Check Out Local Indie Film
written by Jon
I recently checked out the Emerging Filmmakers Project at one of my favorite independent theaters here in Denver, The Bug Theatre. It’s a great little old-school place that has that DIY feel that I crave. A sort of barebones, stripped-down entertainment venue run mostly by volunteers featuring a small concession stand with perfectly, over-salted popcorn. The kind you find at an old dive bar. I love the unpretentious, accessible, and grungy vibe to it. It’s a place that just makes you want to create stuff and be a part of a community.
I’ve been to many comedy shows at the Bug, notably the Grawlix monthly comedy shows hosted by Adam Cayton–Holland, Ben Roy, and Andrew Orvedahl. With that said, I’ve really only checked out the comedy but I’ve always been curious about their film-related shows. The Emerging Filmmakers Project stood out so I decided to catch it on a freezing single-digit night in Denver.
When I first arrived I noticed the crowd was significantly older than I expected. Older as in 70-plus too. I was surprised because I didn’t realize “Emerging Filmmakers” meant they were emerging from the grave! LOL!… Sorry. Of course, this was just because I showed up fairly early, and who else arrives far too early for a show? You guessed it – old folks.
Anyway, I got my can of Modelo and parked myself in the back row with a few others. Slowly, more and more people filtered in bringing the average age down. From the sounds of it, they were still looking for one more filmmaker to feature leading up to showtime. In my head, I cycled through all of the videos I’ve ever made wondering if I should volunteer. Tried to find a Best-In-Show of all of my personal, college, and work videos. But alas, I couldn’t be on the same level as these emerging filmmakers. Right?!
The first short film of the night is entitled Christmas Island. It’s only a few weeks into January, so sure, I can be on board with the holiday theme. Once I saw the title card’s iMovie text reveal effect in Apple Chancery font, I began to think maybe I could submit my own “emerging" work. It can’t be as juvenile as this right?! The short film turns out to be about 6 minutes of Christmas day family footage between 1999-2002-ish. Formative years for me so maybe I could relate! I, like many, indulge in the nostalgic, slice-of-life videos on YouTube of found footage from the 90s. This film turned out to be just that, featuring the filmmaker and his parents on Christmas morning over the years. There wasn’t a whole lot to it but a few scenes of opening presents and family chit-chat. I tried to refrain from being cynical, but I wasn’t sure what to expect from the rest of the evening now.
As the 6 minute home movie ended, I worried what the crowd response would be during the post-film Q&A. I’m not someone who typically asks questions during these things. But I may have to in case this poor guy goes up there to dead silence. Turns out I was thinking too lowly of my fellow audience members. The short film concluded to great applause and several questions on converting the tapes to digital and his family’s Christmas traditions. These were nice people! I was disappointed in my judgment of font choice and “artistic merit”. Who cares!? It was nice to see someone creating something in a very DIY way and I’m sure his family was thrilled to be able to watch their old home videos again.
The second film is also Christmas-related involving the mix-up of packages with a box of weed accidentally delivered to an older couple expecting a homemade fruitcake. Hilarity ensues as the couple who received the fruitcake instead of their prized Christmas kush presents themselves as a pastor and pastor’s wife. Claiming to simply pick up their “hymnals” that were delivered incorrectly to the old couple’s home. A standoff takes place with the older couple not willing to compromise unless they receive their fruitcake in return and a nice little surprise ending after the trade is completed. The directors were two older gentleman artists/filmmakers who said in their Q&A, they just “wanted to make something fucking funny.” And it was! A genuinely funny and well-shot short. You could tell these guys were lifers. Making art because they want to, goddammit.
Next up was a Hitman fan film based on the video games of the same name. I was open to it, but “fan films” aren’t really my thing so I’m skeptical. The film begins with the setup, or “job”, that is presented to the Hitman – looking much like the video game character with the bald head and barcode on the back of his neck. Wouldn’t a very specific look and identifiable tattoo be the worst thing for an “anonymous” criminal to use? I don’t know anything about the lore of these games so maybe I’m missing something. The cinematography is the stand-out here, with maybe the edit going overboard on the color grading. The director color grades for PBS so he more than likely knows what he’s doing and it was intentional. Felt a little like that over-contrasted photography you see a lot of these days.
After the opening scene with Hitman receiving his gig, we never really see him again til the end. What happens in between is an intense interrogation scene that didn’t make much sense to me in the context. It was confusing (and supposed to be funny?) and I also couldn’t get over the fact that this was a fan film for Hitman. Why not just make a film about a hitman? There was no reason to have him be exactly like the video game character – considering the concept of hitmen did not originate with this game. But during the Q&A the director reveals he’s a big fan of the video games and asks if anyone else in the crowd is as well, which leads to an uncomfortable silence. The film was made for this director’s 72-hour film fest that he started, which challenges filmmakers to make a short film in 72 hours. And he spent the majority of the Q&A promoting this festival. This Hitman film was made in 72 hours for the festival, which is impressive. However, I’d rather someone take 72 days or 72 weeks to make something that doesn’t feel rushed. Maybe I’m just being a grump.
The final film is where we get serious. It’s called Heavy Hangs the Sky directed by Zach Eastman. Immediately from the opening scene you know this is someone who’s trying to make art, not just “movies”, if you know what I mean. It was a warm and moving short, with a talented cast that brought a simple story to feel much bigger. In the Q&A the filmmaker spoke of the artistic choices, challenges, and themes of the film. Including a decision made by the lead actress and DP that took an already would-be pivotal scene into something unique and powerful. The plan is to start submitting to festivals for 2024, and I hope it does well! It was a refreshing end to the show to see someone out there doing it. Making meaningful art with others and sharing it with an open-minded community of indie film-heads.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Think I’ll try to recap some more film, and art in general, from my local scene here in Denver on our blog from time to time. It motivates me to get more involved in my creative community and it is just a good way to support others on their creative journeys.
Peace & love,
Jon
