NOVEMBER 9, 2017 // 9
WANDERINGREEL.ORG
“Light Sight”
WANDERINGREEL.ORG
“Artalde”
WANDERINGREEL.ORG
“What Tears Us Apart”
choose to invoke it. At times, it has
fallen out of favor only to be reclaimed
and redefined throughout history.
This film was nominated for the
Short Film Grand Jury prize at the Sun-
dance Film Festival in 2017.
that are older — like “Artalde,” which
was filmed in 2010.
Harrington said the other main
function of this film festival — as with
many film festivals — is to promote
independent work. The more awards a
short film wins, the more exposure it
gets, and the better the chances are for
the filmmakers to find support and fund-
ing for other projects, such as feature
films.
In love with the form
After working in the film industry,
Harrington landed in Big Sur, Califor-
nia, and became involved in the Big
Sur International Short Film Screening
Series at the Henry Miller Memorial
Library.
He “fell in love with the form,” he
said. He’s made his own short films,
including “The Old Man and the Moun-
tain Lion,” and taught cinema. Now he
wants to bring these exceptional films to
small towns.
“When you make a short film, it
lives a short life,” Harrington said. “I
thought these films deserved more time
in front of a live audience.”
That’s why Harrington and his team
took the festival on the road.
“When the audience is excited and
talking about the movies,” Harrington
sees “a way to strengthen commu-
nities. We’re used to watching films
together, but not necessarily discussing
them.”
COURTESY MICHAEL HARRINGTON
The Sugaring Off
Bernard is an austere man whose
sole occupation is to care for his
beloved Line, who is very ill. Their
son organizes a sugaring off party that
forces Bernard to reconnect with the
exhilaration of spring.
Light Sight
An (animated) imprisoned character
in a room is attracted to a hanging light
and tries to catch it. But the room itself
becomes an obstacle.
This film has earned many nomina-
tions and several wins from various in-
ternational and animation film festivals.
THE FILMS
Mare Nostrum
On the shore of the Mediterranean
Sea, a Syrian father makes a decision
that puts his daughter’s life at risk.
“Mare Nostrum” (“Our Sea”) was
the Roman name for the Mediterranean
Sea. It is a name that has changed with
the times, and with the people who
White Face
“White Face” is the second film by
Mtume Gant, the only American direc-
tor highlighted at the festival. He plays
the main character, Charles, a New York
actor who “hates his Black skin and all
the hardship that comes with it. Feeling
trapped by his race, Charles believes he
has found the solution to his problems:
change his appearance to embody
“whiteness.”
The film has won several awards in
2017, including best short film at the
San Francisco Black Film Festival and
best experimental film at the Harlem
International Film Festival.
Artalde
A shepherd, lost in the city, searches
for his flock.
COURTESY MICHAEL HARRINGTON
“Mare Nostrum”
What Tears Us Apart
In a luxurious Parisian apartment,
after a long separation, an encounter.
CW