by Benjamin Leonard, Managing Editor, Zine, Best Boy

Well, I just spent a whole bunch of time over the past two weeks watching movies at this year’s Slamdance Film Festival. This weekend, they are selling passes for $10 ($5 for students) to watch all of their award winners, which they’ve named their Best of the Fest. I think it’s a really good deal and I put together my thoughts on the winners that I saw. (There’s a few I missed out on. For a full list of the winners click the link above.)

Honorable Mention, Breakouts

A Black Rift Begins to Yawn
Director: Matthew Wade

“As two former classmates dig into their deceased professor’s set of cassette tapes, which possibly contain recordings of strange signals from beyond the stars, they begin to feel memories, the chronology of time, and their identities slip into obscurity.”

The narrative side of this is a slow and dreamy investigation of observation and isolation. It’s a cerebral sort of presentation of a Lovecraftian, psychological distress. Fittingly, the audio/visual presentation is lush and hazy. This isn't going to be for everyone or any time, but if you're ready to let something wash over you, I think you might enjoy it.

Honorable Mention, Documentary Short

Ain’t No Time For Women
Director: Sarra El Abed

“Tunis, November 2019. On the eve of the presidential election, a group of women is gathered at Saïda’s hair salon, which is transformed into a town square, mirroring the internal turmoil of the country. In this female sanctuary, we get an intimate look at the country’s teenage democracy.”

This showcases a space for women of multiple generations to come together and discuss their differing viewpoints and backgrounds. I really enjoyed the humor that was used around this rather serious election outcome.

The George Starks Spirit of Slamdance Award

Bleeding Audio
Director: Chelsea Christer

“From inspiring triumphs to heartbreaking setbacks, Bleeding Audio relives the explosive career of the Matches and what it means to succeed in the digital age of music.”

From MJ Staff Writer Ian Hrabe:

How I never listened to the Matches during my peak pop-punk days baffles me. Their music is 1000% right up my alley. Better late than never I guess, and this doc of their rise and inability to break through to a wider audience despite having a rabid fanbase and incredible hooks is a bittersweet and lovely little film.

Read Ian’s full review here.

Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Feature

CODE NAME: Nagasaki
Director: Fredrik S. Hana

"CODE NAME: Nagasaki tells the story of Marius and Fredrik, two young men who forged their friendship through filmmaking and decided to put their skills to a unique challenge: finding Marius’ long lost Japanese mother.”

This is the very basic premise, but what makes this great is their creation of narrative genre clips to represent Marius's hopes, fears and inner turmoil around seeking out the woman that left him twenty five years ago and the possibility that reconnecting isn't as important to her as it is to him. I'll be checking out their narrative shorts after this.

Honorable Mention, Narrative Short

Delimitation
Director: Tereza Vejvodová

“A dancer moving through a city seeking a space in which to exist.”

The brief description says it all, except that it's also quite mesmerizing to watch. I’m not really into dance pieces, but this had me engaged.

Audience Award for Documentary Feature

Holy Frit
Director: Justin Monroe

“Tim, a talented, yet unknown LA artist, bluffs his way into winning the commission to create the world's largest stained-glass window of its kind, even though he has no idea how to make it…but he stumbles across someone who might, the famous glass maestro, Narcissus Quagliata.”

Even though Tim is not not the ideal documentary subject (he seems unable to forget the camera is there, he's cracking jokes, he's petulant) it was still interesting to watch him grow as an artist and person. Narcissus is such a balancing figure. He makes it all work. I don't like mega churches. I don't care about crazy business ventures. On some level I was rooting for them to fail because of their sheer audacity, but I still felt a little inspired by the end of the film.

AGBO Fellowship

Hurrah, We Are Still Alive!
Director: Agnieszka Polska

“An artistic commune of filmmakers awaits the return of the Director, who disappeared without a trace, despite his absence, the Director seems to control all of the troupe's actions.”

This one takes some thinking before I'm gonna come up with a firm feeling but I really like the visual and musical aspects. The story and the way it's slowly revealed is interesting and had me thinking a bit. I need to watch more Rainer Werner Fassbinder before I think I’ll really get this.

Honorable Mention, Animation Short

Lizard Ladder
Director: Ted Wiggin

“Three animals caught between planes of existence, and an egg.”

Honestly, this one wasn’t much my style. However, it is a bit trippy and that's fun.

Grand Jury Prize for Breakouts

No Trace (Nulle Trace)
Director: Simon Lavoie

“In a near future, a callous smuggler hardened by life guides a pious young woman and her child across the border to safety, unaware that their destinies are inescapably linked in this inhospitable land.”

This is one you gotta be ready to immerse yourself in. It's very quiet and deliberate, but the cinematography and sound design are easy to get swept up by. There's minimal story or dialog, but that gives you a chance to really simmer in the characters' situations. Additionally, the performances are great. 

See my full review here.

CreativeFuture Innovation Award

Opera
Director: Erick Oh

“Opera is a massive 8K size animation installation project which portrays our society and history, filled with beauty and absurdity.”

This is most impressive for the number of moving parts going on in the scene. It's just SO busy. But I also like that it's saying the world is one big, destructive shit factory. Sure there's some nice things in there, but it all gets destroyed at the end of the day...just to start over again the next day.

Grand Jury Prize & Audience Award for Narrative Feature and Acting Award for Tender Huang

Taipei Suicide Story
Director: KEFF

“A receptionist at a suicide hotel in Taipei forms a fleeting friendship over the course of one night with a guest who can’t decide if she wants to live or die.”

This is ambiguous enough that it leaves you asking yourself questions about your own life and interactions. Others may feel it's too ambiguous, not giving a specific way to feel at the end. However, with a 45 minute runtime, you haven’t invested too much if it’s not your thing. There are good performances and the look is suitably crummy for the setting/theme of the film.