Series: Additional Films and Guests
Montage: A Celebration of Moving Pictures is a film festival celebrating top cinematic work done by student filmmakers on the IU Bloomington campus during the 2018–19 academic year. This curated event will highlight documentary, narrative, and experimental films—with nominations and awards for Best: Film, Directing, Cinematography, Editing, Original Score, Acting, and Screenplay. The festival is a collaboration between IU Cinema; Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance; Jacobs School of Music; Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design; and The Media School.
Short films in this program include:
Starlite Gazing
(7:14, Directed by Caleb Allison)
Starlite Gazing is an experimental and historical visual exploration of the Starlite Drive-in Theatre, located just south of Bloomington off Old State Road 37. Combining experimental editing, archival drive-in advertisements, and home-movie aesthetics, I invoke the history and joy of the drive-in experience. Shot on Super 8mm and scanned in 2K, I embraced the film format’s delightful irregularities and sought to emphasize and connect them to movie-going history. This is the first short film in a larger regional project to visually and experimentally explore unique movie-going sites in Indiana. Contains flashing images.
Lightswitch
(6:24, Directed by Nick Kinder)
A midnight-shift worker encounters a peculiar light switch while alone in his warehouse.
Coil
(10:15, Directed by Jeremy Tatara)
Jess McNache is preparing to leave her job New York for a new adventure in London with nothing holding her back. That is until Jess receives a call from a familiar old voice, Addie, a former secret lover. Their conversation holds little substance, but displays their longing to love each other without any discretion. Jess and Addie agree to part ways, but just after Jess leaves, Addie changes her mind, but too late. Jess is gone. Their love will never be.
Falling
(10:35, Directed by Deonna Weatherly)
In a world full of hate and violence, love brings two people together. Their journey begins with an accidental meeting that leads to them falling in love. They eventually move in together and realize they can’t possibly live without each other. An event occurs, making it the hardest way possible to continue their story. The challenges that come with not being able to physically be with someone takes a toll but somehow, they will dance together again.
How to Cut Fruit
(5:00, Directed by Salena Tatiana Mathews)
A short film using found footage from Buzzfeed’s series of people cutting fruit for the first time played alongside real news stories depicting violence against LGBTQ+ people. The media often forgets or simply disbelieves just how often LGBTQ+ people are dehumanized to the point where it comes across as a horrific joke when these experiences are brought to our attention. By juxtaposing these desensitized stories against almost theatrical cuttings of fruits, this film attempts to reiterate that this violence is still prevalent, both in actions and in bigoted beliefs. Contains mature content, including strong language.
Laya
(10:05, Directed by Nandhini_Giri)
This 3D animated short film is a story of self-discovery, where a lifeless doll is set to motion by ‘Laya’ translated as Tempo/Rhythm, that is inherent in everything that we perceive in this universe. The doll’s design was inspired by the traditional Indian bobble head dolls called Thanjavur Bommai. Indian Classical dance movements (Bharathanatyam) and Hindustani music accompany the doll’s journey. Students from the Game Design program at The Media School, Indiana University Bloomington worked on creating this artistic piece.
SANCTUARY
(15:00, Directed by Brenden Spangler)
Existing somewhere between documentary and narrative, and inspired by such films as Baraka, the Koyaanisqatsi trilogy, and Hale County This Morning, This Evening, SANCTUARY recounts the first-person perspective of one individual’s existential crisis spawning from the manicness of current society. Music and images combine to depict and illicit the respective mental and emotional state as the individual journeys across the U.S. while struggling, and largely failing, to resolve the madness and conflict within and without themselves.
Get to the Polls
(6:10, Directed by Ricky Romanek)
Get to the Polls is about a Jewish man trying to vote. On his way to the polling place he will encounter many bigots that he has to fight off for his right to vote. This film is about voter suppression and how difficult voting can be for minorities in our country. The film also shows how voter suppression can happen right under our noses without us noticing, as well as how voting is taken for granted by some people. Contains mature content.
The Death of Venus
(6:03, Directed by Sabra Binder)
A modern-day portrait of the Roman goddess of love and beauty, The Death of Venus follows the flighty and shallow dating rituals of Venus herself, while depicting the reasons behind her immoral behavior. Existing in a world where it is declared that Venus’ time on earth will end if she falls in love, Venus discovers a loophole: if she kills the man she is falling in love with, Venus herself will go on living.
Handcrafted in Brown County
(5:33, Directed by Kevin Olds)
The Hard Truth Distilling Company is a new operation in Nashville, Ind. Rather than presenting the commercial side of the business, we focused on the soul of the company: Brown County, Ind., an area known for its tradition of artistry and craftsmanship and its roots in backwoods distilling.
Ignorance Is Bliss, Chris
(6:19, Directed by Ethan Tschida)
Things get heated when Chris and Marie sneak into an empty room. This young couple in the peak of the “they fight like a married couple” phase have their relationship tested when they stumble upon a strange box. On a dare, Chris flicks the switch on the box. What happens next tests their relationship in ways they never thought were possible. Contains flashing images.
Shift
(8:28, Directed by Kasey Poracky)
Boy studies in the library, alienated and uninspired to meet his responsibilities. Terpsichore, swaying with abandon across the aisle, spots him and whisks him away to a dreamscape. Boy finds himself sitting at a configuration of desks in which students peck away at their typewriters in Orwellian fashion. Suddenly, Terpsichore returns to him to dance a romantic pas de deux. When it ends, she sends him back to the library. He contemplates his “shift” in perspective with a knowing smile.
