Blog posting by Chloe Wilson, Television-Radio '14, Ashland Massachusetts, Festival Blogger

It’s hard to believe that FLEFF was only a week ago. It’s such a jam-packed week so, for me, it takes a long time to process all of the things I learned and all of the environments I became of part of.

FLEFF’s theme of mobilities stuck out to me this year.  It seemed that every event I attended transported me to a new culture, a new lifestyle, a new environment.  During this year’s FLEFF, I was a globetrotter. 

I travelled to the lands of South America with Dr. Phil McMichael’s talk about food sovereignty and the “global hunger games.”  I wove through the stories of Ugandan folklore when I spoke with Dominica Dipio about her film “Crafting the Bamasaba.” I was transported back to the Middle Ages with the amazing Carmina Burana performance. At Cinemapolis, I flitted between South Korea, China, Pakstan, and even upstate New York.

This has been my third time participating in FLEFF – my second as a blogger.  It seems that, no matter how many FLEFFs I attend, I will always keep learning.  Which, if you think about it, makes complete sense, since one of FLEFF’s goals is to promote interdisciplinary learning.

I had a lot of favorite moments from FLEFF this year.  What were some of yours?

Blog post by Chloe Wilson, Television-Radio '14, FLEFF Blogger, Ashland, Massachusetts

Hey FLEFFers!

There have been tons of FLEFF events throughout the day but our first day of FLEFF is capping off with Dr. Phil McMichael's lecture "Food Sovereignty and the Global Hunger Games"!  Can't make it? No worries!  I'll be liveblogging the whole event for you!  Read on for more about the event.

6:59 PM - HUGE crowd for "Global Hunger Games!" There's a great mix of people here from all different sorts of backgrounds.

7:05 PM - People are still filing.  It's becoming a struggle to find seats!

7:06 PM - Dr. Phil McMichael is being introduced by a member of the Ithaca College faculty!  Dr. McMichael's lecture is sponsored both by FLEFF and Ithaca College's Department of Promotion and Physical Education.

7:07 PM - Ithaca College Provost Marisa Kelly is officially welcoming us to the 16th FLEFF! She's discussing the theme of mobilities and how mobilities (and FLEFF!) is an interdisciplinary event.

7:09 PM - Marisa Kelly on FLEFF: "By engaging guests from our region and through the world... FLEFF promotes the exploration of interdisciplinary and internationalism."

7:13 PM - Dr. Phil McMichael is finally starting his lecture! I'm so excited.

7:15 PM - Dr. McMichael is using political cartoons to explain the problems of food sovereignty. Dr. McMichael: "The people who have purchaisng power are the people who can command the types of crops to be produced."  

7:18 PM - Food fact: Livestock uses 1/3 of the world's land surface and 1/3 or arable land. Animal protein diet uses 16 times more farmland than plant protein diet. (I didn't expect those stats to be so high!)  

7:20 PM - The large amount of livestock also reduces forests - especially the Amazon Rainforest. Mangrove Forest was destroyed so companies could harvest aquaculture.

7:22 PM - This problem extends to the global fuel economy as well - especially since corn demand from U.S. ethanol distilleries doubled from 2006 to 2007. The use of politcal cartoons is really helpful!

7:26 PM - Dr. McMichael: "Half of all Guatemala's children under five are malnourished - one of the highest rates of nutrition in the world."

7:28 PM - Dr. McMichael: "What's being left out of the equation is that these lands are used for growing crops when they could be used for growing food to feed the world."

7:32 PM - There's a "new land grab" process that shows that 37% of land is grabbed for food, while 35% is for biofuels.

7:34 PM - States and corporations reclassify peasant/common land as "unproductive," "unused," or "idle" so it's available for purchase. 

7:36 PM - Consequences of land-grabbing: displacement of food crops, disposession of producers, a threat to the natural ecosystems, and many, many more.

7:39 PM - Much of this stems from the neoliberal agrarian crisis.

7:41 PM - Food sovereignty (idea that countries should have the right to determine their own food policy) is a product of the agrarian crisis. Quote from U.S. representative: "The idea that developing countries should feed themselves in an anachronism from a bygone era. They could better ensure their food security by relying on US agriculture."

7:45 PM - "The massive movement of food around the world is forcing the increased movement of people." 

7:46 PM - Food sovereignty represents a paradigm change in how food can and should be provisioned. It redefines food security from a trade and rights-based concept and practice.

7:50 PM - BOTTOM LINE: The question "for whose benefit?" is at least as important as the question "how to produce more?"

