Bushwick Film Festival, 2014
grab the popcorn
This weekend, the seventh edition of the Bushwick Film Festival premieres. With titles filmed from around the world and as local as Brooklyn itself, the roster is compelling. Located in the area of Bushwick at venues like Cobra Club, Radio Bushwick, and Light Space Studios, independent film will surely be alive this weekend.
For the next three days, I’ve listed three films that are on my must-see list. And, because I love shorts so much, where in their short time span a scene advancing the theme or troupe of the film can usually be found within a coffee shop or around it, I’m excited to list the two short film programs as well. Additionally, there are talks and panels to discover, so I can’t wait to experience these and report back.
Lastly, while walking the graffiti filled streets of Wycoff and Flushing there is other culture to consume, namely visiting a local coffee shop for something nice. The AP Creative coffee shop, is close in the distance, pay them a visit, you’ll love its expansive space, tall windows and I believe you’ll enjoy the coffee. I see a night capp – light on the foam – in my future. I’m also curious what other shops are in the area I might get to like Strangeways for their ‘Trailhouse’ cappuccino
FRIDAY | Los Angeles | 9 p.m.
For the love of my city namesake, I want to see this film for the complexities of what the pursuit of a destination, means and for the inner trials that a young man must go through to get there.
Synopsis: Mateo, 17, and his family prepare for him to leave their small Mexican village for Los Ángeles, like so many before him. In addition to the family savings, he needs the local gang‘s support to ensure a safe passage and ‚help on the other side. At first, Mateo is willing to do anything to join the gang, that is, until the leader demands that he kills a rival gang member. Mateo refuses to carry out the murder and the gang leader seeks bitter revenge.
See the trailer.
SATURDAY | The Hip-Hop Fellow | 8 p.m.
To think that within music, hip-hop included has journeyed far enough to have standards, like jazz. The complexity of its origins and creations intrigue me and finally here’s a documentary to show me more.
Synopsis: The Hip-Hop Fellow is a 78-minute documentary following Grammy Award winning producer 9th Wonder’s tenure at Harvard University as he teaches ‘The Standards of Hip-Hop’ course, conducts research for his thesis and explores hip-hop’s history, culture and role in academia. The film centers on the emerging significance of incorporating hip-hop studies into academic curriculum and spotlights the scholars and musicians at the forefront of preserving 40 years of hip-hop culture.
Watch the trailer.
SUNDAY | Shield & Spear | 3 p.m.
A feature documentary from South Africa, a country that feels like a storied place. Its a place whose history and heritage touches the world and I’m constantly in search of these traces.
Synopsis: An artist paints a caricature of South African president Jacob Zuma that provokes a lawsuit, death threats and a massive street protest. Around this incident, Shield and Spear explores a constellation of stories about identity, art, race, and freedom of expression in South Africa, twenty years into democracy.
See the trailer.
BONUS
- Narrative Short Film Program | Saturday | 2:30
- Short Documentary Program | Sunday | 2:30