Blog posting written by Kimberly Capehart, Documentary Studies and Production '16, FLEFF Intern, Cherry Hill, New Jersey 

Wow.

I am eighteen years old and I just spent a week seeing dozens of films, meeting and conversing with film directors, distributors, producer, new media artists and musicians, and, most importantly, writing about all of it. 

FLEFF is something that I never could have dreamed that I would be a part of, especially as a freshman. In the past 5 months, I've overcome my own personal fears and obstacles and have evolved into a mature, festival intern. As a spectator, FLEFF has really exposed me to a lot of new films and styles of filmmaking. It gave me opportunities to see works that I would have never seen on my own, and will probably never see in a theater again. As an intern, it has given me so much more. FLEFF has improved my communication skills, my writing skills, and my skills as a professional to-be. 

My experience has introduced new opportunities and sparked my interest in a variety of new things. I feel like I definitely have an advantage over my colleagues because of this internship: I feel more prepared to tackle bigger things, both on- and off-campus.

This summer I plan on volunteering with the Philadelphia Q!Fest, a gay and lesbian film festival, to further explore the world of film festivals. I will definitely be taking my skills and memories from FLEFF with me back home to Philly. 

My experience with the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival has been nothing short of incredible, and I can't wait to (hopefully!) come back next year.

Blog post written by Amber Thibault, Cinema and Photography ’15, FLEFF Intern, Lewiston, Maine.

Repetition.

This is the idea behind Tomanari Nishikawa's film "Tokio-Ebisu" which explores the movement and repetition of people and trains on the Yamanote Line.

Nishikawa share with me his recollections of taking the Yamanote Line, the busiest train in Tokyo. This train runs on a loop and and arrives at a train station every two to three minutes. It is in observing this that he notice the repetition that inspired his film; a train would come every couple minutes and stopped in the exact same spot. He also observed that everyone on the platform knew exactly where it was going to stop so they would line up accordingly.

But the technical elements of filmmaking are more compelling to Nishikawa than the storyline.

Nishikawa: "You can tell a story through multiple ways, writing or speaking but film is unique in what you can do with it."

He experimented with exposing the camera to observe what was happening in front of it. Get shot was exposed 30 times! It is this that makes me excited to see it. I can't actually wrap my mind around what that would look like.

Nishikawa's love for the medium of film was apparent in our conversation and contributes to his style. Some of his works can be seen at his website, www.tomonarinishikawa.com

Cinemapolis will be screening his film "Tokio-Ebisu" as part of the Upstate Filmmaker's Showcase this Sunday, April 7th at 4pm.

This is Nishikawa's first time being a part of FLEFF and he was pleasantly surprised to find out FLEFF does not feature just environmental documentaries but has a a selection of non-narrative films as well.

What was your first impression of FLEFF?

Blog post written by Amber Thibault, Cinema and Photography ’15, FLEFF Intern, Lewiston, Maine.

Mansoor Behnam is a thinker. We spent the first half of our conversation on the sunny saturday afternoon talking about how his literature and theater background have been influential to his filmmaking. He's working on his Ph.D at Queens University with a major in Cultural Studies, letting his studies inform his filmmaking.

Last year, Behnam came to FLEFF as a graduate fellow and had a great time talking to people and engaging intellectually with other scholars. Coming this year, he is excited to continue to meet people and share ideas. 

Behnam "When you produce something, you really want to share it with people. I love the Q&A sessions afterwards."

When I ask him why he came back to FLEFF, Behnam said, "When you find wonderful people to be around, you just want to be around them more and more."

Behnam is initiating discussion this year, sharing three films with FLEFF.

In the first, "Organon", Behnam wanted to explore the idea of thinking while moving and how it relates to the human condition. He talked about when he moved to Canada he started taking evening walks again. Behnam used these walks to explore his place in time and space to really think about, "who I am and how can I build myself now?" 

Behnam is also sharing two films he co-produced: "Tango Flaneur" and "Cup of Coffee with Kafka" 

"Tango Flaneur" was produced by Behnam with his classmate at Queens University Lisa Elin Figge. Together they decided to take a look at people in urban space and urban culture. Within this space they present how it is more difficult for people with a disability to get around than for able-body people.

Behnam felt they "have to share that with other people so they can be awakened, so they can change reality."

"Cup of Coffee with Kafka" was produced by Behnam with his colleague Felipe Quetzalcoatl. They wanted to create space for a diverse voices about movement and transit. Behnam said "ideas move quickly, people move quickly" so they interviewed different people on this idea in order to create an objective presentation.

"Organon" and "Tango Flaneur" will be screened Thursday April 4th at Ithaca College in Roy Park School of Communications Rm. 273 at 2:35pm

"Cup of Coffee with Kafka" will be screened Thursday April 4th at Ithaca College in Williams Hall Rm. 202 at 5:25pm

Blog post written by Amber Thibault, Cinema and Photography ’15, FLEFF Intern, Lewiston, Maine.

With FLEFF just around the corner, it's time to take a look at some of the events I'm looking forward to. I hope you find some that interest you.

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

You might have heard it while watching the climax to an action-packed movie. You might have heard it in an elegant concert hall. You might have even heard it on The X Factor.

It's intense. It's powerful. And it will move you.

This is the music of Carmina Burana.

Seamless integration between sporadic bursts of energy, rhythm, and triumph, strung together by a haunting echo in the background define this style of music. And despite how startlingly demonic the music may sound, underneath it all, there is something still enchantingly reassuring about it.

Looking up to the lyrics to one of the more popular, well-known songs "O Fortuna," reassured me of this feeling. "…hateful life first oppresses, and then soothes as fancy takes it poverty and power, it melts them like ice." The music isn't meant to be malicious or intimidating...it's meant to be didactic. There's an enlightening truth behind the cyclical nature that defines fate. Carmina Burana's music is meant to serve as a vehicle for this message.

You can hear the music for yourself on Tuesday, April 2 at FLEFF's Concert featuring these particular pieces performed live at the Whalen Center for Music.

What do you interpret after hearing this music?