Blog posting written by Shea Lynch, Documentary Studies ’13, FLEFF Intern, Glens Falls, New York

Pianist Jairo Geronymo will be joining us all the way from Germany for the unique FLEFF concert special, Carmina Burana Tuesday April 2nd 8:15 p.m. 

Blog posting written by Shea Lynch, Documentary Production '13, FLEFF Blogger, Glens Falls, New York

Started dérives: 881
Public dérives: 740
Cards drawn: 7863
Distance recorded: 429.415 km 

Blog posting written by Shea Lynch, Documentary Production '13, FLEFF Blogger, Glens Falls, New York

"Im into exploring the implications of the changing digital media."

Vincent Grenier will be showcasing two films for the Upstate Filmmakers Showcase series, Armoire (In 4 Parts). Combining the digital medium with an exploration in time, place and power, Grenier opens the question of reality in past, present and future.

Grenier's journey traces back to the 1970s using 16mm film. The change from film to digital has not affected Grenier's message; the exploration of digital spaces must be free and continual. Grenier personifies the technological world we live in into cohesive films, video and installations mimicking human emotion and desire.

Using 16mm, video, VHS, and HD video, Grenier is a traveling historian of technological magic, bringing the imagination of creativity to the spirit of technological innovation.

Grenier leaves us with this message: 

"Ithaca is quite fortunate to have an art movie house like Cinemapolis and that it is particularly in needs of support right now as it is in the process of converting its projectors to digital. Such conversions are costly and I hope that the March 3rd FLEFF Kick Off screening can help raise some money for it."

Blog posting written by Shea Lynch, Documentary Production '13, FLEFF Blogger, Glens Falls, New York

Freshmen year can be scary for anyone entering college and discovering new communities can be tricky. I found FLEFF my first spring semester here and it offered a great community for me. FLEFF has challenged me to become a more creative person and has shaped me into someone who is ready to graduate. I did not expect FLEFF to become such an integral part of my life every spring semester but I'm glad I was able to take part in the journey.

I started blogging freshmen year and never looked back. Blogging is a great way to meet new people and become immersed in the content of FLEFF. Blogging has also allowed me to explore Ithaca College and the city of Ithaca; the people and places are rich with creativity and stories.

Collaborating with Ithaca College professors has exposed me to truly unique projects most others don't get to see. Blogging about their work for FLEFF has been the most enjoyable experience. The mobilization of ideas from teacher to student is seen daily at Ithaca College but working with professors with external projects has fulfilling rewards; a unique look at the behind-the-scenes of creativity.

The Upstate Filmmakers Showcase is drawing near and the rest of the FLEFF blogging team is hard at work interviewing Ithaca College faculty involved with this showcase; one of the best event for bloggers. Curated by Karen Rodriguez, the Upstate Filmmakers Showcase features nine shorts created by professors from Ithaca College and surrounding colleges.

Blog posting written by Shea Lynch Documentary Studies and Production ’13, FLEFF Blogger, Glens Falls, New York

Co-curator of the Distributed Microtopias Exhibition, Professor Dale Hudson has been working extensively with FLEFF since 2007, translating each season’s theme into a cohesive body of work. Partnered with Sharon Lin Tay, the duo has worked with artists from all over the world.

“In some ways, this year's exhibit responds to the techno-utopianism or cyber-utopianism of the the mid-1990s that imagined the internet as a democratic space where information and knowledge could be distributed equitably to everyone without being utterly naive or indifferent to the built-in controls of these technologies and platforms,” said Hudson.

The Distributed Microtopias Exhibit is a learning and sharing experience for the artists and the curators. This season will be an unusual one as artist Rico Aditjondro selected Null_Sets, a collaborative piece with an Ithaca alum, Evan Meaney. 

It is often challenging, said Hudson, tackling key concepts for each piece and presenting them in this “transcultural space.” 

“Each piece in the exhibition can be experienced individually, but the exhibition works even better as a whole.  Many of the pieces address similar concerns from different perspectives,” said Hudson.

Hudson also utilizes the Dérive app in exploring his own environmental spaces at the New York University of Abu Dhabi, where he teaches film and new media studies, and connecting it to the theme of FLEFF. 

“Connected to FLEFF's theme, the Dérive app facilitates research into the mobilities of urban planning that shape our experience of everyday life.  Many of the concepts behind the design of the city were derived from British colonial ideas of space transmitted through and refashioned by postcolonial Egyptian ideas of space,” said Hudson. 

Blog posting written by Amber Thibault, Cinema and Photography '15, FLEFF Intern, Lewiston, Maine

What does the theme of mobilities mean to me?

That was the question that presented itself. As I was thinking about this year's theme, I started to think about FLEFF and all the hard work that goes into coordinating and funding such a globally significant event. Then I had an epiphany. FLEFF draws people from all our the world. It mobilizes people to come to Ithaca for one week, to share in the same experience, and then take that experience and spread it around the world. And our collaboration with this year's international partners, EngageMedia and Derive App, will only expand FLEFF's global influence even further. 

At the same time, the international scholars and filmmakers who attend FLEFF add to the local culture of Ithaca and your own cultural exploration.

So I ask you, what cultural experience are you looking for?

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

Get ready, FLEFFers, the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival is back and better than ever!

My name is Kimberly Capehart and I’m more than excited to start my first year of blogging with FLEFF.

I’m a freshman Documentary Studies and Production major and I’m currently pursuing a minor in Environmental Studies. So, naturally, FLEFF is my collegiate Prince Charming.

I grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a suburb of Philadelphia. Living in South Jersey has given me the benefit of being only fifteen minutes away from a major city, and only forty-five minutes away from the infamous “Jersey Shore." Somewhere in between those two landmarks lie the Pine Barrens: Jersey’s own stretch of national forests, and a place I’ve been lucky enough to call home for my last twelve summers. The experiences I’ve had there and the outdoor education I received has really sparked my interest in all things environmental.

 This year’s festival will be exploring the theme of mobilities, a theme I feel is very important, in not just my life, but also my lifetime. As a teenager in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s I’ve had the privilege of a cell phone and my own car for several years. Along with the trust of some very awesome parents, I’ve been given considerable leeway to explore different places on my own.

I’m excited to bring my own experiences to the table as the festival explores the theme of mobility in the context of both film and new media.

Speaking of new media, FLEFF has some really cool, new partnerships with various new media outlets. I’m most excited to work with EngageMedia, a social media site that explores environmental and social issues in the Asia Pacific.

Why are you excited about this year’s FLEFF?

Blog posting by Brian McCormick, Film & Photo '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA

Yesterday I saw "Mississippi Damned" a phenomenal two hour look into the life of the film's writer and director Tina Mabry.

Mississippi Damned is one of the most honest films I have ever seen. It is "fiction," but, as Mabry declared to us after the screening, "95% is true." It's almost unimaginable how so much could be true. I think that is part of what makes it such an incredible film.

The movie begins with Mabry's family and friends in the '80s in a rural Mississippi. We follow them into the 90s during which we see all of the enormous hardships that these families face amidst their lives of poverty. This is Mabry's story, her personal account of everything that happened in her life, following interpretations back to when she was just a little girl.

It was a great pleasure being able to listen to Mabry talk after the screening and to ask her questions in person. Considering the emotional content of her film, Mabry warmingly offered a hug to anyone needing one after viewing the film. When asked about what it's like for her to watch the film over and over again, she describes it as having been a very therapeutic process. I can only imagine the courage it takes to show the world all of your life without holding back.

Mabry is a very strong and very driven person -- I know I will not hesitate to see her next film. Mississippi Damned is a brilliant example of how successful a story can be when you make it personal. I hope everyone had the chance to see it, and if not, get the DVD!

