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

This past week, I had the privilege of interviewing Becky Lane. Becky Lane is a part time TVR professor at the Roy H. Park School of Communications. She has submitted two works to next week's March 3rd kick-off event happening THIS SUNDAY at Cinemapolis! The event starts at 4pm and tickets are $8. 

Now a little bit from Becky Lane...

Amber Thibault: How did you hear about FLEFF?

Becky Lane: Ithaca is my home so I've followed FLEFF from it's inception. When Karen Rodriguez, the curator of the Upstate Filmmakers Showcase, program invited me to present my work, I was honored. Ithaca College has been an instrumental part of my education as a filmmaker, and I was so excited to become a part of FLEFF and screen alongside the other fantastic pieces.

AT: What is your project that you are presenting at the March 3rd kick-off event?

BL: Well I'm actually presenting two works "Hens and Chicks" and "Happy Hour."

AT: Can you tell me a little bit about those films?

BL: "Hens and Chicks" is a family film about a young girl who is a sperm donor offspring who begins to question who her father is. "Happy Hour" is teaser for a dramatic series I'm working on entitled "The Chanticleer." It's set in 1955 and one of the storylines involves underground gay and lesbian culture.

AT: I know there is going to be a whole collection of different types of works at the event this on March 3rd. Can you tell me about the kind of work you are presenting?

BL: Well, "Hens and Chicks" is a short film while "Happy Hour" is a more of a performance piece with dance and music. It tells a story about how two women make a connection that only they can see, reflecting the invisibility that was required at that time period. The series that follows will have a broader scope, reflecting the cultural and political shifts occurring at that time period, which were significant. The goal is to have distribution with some episodes exclusively made for the web.

AT: What made you interested in doing films like these? 

BL: I like to portray strong women characters, families and gender and sexualties that are usually unrepresented, misunderstood, and/or not favorable. In the first film, Hens and Chicks, I wanted to show that there are different types of well-adjusted families. For "Happy Hour" I wanted to highlight the oppression many people faced then [during the mid-twenty century in regard to their sexuality]. in regard to their sexuality]. People are resilient, though, and will find ways to live their lives the way they want. I wanted to honor that. I see these women as courageous and subversive.

Having already been aware of the suppression of women during this time period, I am anxious to see Becky Lane's physical representation of these circumstances. Also, having been involved in theater before coming to college, I can't help but loving the melding of dance and music to create an emotionally charged scene. I hope you all found this interview as intriguing as I did. Please come out and support Becky Lane and all the other filmmakers as we raise money to help Cinemapolis with it's conversion from film to digital. 

One final question: What interests YOU most about Becky Lane's projects?

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 Chloe Wilson, Television-Radio ’14, FLEFF Intern, Ashland, Massachusetts.

Getting excited for the FLEFF March 3rd Kickoff Screening? I know I am! I'm even more excited for the screening after getting the chance to speak with Karen Rodriguez, the curator for this year's screening.  Read on to learn about the purpose of the screening, the filmmakers you can expect to meet, and the works you can expect to see!

Chloe Wilson: For those who aren't very familiar with FLEFF, can you give a quick description about what this year's Kickoff Screening is for?

Karen Rodriguez: This screening is for two things.  It starts the FLEFF season is comprised of films that have already been screened at FLEFF in the past years and that are made by local filmmakers. The second reason is that it’s a also a fundraiser for Cinemapolis.  The theater is in the process of transitioning to digital projection and we’re helping to raise money for them for their purchases of new digital projectors.

CW: Are the filmmakers from the entirety of upstate New York or specifically Ithaca?

KR: Some of them are faculty at IC, some of them are faculty at other colleges in the areas - like Hobart and William Smith Colleges.  It’s an opportunity to highlight local filmmakers and to get the FLEFF season off to a start.

CW: As the curator of this year's screening, can you tell me about your role in organizing this event?

KR: As the curator, I look at work and talk to people about what is new, what do they have available to be screened. Then once I have a list of potential films, I try to choose films that work together and that compliment each other as well as show diversity in the subject matter and also in the approach.  Then I coordinate information and such – working with the filmmakers and figuring out how to get the files from them to Cinemapolis.  I also contacted Leah Shafer and I asked her to moderate the discussion after the screening.

CW: Each year, FLEFF has a new theme, and this year it's mobilities.  Does the Kickoff Screening also have a theme?

KR: I didn’t choose a theme for the screening.  I think there are some approaches or stylistic approaches that have emerged from this group and I think there’s a strong emphasis on the visual overall, but there is no explicit theme.