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WELCOME TO THE MUSIC AND MISFITS FEST !!!

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WELCOME TO THE MUSIC AND MISFITS FEST !!!

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A festival you can vibe to

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The first film I will be screening is Hi-Glow Retro directed by Alex Morsanutto. This film is about a socially awkward teen who is trying to get the attention of his crush, who is the most popular girl in school. He does this by finding his rhythm and learning to dance so he can impress her with his sweet sweet skills. I chose this film because It's a really funny coming of age story set to the soundtrack of the 70’s. This film is about getting out of your comfort zone and that in essence what this film festive is trying to call attention to. I found myself thoroughly entertained throughout the entire film and I honestly love the main character, there were so many times in this movie were I felt for the him and was definitely rooting for him . I think films like this are great because everyone can relate to the main character and I think everyone can relate to being awkward and doing something wild to get your crushes attention weather it worked or not.

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Tommy, a shy high school senior, fights his social anxiety in deciding to learn disco dancing to impress the girl he likes at the upcoming dance. Inspired by his own misfortune, Alex Morsanutto wrote and directed Hi-Glow Retro a " Saturday Night Fever meets The Graduate in a world of Superbad" film. Set in modern times, Hi-Glow still manages to play the nostalgia card in a humorous and entertaining way, and does it with a swinging rhythm.

The film opens with Tommy being notified about the upcoming dance and its disco theme by the girl he has a crush on. Tommy is a classic of his archetype-a sweet, somewhat goofy underdog who likes the popular girl and has an after-school job at the local diner. Seeing it as the one opportunity to be seen under a different light by his peers, he convinces Beth, his cigarette-smoking bad girl of a coworker, to teach him how to dance, and the retro throwbacks begin in earnest, with the music, neon lights, and all that polyester.

The film is formulaic, as you might guess from references Morsanutto supplies, but it's a proven, winning formula. The film is divided in halves. In the first act, Tommy is on a time crunch, he needs Beth to teach him how to master the art of disco dancing in a few days. It's an enjoyable sequence that naturally is highlighted by a MONTAGE! The second act is on D(ance) Day. Armed with his new dope skillz his triumphant moment is waylaid by his shyness. Tommy ends up sitting down instead of showing off his new moves. He only has so many songs before the night is over though, can he break through his phobia?

Hi-Glow Retro is ultimately a light-hearted, happy-go-lucky film that doesn't take itself too seriously and spreads good vibes. It's got just enough crassness to be realistic, and appeal on a teenage sex comedy level, and the snappy shots and quick editing rhythm are slick comedic tools in their own right. Morsanutto confesses that he and his cinematographer, Sam Cutler-Kreutz, were on a serious Edgar Wright kick which is apparent in Hi-Glow Retro, making the film a fast-moving, enjoyable experience.

Shot with a very low budget and achieved largely through the cashing in of favors, Hi-Glow Retro has spent the year on the festival circuit picking up hi-profile awards like the Audience pick at the National Film Festival for Talented Youth (NFFTY). Inspired by Damien Chazelle's path from short to feature with Whiplash, the 26 year-old Morsanutto is currently working on the feature adaptation, hoping that the short film will be his proof of concept.

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Hi-Glow Retro by Alex Morsanutto | Short Film

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Tommy, a shy high school senior, fights his social anxiety in deciding to learn disco dancing to impress the girl he likes at the upcoming dance. Inspired by his own misfortune, Alex Morsanutto wrote and directed Hi-Glow Retro a " Saturday Night Fever meets The Graduate in a world of Superbad" film.

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If you are a fan of Edgar Wright you will probably love this next one. The Privates directed by Dylan Allen follows four band mates on their journey to a big gig but they have this one big problem, their equipment keeps blowing up. Not only do they have to figure out what’s wrong, but they have to try to not kill every one in the process. I picked this film not only for its great music but for the characters that got brought to life, they kind of reminded me of if Mystery Inc and Scott’s band in Scott Pilgrim Vs The World had a baby. with out the talking dog and a lot more fire. Not only did they each have their own quirks that made them stand out. They aren’t your typical “cool” kids but they are unapologetically themselves and we love to see it. This film is about a group of friends brought together by their love of music but with a little si-fi twist.