7:52 PM - And that's the end of the lecture! Dr. McMichael will now take audience questions.

7:54 PM - Great questions about subsidies from the front row!

7:55 PM - Dr. McMichael: "We need to change the way we view subsidies in America. Hopefully we see them shift in the future."

7:58 PM - Another great question about the development of third world countries' agriculture and their economic structures. How can we help?

8:00 PM - This is turning into a really interesting (and educational debate).

8:03 PM - A question about movements against land that can't be used for food.  Very interesting!  It's great that so many students who are familiar with the topic came to the lecture tonight! 

8:09 PM - Dr. McMichael: "There's something to be said for communities bringing local products into their economy, but it's a complicated issue - I'm sorry to be so gloomy!"

8:11 PM - An audience member asks Dr. McMichael about the connections between local food crises (like in Upstate New York), food banks, and how to understand it.

8:12 PM - Dr. McMichael: "I think beginning to connect the dots becomes a very powerful way to learn about how the system is organized. Recognizing how the food system is organized - even on a local level - is incredibly important... my task within that is to organize with several people at Cornell."

8:15 PM - The lecture officially ends!  Definitely a great lesson and discussion afterwards - everything that FLEFF is about!

Did you have a favorite moment of the lecture? Tell us about it in the comments!

Blog post by Chloe Wilson, Television-Radio '14, FLEFF Blogger, Ashland, Massachusetts

I got the chance to speak with Ulises Mejias, a new media scholar who will be hosting a workshop at this year's FLEFF! He gave me the scoop on his work and what to expect this year. Read on for more!

Chloe Wilson: How are you involved with this year's FLEFF?

UM: I am part of the group of scholars and writers invited to participate in the festival. I'm going to be giving a talk on Monday about my book, Off the Network. On Friday, I will be giving a lab on alternate reality games, which are simulations that I have been conducting at SUNY Oswego (where I teach) for 4 years.

CW:What are your previous experiences with FLEFF?

UM: I have been involved in the festival before, and I always enjoy the opportunity to share my work and ideas with IC students. I am a Park graduate (BFA '94 and MS '99), so coming back is always a treat. FLEFF wasn't around when I was here, and I think it's a great forum for all of us to come together and learn from each other. It's quite a unique and intellectually stimulating environment.

CW: For those who are unfamiliar, can you describe your new media work?

UM: I guess my work falls under the rubric of "critical internet studies," which means I look at the impact of the internet from the perspective of what is know as "critical theory." In essence, I am interested in the question of how digital networks include and exclude modes and meanings of sociality. In my work, I engage in an examination of the network as a technological template for organizing and determining society, a template that increases participation while simultaneously also increasing certain forms of inequality.

CW: What will your workshop (Off the Network: Disrupting the Digital) be about?

UM: I'm going to be summarizing the argument I make in my book of that same title, which is coming out in June. In the book, I start by looking at how the science of networks informs the development of digital technologies. I then look at how the technologies inform the economics of participation in networks: what kinds of interactions are possible or impossible in terms of socialization, collaboration, activism, surveillance, and so on. I then propose a way to "unthink" the logic of the network, and explain why that might even be something we want to consider. Finally, I make a proposal for opening up spaces for imagining new identities and ways of relating to networking technologies.

CW: If you had to narrow it down to one reason, why should a FLEFFer attend the workshop?

UM: In order to have a healthy diet, you need to understand the basics of nutrition, not just eat what a corporation puts in front of you. Likewise, I am suggesting that in order to have a "healthy" relationship with the digital networks we use --from cell phones to social networking sites-- we need to understand the ingredients, and we need to understand how they interact to cause certain effects. 

CW: What is your interpretation of this year's FLEFF theme of Mobilities?

UM: What I like about FLEFF is how the theme is always open-ended, and how it takes actually takes shape through the various events and the interactions they create. To me, mobilities and immobilities suggests the affordances of technology: what they make possible, but also the opportunities they foreclose. Every technology puts something in motion, but it also arrests certain kinds of movements.

Make sure to stop by Mejias' workshop, Off the Network: Disrupting the Digital, on Monday, April 1st!

BIO OF ULISES MEJIAS:

Ulises A. Mejias is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Studies department at SUNY Oswego. He holds a doctorate in Technology and Education from Columbia University. He has published in various journals in his field, and recently co-authored a chapter in the book Activist Art in Social Justice Pedagogy about the use of alternate reality games as platforms for learning and activism. His book, Off the Network: Disrupting the Digital World is coming out in June 2013 from University of Minnesota Press. His research interests include critical Internet studies, network theory and science, philosophy and sociology of technology, and political economy of new media.

