exemplifies a melting pot of rock'n'roll, blues and funk in the most incredible way. No one can deny they are intrigued by not only this bands' name but also their music! 

3) Deborah Martin: 

After our class field trip to the Music School a few weeks ago, Deborah Martin landed a spot on my top five must see musicians. Her passion for playing the piano is palpable, and her love of the music apparent as she sits down quickly at the piano and taps out a beautiful melody with no effort. If you see one musical performance this year, make sure its hers !

4) Toivo

Itching for a some Tex-Mex and Finnish music? Toivo is right up your alley. The six piece band from Trumansburg specialize in waltzes, schottisches and polkas, and will no doubt have you ready to dance along! 

5) Bernie Upson and his Quartet

Are you a jazz buff? Simply a jazz lover? I am all of the above and cannot wait to hear Bernie Upson and his Quartet play with their over 50 years of jazz scene experience. 

Dr. Gordon Rowland is a member of Lil Anne and Hot Cayenne, which will be playing live music for the showing of Keaton Shorts. 

MM: What are you presenting at FLEFF 2012 and how does it fit into the theme of microtopias?

GR: I play tenor sax and scrubboard with Lil Anne and Hot Cayenne, a northeast zydeco band. We'll be playing music to accompany a series of Buster Keaton silent shorts from the 1920s. The FLEFF website defines microtopias as "small .. imagined cooperative systems of harmony" and  states that "microtopias propose temporary, dynamic, shared worlds." Musical performance can can certainly be seen as "imagined cooperative systems of harmony," and in connecting our music with the visual imagery of the films, and with the audience in the moment, we seek to create a "temporary, dynamic shared world." 

MM: What is your background?

GR: You can find my story here. My other band, Common Railers, accompanied Buster Keaton's Steamboat Bill Junior a couple years ago. 

MM: What aspect of FLEFF are you looking foward to?

GR: The silent films with live music are always fun, of course. Other than that, I look forward to seeing as many films as I can. Patty and Tom do a terrific job on selection, and we get to see films on the wide screen that normally would not make it into our theaters.

MM: What advice would you give to college students about FLEFF and how to be engaged in festivals?

GR: FLEFF brings in guests who have a very wide range of backgrounds. Don't be shy. They love talking with students, and there is much to learn from them.

Hear Dr. Rowland play with Lil Ann and Hot Cayenne Saturday March 31st, at 4 p.m. at Cinemapolis! 

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

Looking at the films for FLEFF made me incredibly excited for the festival. It was really hard to choose just five, but these are a few of the ones I find to be most fascinating. 

1. Hell and Back Again. First of all, it's a documentary. So it interested me before I even read what it was about. But it truly looks to be an amazing film. Exploring the life of a soldier in Afghanistan and then his return to the United States is really fascinating to me, especially because a friend of mine is currently stationed in Afghanistan.

2. Africa is a Woman's Name. This caught my eye immediately because I am a Women's Studies minor. It shows the difficult work of women in Africa, as well as three of the continent's leading female filmmakers: Wanjiru Kinyanjui, Bridget Pickering, and Ingrid Sinclair. I love learning about African culture, especially through the lens of the women who live there.  

3. Dying to Live. This film is about people waiting for organ transplants. Having recently been told of a family friend's struggle waiting for an organ donor, I think that this film will really be interesting to watch. 

4. Miss or Mrs? I am extremely excited for this film. Reproductive rights are a large political issue right now, and I feel very strongly that all women should have the access that they need, regardless of their marital status. I am interested to see how these issues are discussed (or, probably avoided) in other cultures. 

5. Our Children's Fund. Another documentary, this film displays another issue that I am very passionate about: sex trafficking. I truly think that more people should know that trafficking, especially of this kind, exists and work towards stopping it. The fact that a prostitution business is being run from a graveyard, as well, provides a very unexpected and interesting angle to the story. 

Needless to say, I cannot wait to see these and many other films at FLEFF. Which films are you looking forward to?

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

Devan Johnson is a member of the Ithaca class of 2012 and a returning Intern for the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival.

