The snow is finally melting in
Boston and this can only mean one thing. Baccus the
Bunny is getting ready for spring. This bunny
doesn’t hop, burrow, eat carrots, or deliver eggs on
Easter morning. Instead, he sits perched on top of a
silver pedestal, waiting to be claimed by a worthy
filmmaker. Baccus’s smooth black coat and beady red
eyes are anything but traditional, making him a
perfect symbol and trophy for the Boston Underground
Film Festival. Best of all, he vibrates.
The Boston Underground Film
Festival kicks off its seventh season on Wednesday,
April 6th exclusively at the Somerville
Theater in Somerville, Massachusetts. Throughout the
next five days, audiences should prepare themselves to
witness films with fresh, edgy and oftentimes
offensive content, complex characters and twisted
plotlines. Most importantly, viewers will leave this
venue with a clear understanding of what the
underground genre truly means.
David Kleiler, founder and
artistic director of the Boston Underground Film
Festival is a nationally known face in the industry.
He currently holds numerous roles on film festival
boards including the Nantucket, Northampton, and Woods
Hole Film Festivals. In addition, his business, Local
Sightings, provides script consulting services,
editing feedback, and festival oriented public
relations assistance for up-and-coming filmmakers.
 |
At B.U.F.F. if your film
wins a prize, you get a scary vibrating bunny!
Photo courtesy of The Boston Underground Film Festival. |
This year, Kleiler’s role in
the Boston Underground Film Festival will simply be
the “Eternal Figurehead.” He is taking a slight
step back and handing managing responsibilities over
to Anna Feder and Kevin Monahan. The trio met in 2002
during the Northampton Independent Film Festival and
have been working together ever since. Ultimately,
Kleiler will still exert control over the festival but
wants new faces involved. When asked about passing the
torch, Kleiler commented, “The festival is still a
product of my vision, there is just a change in
direction this year.”
Feder is working on her
master’s degree in film at Boston University.
Although her concentration is in production, she has
extensive experience as a programmer for last year’s
Northampton Independent Film Festival. “After
Northampton, both Kevin and I knew that we wanted to
continue working in festivals, specifically in the
underground genre. Some festivals claim to be
underground or independent, but fail to deliver.
B.U.F.F stays focused on being underground.”
Monahan, a graduate of the
University of Massachusetts Amherst, wore a variety of
hats at the Northampton festival. He provided general
assistance on ad sales and event planning while
simultaneously working as a projectionist. “After
two years, I was allowed to take a “curatorial”
role, and that involved working closely with David. I
guess it was there that David discovered that my
tastes are more suited to B.U.F.F. than
Northampton.” said Monahan. Monahan has also been
involved with the Newport International Film Festival.
As co-managing directors, both
Feder and Monahan hold significant roles in the
planning and programming of the event. In addition to
recruiting films locally and nationwide, they are
responsible for overseeing interns and handling
festival promotions and advertisements. Feder and
Monahan have already viewed and critiqued 75 to 80
percent of the film submissions thus far.
What is the difference between
underground, independent, and Hollywood productions
you ask? According
to Monahan, “The mainstream film industry has
absolutely bastardized the word independent. Anything
with a budget of less than $10 million is considered independent.
Even if it is truly independent, that says nothing
about a film’s content or theme. The most
formulaic, family-friendly, feel-good movie can still
legitimately be called independent.”
Underground implies content that
deviates from preconceived notions of what film is
expected to be. “Typically, underground films
would never, under any circumstances, find their way
into a chain multiplex.” stated Monahan
Along with the underground
aspect, B.U.F.F. is unique because of the homage it
pays to New England filmmakers. Kleiler noted
"The Boston Underground Film Festival is
committed to highlighting filmmakers from the
region." Nearly half of the program consists of
New England films. Several of these local pieces stand
out. “War is peace and Freedom is Slavery!” is the
bold tag line for NEO-CON: THE AGE OF TREASON. Co-directed
by Adam Starr and Jared Starr and Justin Karoway-Waterhouse,
the bizarre, satirical film deals with the
Neo-Conservative mind and New World Order.
Other local submissions include
NIGHTLIGHTS, an experimental short created by a Boston
University graduate student that comprises thousands
of digital stills of lights along the Charles River
during nightfall and BLACK BALLOON, a silent trilogy
of chilling love stories set to the music of French
composer, Erik Satie.
The most prestigious local piece
being shown at B.U.F.F. is a rough cut excerpt from a
documentary feature about the punk rock band, MISSION
OF BURMA. Although they were only together for a four
year period, they are arguably one of the most
important punk bands of the past two decades. In May
of 2004, the band reunited and launched their first
album in 22 years entitled OnOffOn.
The Boston Underground Film
Festival is also proudly showing several national
underground cult films including the 1975 classic,
THUNDERCRACK! For years this controversial film from
Curt McDowell and George Kuchar has circulated via the
Internet and through bootleg copies with compromised
quality. B.U.F.F. is presenting the original, uncut
version with an extra 32 minutes of film—the only
print available for distribution (the only other copy
in existence was confiscated straight from the
projector by police in Montreal in the 70s and has not
been seen since). Efforts are being made for Melinda
McDowell, the leading actress and sister of the late
director to make a special guest appearance at the
screening.
HAIR HIGh,
the animated feature from MTV animator and 2005 Oscar
nominee Bill Plympton will also be a highlight of the
program. HAIR HIGH, set against the backdrop of a high
school prom dabbles in both the horror and comedy
genres. A teen zombie couple finally makes it to their
prom a year after a fatal car accident left them to
perish at the bottom of a lake.
The Boston Underground Film
Festival is a unique and significant alternative venue
dedicated to the celebration of underground film
culture. Always true to its roots, B.U.F.F. highlights
regional filmmakers, pushes the envelope with
creativity and content, and gives out a damn funny
trophy to the winners. At this point, the titles are
still being confirmed, but this year’s festival
proves to be distinctive from previous years. In the
past, films were screened at various venues throughout
Boston. This year, the Somerville Theater at Davis
Square is the sole venue for the event. The festival
showcases a myriad of some of the best underground
films that should not be missed.
B.U.F.F. even has as category for the Most
Effectively Offensive Film. Try finding that one at
the Oscars.
Marla
Komocki is a public relations graduate student at
Boston University. She spent the past two years
working as a casting assistant for several popular
reality TV shows. Currently she is PR coordinator for
B.U.F.F.
