Memorial Hall is lively this weekend, as the Cindependent Film Festival is back post-COVID - and day one was a blast. I arrived mid-morning, checked in, got my VIP badge, and found my way to a Masterclass on the “Business of Film” taught by Greg Newberry. (If you’ve not seen his super well-written and thought-provoking movie, “Who is Amos Otis?” on Amazon Prime, you must. And it’s full of Cincinnati favorites like Derek Snow, Michael G. Bath, Mike Dennis, Carol Brammer, and more.) Newberry did a great job boiling down the process of getting a film from the page into production and in front of an audience, and while he didn’t mince words about how difficult the process is, it doesn’t seem as daunting, thanks to the information he shared.
I met up with my friends - the crew from “Booked,” one of two feature films showing at this weekend’s festival - and had lunch, networked, and enjoyed each other’s company. We then headed downstairs to hear another Masterclass, this time by Asa Featherstone. It was called “How to Human,” and it was all about how to emphasize the humanity of your subject - whether it was a documentary, photo shoot, narrative, or whatever. Featherstone is a likable presenter and very talented - his credits include Time Magazine and the Wall Street Journal, among others. I couldn’t help but notice the parallels between filmmaking and counseling - my day job - and how keeping the human at the center is priority number one for both.
I took a break and got a much-needed nap before returning for the evening’s Shorts, a curated diverse group of films.
I have an excellent and comfortable VIP seat in one of the boxes, so I settled in for these remarkable short films, all very different yet outstanding. Board member and local comedian David Chimusoro opened up the night with a few jokes. Then Allyson West, the executive director of Cindependent, joined us, introduced her children, and exuded warmth, kindness, and support. She checked in with me several times throughout the day, something she did with everyone she encountered. I’m not sure where she gets her energy, but I’m impressed by it.
The short films themselves were the main event of the evening; they indeed held my attention throughout. First was “Night Cafe,” written and directed by Joshua Nowak. Crammed in a concise amount of time was excellent character building, mystery, and intrigue, and the movie has a solid beginning, middle, and end. It was one of my favorites.
“Heroic,” a stop-motion animated short featuring Legos, was entertaining. It was followed by a graphic-intensive film called “Landline.” “Lejiana” followed; it was perhaps the longest of the batch and was in Spanish with English subtitles. The grittiness of neighborhoods like Price Hill was featured while we learned about the struggles of this migrant, immigrant woman to make ends meet and heal from her past.
“Life in Tandem” was a pleasant surprise; set in the world of canoe dancing, this documentary focused on Bob and the recent loss of his wife from a head-on collision that killed her and injured him severely. However, the power of the community of this peculiar canoe-dancing world rallied around him and is helping him heal. It was pretty touching.
My other favorite of this group was Michelle Joy Jardine’s “We Want A,” a clever and well-written piece about four college friends meeting up for a celebration of some kind. When we learn more, things unravel, and emotions surface. Jardine is a recent graduate of the CCM Acting program, and this particular film felt like it could have worked as well as a play. The acting was fantastic, the script was clever, and the message was meaningful without being preachy. I loved it.
Finally, Ingrid Woode presented “Fresh,” a story about a woman who has made a living from her inner-city garden. The star of the documentary was in the audience, making the Q&A extra special following the block of shorts.
This was my first film festival; it won’t be my last. I love the evocative nature of movies, and the passion of these filmmakers is unquestionable. There’s another day to go - you should come down to Memorial Hall in OTR and check it out. Specifically, “Booked,” which plays at 3 p.m., is terrific, but I’m confident the entire day’s lineup will be well worth your time.
Tickets and more information can be found here.