The Slamdance Film Festival continues to grow each year, showcasing more and more films as well as up and coming filmmakers.  The festival, touting itself as  “by filmmakers, for filmmakers” sheds a brilliant light on what means to be independent.  Last year, “Honey Buddies” aka “Buddymoon” starring Flula Borg was one of the breakout hits from the festival among many others such as “The Tail Job,” and “How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town.”  And this year is no exception to the winning rule of great films at Slamdance.  While the Sundance Film Festival which takes place in the same town during much of the same time overshadows this smaller festival, it is with great pride that I am able to  participate in  Slamdance as well, seeing many outstanding films and interviewing the talent behind them.

I was not able to see every film on my list and will give you those films yet unseen, but here are my top films that I did see at the 2017  Slamdance Film Festival:

WHAT LIES UPSTREAM:  This shocking documentary riveted the opening night festival audience as filmmaker Cullen Hoback took viewers on a journey into the safety of our drinking water.  With the disturbing Flint, Michigan discovery, Hoback finds yet another town in West Virginia whose water source has been contaminated.  The film is equivalent to a thrilling mystery as Hoback finds more and more evidence of coverup and deceit within the very agencies we trusted to oversee our drinking water.  And the consequences of the contamination is even more shocking.  The film’s message will make you think twice before filling up that glass of water to drink.  Listen to the interview with Cullen Hoback here

KATE CAN’T SWIM:  First-time director Josh Helman joined creative forces with Jennifer Allcott to write “Kate Can’t Swim,” a complex and provocative film that brings relationships and sexuality into sharp focus.  The raw emotions capture the angst of young adults attempting to figure out life, love, and conforming to societal expectations. As two young couples vacation together at a remote lake house, getting to know a new addition to the group, Kate is faced with both internal and external confrontations that put all of the relationships into jeopardy.  With extraordinary performances, exceptional cinematography, precise direction,  and a script that rings true, “Kate Can’t Swim” is a film that can’t miss. Read the full review here  Listen to the interview with the writers here

SUCK IT UP:  This road trip movie is an open and honest girlfriend story taking on the topics of loss, love, and relationships.  Directed by Jordan Canning and starring Erin Margurite Carter (Faye) and Grace Glowicki (Ronnie), these two girls couldn’t be any more different, yet their youth and one man tie them together forever.  Faye’s brother who also happens to be Ronnie’s lost love passes away.  This tragic event is dealt with very differently by each of them and together, while on this trip, the two attempt to go through the grieving process in their own way.  It’s funny yet heartfelt, and sometimes sweet yet uncomfortable, finding a way to remarkably tell two different perspectives about life.  LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR JORDAN CANNING HERE

DAVE MADE A MAZE:  Director Bill Watterson co-wrote this film with Steven Sears about a seemingly grown man who builds a cardboard box fort in his living room while his girlfriend is away…and he gets lost in it.  As Annie (Meera Rohit Kumbhani) returns home to discover her boyfriend “missing,” she organizes the troupes to rescue him.  If it sounds bizarre, it is!  But only in the best of ways!  This is one of the most innovative and creative films complete with an absolutely spectacular set design that will blow your mind.  It’s funny and silly, but sweet and charming—a great combination.  The story brings to life some of our childhood nightmares and our adult dreams into one mesmerizing film.  Listen to the interview with the talent of “Dave Made A Maze” here

DIM THE FLUORESCENTS:  A struggling actor and writer find a way to make the rent by creating corporate work demonstrations on various topics.  This hilarious look at two women’s passions within their professions and the reality of competition is both insightful and delightful.  The duo create an inviting story that will make you laugh as you identify with the relationship and difficulties they both have at a pivotal time in their lives.  Filled with substance and life, “Dim The Fluorescents” is a creative female-centric film to put on your radar.

