The Bicycle Movie Competition, a touring competition that strikes by almost 40 cities over a 6+ month interval, is going down at this time and tomorrow (October 2-3) in Salt Lake Metropolis, Utah. As a result of I reside in Park Metropolis, a small mountain city simply 35 miles from Salt Lake Metropolis, I contacted the founding father of the BFF, Brendt Barber, and ask him concerning the origins of this distinctive touring competition.
I perceive that you just had been compelled to begin the Bicycle Movie Competition after being hit by a bus whereas using your bike in New York Metropolis. Why precisely did this occasion encourage you to begin the competition?
In 2000, I used to be hit by a bus on Third avenue. Although, it was clearly not probably the most nice factor to have occurred, from this detrimental expertise got here the thought to create one thing optimistic that will have fun bicycling and lift well-liked consciousness by artistic expression and having enjoyable. So I took my love for biking, movie, and artwork, and mixed it into the Bicycle Movie Competition, an arts and cultural occasion that celebrates the bicycles and the group that surrounds them.
Are you able to clarify why the competition strikes from metropolis to metropolis quite than being in a single single location like most movie festivals?
The BFF is a touring competition that runs from Might by December. It is without doubt one of the largest grassroots festivals in existence that can be volunteer-based. Our headquarters is in New York and we’ve an area producer in every metropolis who runs the occasions and helps tailor the mannequin so it’s related and significant to the group. Every metropolis’s biking group varies from one to the following and that is how we make it related and significant to the cyclists in every metropolis, whereas sustaining the worldwide mission to advertise bicycles around the globe. There are such a lot of wonderful cities on this world with wealthy bicycle cultures, or cities which can be in want of a lift to their biking scene, and I wish to carry the competition to each one among them in the future. For instance this yr, we went to Memphis for the primary time. I can’t inform you how many individuals got here as much as me and thanked me for bringing this to the south and the way a lot they wanted it. It was such an honor to listen to we had been wanted on the market. I hope to listen to the identical in Salt Lake, one other first time metropolis.
How is the competition organized annually?
The mission is identical in every metropolis we go to – to advertise biking by artwork and tradition – however as I discussed the competition at all times tries to include components of the native biking tradition into the competition. The way in which we do that is by a devoted workforce of volunteers on the bottom in every metropolis we go to. I, together with the assistance of my employees, work with an area chief in each metropolis, people who find themselves concerned and making contributions to their native biking group indirectly. For example in Salt Lake Metropolis, Jonathan Morrison is main the competition, Director of the SLC Bicycle Collective.
How are movies submitted and chosen? What number of movies are submitted vs. chosen? What precisely are you on the lookout for within the movies you display?
Annually, the BFF makes a “Name for Entries” and lots of of movies come flooding in from over 20 international locations. They’re chosen by the Bicycle Movie Competition employees, in addition to very long time buddies of the competition – individuals who have been with us because the starting. It’s a small workforce, and it’s numerous enjoyable once we’re choosing the movies. We’re on the lookout for originality. The manufacturing high quality of the movies will get higher annually, and the competitors will get more durable. However we’re at all times on the lookout for one thing fully new, or that has a brand new twist, or is simply enjoyable. We’re additionally on the lookout for selection. We would like all the pieces from the road race footage to the documentary on the Paralympic biking workforce, from animated movies to function films.
For extra data on the Bicycle Movie Competition, plus future dates and areas, please go to www.bicyclefilmfestival.com
Trailer Created by Marco Mucig. Photograph by Andy Miller.
Save