On April 29, the Williamsburg Film Festival celebrates its fifth
birthday, and although it’s spreading its wings to a venue with
greater visibility, it’s already being roughed up by a playground
bully.
Happily, it appears to be holding its own thanks to the amiable
leadership of its director and founder Marco Ursino. Reflecting
the broader audience and larger pool of filmmakers the festival
hopes to reach out to, he’s changed its name to the Brooklyn
International Film Festival, which, however well intentioned,
has resulted in the unfortunate acronym, BIFF.
"Our growth and popularity have snowballed to the point
where we needed to align ourselves with a larger venue and encompass
more than just one Brooklyn neighborhood," said Ursino.
Another coming-of-age milestone for the festival is its new screening
room, the Cantor Auditorium at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. (The
festival had screened films at a 1920s Williamsburg movie theater
until it was put up for sale.)
"The transition from an exclusively Williamsburg setting
to our museum in the heart of Brooklyn will not only benefit
the Brooklyn Museum of Art and BIFF, but also give larger, more
diverse audiences access to the festival’s wonderful film programs,"
said Mona Smith, manager of adult programs at the museum, explaining
that festival ticket holders can enjoy the museum’s permanent
collections for free. (There is, however, an extra charge for
"Star Wars: The Magic of Myth" exhibit.)
The film festival’s new venue and name change signal an organization
that’s growing up from a grassroots collection of film buffs
to a festival contender ready to hold its own despite bullies
like Robert DeNiro’s new, American Express-sponsored Tribeca
Film Festival – which picked the same dates to hold its film
festival. Ursino, ever the protective parent, moved BIFF’s dates
to April 29-May 5, so they wouldn’t cannibalize each other.
"Why compromise attendance and coverage and sponsorship
of another festival that’s doing the same thing," Ursino
wondered about Tribeca’s motivations. "Tribeca is on a bigger
scale – they’re first sponsor is American Express and they have
DeNiro – you would think they would be more helpful and sympathetic
to people who are doing the same thing."
While BIFF hasn’t yet become too big for its britches, it has
become too big for its home base, which is Ursino’s own apartment
in Williamsburg. On a Saturday afternoon this month, the staff
was mincing steps around a squad of visiting short-film judges
while cats Magellano and Isabella opted for safer, higher ground.
Showing 80 films – including features, short films, documentaries
and animation – from 25 countries, BIFF has captured it’s first
title sponsor, Stella Artois, and has an interesting mix of films
competing for the Grand Chameleon Award (Best Film) and Chameleon
Statuettes for best films in their category.
"Basically, the idea behind this festival is to continue
bringing the best films from all over the world to Brooklyn,"
said Ursino, himself an Italian transplant. "It’s a tourist
attraction, bringing new people to Brooklyn."
The festival, which has chosen "Progress" as this year’s
theme, opens with remarks by a Williamsburg native, producer
Irwin Yablans ("Halloween I-III") and Borough President
Marty Markowitz. The opening night film is the U.S. premiere
of director Maurizio Sciarra’s "Off to the Revolution by
2CV." This Italian road trip movie, set in 1974, won the
Golden Leopard for Best Film at the 54th Locarno Film Fest in
Italy.
In addition to an international slate of filmmakers, works with
a Brooklyn connection will also be screened.
"Operation Midnight Climax," directed by Gadi Harel
and Will Keenan, was shot in Williamsburg and the East Village.
The world premiere of this feature film, about a character who
has uncovered a world of cover-ups, conspiracies and hidden agendas
operating just below the surface of our day-to-day existence,
will be May 4 at 5 pm.
The documentary "Black Picket Fence," directed by Sergio
Goes, will also have its world premiere at the festival on May
2 at 9:15 pm. Culled from two years of footage, this film is
a look beyond gangsta rap stereotypes. The rags to potential
riches story focuses on the life of rapper TIZ in the midst of
his East New York hustling.
Williamsburg resident Anne Paas – who won best new director at
the festival last year – returns this year with another short,
"Gas Up & Save!" a blackly comic yet incredibly
stylish film about a woman on a cross-country journey who has
a creepy fascination with Liberace and divine aspirations for
her son (May 5 at 7:15 pm).
Another short, "Vic Thrill: Painting at the Break of Day"
directed by Chris Cassidy, is a humorous five-minute film shot
on a rooftop in Greenpoint, which coincidentally is now an eerie
premonition of Sept. 11, while the documentary short, "Clyde"
by Brooklyn resident Mans Mansson, is about a homeless man’s
response to Sept. 11. (The films will be shown May 1 at 5 pm
and April 30 at 5 pm, respectively.)
The festival also scored the East Coast premiere of "Hotel,"
directed by Mike Figgis ("Leaving Las Vegas").
The film’s star-filled roster includes Salma Hayek, Rhys Ifans,
David Schwimmer and John Malkovich. With only brief character
outlines – and without a script – the cast lived, improvised
and filmed under one roof. "Hotel" will be screened
on May 3 at 7 pm.
So, on its fifth birthday, the newly re-christened Brooklyn International
Film Festival has proven by its example – a solid, international
slate of films that still manages to support local filmmakers
– that you can play fair and still excel.
GO Brooklyn editor Lisa
J. Curtis is a Brooklyn International Film Festival judge.
The Brooklyn International Film Festival
takes place April 29 through May 5 at the Brooklyn Museum of
Art, Cantor Auditorium, 200 Eastern Parkway. Tickets are $10
each or $150 festival pass. A four-pack is $30. Opening night
(April 29 at 7 pm) gala tickets are $25 and are followed by a
party. For a complete film schedule call (718) 280-7404 or go
to www.wbff.org.