BEAT BEAT HEART:  Another female-centered film is the German movie “Beat Beat Heart.”  Luise Brinkmann  writes and directs this story about a young woman attempting to heal a broken heart.  When her mother shows up and moves in, struggling from her own relationship woes, the two delve into sometimes hilarious and oftentimes emotionally loaded situations wrought with confusion and compassion.  The mother-daughter relationship is a complex one and “Beat Beat Heart” finds every subtle nuance to portray this.  Beautiful cinematography augment the scenes, bringing you into the film and the emotion.  This is an exceptional film from a first-time filmmaker whose name you’ll surely be hearing more of.  Read the full review here  Audio interview coming soon.

Films I still have on my list to see include:  NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD DRIVE, WEXFORD PLAZA, WEATHER HOUSE, AUTOMATIC AT SEA and THE FAMILY

Slamdance hits it out of the park again this year with their films! Check back for more links, interviews, and updated reviews!

First, let me say that I have never been so profoundly moved by a documentary.  And never before have I been ashamed to be white.  My ancestor’s history, in many ways, is simply appalling and I am embarrassed to share that history which was so graphically painted in the new film “I Am Not Your Negro.”  I do not want to be connected with that sordid history, but because of my skin color, I am.  However, I hope that by drawing attention to films such as  this,  I can do my part in making things just a little bit better.  I cannot change what happened in America’s past and I can never make that right, but I will try my best to act in kind ways to all people, always.

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

Renowned author, James Baldwin and writer/director Raoul Peck have created what might be the most poignant and timely documentaries in history.  Prejudice and racism, unfortunately, are a part of our everyday conversations and “I Am Not Your Negro” examines the roads we have traveled to get to where we are.  The film recounts our nation’s history, slavery, and the country’s recent past perception of African-Americans in the United States.  Samuel L. Jackson narrates these frequently unsettling and always passionate scenes in the eloquently poetic words of Baldwin and Peck.  Using archival film footage, illustrations, and interviews, we understand the timeline and the fight for social justice with heroes such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Medgar Evers, the civil rights activist and member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

The picture “I Am Not Your Negro” paints is a very clear one with the sharp edges of our past and our possible future as well.  It is based on factual information and punctuates the historical events such as the assassination of Dr. King and the murder of Evers accompanied by Baldwin’s bold and daring statements, bringing to the forefront what most want to sweep under the rug:  our society has and continues to act in horrifyingly prejudicial ways.  The images are disturbing, watching young men and women not just being verbally accosted, but beaten and kicked just for being of a different race.  The societal pressures that generations had to endure are simply heartbreaking and continue to be.

“I Am Not Your Negro” is beautifully crafted, creating an amalgam of images and voices, to tell this poignantly overwhelming and emotional story.  The film’s first scene is enough to take your breath away, like a solid punch to the gut.  The rest of the film grips you firmly, if not shaking you, bringing you into a world that perhaps you previously shut your eyes to.  While much of this film takes us back to the 1960’s, it is indeed one that is relevant to today.  This film is a message to today’s America.

It became extremely clear to me that it is truly a message that needs to be heard as immediately after seeing this emotionally wrought film full of prejudice and acts of violence against someone just because of their skin color, I was faced with a very disturbing situation…one that I had never observed in my 52 years.  I coincidentally had a meeting with a civil rights attorney that day.  While waiting for him, I was confronted with two self-proclaimed wealthy, middle-aged white men who, after learning I was a film critic, proceeded to talk about the race issue in the Oscar nominations last year.  What they said left me speechless.  Their ignorance cut me to the core and my attempts to share my thoughts, which were contradictory to theirs, fell on deaf ears.  Their bold and unapologetic racist comments left me even more ashamed, but they also awakened me to the fact that I must do better to stand up for others, even when those others are not present.  Ignorance is not bliss…it is the very tool to which our country might fall.  As Baldwin said, “The future of the negro in this country is precisely as bright or as dark as the future of our country.”

“I Am Not Your Negro” is a film that has changed my life and my everyday perceptions.  It has opened my eyes to a recent history that is set on a course to repeat itself.  It’s one of the most powerful and relevant films of the decade.