I hope you all have been enjoying FLEFF as much as I have, feel free to share what you've done and your thoughts on the films!

Blog posting by Brian McCormick, Film & Photo '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA

The last two nights have been very exciting for FLEFF! Now that the Cinemapolis screenings are underway it feels everyone has really gotten amped up!

The crowds down at the theater are very lively and energized. Every post-screening discussion has been full of energy and passion, since these issues and ideas are so important to the filmmakers and their audience. That's what makes seeing a film at FLEFF so unique -- the chance to talk to the filmmaker after the viewing.

Thursday night I saw "Even the Rain", a fiction feature film about a Spanish film crew making a movie in Bolivia amidst the Water Wars. In the film, the director casts a local Bolivian to play a major role. He soon finds out that this local is one of the prominent activists fighting for water and his rebellion throws the director and his crew through the biggest obstacles imaginable. I personally loved this film -- it really showcases the passion and determination put into filmmaking, as well as the passion of the locals to fight for water and essentially their lives.

Attending the screening was the film's casting director Rodrigo Bellot, an IC alum who it has been an absolute pleasure to have at FLEFF. Following the screening, Bellot conducted an enlightening Q&A, and he also spoke at the "How to Get Your Break" panel discussion yesterday evening.

Bellot will be at FLEFF again today -- don't miss the chance to meet him and the other FLEFF guests!

Last night, I then saw F. W. Murnau's "The Last Laugh" with live music performed by John Stetch. Really incredible. It felt very experimental in the way he would transition from scene to scene by isolating one sound or bringing a new one in, or just by changing the way he hit the drums or which keys he played. Keep in the mind the movie's original soundtrack is composed of an entire orchestra -- Stetch performed it by himself!

There will be two more silent film screenings with live music performances: Tonight, 7pm "Siren of the Tropics, and Tomorrow, 7pm "Storm Over Asia."

"Even the Rain" will also be screening again today -- go see it if you haven't!

Also, don't forget to head down to Delilah's for the after parties if you want to chat it up will all of the FLEFF guests!

Blog posting by Brian McCormick, Film & Photo '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA

I'm currently in Park 220 for an ongoing meet up with FLEFF guests. Right now is new media artist and filmmaker Helen De Michiel, the brains behind the open space documentary project "Lunch Love Community." Come for any of these presentations -- it's FREE!

Here's the line-up: 10am --Rodrigo Brandão, Kino Korber Films  11--Helen De Michiel, Lunch Love Community, 1--Philip Mallory Jones, new media artist  2--Franklin Lopez, media activist , moderated by John Scott  3--Danny Schecter, moderated by Todd Schack

* * * * *

Tomorrow FLEFF will be doing the east boast premiere for Lunch Love Community (which I'll refer to as LLC), which will be a sit, watch, talk, interact screening. Now De Michiel will talk to us about her project, moderated by FLEFF co-director Patty Zimmerman.

De Michiel begins by introducing LLC by telling the story of a school in Berkley who decided to make a change toward the school lunch program.

(For further information about LLC, check out the other blogs about De Michiel's previous talks. In this blog post I'll try to cover the unique discussions during today's event.)

With LLC, there is this shift from hardcore advocacy work to more open space documentary form. De Michiel started from the beginning engaging with the community in Berkley. Just making lots of meetings and talking to different groups who are involved. It isn't supposed to be an advocacy film. "There's a very fine line," she says, "between the community people who want you to promote what they're doing, and you having the freedom to see the story as it really is."

On the project's mosaic structure and slow media idea: De Michiel wrote an essay back in early 200s about "slow film." These films that takes years to produce and give you time to go very deeply into a topic, perhaps into a story that you didn't start off with (which can be the case with many documentary films).

One audience member has been following what's going on in Berkley, working with problems of childhood obesity in California, and her work to educate kids on nutrition and how they have the tools to better their eating habits.  In an environment where there's so many extremes, she says, you need to come in and tell stories so people can find their own solutions.

De Michiel talks about how, as an artist, she needed to be sensitive to the kind of story that she wanted to tell.

To give people an idea of the project, she is showing one of the LLC webisodes off the website. After watching, an audience member says that he actually does see a strong narrative in this video, and he asks, "How do we understand this project?"

De Michiel says how there are gaps in between the pieces which have "different flavors and textures" which can incite different responses and discussions. She says how it shouldn't be dependent on the heavy persuasive qualities of a film. It should instead be a way of presenting something that can people can be surprised by or made aware of. Co-director Tom Shevory comments how you can walk away and say 'Wow, what a great idea!', from which another viewer in the room says that it is "even more persuasive than an advocacy film."

One asks De Michiel about a sequel, and she responds in her wonderfully food-linguistic dialogue: "These were only supposed to be little appetizers."

The next episode that she gives us a taste of opens with a women identifying "the cheetohs epidemic" to the laughter of the audience. This webisode contrasts wonderfully with the previous webisode, taking a very humorous and even more light-hearted approach to the video, showing the students at Berkley doing science experiments with burning Cheetohs.

What I'm finding from these quick webisodes is how much it excites the audience and gets people talking about food and issues surrounding food. That's what this project does: open up dialogue and give people ideas and awareness.

Be a part of the dialogue! Come tomorrow at 12:00 Noon with Lunch Love Community webisodes on healthy food for public schools, with film director Helen De Michiel, chef and cookbook author Julie Jordan, and public health professor Stewart Auyash.

Blog posting by Brian McCormick, Film & Photo '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA

I'm currently in Park 220 for an ongoing meet up with FLEFF guests. Come for any of these presentations -- it's FREE!

Here's the line-up: 10am --Rodrigo Brandão, Kino Korber Films  11--Helen De Michiel, Lunch Love Community, 1--Philip Mallory Jones, new media artist  2--Franklin Lopez, media activist , moderated by John Scott  3--Danny Schecter, moderated by Todd Schack

* * * * *

Rodrigo Brandão is the first FLEFF guest. He graduated in 2001 from Ithaca College, with a double major in Cinema/Photo and Art History. He is director of publicity at Kino Lorber films.

Brandão starts off by going around the room letting everyone introduce their majors and interests in order to gauge the discussion. I'm seeing that there is a large range of guests -- graduates and undergraduates and professors, from IC, Cornell, UCLA, and more -- all with general interests in film and media studies.

His company specializes in silent films and foreign films -- 90% of their catalogue is foreign cinema. This is all considered Art House cinema. He identifies challenges of distributing these art house films -- how do you get people to go to the theaters or rent foreign films on Netflix? Even, why are they considered Art films? How can kids be educated to read subtitles?

He acknowledges that DVD sales for Art House films are going down. In addition, less theaters are showing art house films.

One of Kino Lorber's film was "Dogtooth", it was a big winner at Cannes Film Festival. After showing it in NY, but they tried to get LA bookers to show it, they said no because it was "too weird." Critics complained, and it ended up receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. A good example of how you must push and push to make things happen.

He talks about how you don't have that sense of loyalty anymore with film critics, partly result of newspapers going out. Now you need to find the critics who write about what you're showing, so it's a bit more complicated nowadays knowing where to direct your efforts. For every film, there's someone who has a little bit more authority on it.

Next he shows growth rates of where audiences are going for press, and the only place where there is a growth rate is online. Everywhere else -- TV, newspapers, audio -- are going down. It's a very telling graph. This means, when people are looking to find information about what films they want to see or might want to see, there's a big chance they'll be looking on the web.

The dependency of online is even creating problems for small businesses -- now popularity depends on millions and millions of hits. There isn't much space for small businesses and communities it seems on the internet.

One shocking statistic he gave: Over 20% of Americans don't use the internet. That's roughly 50-60 million people. This is largely a rural-urban divide, as it's difficult to get Broadband access to rural areas.

