Month: September 2021

Festivals Reviews

SIFF DocFest 2021: a-ha: The Movie

by Chris Burlingame

At the beginning of a-ha: The Movie, the three primary and constant members of the legendary Norwegian, synth-pop band tell their likelihood of recording another album. Pål Waaktaar-Savoy says he already has the next a-ha album written; Magne Furuholmen says he’s open to going back in the studio; and Morten Harket says that he sees no point in a-ha putting out another album. It’s a telling story that shows the disparate points of view for this band that’s told through this film. And, for the record, a-ha does have a new album scheduled for release in 2022.

Festivals Interviews

Orcas Island Film Festival’s dynamic leadership trio on bringing a treasured celebration of cinema back amid a pandemic

by Josh

In the midst of putting the finishing touches on their event, the festival’s leadership trio — Donna Laslo, Jared Lovejoy, and Carl Spence — were kind enough to make some time in their busy schedules to chat with me over e-mail to share some insights about the the practicalities of re-launching the in-person festival in the midst of a pandemic, highlights from a stacked schedule of film, and some recommendations for a visit to Orcas Island.

Festivals Reviews

Local Sightings 2021: Shorts, shorts, shorts Pt. 2

by Morgen Schuler

Even though Local Sightings came to a close yesterday, I had to fit in one more set of shorts. There were just so very many to choose from I know I missed out on more than a few that deserved attention but following are the ones that really stood out in the bunch I was able to get to. If you’re able to seek them out, I highly recommend finding them and enjoying them as much as I did.

Reviews

Local Sightings 2021: Shorts, shorts, shorts Pt. 1

by Morgen Schuler

There’s an enormous number of short films included in this year’s Local Sightings Festival, lucky me! I’ve probably said this many times before, but I seriously love shorts. I’d argue it takes quite a bit more planning, creative storytelling and ingenuity to make a quality short than a feature-length; especially one that stays with the viewer long after the 5, 10, or 20 minutes it shows on the screen. Below are a few of my favorites so far; I haven’t taken a precise approach to my viewing (like grouping them by type or genre) so it’ll seem a little more slap dash, but it also means I won’t limit my favorites to one per grouping… just the best of the best to share with you.