The BendFilm Festival

Renner’s Rating
Reel Critic Grade: A+ Running Time: 2,505 minutes Rated: Brilliant!

I can sum up the inaugural BendFilm Festival in one word—WOW! Now, I know what you’re thinking; a writer should endeavor to unearth uniquely superior expressions to convey their position. But, it’s also been said that if a simple word gets the point across in a satisfactory manor—use it. WOW!
For four days in September, hordes of eager filmgoers were treated to an exceptional mix of features, documentaries and shorts; 66 films in all. And, as if that weren’t enough, lectures, parties, conversations with filmmakers and a lively awards ceremony rounded out the fun-filled, non-stop weekend. The mood was up-beat, the feedback glowing and the glitches minimal. Filmmakers and attendees alike raved about the organization of the festival, the quality of films and the spectacular beauty of our little town. In a nutshell, the BendFilm Festival was a hit!
The awards ceremony on Saturday night recognized many films for their achievements. I’ll highlight just a few.
The coveted Best in Show Award, which included a $10,000 cash prize, was presented to the documentary, Farmingville. This film explored the impact of illegal immigrant labor on the small Long Island town of the same name. When two Mexican laborers are lured into a basement under the false pretense of clean-up work and then stabbed and beaten, the town is thrust into the national spotlight. Filmmakers, Catherine Tambini and Carlos Sandoval poignantly capture the ongoing struggle between the illegal immigrants searching for their slice of the American dream and the locals who feel threatened by the changing face of their little hamlet. The documentary is well put together, thorough and balanced in telling both sides of the story. It’s a difficult topic that, like so many issues, is some shade of grey rather than black or white. Until the government gets a handle on its immigration policy, the issues highlighted in Farmingville will continue to be a source of conflict throughout our country.
The Best Feature Award went to The Invisible. This is a spectacular film. It looks good, the acting is top-notch, the characters are deeply interesting, and the story is fascinating. Nicklas is a good kid. He’s one of the brightest in his class and his dominating mother has plans for his future. Yet, Nicklas longs to break out from under his mother’s control. When the tough female leader of the school bullies beats him near death, everything changes. Nicklas returns to school and to his life, but no one can hear him, no one can see him and the actions he takes are immediately reversed to the way the were before. It’s as if he’s invisible. Directors Simon Sandquist and Joel Berkvall took the concept from a published book and reworked the story into a rightly deserving award winner. They went from concept to premiere in just nine months. Amazing! Even more so considering this was their first film. According to Simon and Joel, the American version of this film will go into production in the near future. I’d recommend the Swedish version. Why mess with perfection?
The Audience Award was given to the emotionally-gripping documentary, Born into Brothels. Directors Zana Briski and Ross Kaufman record their journey into the lives of the children of prostitutes, seemingly trapped in red-light district of Sonagchi, Calcutta. After teaching the children to use simple cameras, Briski turns them loose to view their world through a different lens. Their enthusiasm and playfulness with the cameras is infectious and amazing given their unthinkable circumstances. This film shows the power one person can have in influencing the lives of others. Through Briski and Kaufman many of the children have a sense of hope, the chance for a better life and their names forever linked to truly remarkable photography.
Independent cinema is like a breath of fresh air in the often formula-polluted arena of big-studio films. The indie filmmaker is driven by passion and vision and, thankfully, not box office receipts. The results are highly original films, willing to push the envelope and explore stories and characters in ways studio-backed productions often can’t. Sure, the studio system can and does produce quality films, but they are few and far between. These days, budgets are so astronomical that one film flop can wreak havoc on a studios’ balance sheet. This has most studio execs eager to say “no” to intriguing, but risky projects.
With the advances in inexpensive digital filmmaking equipment and the rise in the number of quality film festivals, like BendFilm, independent filmmaking should play a larger role in the world of cinema in the years to come. So, hats off to all who volunteered, sponsored and attended. You made BendFilm a reality and a huge success! Long live independent cinema!