There's a wealth of ideas disseminating throughout this group: one audience member who is a theater critic discusses the diminishment of newspaper reviews, and how critics strive to continue their dialogue about films, for free, because of their dedication and love to doing it. Additionally, Brandão says how one critic's review can be reprinted and reprinted, which destroys the dialogue.

Helen De Michiel -- who will be presenting next! -- talks about the small, crumbling exhibition spaces in the area, in contrast to viewing spaces in other parts of country. "I'm looking forward to when exhibitors are going to have to change," she says.

Wrapping up, Brandão talks about how NGOs are entering the exhibition market, and how festivals like FLEFF are saying: "We are going to exhibit these films, we are going to curate them here." These festivals get and show films that otherwise would never be shown.

When asked how Kino Lorber deals with the change in marketing, Brandão responds how his number of outlets has increased, but there is also more of a challenge of how to categorize all of these critics. "We have to create more subcategories and kind of filter things out." At Kino Lorber they are looking to hire people that are not only good markets, but even those who speak multiple languages, know extensive film history, and have great programming skills.

Much of FLEFF is owed to Kino Lorber, the distributor responsible for bringing the silent films to FLEFF!

The first of those films is showing TONIGHT: 7 p.m. @Cinemapolis, The Last Laugh, silent film with live music by John Stetch, jazz piano

Hang around for updates on the next presenter, or come down to Park 220 to hear from them yourself!

 Blog by Brian McCormick, Film & Photo '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA

Helen De Michiel is visiting the FLEFF intern class today to give a presentation on non-fiction filmmaking and talk about her open space documentary project "Lunch Love Community."

Looking around I might not be the only intern blogging right now -- so you might get a few different perspectives on this event!

Just as with the Uncorked! premiere, De Michiel encourages us to take out our mobile devices and go to her website, and engage with the media on the website while she presents. This is what it is about: innovation. As she says to us now, "You have to come up with new ways of doing things."

Now she is showing us video clips that can be found on the site of the big screen. The video is of an elementary school undergoing the lunch reform movement.

I'm doing exactly what she suggested and looking at her website lunchlovecommunity.org -- feels wrong to be web surfing in class! However, this website is amazingly engaging. Quoting from its 'About' page:

"The Lunch Love Community Documentary Project explores this community-based school lunch reform movement, and how passionate and dedicated people coming together can change the way their children eat, how they think, and how they learn in school."

She has just finished showing the webisode, and she asks questions like "How can teachers come together and change the ways they think about food that they cook and grow and how that's connected to the environment?" and "How do you change people's eating habits?"

Initially they had funding problems for Lunch Love Community during 2009 due to the recession, and they were getting funding mainly from non-profit organizations (working independently). She says to us, a group of students engaged with and/or studying film, "When you are an artist, obstacles and challenges force you to be creative." For Lunch Love Community, they went away from the idea of doing a long film and instead making short films that would be easier to get out to people, by means of the web and on mobile devices: hence, webisodes!

She is showing us now another webisode about the lunch reform movement at Berkley Unified School District, giving a behind-the-scenes look in the kitchens of how they prepare the foods and where they are getting it. The webisode is comprised of footage of the kitchens, footage of the children, and interviews with the administration and people pushing the food reform initiative.

She emphasizes that just because they make a great website does not mean people will come to it. They also are working with giving the audience an idea of "what to do next" after absorbing the intense experience of watching the documentary.

What they (De Michiel and the people behind Lunch Love Community) have found is that "connector" people are what make a real difference in the new media environment (i.e. bloggers!).

Following her presentation, De Michiel has opened up to questions from the interns. One of the questions is about how to get the webisodes to appeal to people, and De Michiel describes how all of these stories are meant to build over time, since they aren't necessarily linked. She is also hit with the money question: How does an independent documentary filmmaker spend hundreds and thousands of hours on a project and still have time to support themselves? The benefit is that she has all the creative freedom in the world, however, we still really need to look at how creative artists can put out all of this material and still sustain a living.

Tomorrow there will be a meet up with De Michiel and Laura Deutch (another independent documentary filmmaker) at 1:10pm.

Saturday will be a screening of her project Lunch Love Community at Cinemapolis at noon.

Take the chance to ask her your own questions about Lunch Love Community and independent filmmaking!

Blog posting by Brian McCormick, Film, Photo & Visual Arts '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA

This is a reminder that THIS FRIDAY, 4/15 at 11am in Park 220, there will be a FLEFF lab meet up with new media/film director Helen De Michiel.

Taken from her FLEFF bio: "Michiel is director of the Lunch Love Community webisode open space documentary project. Her 1995 feature film Tarantella, starring Mira Sorvino, won the Audience Award at the 1996 Torino International Woman’s Film Festival. Her documentary, Turn Here Sweet Corn (1990) was seen nationally on the PBS series POV, receiving awards from Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Earthpeace International Film Festival and the American Film & Video Festival."

Don't miss this chance to meet up and engage in conversation with such a revelational artist in person!

Michiel will also be here to talk on Thursday, 4/14 at 1:10pm in Park 220. Here open space documentary "Lunch Love Community" will be playing this Saturday, 4/16 at 12:00 noon at Cinemapolis. Just look at the film's website -- it's incredible!

REMEMBER: All of these on-campus events are FREE (most Cinemapolis events charge admission), so get out there! Keep up with the on-campus schedule so you don't miss any of these gems.

There is a saying amongst past FLEFF attendees: "There has never been a FLEFF event that I did not enjoy!"

^{Blog posting written by Brian McCormick, Film, Photo & Visual Arts '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA}

What an exciting (and warm!) day to kick off FLEFF 2011!

Today was the premiere of the Uncorked! webisodes at Cinemapolis and the Opening Gala for FLEFF at the Fingers Lakes Wine Center.

I showed up at Cinemapolis around 6:40PM and the theater was PACKED (the premiere scheduled for 7:00PM). There were students, faculty, actors and actresses, members of the community -- a fantastic turn out.

Once there was a "seat" in every seat of the theater, the webseries kicked off with a bang -- the audience was rolling with laughter within a minute. Having personally worked as crew on these webisodes, I was very ecstatic with the warm reception it received. The webseries is certainly a great visual example of the beauty and allure of the Finger Lakes.

After the first five episodes were screened, the cast and crew stood up to do a Q and A with audience, followed by a screening of the remaining four episodes.

I got a real taste of the unique FLEFF experience when supervising director of Uncorked! and Park Productions Carol Jennings announced to the crowd: "This is the only time someone will tell you to do this, but please, take out your cell phones!" By this she meant to get online and go to the webseries' website, and to send that link out to people -- a certain kind of viral, social media approach that we will keep on seeing variants of during this festival.

Following the Uncorked! screening was the FLEFF Opening Gala at the new Wine Center. This was a great hour or two for people to mingle, eat food and drink fine wine. Meanwhile, a large HD monitor set up in the corner of the room projected the number of hits the Finger Lakes Uncorked! website was receiving. I watched as a few children sitting by the screen yelled out the numbers "998 ... 999...1,000!"

Can't wait for tomorrow's events!

^{Blog posting written by Brian McCormick, Film, Photo & Visual Arts '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA}

Tijuana based new media group DreamAddictive will be at FLEFF this Tuesday, April 12th in Business 104 at 7:00pm (on campus, FREE) for "Activist Retooling Fourfold," along with Elvira Dyangani Ose, Monica Haller and Sarah Wylie.

DreamAddictive is a collaborative partnership that began in 2003 between Leslie Garcia and Carmen González.

As quoted from their FLEFF bio: "[DreamAddictive's] work explores technical skills coming from the field of applied sciences, like physical computing, visual programming, hardware production, articulated through art and design, to create responsive environments and situations that play with the limits between the oneiric and the virtual."