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With a bad-ass vintage aesthetic and a too-cool-for-school tonal sensibility, director Dylan Allen's The Privates is the garage rock radioactive superpower cinematic amalgamation you never knew you needed, but always wanted. With a precise tone and some of the best production design we've seen in recent memory, a scrappy roster of would-be-rockers attempt to deal with the fact that they cause things to spontaneously combust every time they jam. Yeah, it's weird, but somehow makes sense.

If you were to pitch The Privates to a studio exec, you might say something like it's " Scott Pilgrim meets Ghostbusters." It's obvious that Allen is creating a proof of concept for a feature here (or, at the very least developing a world that is meant to be expanded). And, you know, what? We're cool with that. The Privates is a blast (both literally and figuratively) that radiates with energy and oozes style. Do we wish the film did more than tease a larger world? Sure. But, it's a delightful tease, tapping into our nostalgia obsessed culture while also sculpting something that is predicated on a unique high concept. A musically driven sci-fi adventure? It's something that can appeal to both children of the 80s and a younger generation that knows the 80s only through a pop culture lens. Beyond the polish and tone, the film is driven by a terrific sense of witty banter and pace that would make Diablo Cody blush.

In chatting with S/W, Dylan Allen discusses his motivation behind the film:

"Though The Privates is obviously very removed from reality, the sci-fi angle was an interesting avenue to tackle some of the everyday obstacles and bigger creative questions that all artists, including filmmakers, deal with when trying to make their work when no one else cares."

The Privates is inspired by, and features the music of, the Nashville, TN band of the same name. The film was shot over 3 days in Brooklyn, and was brought to life thanks to a successful Kickstarter Campaign. It played this year's Palm Springs and was recently selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick premiere.

Allen isn't a newcomer to the short film world. He impressed us a few years ago with his terrific genre satire, . So, it's exciting to see him tackle a new project with such big aspirations. Like the scrappy heroes in his short, we're hoping that the "pitch to feature" formula leads to some big time success. Heck, maybe he'll even get signed...

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The Privates by Dylan Allen | Adventure Short Film

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With a bad-ass vintage aesthetic and a too-cool-for-school tonal sensibility, director Dylan Allen's The Privates is the garage rock radioactive superpower cinematic amalgamation you never knew you needed, but always wanted. With a precise tone and some of the best production design we've seen in recent memory, a scrappy roster of would-be-rockers attempt to deal with the fact that they cause things to spontaneously combust every time they jam.

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Our next film Daytimer directed by Riz Ahmed takes place in 1999 in London and follows Naseem, a 13-year-old Pakistani boy who whilst hanging out with the wrong crowd goes to his first day time rave. Naseem is not going down the right path and that’s not necessarily his fault. As we follow him on this journey, we learn about the obstacles he faces that have led him down this path. Obstacles like racial discrimination, poverty, and family problems. I choice this film for several reasons. One I really loved the juxtaposition of the music, from hip hop, to techno, to traditional Urbu music the songs chosen help highlight the two worlds Naseem must move through. Naseem is a misfit but not by choice, he is desperately trying to find is place but is lost in the process.

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I've always had a massive soft spot for coming-of-age stories and from Actor/Director Riz Ahmed contains a lot of the qualities I look for in these narrative journey's into adulthood. Unpolished, genuine and relatable ( Daytimer is set in the UK in the late 90's - the same time and place I was also trying to "find myself"), Ahmed's 16-minute short takes its viewers on a voyage of self-discovery as its young protagonist Naseem realises there might be more important things in life than having fun.

Though the general themes of responsibility and relationships are ones we can all easily relate to, one of the things I personally really enjoyed about Daytimer was the authentic glimpse it gave into a section of UK society not regularly portrayed in film - something the director discusses in an interview on Dazed. "It's about growing up with a complex identity and realising that, in a way, you will never fit in - none of us will" says Ahmed. "In the end, you have to walk alone. It's also a chance to portray a subculture that has rarely been shown in British film, the British Asian underground, which was a massive cultural movement in the 90s with its own subculture from music to fashion and gang culture".

