Dan Savage's Hump! Festival 2017 (April 8th at the Capitol Theatre)

[DAN SAVAGE'S HUMP! FESTIVAL 2017 screens Saturday April 8th at 7:30 pm and 9:45 pm at the Capitol Theatre.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

Sex columnist Dan Savage is back with a new installment of his HUMP! FESTIVAL, a collection of short films about sex. Or you can call it porn, smut, erotica... whatever works for you. Bottom line is, regardless of the tone or topic, almost all of these vignettes involve nudity and graphic depictions of sex. Straight sex. Gay sex. Polyamorous sex. Really kinky sex. There's probably something here for everyone (and probably something here to send at least some audience members running from the room in terror, as well).

F3T Fly Fishing Film Tour casts into the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, March 4

Event preview by Charles Cassady, Jr.

They’re not often as highly publicized and hyped as the broad-audience film festivals, but “mountain culture” and “adventure” film fests generally don’t have to brag; they’re avidly attended by insiders (of the outdoorsy type).

That goes for the F3T Fly Fishing Film Tour, a festival of angling-oriented short subjects, backed by wilderness outfitters and gear vendors such as Yeti and Costa.

A favorite annual event at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s longstanding Trout Club, the feature-length program of fishing shorts also includes a cash bar, tackle raffles and reps from local adventure clubs – not to mention extreme-sports-fishing imagery in the Museum’s Murch Auditorium.

Admission is $20 in advance, $25 at the door (pending availablity). The festival website is http://flyfilmtour.com/

Short. Sweet. Film Fest returns to Cleveland in March 2017

[Press release from the Short. Sweet. Film Fest.]

The Short. Sweet. Film Fest. strives to showcase the best local, national, and international films from up-and-coming filmmakers. What better way to watch independent cinema then in the stunning and brand-new Alex Theater at the Metropolitan at the 9 while enjoying a cool beer or cocktail with some gourmet food?

Did we mention there will also be live music throughout the film festival?

The 2017 Oscar Nominated Live Action Short Films

[THE 2017 OSCAR NOMINATED LIVE ACTION SHORT FILMS opens in Cleveland on Friday February 10th exclusively at the Capitol Theatre, in Oberlin at the Apollo Theatre, and in Akron at The Nightlight Cinema.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

The first notable thing about this year's Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts is that none of them are from English speaking countries. "Silent Nights", from Denmark, has about a third of its dialogue delivered in English, but other than that, it's subtitle city. Not an issue for this viewer, but I know it is for some, so if that's you, you've been warned.

Beyond that, there are a couple of themes that recur in the nominees. Two of the nominated films deal with immigrants and/or refugees. It's hard to imagine a bigger issue both here in American and abroad, so that's hardly surprising. On the lighter side, there are also two films about people connecting in unusual ways. In one film, modern technology helps facilitate the connection; in the other, modern technology is scorned, at least at first. And finally, we have one film which celebrates rebellion against an authoritarian figure. My thoughts on each film individually follow.

The 2017 Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films

[THE 2017 OSCAR NOMINATED ANIMATED SHORT FILMS opens in Cleveland on Friday February 10th exclusively at the Capitol Theatre, in Oberlin at the Apollo Theatre, and in Akron at The Nightlight Cinema.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

When the first Oscar for animated short film was awarded at the 5th Academy Awards in 1932, short form animation was a standard part of the moviegoing experience. Warner Brothers, Disney, MGM, Max Fleischer, and others were all churning out multiple cartoons a year to play on the big screen. But as animation has increasingly migrated to television, the animated theatrical short has all but disappeared.

Still, there are enough of the things being made and shown today to keep this category alive, if just barely. Some are mainstream fare, playing in multiplexes alongside animated feature films from Disney, Pixar, and others. Others are edgy and/or arty, aimed at the more mature filmgoers who attend arthouse theaters like Cleveland's own Cinematheque and Cedar Lee. Both strains are represented in this year's nominees. My thoughts on each follow.

Dan Savage's Hump! Festival 2016 (October 14th at the Capitol Theatre)

[DAN SAVAGE'S HUMP! FESTIVAL 2016 screens Friday October 14th at 7:00 pm and 9:15 pm at the Capitol Theatre. One night only!]