This year, she's assuming the added responsibility of 'team leader' for the newest crop of Interns. When asked about her reasons for returning and accepting this additional responsibility:

"Patty. I do everything she tells me to do. She said, "Apply to be a team leader!" and I said, "Okay, Patty!" And I applied to be a team leader."

Devan has an academic resume and extracurricular workload that already rivals the vast majority of her peers.

She's been an RA at Ithaca college for the past two years, once in West Towers and once in the Garden Apartments where she currently resides.

She is majoring in Documentary Studies with a double-minor in Environmental Studies and Writing.

In the past, she has taken on humanitarian work in Nicaragua and an internship in Costa Rica.

She dances and choreographs with the hip-hop dance troupe Pulse.

This February, she also performed with another group, IC Breakers, as part of a "Free the Slaves" fundraiser to raise awareness of human trafficking within the United States.

Most prominently, Devan is extremely passionate about her photography. By her own admission, the two biggest things in her life are God and photography:

"For me, it's a deeply religious experience. Because photography is kind of my way of taking how I see the world and the things that God created and catching them and being able to show them to other people."

Entering Devan's spacious apartment, one of the first things I noticed was a Transformers bedspread.

I learned that it was actually hand-made by Devan's mother.

This has been a consistent influence on Devan's outlook and attitude. As a child, her mother was always working on crafts projects for her children.

"She's a really, really creative and artistic lady. And I think that's really where I get my creative and artistic mindset from."

Her mutually positive relationship with her mother has also had the consequence of sparking her passion with photography as both art and spirituality.

Devan received her first Canon "point-and-shoot" camera for Christmas when she was 16. This was the same year that Devan went with her mother on a humanitarian mission to Nicaragua.

Around the same time, Devan was experiencing what could be called, for lack of a better and less cliche term, a crisis of faith.

Devan stopped going to church when she was 15, and ultimately decided to not receive confirmation out of a sense that to do so would be hypocritical.

"I think the only two things [my mother and I] fought about were that and braces."

Her mother signed herself and her daughter up for the trip to Nicaragua. It would prove to be one of the most significant ventures of Devan's life.

As the youngest member of her group, it was also discovered that Devan knew the most Spanish. She became the de facto translator for the majority of the trip.

Far from a burden to shoulder, these sorts of anecdotes are consistent with a spirit of optimism Devan has cultivated throughout her life and continues to express. The trip to Nicaragua, IC Breakers, and her internship with FLEFF are all examples of her willingness to throw herself into new experiences regardless of her trepidations about them.

In Nicaragua, this meant the discovery of not only photography but of the divine.

"I just totally fell in love with photographing people from different cultures and a different ways of life."

"To me, when I see God's hand on Earth, it's in these little moments where the light is hitting something just right or when there's something just amazingly beautiful that if you stop to think about it for a second you're like, "Wow, that's...that's awesome." And the thing is that people don't stop and think about it for a second."

Devan has several tattoos that are weighted with personal and spiritual significance.

One is the Hebrew word avodah, which she learned meant both work and worship.

"I want to live my life in a way that brings God glory, not by following rules, but by showing people why he's so amazing. To me worship isn't going to church and doing sit-stand-kneel, sit-stand-kneel. Worship is going out into the world and just standing in awe of a sunset on a mountain and knowing that God made it."

 Top 5 Movies to see at Cinemapolis

1.     Cotton Road- Systems thinking fascinates me. The idea of globalization and the connectedness of everything together is something I cannot wait to learn more about- especially when I am learning from Ithaca College alum Laura Kissel!

2.     Arlit: Deuxieme Paris- This film about uranium mining and environmental racism in Niger completely embodies the beat I hope to cover in my future of journalism: social justice and environmental issues.  I am specifically interested in how these issues apply to Africa so this documentary will be super interesting for me! I am also thrilled to introduce myself to filmmaker Idrissou Mora-Kpaï. I want to learn what inspired him to investigate into this topic and her experiences while filming.