DreamAddictive "works under the Open source philosophy as a way of sustaining and distributing the knowledge produced from research in working with multiple means." (taken from the DreamAddictive website)

One of their recent projects is OpenSolarCircuits, which is a project which works as a collective construction framework, systematizing the knowledge obtained during the research process so as to be later reproduced in different contexts. The project focuses on experimenting with sustainable electronic circuits, thus generating knowledge networks and tools for urban interaction.

Their work has been shown in diverse contexts: virtual happenings through the Internet; festivals; solo and group exhibitions, as well as live acts and audiovisual improvisations. DreamAddictive is the recipient of the grant PECDA “Creadores con trayectoria”,and the grant Fonca “Jóvenes creadores."

Don't miss them, along with other FLEFF guests, this Tuesday, April 12th in Business 104 at 7:00PM! (on campus, FREE)

Blog posting written by Peter Keahey, Film, Photography and Visual Arts, '12, FLEFF Intern, Yellow Springs, Ohio

I recently had the chance to conduct a very interesting interview with new media artist Philip Mallory Jones. Mr. Jones has worked with video, film, photography, and other venues going back to the 1960s. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Arizona Governors Award for the Arts for his digital Paintings.

Currently, Mr. Jones works completely in digital and synthetic worlds, creating things such as 3D models and synthetic worlds. His work has been shown all over the world. He was also the founder of Ithaca Video Projects, a very important media center back in the 70's and 80's.

His FLEFF lectures are 4-6p.m. Thursday April 14 in Studio A in the Roy Park School of Communications, and Friday April 15 from 1-2p.m.

Peter: How long have you been involved with FLEFF?

Philip: This is my first time participating in the festival.

Peter: What made you decide to participate this year?

Philip: Patty Zimmerman contacted me and asked if I was interested in being a part of it. Because of the component of the festival involving archives and experimental television centers, and my long history in media in the Finger Lakes area, She felt it was a good idea, and appropriate, to contact me.

Peter: When you first began using “new media,” what sort of projects were you doing?

Philip: I began using video in 1969. That was the beginning of small format video. I’ve done a lot of different things for the past forty-something years. In 69-70, when Ithaca Video Projects first formed, we had a contemporary interests and concerns at that time. For me, working in video, which was new, with no courses or colleges to teach this, was the frontier. It was the possibility of inventing a new art form and a new media language. That in particular interested me. Just as many years before, filmmakers approached cinema in the same way, and photography, and so on.
Given that video, in it’s earliest days, was very different from television and very different from cinema, it was the opportunity for me and others involved at that time to really step into new territory and bring our own sensibilities and interests to this new form, and to experiment.

Peter: What sort of work was Ithaca Video Projects involved in?

Philip: Ithaca Video Projects closed in 1985. It ran for fourteen years. It was one of the first media arts centers anywhere. The involvement over those fourteen years was quite widespread not only in the Ithaca area, but also nationally and internationally. For instance, in 1985, I took that years Ithaca video festival to cities in Belgium.
During the active years of Ithaca Video Projects, we were involved with everything that went on in the Ithaca area, around New York State and beyond. We did all kinds of work with area arts associations and individual artists. It was quite extensive. It was accessible to others. We had a visiting artists program and also loaned equipment to groups and individuals in the area. It was a very community oriented arts association.

Peter: As a new media artist, how important is it to stay up to date with technology?

Philip: It’s important and it’s not important. I learned a long time ago, working with media tools, there’s always the chase for the current technology, and that hasn’t changed in forty-two years. That is a constant struggle and anxiety. With the advent of additional technologies, there’s also keeping up with the software. That’s an even bigger problem and a constant learning curve. I’m always looking at three to five different programs that I need to take the time to learn how to use.
As my ambitions and visions for work move with the technology, that’s my need to stay current. On the other hand, an artist working in any form can do great work by mastering that form and those tools. Great work can be made on a piano today just as it could several hundred years ago. It’s what the artist brings to the tool and the form that really shapes the work. So on one hand I struggle with this constant learning curve challenge, but I keep in mind, you can make great work with a stick in the sand if you’re good with a stick. It’s not the tool that makes the work; it’s the mind of the artist.

April 9 2011
 

^{Blog posting written by Brian McCormick, Film, Photo and Visuals Arts '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA}

I had a great conversation with musician Chris White the other day about his upcoming performance at FLEFF, playing the cello for a live musical score of the silent film Storm Over Asia.

This is happening Sunday, April 17th, 7pm at Cinemapolis -- a one time event!

Accompanying White in the performance will be fellow musicians Robby Aceto and Peter Dodge.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

White isn't new to FLEFF -- he has been performing for the silent films for the past few years. With years of experience playing classical and non-classical cello, White is very open to and excited about musical improvisation. Here's what he had to say about what he's done and his upcoming FLEFF performance.

Q: Can you talk about your history as a cellist and where you're at now?

A: "I studied cello in western New Hampshire, and also in France and Spain, and then I did a masters in cello performance at Ithaca College. While I was growing up learning cello, I was also playing the guitar self-taught on the side, just improving on the guitar. At a certain point I decided to start trying to improv on the cello and to jazz and stuff like that. When I lived in Spain I'd play flamenco with singer-songwriters and all kinds of fun stuff.

I also founded and am director of a cello festival for cellists who are interested in non-classical uses of the cello. That's an annual event , and the 17th annual is going to happen at Ithaca College on June 10th - 12th. That puts me in touch with people around the world who are doing innovative things with the cello, all different kinds of styles, rock, pop, and world music, and all kinds of cool stuff."

Q: How did you get involved with FLEFF and performing for silent films?

A: "About six years ago, Patty Zimmerman asked me if I'd consider playing along with the The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and I said "Sure, I'll give it a try." I played with my electric cello and some electronic effects, and I had a really fun time and got good feedback from others.

It's been like that pretty much every year where I've been doing at least one silent film. It was a few years ago I started to do it with other musicians as well. I'm doing this one with Peter Dodge and *Robby Aceto, and that sort of opened up a whole other new area of collaboration and improvisation."

[ * Read the interview by Kelsey with Robby Aceto here! ]

Q: What are you looking forward to?

A: "It's been a very fulfilling experience playing in FLEFF, playing in a theater -- we've been playing in Cinemapolis -- and I'm looking forward to playing in the new Cinemapolis, the past two times we were in the old Cinemapolis. The people that did the sound, and the lighting were really good and helped create a really nice ambience there.

Just playing for a live audience where we're kind of watching the film with everybody else. We've gotten feedback like, "The music was great, I just got lost in the film, and sometimes I forgot that there was live music playing." That was kind of cool because that would be our goal, for people to really feel like the music worked that well with the movie that they just took it all in.

I think for this year we're really looking forward to the new space, and I just really like working with the FLEFF team and I feel really well treated by everybody. We're excited."

Q: How do you prepare for this kind of performance?

A: "We definitely get together and rehearse. The first time we got together, for this year, we just watched the film and as we watched it we'd stop and talk about this scene or that scene or the feeling that we'd like to have there.

One of our approaches is to take turns being the person that would sort of lead a certain scene or feeling so that the others could come in as they wish and join that. The different people generating the music that would make it so that it's more variant rather than just jumping in all at once. We'll try to have just one person playing or two and three and try to change it up that way, too."

Q: What does the cello bring to creating the appropriate film ambience of the silent film?

A: "The cello has a lot of warmth and texture and into the human voice like range, I think that speaks to a lot of people that way, the sound of the cello. Because its a bow instrument, and the bow gives a lot of life to the sound and vibrancy that also works. It makes it so that I can stand out and hold a note as long as I want, and I can also change that as I go.