Review by Bob Ignizio

One person's porn is another person's erotica is another person's "what's the big deal?" is another person's "what the hell?" The 2016 HUMP! FESTIVAL, presented by sex advice columnist Dan Savage, contains segments that check off all the above boxes for me.

The fest is a collection of 22 short films all dealing, in one way or another, with sex. Quality varies, but for the most part the films are enjoyable. The first segment, "Hysterical Bullshit", is easily the worst. Basically, a woman reads from Mike Huckabee's ridiculously titled 'God, Guns, Grits, and Gravy' and tries not to laugh. I'm no fan of Huckabee or the other conservative icons mentioned in the portions of the book we hear, but this short is snarky, condescending, and lazy. There is ultimately a punch line, but it's not that funny.

Short. Sweet. Film Fest returns to the Alex Theater March 4-6 2016

[Press release from the Short. Sweet. Film Fest.]

The Short. Sweet. Film Fest strives to showcase the best local, national, and international films from up-and-coming filmmakers. What better way to watch independent cinema then in the stunning and brand-new Alex Theater at the Metropolitan at the 9 and enjoying a cool beer or cocktail with some gourmet food? 

We are showing 90 films over 3 days and several films made in Cleveland!  

Did we mention there will also be live music throughout the film festival?

An interview with Michael Suglio, co-founder of The Short, Sweet Film Fest (April 10th through 12th at the Alex Theatre)

[The Short, Sweet Film Fest takes place Friday April 10th through Sunday April 12th at the Alex Theatre.]

Interview by Bob Ignizio

While there's nothing inherently wrong with a long movie, when even mindless popcorn flicks routinely clock in at two and a half or three hours, you could be forgiven for thinking that modern films have become a bit self indulgent. For the perfect antidote, there's Cleveland's Short, Sweet Film Fest, the 2015 edition of which is being held Friday April 10th through Sunday April 12th at the Alex Theatre on East 9th Street. I recently had a chance to chat with festival co-founder Michael Suglio to get the skinny on this event, and here's what I learned.

Help program the CIFF39!

[Press release from the Cleveland International Film Festival.]

Have you ever wanted to program a film festival? Now’s your chance!

Join us on Thursday, January 29th at 7:00 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre for GET SHORTY, where we’ll be celebrating 12 years of this Film Feast series favorite.

Here’s how it works: we will show a selection of short films, you will cast your vote for each, and the top scorers will be screened at this year’s Festival. We will not only serve up fantastic films, but we will also have an array of food and beverages catered by Culinary Occasions available before we gather in front of the big screen.

Don’t wait! Make your reservations today to be part of an event that always makes for a perfect night of film, food, and fun.

To make your reservations and to learn more about the complete Film (and other ARTS) Feasts series, please click HERE or call 216.623.FILM, ext. 14.


FILM (and other ARTS) FEASTS, sponsored by Hyland, is a fundraiser to help support the Cleveland International Film Festival.

The Curse and the Symphony (October 8th, 10th, and 12th at the Chagrin Documentary Festival)

[THE CURSE AND THE SYMPHONY screens Wednesday October 8th at 7:00 pm, Friday October 10 th at 7:00 pm, and Sunday October 12 th at 12:00 pm at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

Composer Nathan Felix

Nathan Felix, formerly of the indie rock band Noise Revival Orchestra, heard a symphony in his head and was bound and determined to get that music out into the world. The work, titled “The Curse, The Cross, & the Lion”, comes complete with a story and cast of characters that, from the illustrations we see, looks something like the Thundercats fighting an epic battle against the creatures from THE DARK CRYSTAL. Heck, I'd see a ballet or opera based around that idea.

The Apocalypse Couple to Premiere at the Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival

[Press release from Nblak Productions.]



NBlak Productions, LLC is proud to announce the premiere of THE APOCALYPSE COUPLE, a dramatic short film starring Dan Nye and Renina C. Black, and directed by local filmmaker Miki Blak.

The Apocalypse Couple tells the story of a devastating war that has claimed all of planet earth and civilization as we have understood it, no longer exists.

Ty and Nandi are two of few survivors who struggle day to day to meet their basic need for shelter, water and food.

The couple has taken refuge in a deserted house in a small neighborhood to offer shelter and rest for a few days. Nandi is a dreamer and Ty a realist. Their opposing views have the pair constantly at odds with the world and each other.