The closer we get to FLEFF, the more excited I get!  It also helps that more and more events are being announced everyday. It's exciting to guess what new films and guests will be at FLEFF, and what new experiences this year's FLEFF will offer.

I already posted about the Cinemapolis FLEFF films I can't wait to see, but the FLEFF on-campus schedule was released earlier this week and I am totally stoked about the slate of events!  They all are going to be amazing, but here are three that I'm incredibly excited to partake in:

1. Lecture: Food Sovereignty and the Global Hunger Games

Okay, so it's not the story with Katniss Everdeen, but this lecture by Dr. Phil McMichael is centered on an interesting topic that everyone can relate to. "Food sovereignty" refers to the right of peoples to create, define, and reform their own food systems, but with our culture's method of food production, it is difficult to share that power with the whole of the populace. Personally, I'm really excited to learn more about this topic - as well as my place within the global system - so I'm definitely not missing this one.

This lecture will be held on Monday, April 1st at 7 PM. Location TBD.

2. Workshop: Transmedia

FLEFF is a front-runner in regards to new media, so what better place to learn about the importance of transmedia and how this affects the future of the industry? This workshop will be facilitated by Ann Michel and Phil Wilde, the principals of the award-winning production firm Insights International, and led by artist Elizabeth Miller and researcher/professor Evan Meany. Based on Miller and Meany's work in the new media field, I'm sure they both will have fantastic insight into this new and rising field.

This workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 3 at 6:50 PM in Room 111 of the Park Business School.

3. Film: The Other Side of the Water

This film follows a group of immigrants as they reinvent traditional Haitian music (known as "rara")for the streets of Brooklyn, their new home.  It's a powerful mix of narrative of music that is unique to this documentary - it's definitely a film to see if you're interested in either artform. "The Other Side of the Water" also does a fantastic job portraying the Diaspora community in the New York area, making it both educational and entertaining.

This film will be screened on Tuesday, April 2nd at 1:10 PM in Room 281 of the Park School of Communications.

Be sure to check out the schedule on the homepage of the FLEFF website! What events are you excited for?

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

This isn't your typical "wheel of fortune."

One of the major events of FLEFF's programming is the performance of Carmina Burana - a cantata that consists of medieval poetry (written in Latin) set to music composed in the later 1930s.  If you haven't heard it, I definitely recommend listening to it - it's a moving set of pieces (you've probably heard parts of it before) that are powerful and beautiful to listen to.

As somebody who has a background in classical music, I always enjoy getting the chance to explore new pieces of music.  When I sat down to listen to Carmina Burana, I was surprised with how familiar I already was with some of the music.  "O Fortuna!" is probably the most recognizable piece from the cantata.

I loved all of the music, but what I find most interesting about Carmina Burana is the symbolism behind the piece.  Carmina Burana is about the Wheel of Fortune - a medieval, philosophical concept that shows the cycle of life as a wheel.  At one moment, a person may be at the top.  At another, a person may be at the bottom.

This is reflected prominently in the music with how the melodies and volumes change throughout Carmina Burana.  I found the cantata to be easy to listen to because of this, and it's a piece that definitely consumes your attention.

You can listen to the full cantata here, and I definitely recommend doing so.

I'm excited for the FLEFF performance because instead of a full chorus, there will be brass instruments - like saxophones and trombones.  Have you listened to Carmina Burana yet? 

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

With all of the programming updates and excitement around the March 3^rd Kickoff Screening, it’s easy to get lost in this year’s festival.  And it hasn’t even started yet!

As a blogger who also documented last year’s festival, I think there are an equal amount of differences and similarities between this FLEFF and the last. Both themes are engaging (though in different ways) and encourage you to explore beyond the basic definitions we already know.

Last year’s theme of microtopias encouraged participants to discover what their personal environments are like, while this year’s theme of mobilities inspires us to travel through different microtopias to discover new worlds, perspectives, and art.

I didn’t realize the link between the FLEFF themes until recently, and I’d kick myself for being slow if I didn’t think that the link between the two themes was something to discover organically as opposed to it being thrust in your face. 

If you give yourself the time to sit and reflect about the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, I’m willing to bet that there’s a lot you’re going to discover.

Have you given yourself time to reflect on FLEFF? What have you discovered?

Blog posting written by Chloe Wilson, Television-Radio '14, FLEFF Blogger, Ashland, Massachusetts.

One of my favorite parts about FLEFF is the festival's partnership with Ithaca-based theater Cinemapolis.  It's one of my favorite downtown spots - I frequent the place all the time - but I'm even more excited to head down during FLEFF because of the great programming the theater is offering!