With the bow you can do effects that sound like distortion, and there's just a wide palette of sounds to choose from just from the use of the bow. There's spiccato if I'm plucking at it, it can feel like a base and driving sound, a percussive rhythm that way. I can use some electronic things like the looper which allows me to layer different notes on top of each other or a series of a notes. Robby, the guitarist, also uses  looping so we can kind of create a bigger ambience of sound that way and build upon that to sound like we're a much bigger group sometimes."

Q: How is performing for a silent film different from other things you have done?

A: "It's more free for me because it's wide open and the parts of the film inspire us in different ways. It's very different from jazz or classical or most of the other types of improvisation I've done because it's so open and unscripted. The script is kind of like the movie, we're kind of creating the score as we go.

We do watch the movie and then play together with the movie to anticipate the changes in the different moods and feelings we want to convey. It will be sort of like playing and improvising to poetry maybe or art where you can do what you want, but you're still trying to fit into the mood of what you're watching. It's pretty cool, it's very different."

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Don't miss this once in a lifetime performance!

With Chris White, Robby Aceto, and Peter Dodge playing LIVE, come see Storm Over Asia, 7PM on Sunday, April 17th at Cinemapolis!

Blog post written by Brian McCormick, Film, Photo & Visual Arts '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA

Information for this program:

Documenting Iraq Burin: Stories from a Palestinian Village and Witness to Uprising: Voices from Cairo and New York

When: Tuesday April 12, 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Where: Friends 309

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FLEFF guest Menna Khalil is a graduate of DePaul University, and of American University in Cairo where she received her masters in International Human Rights Law. As a researcher and activist , Khalil is very concerned with ethnography and collecting the subjective stories of people to enable others to perceive places, people and events through their particular lens.

Khalil was kind enough to set aside time (on her birthday!) to discuss her recent work and travel, and what she will be presenting during her visit at the festival.

Q: What brought you to Palestine last summer and what work were you involved with?

A: "I hadn't had the opportunity to visit the West Bank before, and I was quite grateful for having that opportunity through a couple of programs which were taking place last summer specifically in Nablus and also other areas of the West Bank. I was on a delegation with the Research Journalism Initiative, which Michael Kennedy also works with, and we were helping to coordinate that delegation.

I'm really excited to talk [at FLEFF] about the experience ... the delegation had us working on multi-media projects focusing specifically on digital poetry and poetry of witness. We worked with international activists, young professionals, and also the local national students.

We went through a series of workshops at which we discussed different kinds of media, creating avenues which students or activists could reflect their views on what they bear witness to in Palestine. So that can be a slightly unorthodox form of talking about Palestine; it's quite different from the usual journalistic or human rights report, coverage and writing. We were keen on having a slightly different take on the way information is presented about Palestine and having all these stories we're collecting heard in a number of different ways."

Q: Could you talk more about your work in Iraq Burin?

A: "We were really interested in talking to different parts of the community, whether that was farmers, or the families of the boys [killed by Israeli soldiers], or the village council and the mayor.

In many ways that was the locals' perspective on what happened to the boys ... which creates a lens through which you can see much larger issues that are pertaining to the village of Iraq Burin but also to other communities in Palestine and how they deal with loss, representation and self-determination.

We were all quite moved by this kind of experiential narrative and wanted to take that and assist the village with constructing a web site through which they can raise more awareness and create their own versions of the stories that come out of their community and link up with other villages that are doing similar things."

Q: You recently spent four and half weeks in Cairo, can you tell us a little bit about your experience there?

A: "I'm Egyptian American. I was born in Cairo, and I moved with my family to the states in 1996, I was about 10-years-old. I partly grew up in Cairo, but I lived the majority of my life in Chicago. Obviously when the events happened, I didn't hesitate to go back to Egypt.

During the four weeks, I worked ... with two activist groups. There wasn't a form of political channeling, so you had a lot of groups out of this popular movement of the 18 days of the 'revolution' that felt that this is the perfect moment through which they can institutionalize themselves and start to work on representing different political views.

No one has seen that kind of political organizing, stemming from a longing for political participation, since the early '50s. This was kind of a reviving moment in many ways.

My particular role [working with the groups] was to gather stories -- again, because I am interested in ethnographic work. I was doing interviews with a variety of people in the Tahrir Square as well as elsewhere, basically anybody involved in that scene or impacted by it.

I intend on going back at the end of spring to visit other cities as well, again to bear witness, talk to people, do ethnographic work, and collect as many stories as possible."

Q: How does your experience and the presentation you're going to give fit into the context of FLEFF?

A: "Part of the reason of going to Cairo was figuring out, 'How do I utilize myself as an individual who is in-between two environments?'

It was about how to get yourself to contribute as much as possible to both environments and to create an awareness between the two. I feel the best and most genuine way of doing that is to go to Cairo for as long as possible in the hopes of returning to New York with testimonies, photographs, and other media of representation.

[We can help] by educating ourselves on what's going on and also contributing in different ways, such as FLEFF, through its educational, activist, and media orientation, by virtue of the kind of political issues that it chooses to engage with."

Q: What do you hope people will be able to take away from attending this presentation?

A: "What I'm most interested in having people walk out with is a better grasp of these issues and stories from the Middle East which are not necessarily being concluded or analyzed to fit a specific goal of understanding.

I think people don't necessarily want to be preached to, and there's information they can look up themselves on that. I think what's often inaccessible to us are these kinds of subjective stories from people who speak of their experience. That can resonate with any of us, regardless of where we're at, or whatever end of the political spectrum we're choosing to place ourselves."

For a behind the scenes interview with FLEFF adviser Dr. Harris, follow this link.

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Don't miss this event!

Documenting Iraq Burin: Stories from a Palestinian Village and Witness to Uprising: Voices from Cairo and New York

When: Tuesday April 12, 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Where: Friends 309

Blog post written by Brian McCormick, Film, Photo & Visual Arts '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA

Information for this program:

Documenting Iraq Burin: Stories from a Palestinian Village and Witness to Uprising: Voices from Cairo and New York

When: Tuesday April 12, 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Where: Friends 309 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Dr. Beth Harris, professor of politics at Ithaca College, is FLEFF's adviser for Middle East programming. In the past, she has served as a facilitator for events for FLEFF and as a panelist commenting after several FLEFF events. I had the chance to ask Dr. Harris about her specific activities coinciding with FLEFF this year.

Q: What have you been doing this year for FLEFF?

A: "This year I am facilitating two events at FLEFF on Tuesday night, April 12, 7:30-10pm. The first is a multi-media presentation, Documenting Iraq Burin: Stories from a Palestinian Village, nd the second is also a multi-media presentation, Witness to Uprising: Voices from Cairo and New York.

Last summer I participated in an international delegation to Iraq Burin, which is in the West Bank. After we learned about the killings of unarmed teenagers by Israeli soldiers and their impact on this very small cillage, we decided to help the village to create a website that would tell the story of Iraq Burin and provide a resource for sharing current news."

Q: How did you come across Menna Khalil (one of this program's presenters)?

A: "Our primary interpreter during this process was Menna Khalil, who took responsibility for itnerviewing the familiies of the martyrs and the village leaders. Menna is a remarkable young woman who communicates in a way that is validating for people of all ages and from many cultures, even for those living in the midst of trauma. The people of Iraq Burin, as well as our delegation, admired and appreciated Menna's leadership and skills very much.

After our documentary project with Iraq Burin was winding down, Michael Kennedy* began working on a photographic portrait documenting the impact of the boys' deaths on both their families and the entire village. Michael is a talented photographer, who created a very compelling essay about an Israeli prison for Palestinian youth, Al Fara'a."

*Kennedy is another FLEFF guest who will be speaking at this presentation.

Q: What brought you to program this event for FLEFF?

A: "I suggested to Tom Shevory that a multi-media presentation about Iraq Burin by Menna and Michael would be very appropriate for this FLEFF's checkpoint theme.