3.     Veins of the Gulf- I believe we need to acknowledge social justice and environmental justice issues domestically. I think many try to pretend it is not happening in our own backyard, but we need a more local mindset. I am interested to see how this film portrays Hurricane Katrina, an event I have seen covered extensively in media but not through an environmental lens.

4.     Bejing Besieged by Waste- Currently, there has been such a focus on China as a growing global economical power. Yet, we don’t think of the impacts this has on the impoverished Chinese people every time we look at a “made in china” sticker. I am excited to see the questions and discussion this unknown narrative provokes at the after parties at the Wine Center.

5.     Nanook of the North- Robby Aceto. Live improvisational music to the silent film on its 90^th anniversary? Enough said.

What movie are you most excited for and why? 

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

Attention all cinephiles! The FLEFF 2012 Film Descriptions and Trailers page is up!

Now of course every film that will be screened during FLEFF week is fantastic and everyone should come see as many as possible, but here is just a laconic list featuring the top five movies I am most excited for:

1. Art & Copy

Can creativity really solve anything? This documentary directed by Doug Pray draws on a struggle any artist can relate to: finding inspiration. Creating a dynamic binary between the advertising industry and the most influential creative visionaries of our time, this film aims to expel the stigmas associated with a supposedly "manipulative business." And it has a really pretty movie poster.

2. Buster Keaton Shorts

Calling all film enthusiasts! If you never got the opportunity to see the infamous "stoic man" of the 1920's on the big screen, then head over to Cinemapolis to check out this cinematic classic. Specializing in vaudeville comedy and dominating the silent film era, Buster Keaton proved that shorts could be just as satisfying as feature-length films, all while hilarity ensues (even in something as simple as Keaton's desperate flight from the police in his short Cops.)

3. The Fairy

"A whimsical comedy featuring a shoeless fairy and the hotel night clerk." With a description like this, how could you not want to see this movie? Through this film's jovial narrative, a seemingly realistic atmosphere manifests into a fantastical romance. Spoiler alert: the fairy can grant wishes too!

4. Sushi: The Global Catch

Let me clarify: I didn't pick this film just because it's about one of my favorite cuisines (although it certainly did help me refine my list). The film traces the origin of sushi back to Japan, as I'm sure you all already knew, and documents the evolution of this delicacy in its attempt to please the hungry public to something as mass-producing as fast food restaurants themselves. This transition, however, occurred with such celerity that it upset the ocean's ecological balance, and this issue is touched upon as well.

5. Tuesday After Christmas

Brought to you by the director of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, the film marries elegance and drama by integrating the all-too familiar issue of marital infidelity into the narrative. The husband has a clandestine affair with his daughter's dentist and must now choose between this unstable, yet exciting relationship with his lover and the stable romance he has shared with his faithful wife for ten years. Emotional. Sensational. Engaging. Go see it.

I wish I could have written about every film as they all sound exciting and satisfyingly establish their own microtopia, but I am more interested in knowing which movies you FLEFFers are most excited for!

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

Okay. I need to talk about this. I need to get it off my chest. I'm already sick of this topic, but as a staff member at one of the most influential, international film festivals in the world studying communication at a college known for progressive ideologies, I need to put some words on the page. I won’t even edit.

For the last 72 hours, KONY 2012 has dominated my newsfeed, and during this time my emotions have gone from dewy-eyed sympathy to vehement anger.

They got me. The movie had catchy tunes and I “awwwwed” at the adorable white toddler on the screen. After the 30 minute film, I was ready to order my “action kit,” stamp my status with a seal of approval, and lobby in Washington D.C.

 I’m an impulsive person, so this amount of zeal within such a small time frame is dangerous. But I fought the urge. And read. I researched. I questioned. It turns out that the emphatic idealism brought on by this brilliant public relations campaign was just a wee bit oversimplified.

 I’m still trying to figure out what I believe, how I feel about American intervention, and the co-existence between innovative communication strategies and the non-profit sector. I’m sad, angry, annoyed, pissed off, and utterly confused.

But there’s one thing I’m sure about. The use of film in the KONY 2012 campaign is the driving force behind the campaign. Social media and promotional events are incredibly strategic, but they’re just means to show off the crowned jewel of KONY 2012—the flashy drama-mentary produced by Invisible Children.