Here are three FLEFF films at Cinemapolis that I'm most excited for:

1. Dear Governor Cuomo

The film is both informational and emotional - it discusses the dangers of fracking in the state of New York while also including the spoken and musical testimonies of those affected by fracking.  "Dear Governor Cuomo" features celebrities like Mark Ruffalo, Natalie Merchant, Melissa Leo, and many other New Yorkers Against Fracking.  If you love concert films, documentaries, or New York in general, this film is worth checking out.

2. Once Upon a Time

No, it's not the ABC show of the same name.  This Korean comedy heist follows various individuals - including a jazz singer and a con artist - as they each try to steal a diamond from the government.  The critically-acclaimed film is set in 1940s Korea, but don't think that the political drama of the time period makes this film any less fun to watch.  You can check out the trailer (with English subtitles) here!

3. Sherlock Jr.

FLEFF is well-known for its tradition of showcasing silent films that are accompanied by live musicians and this year - the film is "Sherlock Jr.". A comedy that originally premiered in 1924, the film stars Buster Keaton as a man who falls for a beautiful girl and when her pearl necklace goes missing, he imagines himself the detective who solves the crime.  Time Magazine named "Sherlock Jr." one of its Top 100 Films of All-Time and I can't wait to see if I agree.

Based on the current programming list (which you can find here), those are the films I'm excited to see!  What are some of yours?

Blog posting written by Chloe Wilson, Television-Radio '14, FLEFF Blogger, Ashland, Massachusetts.

When I was a freshman in high school, I got bitten by the travel bug.

With the People to People Student Ambassador Program, I travelled to Australia to discover an entire new culture.  I stayed with a host family, got to snorkel through the Great Barrier Reef, and hike around Uluru - considered by many to be an unofficial wonder of the world.

After that, all of the money I earned from part-time jobs went to travel - whether it was a class trip to Germany or gas money so I could drive to visit my friend a few towns over, I loved travelling and I loved being mobile.  

The ability to explore - which I think is inherent to this year's theme of mobilities - is something a lot of people take for granted.  Many people in countries all over the world do not have access to things that seem commonplace to us - public transportation, well-paved roads, government access to leave and enter countries freely.  

FLEFF allows artists, scholars, interns, and all other attendees to be mobile.  Physically, FLEFF is an international festival that brings people of many cultures together.  Intellectually, ideas at FLEFF travel from person to person and at the festival's end, they travel to the homes of all who attended. 

Being mobile allows us to explore other places while sharing our knowledge. FLEFF's theme of mobilities gives us the opportunity to explore that this year.  

What are your thoughts about this year's theme of mobilities?

Blog posting written by Chloe Wilson, Television-Radio '14, FLEFF Blogger, Ashland, Massachusetts.

Hello, FLEFFers!

My name is Chloe Wilson, and I'm excited to be back blogging with FLEFF for the second year in a row!

I'm a junior television-radio major with a concentration in scriptwriting.  I also have a triple minor in history, legal studies, and the honors program.

I grew up in Ashland, Massachusetts - the original home of the Boston Marathon!  I'm not athletic by any means, but I live close enough to the marathon route that I can walk outside of my house, set up a lawn chair, and cheer for all the marathoners running by.

Even though I grew up just outside of Boston, I'm a New Yorker at heart.  I spent my last summer interning at Viacom in NYC while simultaneously working with a small non-profit.  As much as I love media, I also love giving back to my community.

I consider the Ithaca area (and the surrounding Finger Lakes) my community.  As a college student, I feel like I'm always mobile - travelling home for break, travelling to Syracuse to visit friends, travelling back to Ithaca for the new semester - and I'm excited to explore the idea of mobility in film and new media.

This year, FLEFF begins with a Kick-Off Screening on March 3rd.  It's an Upstate Filmmakers showcase, featuring artists such as Carol Jennings, John Scott, and Jason Harrington. (Seeing as my birthday is March 2nd, it's like a belated present for me!)

The FLEFF schedule hasn't been announced yet, but I can't wait for the Kick-Off Screening.  What are you excited about for this year's FLEFF?

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 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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Doesn't 2008 seem so long ago?

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

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

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

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

• FLEFF 2008 did not have a Checkpoints Story Contest. 

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

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

What's your favorite FLEFF memory?

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

What's up, FLEFFers?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CW:  Any advice for 2012 FLEFFers?

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

-----

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

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

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

Hello!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Again: it's going to be awesome.

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

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