When I called Michael and Menna, I found out that they were very involved with documenting some demonstrations in New York City in support of the uprising in Egypt. Menna is Egyptian American, and both Mike and Menna have recently studied in Cairo. They have a very good understanding of the context and implications of this uprising. Some of their friends were in Cairo and others were on their way to document the uprising.

Talking to Menna and Michael on the phone, I thought it would be very valuable to the audiences of FLEFF to have the opportunity to hear a first-hand account of the uprising in Egypt and the solidarity demonstrations in New York City. Furthermore, I thought students at IC would be inspired by the voices of their peers in Egypt who are making history in a very profound way.

Menna just returned from her documentary project in Egypt, and I think their eyewitness account will be quite informative, interesting and inspiring."

To read an interview with Khalil, follow this link.

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Documenting Iraq Burin: Stories from a Palestinian Village and Witness to Uprising: Voices from Cairo and New York

When: Tuesday April 12, 7:00pm – 10:00pm

Where: Friends 309

Blog was written by Kelsey Greene, Documentary Studies and Production, '13, FLEFF intern, Buffalo, New York

As the FLEFF week approaches, my calendar is filling up with events I want to attend.  There will be so many different opportunities to take part in!

If you have been following the intern blog, you may notice several of the interns have written blogs about their top five film choices on campus or down at Cinemapolis.  Since I am studying different forms of documentary and new media in Dr. Zimmerman's class this semester, I have a strong interest in the new media artists who will be visiting.  

To go along with the concepts involved with new media, I do not want to stick to the traditional "top five" list.  Instead, I have chosen four new media artists that I am looking forward to.  I also will not number them because I do not believe I have the right to rank them at this point without attending their presentations or discussions.  

• Helen De Michiel- I am fond of her Lunch Love Community project because I have academic interests in the fields of agriculture, nutrition, and education.
• Laura Deutch- Her project Messages in Motion seems very appealing to me.  I love the notion of teaching youth how to use use film in a positive and productive way.
• Phillip Mallory Jones- Based on his bio, he seems very educated and experience in the new media field.  I believe I could learn a lot from listening to him.  
• Monica Haller- Her project Riley and His Story has an interesting concept and goal.  The intellectual preparation behind her works seem intriguing to me.  

This list is merely a small, categorized sample of the guests I am looking forward to seeing at FLEFF.  I believe every experience I am able to have with the film festival will expand my intellectual horizon.  I cannot wait for the events to begin!  

Blog post written by Brian McCormick, Film, Photo & Visual Arts '12, FLEFF Intern, Wilbraham, MA

With FLEFF almost two weeks away, I'm prepping myself for the films and events that I really want to see. I am especially excited for the wealth of documentaries being showed by internationally recognized filmmakers.

I am drawn to "human documentaries," which focus on human subjects' personal stories in order to speak to a whole, larger truth. Do you have a favorite kind of documentary?

I've focused my top five exclusively on the films being shown downtown at Cinemapolis -- for a larger list of documentaries and other films, make sure to check out our listings.

1) GOOD FORTUNE - a film by Landon Van Soest and Jeremy Levine

I had the privilege of interviewing Van Soest about his film and it sounds phenomenal. In Good Fortune, they explore the negative repercussions of efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa, honing in on the stories of Jackson and Silva who live in Kenya.

This is an extremely controversial subject. We are asked always to send money to these causes, but how do we know where that money is going? And also, is power always inevitably going to corrupt? Do we sacrifice good intentions for the "greater good"?

I think Jackson and Silva have an important story for us to hear.

(Showtimes: Cinemapolis, Sun. April 17 @ 2:00PM w/ Jeremy Levine, and 9:30PM)

2) AGRARIAN UTOPIA - a film by Uruphong Raksasad

The trailer for this film was the first piece of FLEFF that I saw, and I was blown away by the beauty and power in those images. This film shows two families working together on the same farm, trying to get through the season while adjusting to the country's changing economy, politics and society.

This documentary asks, does development and progression always mean increased happiness?

(Showtimes: Cinemapolis, Fri. April 15 @ 7:30PM; Sat. April 16 @ 9:30PM)

3) BUDRUS - a film by Julia Bacha and Ronit Avni

The Israeli village Budrus, with Palestinians and Israelis, Hammas and Fatahs, men and women, unite in non-violent protest against Israel's Separation Border, otherwise known as "the Fence." They are led by local community organizer Ayed Morrar, who brings the people together to save Budrus from destruction.

This is an inspiring story of unification against a common enemy, highlighted by Morrar's 15-year-old daughter Iltezam, who launches a contigent of women that quickly moves to the front lines (father and daughter side-by-side). The film chronicles this movement, which is still continuing today.

As said by a Fatah Party Member in the film: "I felt that, in order to succeed, we had to empty our minds of traditional thinking." This speaks wonderfully to the new environments and new ideas we are looking to explore here at FLEFF.

(Showtimes: Cinemapolis, Thur. April 14 @ 7:10PM; Sat. April 16 @ 9:30PM)

4) PEACEABLE KINGDOM: THE JOURNEY HOME - a film by Jenny Stein and James LaVeck

This documentary takes a hard, powerful look at how farmers are beginning to question traditional practices of handling animals and treating them as commodities. This is a very moving film that will give you the kind "inside look" into a way of life we don't think twice about. I think this is a very important film for us to see.

(Showtimes: Cinemapolis, Thur. April 14 @ 7:00PM; Sat. April 16 @ 9:30PM)

5) LOS HEREDEROS - a film by Eugenio Polgovsky

A look at child labor in rural Mexico, and how it has become a condition passed down from generation to generation. If you watch the trailer, you see it is a continuous cycle of labor: collecting water, shoveling, harvesting, sculpting, and so on. These children inherit these duties and are trapped in this cycle. Is it fair that our duties are determined by birth?

(Showtimes: Cinemapolis, Thur. April 14 @ 9:30PM; Fri. April 15 @ 10:00PM)

Well, there's MY list. I hope you're all looking through the films and finding out what you want to see.

The best part is that we have both the films AND their filmmakers -- any questions you have can be answered the same night you see it. Looking forward to it.

Blog posting written by Peter Keahey, Film, Photography and Visual Arts, '12, FLEFF Intern, Yellow Springs, Ohio

I recently had the opportunity to have a conversation with former director of marketing for FLEFF, Tom Torello.

Mr. Torello is an Ithaca college, Roy H. Park school alum, who majored in television and radio, and minored in religion and philosophy. He is currently the vice president of University Relations at Pace University. Previously, he was the Executive Director of Marketing for Ithaca Collage. Mr. Torello has over 14 years of marketing experience in higher education, working in numerous positions including Media Planner, Account Executive and Senior Account Manager.

I was able to ask Mr. Torello a few questions about his previous experience with the Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, as well as his experience as a Television Radio student at Ithaca College.

Peter: As a former TVR student, what were your interests at Ithaca?
 

Tom: I worked in the TV and radio stations. On the radio, I was a DJ on an AM station and hosted my own talk show. On TV, I hosted Panorama and was in the comedy show Nothing Special. I worked the camera or reported the weather or whatever needed to be done. As a weatherman I got some recognition around town. There is an IC TV jacket in the student union that was mine.

Peter: Did you have any interest in marketing at the time?

Tom: No, my goal was to by on-air talent as an anchorman, but when I arrived there were already incredibly talented people and I didn’t have that talent. I had a little interest in ads and decided to go in that direction.

Peter: When did you become involved with FLEFF?

Tom: Patty and Tom brought it to Ithaca and wanted help marketing it; I was in the marketing department. That was 4-5 years ago. Together, we came up with a marketing plan.

Peter: What were your responsibilities with FLEFF?