Not everyone will share the evocative fondness I have for the era (and music) of Ahmed's short, but hopefully we can all agree that this feels like the work of a strong directorial voice. From his distinct photography choices, to the authentic performances he elicits from his young cast, Daytimer is a film that alludes confidence and lets hope Ahmed's upcoming appearances in the Bourne and Star Wars movies don't stop him from jumping back into the directors seat sometime soon.

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I've always had a massive soft spot for coming-of-age stories and from Actor/Director Riz Ahmed contains a lot of the qualities I look for in these narrative journey's into adulthood.

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This next film The Nobodies directed by Greg Bratman and Dusty Brown follow the story of two men who are both equally unhappy with their lives. Dusty is an aspiring musician who can't manage to play even at an open mic night. He feels belittled by his successful comedian girlfriend who uses her platform to poke fun at him. Greg on the other hand, has just been Recently let go from his job. Through some odd twist of fate these two men find each other and through music build a friendship. I felt like it was a no brainer when I added this film to the festival because it showed how music can not only bring people together but can be therapeutic. Through music these men gain a new confidence and are less afraid to be themselves. I was very surprised to see some familiar faces that I'm hoping some of you will recognize as well.

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In an article on the cult comedy series Party Down, Indiewire's Liz Shannon Miller wrote, "what's sadder, giving up on a dream or refusing to do so, even when the odds are incredibly against you?" In the show a group of wannabe actors, comedians and writers are stuck in a day job of event catering and have to face the realities of the hardships of making it in their chosen artistic fields. Short film "The Nobodies", by Dusty Brown and Greg Bratman, deals with a similar subject, with the two main characters trying to make it as budding musicians while being unemployed or recently laid off from a job as a mailman respectively. The question of what it takes to find the courage to follow your dream is the ongoing theme of a narrative the directors describe as 'the story of two "nobodies" who struggle to figure out what it means to be "somebody"'.

The writing/performing/directing duo met and started out at the legendary improv theater Upright Citizen Brigade and formed a long-running show at UCB, called THE BARREL BROTHERS. With a concept described by its creators as being "about two brothers from Kansas who perform vaudeville and have dreams about making it big in New York City, [but] the only problem is that they're terrible performers, and they end up bombing in front of the audience", the short plays like an advanced film version of that storyline. Although the story is not autobiographical, the filmmakers took some inspiration from their own lives. As Greg Bratman told me via e-Mail, "The origins of this short film definitely trace back to those feelings and experiences that came from "not fitting in" in a variety of ways, as we grew up together in the Bay Area of California - and the particular type of friendship that we formed because of these shared experiences."

Despite the existential crisis that lies beneath the plot of The Nobodies, the filmmakers tell their story with a light tone and draw their characters - which they play themselves - as a duo of likeable losers. They surround the two main characters with guest and supporting appearances from recognizable faces from film and TV, such as Jim Gaffigan ( Away We Go), Jack McBrayer (30 Rock), Tony Hale ( Arrested Development, Veep) and Ellie Kemper ( Bridesmaids, The Office), who the two directors met through their time with UCB, and which makes for a bonus viewing pleasure for comedy fans. Although the short was micro-budget (crowdfunded via Kickstarter), at least compared to the projects the filmmakers' well-known friends normally work on, and the performers were only available for brief periods of time, the directorial duo were grateful for their fellow performers making this film possible - "they still delivered under these circumstances in incredible ways [and the] friendship with all of them played a big part in that experience."

While trying to break through as an artist is a difficult task in itself, it is also important to note how much self-worth is gained from having a job at all and that the state of unemployment can be a burden on the confidence we have in ourselves. Being a wannabe musician, or any kind of artist for that matter, has it's obstacles and it is not always easy to earn the respect of the people around you while working on an abstract dream that for others might seem like you're doing nothing. One has to find the courage in themselves to show the world the merits of a profession that doesn't prioritize the need to earn money. So while the finale with the performance of the duo's song "Love Will Win The Day" feels melancholic and admittedly a bit cheesy, it is also hopeful and worth the wait for the first act in the rest of their lives.

