BFF FILM & FESTIVAL BLOG
Common Language: Lingua Franca and Auteurship
Isabel Sandoval is an auteur “staking her claim” in cinema. Sandoval’s control over her work is an important ownership, and in the film Lingua Franca, supports the film's themes of trans identity, addiction and immigration.
“Here Comes the Content:” A Review of “Bo Burnham: Inside”
Bo Burnham stuns in his new Netflix special "Inside," probing us all to contemplate performativity, authenticity, and the troubled space of the Internet.
The Power of Positive Media Representation for Trans Youth
Media has played a large role in reshaping public perception of the LGBTQ+ community, creating a more accurate and positive representation that lead to advancements in civil rights. As an anti-trans youth bill sweeps through state legislatures in 2021, progress must be made in the media to advance the representation of trans people.
Hollywood - Where Dreams Come True?
Review of North Hollywood, directed by Mikey Alfred. A look into his debut film.
On Film Editing and the Math Proof
Film editing is a characteristic of filmmaking separating it from other artistic mediums and the math proof similarly characterizes mathematics in regards to other sciences. Analyzing the relationship of these characteristics to their fields, similarities arise between them that could be used to enrich both fields.
Reel Works’ Outcalt Award Nominees Shine in Virtual Screening
The nominees of the 2021 F. John Outcalt Award for Outstanding Filmmaking were highlighted at a virtual screening produced by Reel Works, a non-profit production company uplifting young people’s cinematic visions. Here are reviews of the dramas and documentaries directed by these incredible storytellers.
Arts and Education: 16k and Margo & Perry
Symone Baptiste, director of “Sixteen Thousand Dollars” and Becca Roth, director of “Margo & Perry” go in depth on using episodic form and comedy as tools for truth and change.
Magaluf Ghost Town: Dropping the Curtain on Low-Cost Tourism
Magaluf Ghost Town, from Director Miguel Ángel Blanca, explores the inner workings of an island town with a reputation as a wild party destination for foreign tourists. Blanca points his camera at the locals who live in Magaluf year-round, and defies the rules of documentary by blending fact and fiction.
2021 Hot Docs Festival: Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema
The 2021 Hot Docs Festival (April 29th through May 9th) recently hosted a Celebration of LGBTQ+ Cinema, an online social event honoring the filmmakers whose work was featured at this year’s festival. Here are a few of the poignant documentaries Aubrey Benmark had the opportunity to view.
'Shiva Baby' Review: A Comedy With Bite
Wayward soon-to-be college graduate Danielle is desperate to conceal the truth when she attends a Jewish funeral service with her parents and unexpectedly runs into an ex-girlfriend and her current sugar daddy.
Film as Poetry: When Art Intersects
Over the years, several independent filmmakers have married visual storytelling with poetic rhythm, be it through form, subject matter, or concept. This piece details three short films whose poetic elements amplify the complicated and mundane meaning of their characters' lives.
Filmmaker Tess Harrison: From Inspired Shorts to Her Feature Debut, The Light Upstate
Bushwick Film Festival alumna Tess Harrison discusses her short film work and her upcoming feature debut.
'Tina' Review: Her Story on Her Terms
The HBO documentary Tina delves into the personal life and career of rock icon Tina Turner. Utilizing never before released sound recordings and archival footage, the film exposes how media coverage of her abusive first marriage to Ike Turner furthered her traumatization, but never overcast Tina’s phenomenal talent.