Tom: We took care of all the brochures, ads, website content, media relations and public relations, basically the branding of the college. For FLEFF, we decided what it should look like, its graphic identity, and how to build an audience. Each year, we had different goals and we built communication strategies specifically for those goals.

Peter: Are you still involved with FLEFF?

Tom: Yes, but not as much. I am on the advisory board. I still keep in touch with Patty and Tom. I give strategic input and this will be my first year attending as a guest.

Peter: How is FLEFF important to Ithaca and to the film community?

Tom: For Ithaca College, FLEFF creates and international presence and reputation, in addition to those already made by their academic programs. In India, FLEFF helps curate a project on water. International films come in through FLEFF. 10,000 people will see FLEFF films.

FLEFF creates an awareness of the city of Ithaca, too. through the film festival.

For the film community, FLEFF is not like Sundance or other festivals with traditional environmental agendas. FLEFF creates a broader awareness of environmental problems and creates more opportunity for film makers.

For example, once I met a couple who made films on polar bears. They had one film that other film festivals turned down because in their film, they said that global warming won’t kill the polar bears--because the change will be so gradual over time---but oil drilling will. Traditional environmentalists don’t want that message in their festivals, but FLEFF doesn’t have that agenda.

Also, FLEFF is incredibly entertaining, a great venue for artists.

Peter: What are you looking forward to at FLEFF this year?

Tom: The silent films and the parties and seeing people from Ithaca: Patty and Tom and other people I’ve connected with through FLEFF. Also, the musicians are amazing!

This past week, I spoke with Phil Wilde, FLEFF producer, Internship Coordinator (my boss!), and coprincipal of Insights International. We talked about the unique atmosphere of the festival, the various interpretations of the term "Environment" as well as our shared enthusiasm for soul music. Phil has been active in the festival since its inception and expressed excitement for the upcoming events.   

Evan Johnson: What are some of your responsibilities as FLEFF Intern Coordinator and have their roles or responsibilities changed this year?

Phil Wilde: What we tried to do this year was to create some teams that would allow people a lot of flexibility. If someone has a class one night - someone else can pick up the slack. It's a task where assigning someone a job in Februrary that needs to be done in April is a very difficult thing to do so having a team that's assigned the project means there's a flexibility to get the job done   

EJ: Recently, you told me about the appeal of "the big city" and a much more rural environment. Could you tell me more about why they appeal to you? 

PW: It's not what they have in common, it's more of what's different between the two. The idea of the environment is really based on where you are. So a "city' person will have a different view of the environment than a "country" person and that's something that FLEFF really plays with - the different environments people find themselves in.

EJ: The interpretations of "environment" is something that FLEFF does a terrific job of analyzing. As the festival has grown in success and popularity, how has FLEFF changed its interpretation of the term?

PW: FLEFF was very much involved in activism and the green movement at Cornell. What's become unique about FLEFF is that the kind of people who are now helping the program have a very deep around the cultural issues around the environment. Not just if we have enough air to breath but what will get us there through cultural understanding.

EJ: As an organizer, what drew you to the festival?

PW: One of the reasons i gravitated towards working with FLEFF is that I'm very conscious of people's environmental perception. It's what I studied in college and what I studied in grad school. What I tend to make films about are people's perceptions of their environment. Whether it's a person in the disabled community, urban-rural issues, or farming, food and putting food on the table. I'm always interested in people's personal perspective and I try very hard not to prejudge. And that's what FLEFF tends to be.

EJ: What are some different perspectives audiences can expect this year at FLEFF?

PW: I think its very similar to previous years only in that the films are not typical environmental films. People would have a hard time calling some of the films "environmental films." But the perspective of the people who are programming it have brought a good enough explanation so that we'll understand those things.

EJ: Are there any long term plans you have for FLEFF outside of the Ithaca area?

PW: I really don't think there's a need to address that. If it grows in the same way it's been growing then I don't think it needs to leave the Ithaca area. Maybe something in the city that shows us off - but I think we're doing quite alot by having it here at Ithaca College.    

EJ: What is the best part about having FLEFF interns?

PW: It's absolutely their ethusiasm. I know what they're about to experience and how much they'll enjoy it. Some people have no idea what we're about to do - others have seen it last year or the year before but it's always an amazing event when it happens because people find a common bond after watching all these films.      

Blog posting by Shea Lynch, Documentary Studies and Production '14, FLEFF Intern, Glens Falls, New York

It is now spring break for all Ithaca College students. I am currently watching Lost in my room in my sleeveless shirt.

I interviewed Emily Potts a few days ago, FLEFF Intern and team leader.

Who are you?

"I am Emily Potts. I am from Southwick, Massachusetts and I am a Junior Park student at Ithaca College.

For the first two years of college, I attended Springfield Technical Community College, and received my associates degree in Digital Media Production.

This is only my second semester at IC, but I already love it here."

Can you share your FLEFF experience with our blog readers?

"Currently I am a team leader for FLEFF and it has been a unique learning experience being immersed in the planning of a film festival. It is fascinating to know how the film industry works regarding getting films and artists for an event.

Perhaps my favorite FLEFF experience so far was attending several of Albert Maysles' documentary screenings, and having the chance to talk with him afterwards. Being able to interact with such brilliant artists is an invaluable opportunity to share and listen to ideas."

I hope everyone has a great spring break and make sure to sign up for mini-courses and buy FLEFF passes!

Question of the Blog: What are you doing for spring break?

Blog posting by Shea Lynch, Documentary Studies and Production '14, FLEFF Intern, Glens Falls, New York

Things are heating up!

We have FLEFF mini-courses coming up after spring break and FLEFF Week is just around the corner. I interviewed FLEFF Internship Coordinator Ann Michel to give us further insight into the FLEFF community.

Why is FLEFF important to the student body and community?

"We hope it encourages you to think. I mean, your whole college experience should be about that but we hope that FLEFF, in a concentrated way, really gets your braincells activated in new ways that you didn't think could."

How do you like "team teaching"?

"I like it because it takes the pressure off me. Two heads are better than one. I think humans do very well in groups and that's one of the reasons we structured the class to have groups of eight or nine people. Those groups will come up with more than 45 individuals ever could."

What are some struggles in teaching the class?

"It's tricky to schedule people to come in to speak to the class and coordinating 15 classes to make sure that each of the classes is worth it for [the interns] is a challenge. I want everyone to walk out of this room saying, 'I didn't know that before'."

What about the future interns?

"Bigger and better. If [the current interns] are successful this year, [FLEFF] will be bigger next year because we would have sold out more shows, created more buzz, made more of our guests happier, and our brand will become better known, which means we will get more money, more sponsors, and more audience. Hopefully we will continue to be better."

Ann Michel has been with FLEFF for 5 years with her company Insights International, Inc. and this is her first year teaching the FLEFF Internship class, invited by FLEFF Codirector Patricia Zimmermann. Michel teaches alongside Phil Wilde and together they hope to inspire many creative minds and continue the FLEFF legacy next year.

Blog posting by Shea Lynch, Documentary Studies and Production '14, FLEFF Intern, Glens Falls, New York

I hope everyone purchased their FLEFF passes! Go! Go! Go!

I met with Professor Jonathan Ablard, Latin American Studies Coordinator at Ithaca College, and discussed the FLEFF spring mini-course Garbage, Oil, and Other Dirty Things: Environment, Commodities, and Film in the Americas.

Professor Ablard has taught at Ithaca College for six years and teaches Latin American Studies and History, among many other programs. Coupled with his new course this semester From Sugar to Oil ("which examines the history of commodities in the Wester Hemisphere"), Professor Ablard will challenge the Ithaca student body with this FLEFF mini-course.

Also teaching this course with Professor Ablard is Professor Michael Smith, who has been teaching Environmental Studies and History at Ithaca College for about 11 years. His new book, Citizenship Across the Curriculum (2010), has received great reviews.