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The Nobodies by Greg Bratman & Dusty Brown | Short Film

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In an article on the cult comedy series Party Down, Indiewire's Liz Shannon Miller wrote, "what's sadder, giving up on a dream or refusing to do so, even when the odds are incredibly against you?"

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I Ship It directed by Yulin Kuang is another film I knew needed to be in the festival. The best way to describe this film is a breakup movie mixed with a battle of the bands with a little Harry Potter sprinkled on top. Although this is a strange combination the film does a great job of not having you question it. The film follows Best friend Zoe and Charlie as they both try to get over breakups. Zoe tries to get over her ex-boyfriend/ bandmate by musically bashing him while Charlie gives away his ex girlfriend stuff on Craigslist. When Zoe sees a Harry Potter themed battle of the bands flyer with her ex is name on it, she quickly employs Charlie to help her write a song to win the contest. I chose this movie not only for its random combination of music in Harry Potter but it's exploration of feelings through song. Through writing music together their feelings about their past relationships begin to heal and they can explore new feeling that get brought one by the music they create.

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Writer, director, producer, and Jill-of-all-trades Yulin Kuang seems to get it. A content creator for the new media landscape (I hate myself for typing those words), she's a very talented young filmmaker hell-bent on making and producing content to be consumed online. That in and of itself doesn't seem like too unique of a feat (who isn't making content for an online audience nowadays?), but it's not just that Kuang is making stuff for the internet, it's how comprehensive and targeted her strategy is-from a smart social media presence to her YouTube Comedy channel to stories meant to appeal to all ages (check out another short, Irene Lee, Girl Detective), Kuang isn't just creating films that she then happens to post online. She's creating a brand. And with I Ship It, her newest film, she has crafted the ultimate meet-cute, nerd/hipster romantic comedy.

Now, if that previous sentence turned you off, there isn't much that I can say that will flip you back around. This is a film very much targeted at a specific audience (think skinny jeans and a fluency in pop culture). It's cute. Really, really cute. But, it's also built on a solid foundation of strong storytelling, bolstered by impressive visuals (shot on the Blackmagic cinema camera), an acerbic wit, and great lead performances from guys and girls you may or may not recognize.

A rom-com for "today's generation" (yes, also I hate myself for typing that), I Ship It at times feels like it was the product of some sort of SEO keyword generator-Harry Potter Wizard Rock, breakups, catchy pop music, personal vlogs-the list goes on. But, surprisingly, the film is still very charming and sweet. Despite all the cutesiness, it's hard not relate to our lead characters, Zoe and Charlie, as they mend the damage of their respective broken hearts. It's twee without being annoying, which, beyond being a slight oxymoron, is the internet equivalent of performing actual magic. Kuang deftly keeps this ship afloat, molding something that feels like Scott Pilgrim (if Scott Pilgrim also happened to be a huge Harry Potter fan).

I Ship It is one of fourteen films by YouTube filmmakers funded as part of the New Form Digital Incubator series, designed to help foster the careers of new talent in the digital generation. And while that all sounds very "press release" friendly, there's some serious weight being put behind these films: both Ron Howard and Brian Grazer are the founders of New Form Digital. The idea is to sort of "test drive" all the filmmakers as creative collaborators in the hopes that they can work on bigger projects together in the future.

Kuang was selected for the program because her work was spotted by New Form on YouTube (again, remember what I said about branding and audience building). Kuang's webseries, Kissing in the Rain, was one the things that caught the higher-ups' attention, but her body of work speaks for itself (including another SotW pick, The Perils of Growing Up Flat-Chested). From there, New Form provided some seed money and a quick turnaround schedule to complete the short. Kuang answered the call swimmingly without sacrificing her unique voice in the process. Like I said, this isn't the type of short that will change minds. But, it will make Kuang's core audience very happy.

