On Saturday afternoon in the comfy Dreamland Film Center, the Flyover Film Festival continued with the second collection of shorts, titled Made in Milwaukee. Presented by their local film collective, Light Stroke, and in association with the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee’s film school, the hour-long program featured 13 different shorts that ranged from intriguing to banal. It was a rush of sounds and images and more solid evidence that the Flyover Film Festival delivers a real outlet of expression rarely seen in Louisville.
The shorts, compiled largely by U of WM film teachers along with students, spanned from the abstract attempt at a cubist short film to a speechless documentary, watching modified monster trucks run wild through the mud. While I am not a detractor from the world of experimental film, I admit to being extremely judgmental, having found most of what I have seen unmoving, uninspired, and sometimes downright melodramatic. Happily, most shown for the Flyover Film Festival did merit their artistic license, and it was fascinating to watch the 16mm reels roll out vibrantly manipulated color of Amplification or the striking exploration of Primitive. The groaningly paced short concerning a morbid yearbook, and the subjection to autobiographical two toned film destruction, vainly accompanied by the Terminator theme, balanced out the program. The best I found in terms of personal expression were Renato Umali’s two films about the most worn button up shirts of 2010 and the most worn shoes of 2011. They showed a great attention to documentation along with the charm to mock himself.
Whatever the form or verdict, I enjoy seeing works such as these for their sheer ingenuity and imagination. I applaud the Flyover Film Festival again for making it possible.