NW film festival showcased both exceptional and terrible shorts

What were you doing last Thursday afternoon? Going to class? Working? Sleeping? Lion taming?

Well, you sure missed out on a pretty fun event that happened right here at MHCC. On April 14, students were treated to a free screening of a selection of short films from the 42nd Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival that took place right here in Portland last fall.

The films ranged from documentary to experimental, to traditional narrative, to French. All were produced by local artists from the Northwestern U.S. and Canada. It would take far too long to give an in-depth review for each of them, so instead I will list them and give a brief summary.

“Hers is Where Yours Begins” – Made by MHCC’s very own Janet McIntyre, dean of Integrated Media. It tells a story of grief following the passing of her mother, using some great visuals and a harrowing voiceover.

“For JeanPierre Melville” – A neo-French bit done entirely in black and white. Somewhat amusing due to overacting, but for the most part it was enjoyable.

“Two Roads” – A fine documentary about the plight of modern day Native Americans. It started off well, but ended too abruptly for my enjoyment.

“Arca Archa” –This is the one I didn’t like. It is mostly about a man who sits quietly and stares. The camera work is noticeably poor and its message suffered because of it.

“Seven Ways from Sunday” – Seven stories about racial intolerance. Has a lot to say, but gets repetitive after a while. Perhaps that is the point…

“Robot Pavlov Sputnik” – This was a cut of three films, “Devils’ Girls From Mars,” “Mechanics from the Brain,” and “Animation Sputnik Launch,” with trippy colors added on. This is pretty much the poster child of experimental filmmaking, but it was surprisingly relaxing.

“Dead Hearts” – The best one, by far. I’m not going to spoil the story, since I suggest everyone find and watch it as soon as possible. Let’s just say it involves zombies, taxidermy, and butt-kicking grandmas.

The show was rounded off with a Q&A with Ben Popp, the chief organizer of the festival, who enlightened everyone on the film selection process and the troubles of running an independent film festival in our time.

As a whole, the showcase was a pleasant experience with a wide range of styles represented. The next Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival will be in November, so be sure to check it out, or maybe even submit a film of your own. That is, if you aren’t too busy with the lion taming.

Advocate Staff