Oscar-Nominated Short Films 2014: Documentaries (opens January 31 exclusively at the Capitol Theatre)

[THE OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS: DOCUMENTARIES opens Friday January 31st exclusively at the Capitol Theatre.] 

Review by Charles Cassady, Jr. (with an assist by Bob Ignizio)

Why care about the short subjects in the Academy Awards category of Best Documentary Short Subject? A few reasons. First is my longstanding contention that documentary film is just about the only form of cinema left that’s of any interest and relevance.

And second, and perhaps more importantly, on Oscar nite itself, I’ve always learned that the winners in this category are always the loosest of loose cannons when it comes to making acceptance speeches. Even the Documentary Feature people who have trouble living up to the mark set by Michael “Shame on you George Bush!” Moore, now tend to behave themselves. The Short Subject people, however, are a little less restrained at watching what comes out of their mouths in front of a microphone.

The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2014: Animated (opens January 31st exclusively at the Capitol Theatre)

[THE OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS: LIVE ACTION opens Friday January 31st exclusively at the Capitol Theatre.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

This year's nominees for best animated short include a classic style Mickey Mouse cartoon that breaks into the modern world, a dark but ultimately uplifting tale of the supernatural from Japan, a highly symbolic representation of the “wolf boy” archetype from the U.S., a weird CGI steam punk thing from France, and a perhaps too loving adaptation of a popular children's story from Great Britain. In the past this program has been filled out with additional animated shorts that didn't quite make the final five, but that appears not to be the case this year. And so without further ado, on to the nominees.

Oscar Nominated Short Films 2014: Live Action (opens January 31st exclusively at the Capitol Theatre)

[THE OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2014: LIVE ACTION opens Friday January 31st exclusively at the Capitol Theatre.]

Review by Pamela Zoslov



“Good things, when short, are twice as good,” wrote the Spanish philosopher Baltasar Gracián. That has never been more true than now, as feature films get ever longer, and watching them requires a willingness to sit still for three hours or more. That requires a lot more time and patience than I have.

For that reason, I've always loved the short form – half-hour sitcoms, short stories and short films. Often while I'm watching a feature-length movie, I think about how much better it would be as a twenty or thirty-minute short. Lose the pop-music montage, the car chases, the digressions and repetitions, and just focus on telling a story succinctly.

Into the Night (September 26th at the Akron Art Museum)

[Into the Night screens Thursday September 26th as part of program of short films at Akron Film + Pixel Night at the Akron Art Museum starting at 6:30 pm.]


Review by Bob Ignizio

A married man contemplates the ramifications of his unfaithfulness on his wife and young daughter in Into the Night, the latest short from Cleveland area filmmaker Brandon Baker. As with his previous work, the visuals and use of sound design are strong, but this time there's more empahsis on character and dialog than in the two shorts of Baker's I've seen previously (The Artist and The Accident). The acting is a mixed bag, but generally stronger than in The Artist, with lead Andrew Schaefer coming across much better than the “friends willing to work for free” level of acting one usually finds in productions of this level.


The general vibe I got from the short is like a Twilight Zone episode directed by an experimental filmmaker. I was also reminded a bit of Dickens 'A Christmas Carol' in the way a spirit (at least that's what I thought it was) tries to warn the protagonist to change his ways. The arty, surreal approach can be a bit obtuse at times, and I wasn't entirely clear on what the ending meant, but overall this is a solid piece of work by a talented filmmaker. 2 1/2 out of 4 stars.

Award-winning Music Film “Conscious” to Screen at the Indie Gathering Film Festival & Convention

[Press release from Iron Road Productions.]

“Conscious” will screen at the Indie Gathering Film Festival & Convention on Saturday, August 17th, 2013. Information on admission to the Festival and tickets can be found at theindiegathering.com. “Conscious” is a short music film showcasing a modern adaptation of the Greek mythological story of Icarus. With music from the band Lamia of the Pool and starring up and coming actor Patrick Hampton, “Conscious” shows one man’s struggle with his connection to society and the world. The film is directed by the up and coming director Chris Chandler in his first big production film, and produced by Chris Chandler and Cody Smart.

The film is a production of Iron Road Productions, a company crafted by Colorado native Chris Chandler. The company’s main goal is to create inspiring cinematic pieces that the ‘workingman’ can enjoy. This strive to create high quality entertainment has landed its film “Conscious” in film festivals like the Speechless International Film Festival, and the Indie Gathering Film Festival & Convention, where it was awarded second place in the Rock Genre Category.