As the characters in this film would say, be sure to like, subscribe, and share.

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Writer, director, producer, and Jill-of-all-trades Yulin Kuang seems to get it. A content creator for the new media landscape (I hate myself for typing those words), she's a very talented young filmmaker hell-bent on making and producing content to be consumed online.

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Even though this is the shortest film of the festival it's definitely one of my favorites because of its use of music to tell the story since there is very little dialogue. Mixtape directed by Luke Snellin, is an incredibly short love story about a crush this young boy has on his neighbor and how he expresses it through a mix tape he's made her. I feel like all really good movies have a dance montage break and this film is like one giant one. it's so cute heartfelt innocent and pure that you can't help but smile.

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Louisa and Anna's first fight directed by Lena Tsodykovskaya is the story about how a quest for being cool can backfire really quickly. As the title implies Louisa and enter on their way to their first fight, A rumble with their rival school. This is one of the films that doesn't have as much music as the others, but the music does help set the tone for the story and is very present throughout segments of the film.

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Deep down, we're all longing for a time when life was less serious-when days were defined by their lack of definition. Hanging with friends. Doing dumb sh-it. You know...being less of an "adult."

Irreverent, kinetic, and playful, director Lena Tsodykovskaya's perfectly captures that teenage desire to act stupid. Luisa and Anna's First Fight is relatable, playful, and often hilarious, depicting two BFFs spending a day chasing the adrenaline rush of a fight that may or may not be happening. It's a perfect seven-minute encapsulation of both friendship and teenage culture, with its microcosm of ever-shifting rumors, gossip, and reputation. Although it ostensibly takes place today, Tsodykovskaya is going for something that is undeniably nostalgic, from its wardrobe choices to its kicking soundtrack. Moreover, phones are noticeably absent for the majority of the run-time. As our two heroes stalk the sun-streaked cityscape looking for the perfect scuffle, it seems as if Tsoykovskaya has perfectly distilled your memory of what it was like to be young, dumb, and free.

In viewing, I was reminded of two other shorts we've featured on the site that capture a similar vibe: Cosmic Bowling and Mixtape Marauders. These pieces seem to intrinsically capture this timeless of feeling of teenage friendship. Here, we instantly "get" the relationship between Anna and Luisa (it helps that both these actors are endlessly watchable and have great chemistry). And, so, it's just a joy to watch them montage their way from place to place. It plays out like a great music video-stylish and breezy, but with just enough depth (the desire to be "cool," this idea that everyone is, deep down, faking it) that it's not a throwaway trifle. It's a tough balance that Tsodykovskaya, who perfectly nails the aesthetic and pace, gets just right.

As she relates to Short of the Week:

"Not too long ago, my fellow directors and I were discussing the idea of youth and what it represents to each of us. I was quick to realize that my youth had a face of pure stupidity and sincere sisterhood. I never really decided to film this episode of my life, it happened on its own... Like when you are in a bar with friends, an absurd memory pops in your head and you share it with people around you. This film is very much like that; a ridiculous episode that I wanted to share for the audience to have a little fun."

Tsodykovskaya has an impressive portfolio of high profile commercial directorial work. She's currently developing her first feature, called Bitsy, which is a psychological thriller that provides a twisted take on a love story where romance is scary and betrayal is a relief. Sounds interesting!

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Luisa and Anna's First Fight by Lena Tsodykovskaya | Comedy Short Film

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Deep down, we're all longing for a time when life was less serious-when days were defined by their lack of definition. Hanging with friends. Doing dumb sh-it. You know...being less of an "adult." Irreverent, kinetic, and playful, director Lena Tsodykovskaya's perfectly captures that teenage desire to act stupid.

