BIFF Wins Rave Review From “Filmmaker”
While “Sweet 16″ was the theme of this year’s Bermuda International Film Festival [BIFF}, the “vibe seemed more smooth continuation than a coming of age” says “Filmmaker” magazine’s Lauren Wissot in a rave review of the recently completed event.
In a review posted online on at the quarterly film magazine’s website on Thursday [Apr. 25], Ms Wissot said BIFF once again showcased some of the best and most adventurous independent productions of the past year for Bermuda audiences.
“Like its March 2012 edition, this April BIFF screened an international selection of prestige flicks …,” she said. “In addition to opening night’s ‘Ginger & Rosa’, Bermudians could catch everything from ‘The Act of Killing’ and ‘West of Memphis’, to ‘Rust and Bone’ and ‘Amour’. Not to mention ‘Laurence Anyways’, ‘Beyond the Hills’, ‘Chicken with Plums’, ‘The Angels’ Share’ – and, luckily, [director Thomas] Vinterberg’s ‘The Hunt’, my top pick at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January, where many of these titles also had played.
“Once again the main venue was the cozy Liberty Theatre, though the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute too served up screen time. Mostly I alternated between the feature-length films in the evening and the afternoon shorts programmes.
“Yet I also found myself popping into the festival lounge at Margarita’s for nearly all of the free and enlightening ‘Chats with …’ ’lunchtime discussions. This funky little bar and eatery not far from the scenic harbor proved the perfect place to reconnect with old friends like NYC publicist Susan Norget [who, full disclosure, served on this year’s jury at my recommendation], and make new ones like Cannes-winning director Julia Loktev [who, in turn, served on this year’s jury at Susan’s suggestion].
“Interviewed by National Public Radio’s Peter Rainer, a longtime BIFF-icionado, Susan offered a quite fascinating glimpse into the fast-changing world of indie film publicity. Unlike the Hollywood press-relations machine, whose job it is to keep all but a select friendly few critics away from its films, Susan spoke of her role more as a facilitator, making it as easy as possible for all interested journalists to view the flicks she represents. [And the fact that she only reps films she truly feels passionate about gives her humble operation a built-in integrity missing in the corporate PR firms, at least to my mind].”
For the full review, visit the “Filmmaker” website here.
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