Blog posting written by Erica Moriarty, Documentary Studies and Production ’16, FLEFF Intern, Houston, Texas

Ironically, a whole mess of I-don’t-knows and I’m-not-really-sures define my first year in college. My experience thus far with FLEFF mirrors this same uncertainty.

I applied to be a blogger simply knowing that I love documentary films and written journalism, and I knew the film festival would give me the opportunity to do both. However, I never expected the experiences of the past few weeks.

So far, I interviewed a coding genius and an animation guru. I mobbed around campus promoting the event I already love. I even learned more about social media than I thought possible to know. And the festival isn’t even here yet.

As FLEFF draws closer, I still am not sure as to what awaits me on April 1^st. Despite being debriefed every Monday from 7 to 9 by Dr. Zimmermann on the ins and outs of the festival, I cannot seem to pinpoint exactly what will happen.

I know I’ll be challenged to be more social than ever and to think in a way I never did before, but these are both very broad. I’m not sure exactly what will happen or who I will meet along the way. All I know is I cannot wait!

Perhaps I don’t know what to expect, but I think that’s the best part. 

Blog posting written by Erica Moriarty, Documentary Studies and Production '16, FLEFF Intern, Houston, Texas

This Sunday, March 3^rd, FLEFF will kickoff at Cinemapolis with The Upstate Filmmaker's Showcase, including two pieces by Ithaca College’s very own Jason Harrington.

Jason Harrington is a professor in Cinema, Photography and the Media Arts. While obtaining his undergraduate degree in film, he discovered filmmaking as a way to combine his previous experience in other forms of art.

“I discovered the filmmaking process allows me to put all of what I’m doing with music, painting and sculpture and allows me to put them together. Filmmaking is just this composite medium that I can do everything together,” Jason said.

After realizing the amalgam of filmmaking, he began using more and more animation. At the showcase, he plans to show two of his older animated films, The Tree With the Lights in It and My Mind. 

Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek inspired Jason to create The Tree With the Lights in It. In the book, a chapter called Seeing stuck with him. The chapter discusses the different ways in which we learn to see and how what we learn influences what we see in the world. Specifically, the chapter uses a case study of people who have cataract surgery to see.

“There’s a line in the book where the doctor takes this girl’s bandages off and leads her into a garden. She sees the tree and she sees it as full of light. I love that image of the tree being filled with light. It struck me. Then, I went with the notion of the tree and took it a step further and made it about ancestry and perception,” described Jason.  

His other piece, My Mind, explores a poem he wrote while living in Queens in a tiny apartment. Living in such a giant metropolis, yet confined to this small space, he wanted to explore the concept of scale.  

Jason commented, “My Mind is about this butterfly girl who represents the imagination. She goes on this journey which basically illustrates how she can go anywhere she wants. With your mind you can go and do whatever you want. Otherwise, you’re grounded and stuck in the same place.”

He completely hand drew My Mind, using a crosshatch style. Despite the challenging work, he finally finished the film after three years. On the other hand, The Tree With the Lights in It took about a year, incorporating a layering technique focusing on movement, design, composition and texture.

Each piece represents FLEFF’s idea of mobilities in a unique way. How do you feel that Jason’s work incorporates the idea of mobility?