Now, I can genuinely say that film is the most powerful art form. I apologize in advance to the brilliant visual artists or musicians out there, but this movie has created an international debate—a social revolution that out-organizes, out-markets, and out-flashifies the efforts of the Occupy Movement or other modern, activist endeavors. 

In terms of getting people to talk, I’m committed to films for life.

Whether you’re among the millions of KONY 2012 followers or an angsty cynic, at least we’ve all stopped looking at cat memes online and started to think—well, at least for 72 hours.

Blog post written by Colleen Ryan, Television-Radio '12, Anthropology Minor, Lansing, NY

This year, the interns will be constructing, to be said in my own words, something "super awesome" outside of the Gannett Center on the Ithaca College campus for the entirety of FLEFF week.

The installation will read "Microtopias" and will be constructed entirely of recyclable materials.

I love art, and I'm pleased to say that that I've never been a part of such a large art installation.  I'm thrilled to be a part of something that's larger than life, literally!

Some of the letters will stand almost 6 feet tall.

Each of the five teams was given two letters to design, and last night the intern teams presented their letter ideas to each other.  I can't express enough how amazing it is to be working with such talented, creative people!

The construction begins the weekend before FLEFF.

Stay tuned for pictures and updates.  This is something you don't want to miss!

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

I love movies.  Seriously, I am absolutely crazy about them.  So when FLEFF posted the FLEFF 2012 Film Descriptions and Trailers, I geeked out. 

I recommend checking out the entire list, but here are five FLEFF 2012 films that are giving me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

1. Nanook of the North

I know I already talked about this in an earlier post, but Robby Aceto, Peter Dodge, and Chris White will be improvising live music to the film.  Nanook of the North is considered the world's first documentary and it was also one of the first 25 films to be selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.  It's considered to be one of the most culturally and historically relevant films of all time.  I can't wait to see it!

2. Art and Copy

A film from 2009, this film discusses the history of the advertising industry and its relationship to inspiration.  Art Copy introduces audiences to some of the most influential creative minds of our time, which I'm especially excited for because the geniuses behind advertising campaigns are hardly ever publicly praised.  As somebody who doesn't know much about advertising but loves Mad Men, I'm stoked.

3. Gay Games

To be honest, I'm immediately a fan of anything that promotes equality, and Gay Games is no exception.  The film documents a sports competition that lacks customary rules, encouraging all participants to focus on respecting each other for their differences.  The film highlights the coming together over over ten thousand people in Köln, Germany, known to Americans as Cologne, Germany. (Sidenote: Germany is a beautiful country and Cologne is a beautiful city. I hope there's some great scenic shots!)

4. One Water

You know what's crazy about this film?  It was filmed in fourteen different countries.  That's so many!  One Water addresses the global freshwater crisis and is a result of collaboration between individual schools within the University of Miami.  Having clean drinking water is a serious global issue, but I'm excited to see the results of a project that was the result of college students!

5.Truck Farm.

Documentarian Ian Cheney filmed his adventure that started with him planting a garden in his grandfather's old pickup truck and that follows his discovery of some of the world's coolest urban gardens.  Personally, my family and I tried gardening once and I got food poisoning from one of the few edible products (which wasn't so edible, I guess) so I'm jealous of Cheney's gardening skills.  I can't wait to learn about urban gardening though!  Maybe I'll get some pointers.

What about you, FLEFFers?  Anything you're excited to see at FLEFF?

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

I have chosen to continue the journey to FLEFF week with a 'virtual tour' of some of the hottest places in Ithaca, NY to be during the week of March 25th, 2012!

This is a photo-journey, with all original photography taken myself. Shall we begin?

1. The Commons

Just down the hill from Ithaca College, where TCAT's and bicyclists and artists and shoppers can convene, lies the downtown area - "a wide variety of shops, restaurants, theaters, and historic architecture" that is not to be missed any day of the year, but especially not during FLEFF.