“Conscious”

www.ironroadproductions.com

'Thrill Kill' and 'Sunblur' (reviews of two short films from Cleveland's The Studio on Mars)

[Thrill Kill is available for streaming on vimeo. Sunblur is not yet available]

Reviews by Bob Ignizio

These two short films are from Cleveland indie filmmaking collective The Studio on Mars.

As the shot in Cleveland short Thrill Kill begins, a masked man (J. Buckner) drives a getaway car, a woman (Agata Stasiak) with a throat wound in the passenger seat beside him. The man is frantic and cursing as he calls someone to ask if the hideout is safe. He pulls in, parks, and checks his companion to see if she's still alive. Then things get weird. Then there's a twist. Then it's over.

The film is shot well, and the actors aren't bad for this sort of homegrown concoction. Unfortunately the overuse of profanity in the dialogue makes their delivery seem worse than it really is. Not that I have a problem with profanity per se. I just find that when filmmakers use too much of it in a misguided attempt at “realism” it usually backfires, the incessant swearing sounding forced and ridiculous instead.

Dream About Angels (May 18th at the Horror Hotel Weekend at the Hudson Clarion Hotel)

[Dream About Angels screens Saturday May 18th at 3:00 pm at the Horror Hotel Weekend at the Hudson Clarion Hotel.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

Father Michael (Terry Jernigan), a priest who has lost his passion for the faith in the dark fantasy short Dream About Angels. What he does have a passion for is his pretty assistant Miss Smith (Diane Sokolowich). He doesn't act on that passion in the physical world, but in his dreams it's a different story. What's the harm, right? Well, the fact that this won “Best Horror Short” at the upcoming Horror Hotel convention in Hudson should be your tip-off that there's plenty of potential harm in store for the wavering preacher.

The acting and productions values are pretty good for a low budget indie of this sort. Only a scene in which Father Michael half-heartedly counsels a couple having marital problems comes off as gratingly amateurish, with the humor being played far too broadly. The real meat of the film is contained in Jernigan's performance as Father Michael, though, and he turns in a solid understated performance that benefits the film greatly. All in all a decent if not spectacular effort that feels a bit like the unlikely intersection of The Twilight Zone and a Jack Chick tract if Chick weren't so virulently anti-Catholic. 2 out of 4 stars.

For more info on the Horror Hotel convention, click here.

The New Woman: Annie 'Londonderry' Kopchovsky (April 7th and 8th at the Cleveland International Film Festival)

[The New Woman: Annie 'Londonderry' Kopchovsky screens Sunday April 7th at 9:15 am and Monday April 8th at 5:15 pm at the Cleveland International Film Festival.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

As the years go by, it's somewhat inevitable that the rich narrative of history gets distilled down to a few key players and major events. Such streamlining is arguably necessary in order to get a good look at the “big picture”. By doing so, however, we risk losing some of the quikier fringe figures and their stories that may not have had as huge an impact on the story of mankind, but are important and intriguing nonetheless. One such figure is the subject of Gillian K. Willman's short documentary The New Woman: Annie 'Londonderry' Kopchovsky.

Annie Kopchovsky was a fairly ordinary housewife and mother who, as the result of a wager, in 1895 set out to became the first woman to ride around the world on a bicycle. She won the bet, and along the way she became something of a feminist icon before fading into obscurity. At least that's the story Annie told. The truth, as Willman shows us in her film, is a little less simple.

The Naked Zinester (now available to watch online)

Review by Bob Ignizio

Columbus native Aaron Tsuru is sort of like a low budget Hugh Hefner. Tsuru, subject of the short documentary THE NAKED ZINESTER, takes photos of women in various stages of undress. Some wind up in his self published fanzines, some on his website. His subjects, including girlfriend Cherry La Voix, are not the standard cookie-cutter models one sees in Playboy, but what Tsuru describes as “real” women. Personally I think that's kind of unfair, seeing as the Playboy girls exist, too. They don't necessarily live next door to me like the fantasy Mr. Hefner is selling, but obviously they live next door to someone. Perhaps it would be more fair to say that Tsuru photographs a different kind of woman than one usually finds in Playboy, women who aren't quite as made-up, have a few more curves, maybe some tattoos and piercings. His models are kind of in the vein of the Suicide Girls, but a little more down to earth.