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Our last film Mixtape Marauders Directed by Peter Elude follows Patrick and Cheech, two pot heads with a love for smoking but perhaps an even greater love for music. The film centers around Patrick and How he made his crush a mix tape but won't let anyone hear it. Even though the story is about a crash its deeper meaning is about true, honest vulnerable friendship that at times can be expressed only through music. I picked this film for several reasons. One was its heavy use of music, music is scattered throughout this film and could essentially be seen as the third protagonist. Another reason I picked it is because I thought it was a really interesting way to explore the dynamics of male friendships. Their love for music runs deep, they talk about music as an art form and even take time meticulously planning out play lists for the perfect music listening experience. They talk about music the way me and my friends talk about music. We’ve bond over music, we’ve share life experience through, and even healed old trauma through music and I feel like This movie does a good job of bringing that relationship with music to the forefront.

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If there is any sense of fairness in the world (spoiler alert: there isn't) Mixtape Marauders would be assured unending cult status. The film would play on loop in college dorms, its dialogue referentially peppering numerous late-night "bullshit" conversations, and its nerdy, socially maladjusted characters would be adored by worldwide fans cosplaying as the stoner teens from middle-of-nowhere Washington state.

I don't expect it to happen, but hey-I wouldn't be surprised. S/W alum Peter Edlund has crafted the kind of low-key, very relatable, and extremely funny film that people become passionate about. Throw in a very prominent, and totally killer soundtrack, and this slice-of-life ode to misspent youth feels like a proclamation to kids from sleepy towns everywhere-"our film could be your life".

The film follows a pair of weed-dealing best friends, Patrick (Peter McNally) and Cheech (Ian Edlund), as they work crappy jobs, get baked in abandoned churches, and endlessly obsess over "mixtapes" with near-religious fervor. Burning these music playlists to CD's (which is nearly as anachronistic as the term "mixtape"), the duo believe strongly in their act of connoisseurship as a creative practice, and obsess over the philosophies and minutiae that inform the myriad decisions that go into making "the perfect mixtape". Largely plotless, if there is an overriding narrative concern it is Patrick's crush on Maggie. After laboring for 3 months on a personalized mixtape for his oblivious love-one that will explain the depth of his ardor and cause her to realize she is head-over-heels for him, Patrick teasingly refuses to let Cheech listen to it.

Mixtape Marauders is a weird, and deeply enjoyable mix of the contemporary and nostalgic. Obviously the "mixtape" concept is outmoded, but Patrick and Cheech's musical eclecticism is a defining aspect of the current internet generation that has the entirety of recorded culture at their fingertips. Obsessing over nerdy pursuits of course is timeless, but the sparkling dialogue co-written by the director and his brother (who plays Cheech), and its hangout tone remind one of early Linklater. And while the music itself is full of current artists, with a wide mix of hip-hop and R&B, the film's emotional climax is a heroic fuzzy guitar-driven track that would have been right at home at the height of the 80's college-rock era.

If there is any nostalgic element that doesn't age well, it's the uncomplicated presentation of Patrick and Cheech's exclusionary geekdom. As a culture we just had this conversation with Ready Player One and the problematic nature of lionizing the (largely White, male) nerd. Key moments of the film see Patrick and Cheech summarily dismiss multiple women's inherent worth due to subjectively "bad" musical taste. I don't necessarily subscribe to this line of thinking- depiction is not endorsement-and Peter Edlund, to his credit, seems to understand this line of thinking. In describing the film to us he relates, that "Patrick and Cheech can only understand the world through the context of music. That's how they communicate with each other and why they struggle to communicate with everyone else. They've formed a deep bond through dumb mixtapes, which is probably what this film is most about, the little things we all debate, obsess over, and apply fictitious meaning to; the things that are incredibly stupid and incredibly important all at once." If we keep seeing depictions of men idealizing women only to find reasons to devalue them, if we keep seeing depictions of pop culture fandom used as cultural gatekeeping, it is, perhaps, because in touches on something genuine in the culture, an alienated class of people whom we have only recently realized are so prevalent (and so powerful), and that living is painful and scary to them.

And I do think that the inherent patheticness of Patrick and Cheech comes through in the film, despite their witty, and self-assured opines on music and life featuring so prominently. A certain type of viewer will latch on to the pair as uncomplicated role-models, and as the protagonists of the film it's impossible to not feel affection toward our pair of geeks. Yet Edlund, in seeking to capture something of his own experience in depicting small-town boredom does not go to lengths to romanticize his heroes, as even the music video style interludes of the film are careful to not divorce his characters from the dreary context of their lives.