2. Cinemapolis

Cinemapolis is an independent, not-for-profit art theatre in operation since 1986. It is located at 120 East Green Street in the Commons of Ithaca, NY. It will host many of FLEFF's screenings, and is an active partner that has ensured the success of FLEFF for many years.

3. Ithaca College Campus

The Ithaca College campus is not only beautiful when not being dumped upon by Ithaca's often-nasty weather, but also is the site for two very important aspects of FLEFF: a host large portion of the festival's film screenings, home of Ford Hall (hosting the Concert for Microtopias), as well as the site of a three-dimensional, all-recyclable display of the letters "Microtopias" in front of the library. 

4. The Finger Lakes Wine Center

The Wine Center is a gorgeous tasting bar, wine store, tourism, and event center which will be hosting FLEFF's after-parties, a location for intellectual debates and creative folk to mingle about, post-screenings.

5. Your own private MICROTOPIA

No matter where you find yourself FLEFF week, the importance is that you are in your own Microtopia. Will you find it in in the dark community of a movie theatre, the lawns of a college campus, or perhaps the solace of your own mind? That is up to you.

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

Last year you may have read his blog posts as a FLEFF intern. This year he is a team leader, helping to organize FLEFF interns on different projects.

Twenty-year-old Shea Lynch is in his sophomore year at Ithaca College and yet he has already moved up the ranks within the FLEFF world. From Glens Falls, NY he came to Ithaca for the documentary studies program and minors in writing. Shea plans to graduate a year early and hopes to work in film or music in Toronto.

"I think it'd be cool to work for an underground magazine in Toronto, to write about the music scene and maybe work on the Toronto festival," he said. Shea is ready for the 'real world.' "I feel like at the end of high school I was college searching and now towards the end of college I'm city searching — testing out places to live and work," and it seems that our neighbors to the north may win out for Shea.

Last year, Shea most enjoyed writing for the blog during his FLEFF internship. "Doing the blog was more independent and it allowed me to communicate more with people invited by FLEFF," he said. FLEFF week is always the most exciting, according to Shea, but this year he really enjoyed the preview event, a screening of OKA!.

Shea said: "It was really cool listening to the director speak after watching the film, like the fact that they used a toy airplane for some of the aerial shots." 

As he moves up the ranks, Shea hopes to become more involved in the film festival scene and integrate his writing background as well — like blogging.

To read more stories about FLEFF interns, continue to follow the blog. Shea's fun fact was that he can't swim (at least not very well, he clarified). My fun fact is that I have been some form of vegetarian for nine years. Share with us a fun fact about yourself.

The best things in life are messy. Sloppy Joes. Finger Paint. Food Fights. Muddy Rain Puddles. Tye-dye.

Their greatness comes from the fact you have to work for the end result. You have to get down and dirty, completely exposing yourself and being vulnerable to something that may not be routine in your daily life.

The same goes for “messy” ideas. The best thoughts are those that are out-of-the-norm. The best conversations are those with debate, connections, brainstorming and enlightenments. They aren’t clean and nicely packaged, ready-to-go nuggets of information for willing people to digest without question. To digest this you have to put in a little elbow grease—or brainpower if you will.

Microtopias. MESSY. Everyone has a different definition, especially for how it applies to one on an individual level. But lets talk community. In this setting, I view a microtopia to be a complex, efficient working system.

By stating FLEFF itself is a microtopia, I have two options. I could just think of this on a neat and superficial level, accepting that FLEFF sparks communication about environmental ideals. Done.

Or we can dig deeper. We can evaluate the system in all of its little parts (the movies, music, parties, interns, networking, conversation, education) and realize how they relate to each other. It is the big snapshot picture of all of these parts working together that builds community.

And to join the community you have to not be afraid to jump outside your comfort zone. Because nature, the environment and it’s systems are never simple. Everything is interconnected and messy. And creating this utopia within FLEFF is about embracing that naturalness and goodness of messiness.

So ground your feet in mother earth. Let her mud seep between your toes and revel in the mess that is innately beautiful in its systematic complexity.

What is the best mess you have ever taken part in? Why was it fun? 

