Film Festivals | Massachusetts

The Bunny is Back

1 Feb , 2002  

Written by Kat Thomas | Posted by:

The Boston Underground Film Festival returns for its fourth year, celebrating all that is odd, experimental and offensive in independent filmmaking.

It’s obvious to say that a film festival that has a demonic-looking, vibrating bunny as their award, definitely has issues when it comes to normalcy. Celebrating an alternative vision in Boston, the Boston Underground Film Festival, abbreviated to BUFF for those involved with the festival, has now entered its fourth year. 

This year festival fans, in the darkest month of the year, will "brave the cold Boston winter to bask in the flickering light of a celebration of independent film," held February 21-24, 2002. BUFF will be held at numerous venues throughout the city of Boston: the Brattle Theater in Cambridge, the Cambridge Multi-Cultural Art Center, the Oni Gallery in Chinatown, the Milky Way Lounge in Jamaica Plain, and the MIT Theater in Boston.

A festival that has evolved over the years, BUFF still has its alternative vision, as demonstrated by its infamous vibrating bunny, which is given as a trophy to those who win in such categories as: Most Experimental, Best Animation, Best of Festival, and the always controversial Most Offensive. Last year’s festival featured such films as animator Bill Plympton’s "You Can’t Drag Race With Jesus"; Don Hertzfeldt’s Academy-Award nominated short "Rejected"; and Gasper Noe’s deeply depressing film "I Stand Alone."

The festival, which screens over a hundred films every year, was created by David Kleiler (who now directs the festival). Kleiler has a 30-year history in the film industry as an exhibitor, professor, collaborator, and producer. From 1988 to 1996, Kleiler was the Artistic Director of the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Boston, showcasing the best of independent cinema. He also assists on numerous other New England based film festivals including: the Woods Hole Film Festival, the Nantucket Film Festival, and the Northampton Film Festival.

"The festival has changed a lot during the years," comments Kleiler, "it started as a fun alternative thing to do and has grown to become a true umbrella for an alternative vision of independent filmmaking." Along with its own programming, BUFF will also act as an umbrella for other alternative film programs. Scheduled curated shows include programs by organizers of the Cyberarts Festival, Video Balagan, the Underground Film Revolution, and Undershorts from Chicago. BUFF will also feature premieres of films from the Winnipeg Film Group and Asian Martial Arts films. "Evolution always involves different ways of looking at things," he continues, "BUFF encapsulates that."

Things have also changed for BUFF in terms of the aftershock of the September 11th tragedy. "The festival does have components that do nothing to detract from the horror of September 11th, but at the same time they do severely question a lot that has happened since then. It is a reflection on our own point of view." Kleiler elaborates, "In the wake of the tragedy there have been questions of freedom of expression; this year’s festival is a reaction to the anxiety of freedom of expression."

Along with political evolution, BUFF’s fruition can be viewed in other programming changes; there is a greater music component in this year’s festival than there has been in the past. As Kleiler explains, "I believe there has always been a direct link between underground music and underground film." To illustrate this point, this year will feature the Boston premiere of Penelope Spheeris’ "We Sold Our Souls For Rock and Roll," starring Ozzy Osbourne. Spheeris has previously directed such films as "The Decline of Western Civilization" and "Wayne’s World." "We Sold Our Souls For Rock and Roll" features interviews with Godsmack, Primus, System of Down, and Boston’s Rob Zombie. Also premiering at the festival is Justin Mitchell’s "Songs for Cassavettes." This film explores the world of underground music and how the explosion of the media’s coverage of "alternative" music has affected the making of that music. It features interviews with such underground bands as The Make-Up, the Hi-Fives, Tullycraft, and Sleater-Kinney.

For more information on the Boston Underground Film Festival you can look online at www.bostonundergroundfilmfestival.com.


For more information on the Boston Underground Film Festival you can look online at www.bostonundergroundfilmfestival.com.

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