Still, the film is simply a lot of fun. Full of personality, killer lines, and music-driven emotional moments, the overriding feeling imparted is that of a goofy smile. It is rare to find a short film with such voice, and after a tremendous festival run that recently culminated at Clermont-Ferrand, the film is destined to connect with an admiring audience on the internet. The Seattle-based Edlund was featured previously on this site for The New West, a modern teenage Western that Ivan Kander described as owing a lot of Rian Johnson's seminal Brick, andin returning to his hometown and depicting a film that is a bit more personal, and highly divergent in tone, Edlund has cemented himself as a filmmaker of diverse capability and skill. Working with producer Megan Leonard who also edited the film and moonlights as a programmer for The Seattle International Film Festival and Cucalorus, the film team are currently developing Mixtape Marauders as a feature film.

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Mixtape Marauders by Peter Edlund | Comedy Short Film

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If there is any sense of fairness in the world (spoiler alert: there isn't) Mixtape Marauders would be assured unending cult status. The film would play on loop in college dorms, its dialogue referentially peppering numerous late-night "bullshit" conversations, and its nerdy, socially maladjusted characters would be adored by worldwide fans cosplaying as the stoner teens from middle-of-nowhere Washington state.

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This movie really resonated with me and moved me through its use of music and cinematography.  The dialogue of this film was so good I really felt like the characters had known each other for their whole life. This movie represents the soul of music and misfits because of how unapologetic these characters are about their love of music.  And that is why I have chosen Mix Tape Marauders as the winner of the first annual Eminem Award. I would Recommend this film to anyone who's willing to hear me talk about it. Even though it's a familiar story the integration of music as a device to move the story forward gives it a distinct feel. The dialogue makes the characters look and feel like they could have been your friends in high school.  The use of dance breaks in the beginning and middle of the film really transform it and make it stand out above the rest adding an almost whimsical feel to what is otherwise a very mundane day of low-level drug dealing. I wholeheartedly believe this film deserves way more recognition and praise.

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Q&A for Peter Edlude for MIXTAPE MAURADERS 

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Q&A for Peter Edlude for MIXTAPE MAURADERS 

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1.) What was the inspiration behind the dance montage sequence? And why do you think it was so important to the film.

2.) What is your relationship with music? Are you a hardcore music enthusiast like Peter and Cheech or just a passive listener?

3.) How did you go about choosing the songs that went into the film?

4.) Was there a specific male friendship in your life that you drew on to model the characters of Peter and Cheech?

5.) Why didn't you let Peter get the girl?

6.) What was the inspiration behind the cinematography for the film? Where the scenes that were heavily influenced by music choreographed or improved?

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Thank you for sticking through to the end of the festival. I really hope you enjoyed all of these movies as much as I did. I hope you were able to resonate with some of the characters and that you found yourself represented in their stories in some way. The ultimate goal of the Film Festival was to Explore music as the ultimate form of self expression and therapy.

The majority of the films in the program where comedic however, some took on a more serious tone. I made sure to put the more comedic lighthearted films of the beginning to really draw in the audience and let them have fun before they go on a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride.  I placed Daytimer, The Nobodies, and I Ship It in the middle of the program because I feel like those three would take more of an emotional toll on the audience. I led with Daytimer because I wanted to play with the audience’s expectation of what the Film Festival would be.  I made sure to bring the audience back to the film's more comedic roots at the end,  Mixtape provided me with the perfect segue to get people back into a More comfortable experience.

Even though I labeled the characters as misfits it's obvious to everyone that these are just normal people We'd meet in our day-to-day lives. I think today so many people feel outcasted especially with the rise of things like social media putting pressure on trends and appearances. Many of these characters are just socially awkward people who are dealing with regular life situations. I feel like at one point in time or another everyone has felt like a misfit so it's a label that can be put on anyone. There really is no such thing as normal we are all just people trying to figure out our place in the world.