Blog post written by Colleen Ryan, Television-Radio '12, Anthropology minor, Lansing, NY

The list of amazing guests keeps growing and growing, and by golly I don't think there's anything about FLEFF that I'm NOT excited for.

Here are five guests I'm most looking forward to:

1. Elizabeth Coffman.  She's many things that I aspire to be:  Documentary filmmaker.  Writer. Teacher.  Mom. If you haven't checked out her writing on the Inside Higher Ed, "Mama, PhD" you should!  It's great!  I've been reading it all morning.  Coffman is also the co-producer of Veins in the Gulf, a documentary about the disappearing coastline of Louisiana, a film I'm dying to see and that will be screened the last day of FLEFF (April 1st).

2. Menna Khalil.  Suffering in the Middle East is something I know little about, and I wish I knew more.  Khalil's activism and work sounds extremely inspiring, and I can't wait to see her presentation that documents Iraq Burin and stories of Palestinian village who were witnesses to uprising.  To read more about her work, check out fellow blogger Brian McCormick's interview.

3. Matthew Podolsky. His non-profit organization "Wild Lens" incorporates all my passions into one: Activism. Science. Conservation. Art.  Wild Lens wishes to "present biological facts in an exciting and accessible way, and broaden the public interest in environmental and wildlife conservation – one species at a time."  It's pretty safe to say my dream job may be exactly that -- word for word.

4. Robby Aceto and the Cloud Chamber Orchestra.  As I said in a previous post about Aceto and his improvisational music trio, I can't wait for the Cloud Chamber Orchestra's live scoring of "Nanook of the North."  It will be my first experience of any kind of live music played with film.  I love music, but I don't believe my brain has the ability to fathom performing live with a film, while also improvising and collaborating with two other musicians.  To an audience it must seem so effortless, but holy cow the talent one must have!

5. Bernie Upson and his Quartet.  I'm a wannabe jazz fanatic.  Whenever I listen to jazz, I feel as if I was born in the wrong decade.  I picture myself dolled-up in a smokey mid-century jazz lounge, with the bass vibrating through my veins.  I'm thrilled to see such a talented group of musicians play.  It's not everyday you're in the presence of jazz legends!

19 days until FLEFF. Ready. Set. Get excited.  I know I am.  Are you?

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

My family isn't real, it can't be. Parents happily married living with their daughter, son and dog in a brick-faced suburban home with nice landscaping out front and a small pool in the back. Every Sunday there's dinner at the grandparents' house, only two minutes away. Holidays are a family affair; uncles and aunts, cousins and second-cousins, and the occasional family friend all around one excessively long table. 

This is my idea of a microtopia: a family as close to perfect as possible without going back into a black-and-white television screen. To me, this is a tiny piece of perfect harmony in the middle of a chaotic world. The image to the right is my dad and I at Yankee stadium, a trip we make as a family each summer. I'm smiling in that picture because I'm happy. It's not one of those fake smiles you force as you barely survive time with the parents. I am actually smiling. Because this is my microtopia.

To someone else, this is hell.

How do we define a word that is inherently a person's own construction rather than a socially accepted definition? We don't. We share our own ideas of microtopia and listen to other's. We start a conversation. That's what FLEFF is for, and that's what this blog is for. So I ask you: is my microtopia your perfection or your biggest fear? Why; what's your microtopia? 

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

Each of the FLEFF 2012 guests contribute something special to the festival and help to foster our microtopia and 'different environment.' However, there are several guests that I am especially excited to meet. Without further ado, here are my top five!

1. Patricia Isasa- Patricia Isasa was only 16 when she was kidnapped and tortured by police and soldiers under Argentina's military dictatorship. During Argentina's dirty war, the government detained, tortured and disappeared thousands of suspected "subversives." Having studied in Argentina and traveled extensively in Latin America, I am very interested in this kind of history. I am looking forward to hearing Isasa's story and sharing her struggle. 

2. Peter Cleary- Peter Cleary is the Communications Director for Vestergaard Fransen. I'm particularly excited about meeting Cleary, because I am also a Communications person and I think that I can potentially learn a lot from him. 

