The Disposable Film Festival

December 05, 2008

I know, I know. You're probably wondering why anyone would want to be subjected to an evening of Beverly Hills Chihuahua or The Women. Truth is, "disposable film" is not a euphemism for the latest Hollywood swill, but a catchall term for short films captured, directed, and edited on casual media like digital point-and-shoots, cell phones, web cams, Flip cams, and still cameras. The results are usually shaky, poorly lit, and aurally garbled. Sometimes there's a narrative. Sometime it's more of an emotional response. Or just one of those magical moments captured on the streets. YouTube proves most of its totally throwaway, but it's also a genre with its own artistic potential. Kind of like the Polaroid is to Single-lense Reflex, so disposable film is to HD.

At least that's what the folks behind the second annual Disposable Film Festival seem to be out to prove. Held the other night at Anthology Film Archives, DFF 2008 featured a range of films as short as 1:44 minutes and as long as 10:45 minutes. One of my favorites was Expedition Everest, a 4-minute mockumentary following three generations of men on a ridiculous Disney ride. The Balloon Project showed two simultaneous narratives. One digital camera attached to a bundle of red balloons floated beautifully over Berlin, while a group of ex-pats filmed themselves on bikes trying to follow the balloons. After a brief intermission, the first ever disposable feature film (as far as they knew) was screened. Called Buttons, it's near 50-minute length was nothing more than a series of half-minute or less titled video vignettes, or buttons, "found" on the streets of various cities (mostly New York). Just in Cane followed a person with a walking cane that teasingly never touched ground. Cute, charming, about 5-seconds long, kind of French. But a feature? Mmm....Anyway, you can see the shorts on the DFF site. As well as these two offerings by myself and my buddy Arnulfo, submitted not to any disposable film fest, but for your Nerdabout viewing pleasure: 

SEVEN

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