"I got interest in doing this course," said Professor Ablard "because I am teaching a commodities course and [Professor] Smith is teaching the American Environmental Thought class so we are kind of bringing the two themes of both courses into this one-credit class."

The class will examine the links between "unsavory commodities and to get people to think about how history and environmental studies and film can enrich our understanding." Commodities such as coal, organ trafficking, garbage, and oil will be studied. 

Films being shown during this class:

Waste Land directed by Lucy Walker

The Charcoal People directed by Nigel Noble

Dirty Pretty Things directed by Stephan Frears

The class starts right after spring break and enrollment ends Sunday, March 27, 2011. There are 20 seats total for this class and it is offered Monday and Wednesday, 2:00 p.m. to 2:50 p.m.

This mini-course is "geared towards everyone" and is a SDF (Pass/Fail) course. There will be some writing assignments and will be heavily discussion based. Special guest speakers will also be planed including Diane Cohen, Executive Director of Finger Lakes ReUse. She will discuss how garbage can be turned into something useful: a commodity. 

This mini-course will not only challenge students to think outside the box, it will also challenge Professors Ablard and Smith to work outside their own "disciplinary boxes."

"I think there is a lot that everyone can gain from team taught classes. It is good for students to have more than one faculty in the room at one time because one of the things they can see is different teaching styles but different approaches to the material. It can open great avenues for thinking."

If you would like to sign up for this course, write down this information:

HSP 10100-04

CRN 43202 

Question of the Blog: What would you do with a pile a trash?

Blog posting written by Shea Lynch, Documentary Studies '14, FLEFF Intern, Glens Falls, New York

I hope everyone is having a great week!

The FLEFF Intern team is busy preparing for FLEFF Week coming up April 10. We are all really excited. I hope everyone bought their passes!

I interviewed FLEFF intern and team leader Holly Kreczko about her experience with FLEFF.

Holly is a Documentary Production and Studies major at Ithaca College and has Anthropology and Outdoor Pursuits minors.  She is from Endicott, NY and likes to hike, go camping, explore the Adirondacks and make movies. Her academic interests include photography, anthropology and art. Holly hopes to one day start her own independent film company for documentaries and music videos. She enjoys watching documentaries about African social rights activism. 

What Holly does as a FLEFF Team Leader:

• team leader for a group of 7 interns
• makes sure her group is doing their jobs correctly and that everything is running smoothly
• keeps the enthusiasm for FLEFF running high throughout the semester

What Holly has learned:

"FLEFF is much more than just a film festival.It's an opportunity for people to come together, learn about a topic, and discuss it afterwards.

Going into this, I thought the festival would just be about directors making movies and presenting them, but I soon learned that it's all about activism." -Holly Kreczko

 Question of the Blog to our Loyal Readers: What is your favorite Film Festival?

This year, FLEFF is pleased to feature the work of Ithaca College '06 alumnus Jeremy Levine, who manages the full-service production company Transient House with co-producer Landon Von Soenst. Their latest feature documentary, "Good Fortune" will be screened at the festival on Sunday, April 17. Earlier today, Levine and I spoke about his career, FLEFF, and his hopes for the screening.

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Evan Johnson: What made you want to make movies?

Jeremy Levine:  I did lots of stuff in high school that was really "at the high school level," but I knew I really loved making films. Also in high school I really got hooked on politics and social justice issues. I realized even before I got to college that documentary was the way to combine film with social justice and i've been on that path on ever since.

EJ: "Good Fortune" deals in lots of social justice issues. What was your experience like making that documentary?

JL: Making "Good Fortune" in Kenya was an incredible experience and an incredible challenge. The reason Landon and I started "Good Fortune" was because we realized our relatively privileged position as college graduates of the Western world and that there were vast difficulties in the developing world and we wanted to do something to help. We both had that drive early on - the naive urge to go out there - but also, at least for me, very little understanding of what that meant. It's amazing to know that there are these vast problems and that there are these tremendous resources but so often, the resources are just going to waste. It's frustrating and it's another great tragedy. 

EJ: Do you have any other plans for the film? Is there anywhere else you'd like to see it go?

JL: Last night (2/22/11) we had a screening with the Young Professionals For International Cooperation [a program of the UNA-USA] and we had a long discussion, people asked really tough questions and we had an amazing dialogue. I think showing it to people who have the ability to make changes is where I'd love to see the film go. I don't think this film is going to change the world but I think it's important to hear the voices of those we don't often hear in the West. We're hoping to get it to screen more in Africa as well.

EJ: What are you looking forward to at FLEFF?

JL: When I was a student, I thought that FLEFF was an amazing festival and I never thought I would come back as a presenter so for me it's really incredible to come back and talk to the current students and the community.

EJ: What would you like the audience to learn from your film? What would you like them to walk away with?

JL: I hope that when people watch "Good Fortune," it raises some important and difficult questions of what foreign aid is, what  foreign development is and should people be helped even if they don't want the help. Ultimately, change needs to come from the bottom-up and that's the lesson I hope people learn.        

Blog posting written by Matthew Reis, Cinema and Photography, '13, FLEFF Intern

Hello FLEFF sponsors, participants and guests. My name is Matthew R. Reis. I want to welcome you to the “Intern Voices” blog.

So, a little bit about me:  I am a sophomore Cinema & Photography major with a minor in Art History. I write for “The Ithacan,” Ithaca College’s award winning newspaper. I specialize in reviewing films, art installations, and previewing upcoming plays. I also am involved with Ithaca College Television and the Art History Society here on campus. When I am not working with groups on campus, I enjoy promoting media literacy, following current events, reading, and playing video games on campus.

Getting off campus is even better.

There are some things I really enjoy doing in town. I love going to the movies. Ithaca has a large amount of movie theaters existing in a relatively small area. Cinemapolis the home of FLEFF, Cornell Cinema and Regal Cinemas are all great places to go and enjoy film.

Here are a few more things I like about Ithaca: its acceptance of alternative lifestyles, the wealth of community owned businesses, and an vibrant, engaging art scene.

So why did I want to work with FLEFF?
 
I find that all forms of media have the potential to be more than just commodities a person rents or buys. Media is transformative and can bring small issues to the forefront of today’s complex world.

So the simple answer is this: I became an intern to prove that media can change lives. Additionally, being a part of FLEFF is an exciting experience. So many people from all walks of life, in places all around the world, are effected by what takes place at FLEFF.

I am honored and proud to be a small part of this festival's continued growth and success.

When I applied to be a FLEFF intern, I had two goals: to learn more about the nuts-and-bolts of the film industry and to network.

I met both of these goals in just over a month--and discovered new goals to strive for. 

The vast array of networking opportunities available to interns is another substantial perk of FLEFF. So far, I have met and talked to a variety of artists, including documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles and emerging media artist/college professor Evan Meaney, a 2007 IC graduate. 

Plus: I enjoy collaborating with my fellow interns and working together towards a much better future.

Ithaca and the greater Central New York region are lucky to have a plethora of artists, activists, and hard working people contributing FLEFF. Without these people, FLEFF would have a decidedly weaker foundation. And, my college experience would be much less fulfilling.

Along with fellow interns, I have already helped with FLEFF’s ad campaign. On February 6, 2011, also known as Super Bowl Sunday, we held our first event. We managed to sell out a screening of Gimme Shelter. Mr. Maysles, one of the directors of the film, was on hand to answer any questions the audience had about his 41-year-old classic. Hopefully, this strong start will carry over into FLEFF week.

It only takes one person to go to a festival and come away with a variety of new ideas, opinions, and stories to share.

So why not come out to Ithaca, New York in April and experience FLEEF, a different environment for yourself?

Just be sure to dress warmly.