3. Rodrigo Brandao- Rodrigo Brandao is an IC alum who now works at Kino Lorber as the director of publicity. Kino distributes the independent films we love. Brandao is integrally involved with FLEFF and wrote for the blog "Latin American Spaces." I really enjoyed reading over some of his posts, since my favorite films are generally Latin American/ Spanish language. 

4. Laura Kissel- Laura Kissel is a documentary filmmaker currently working on the film "cotton road." I am looking forward to seeing this documentary, which shows the relationship between cotton fields in South Carolina, Chinese textile workers and global consumption. I love this kind of systems thinking, which shows that our actions are not isolated, but are intricately connected. A systems thinking approach is imperative in helping us address the issues we face today. 

5. Toivo- Toivo's tagline is "Finnish, Tex-Mex, and original music." I have not heard such an unconventional description for a band in ages, how could I not be excited to see them?

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

1.     It’s interdisciplinary.  FLEFF brings people of all mediums together.  You can be an Environmental Studies major learning about new media, an electronic musician watching a silent film, or an aspiring novelist immersing him/herself in The Concert For Microtopias, Every FLEFF attendee brings something to the table.

2.     It’s inter-generational.  Whether you’re a student, a media professional, or an Ithaca resident, FLEFF has something for all ages.  The welcoming environment and endless opportunities for FLEFFers to mingle leads to inter-generational conversation.  Who knows what you’ll learn from another FLEFFer?

3.     It’s intellectual.  This is one of the many goals that FLEFF accomplishes each year.  FLEFF inspires attendees to learn from media and its creators, as well as from other attendees.  Everyone has a story and lesson to share, and FLEFF celebrates that by providing countless opportunities for FLEFFers to do so.

4.     It’s a great opportunity for professionals and students. For students, there is no better professional opportunity. You learn directly from industry professionals about working with all forms of media.  Students learn about media (as well as film festival protocol) through their experiences with the festival.  And for professionals?  They get to show and talk about their work to an incredibly eager audience!  What could be better?

5.     It is not static. FLEFF is always changing.  While some professionals come back and give presentations year after year (like Robby Aceto), FLEFF always brings something new to the table.  This is why FLEFF has themes: to allow each festival to explore new technologies and ideas, and this is what makes FLEFF so stellar.

It was hard to narrow the list down to five, but what do you think, FLEFFers? What do you think makes FLEFF unique?

 Blog Posting Written by Kaley Belval, Documentary Studies and Production '15, FLEFF Intern, Woodbury, CT

"I think that FLEFF is giving me the knowledge of one option of how to show films or documentaries," said freshman Megan Butterfield. "I’m a TVR major concentrating in documentaries, and I think that any opportunity to see professionals at work can help you learn and inspire you for your future."

As an intern, Butterfield has been hearing from a lot of professionals in the field of communications and even though they are not necessarily within her major, she finds them both fascinating and informative. 

The theme of microtopias is something that not many people know about, but FLEFF is beginning to educate people interested in the festival about its meaning.

"I had never heard of microtopias before; I think it's a really neat concept and I'm excited to explore it through film and other art forms," she said.

Her own personal microtopia, she believes, would be the Horton Center due to the human connections she has made, along with the natural environment and the comfort she feels when she goes there. 

 One of the roles that interns have is to create an installment on the academic quad made entirely out of recyclable materials spelling out the word MICROTOPIAS. 

"I'm really excited about the art opening part of FLEFF; I think it's an added bonus of being an intern, that we get to create an art piece out of sustainable materials," said Butterfield.

She said that she is extremely glad that she applied to be a FLEFF intern and received the position. 

"People should go to FLEFF because it’s a high quality film festival right here in Ithaca," she said. "It’s an opportunity that you would not get at a lot of other colleges or small towns to experience internationally known films; I don't know why people wouldn't attend."

Butterfield is a freshman TVR major from Richmond, New Hampshire. 

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

Fellow blogger Meagan McGinnes asked guest Robby Aceto last night at the FLEFF intern meeting how his improvisational music trio, Cloud Chamber Orchestra, forms a cohesive sound, despite having a different take on the film they score.

“The baseline is respect,” he said. “Even though you can have completely different views, they can still work together as long as you have respect.”

And there it is. Collaboration. Adaptation. Appreciation. Microtopias. 

“[When performing live music you must] Embrace accidents, figure out ways to utilize them, and not allow them to cause disaster, which waits at every moment,” Aceto said.

“You have to be in control of the environment. Not making sound is just as crucial as making sound. Embrace the silence.”

Even though just speaking about improvisational music, I believe Robby really captured the essence of FLEFF, and I felt very touched and inspired by his words.

This year marks the 90^th anniversary of Robert Flaherty’s “Nanook of the North” and I can’t even begin to express how excited I am to watch it with a live score.

Flaherty’s portrayal of Nanook and his family, although slightly fabricated, is a beautiful romanticized film about the life of the Inuit people, and I’ve never watched it with any sort of accompaniment – just dimmed buzzing classroom fluorescents. 

Aceto stated that most of his trio’s scores are pretty modern, yet “vocative of place and time.”

He told the FLEFF interns that his trio inhibits the mindset of the filmmaker. They take into consideration what his wishes might be, and what the filmmaker achieved with his film at the time of its creation.

Although a child of the technological age, I sometimes feel as if I was born in the wrong era. I wish I could have witnessed life in a simpler time, without the instant gratification of technology.

From the vantage point of a 21^st century citizen, technology we have today was just pure fantasy to those at the time of “Nanook of the North.”

Aceto also told the interns, “In a way now, we can feel superior to [the filmmakers then], but they were making it up as they went along, and they had to think much more creatively than a filmmaker now. “

“We’ve narrowed our expectations of what a film experience should be,” he said, and I agree.

The trio’s performance on the closing night of FLEFF will be the first silent film I've ever experienced with a live score, and I personally think that it’s a tradition that although seemingly archaic, is a lost and under appreciated art form!

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

In my first definition of microtopia, I left out a vital part of the story.

I had only scratched the surface; you can have an individual experience within a microtopia, but it’s cooperation, collaboration, and organized chaos that creates a “different environment.”

With each improvised performance paired with silent film, Robby Aceto creates a singular microptopia from a diverse coagulation of sound. It’s all made up on the spot. Toy instruments. Mandolins. Cellos. Textured electronic audio.

The musicians in Aceto’s ensemble don’t have to compromise on creating one sound. Starting with a baseline of “respect” and trust among the artists, they’re equally a part of the process and collectively in control of their environment.

The exciting part, Robby expressed, is waiting for disaster.

As I watched clips from pieces of expressionist German film set to Aceto’s improvised melodies, my viewing experience created a profoundly “different environment.” Without an established soundtrack to comment on the film, I felt involved and emotionally invested. The musicians were not just “recreating” the notation of another artist’s vision, but interpreting the film—and welcoming the audience to talk about it, too.

It’s a beautiful, utopic thought—the idea that a group of talented musicians can successfully share an art-form while including a community of engaged onlookers.

But the moment is fleeting. The credits roll, and at the next performance, there will be new sounds, fresh reactions, and a different environment.

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

You can’t have my microtopia.

Sorry, but not really.

My personal definition of microtopias reflects my own personal experiences.  I believe that each person has their own microtopia as a result of interacting with different environments.  No two people have the same experiences.

I grew up in the suburbs of Massachusetts.  I am a Television-Radio major (the most popular at Ithaca College).  I’m a girl.

There’s a good chunk of people who fit that exact same description, but none of them are like me.  While a group of us may be defined by these vague terms, they don’t actually fit anyone.

The term “one size fits all” is silly because there is no such thing.  No term fits everyone because everyone is different. No microtopia belongs to everyone, because everybody has their own.

You can’t have my microtopia, but you can explore it with me. 

We can share my microtopia, but only for a little while. 

You have your own microtopia to discover.  Once you discover yours, I’m sure you’ll be spending a lot more time there.

Invite me over, will you?