Films fly high in Racine tonight
Grab your favorite drink, parka, mitts and even a seat and head to Racine to watch local film this Friday.
A still from Firestarter Films’ Last Chance. Visual effects from Supermassive Studios.
Fly Over Country Film Night, hosted by the Racine Arts Council, is the first in a series that will highlight the work of innovative filmmakers of this region. The schedule includes work by Firestarter Films, Ashley Altadonna and Faythe Levine.
Firestarter Films will present the world premiere of the film, Last Chance, which was filmed this past weekend for the 48 Hour Film Project International Shootout. Firestarter will also present three short films: Dave Hinterberg’s Processor; Ward Three — a Collaborative Cinema Project; and The Christian Fury by the Buckley Brothers. Firestarter founders, Shawn Monaghan and Phil Koch, will be present to talk about these forthcoming films and their outlook for the coming year.
Finally, Handmade Nation, the newly released film by Milwaukeean Faythe Levine will be screened. Her film and accompanying book document the merger of commerce, creativity and community. And both have sparked renewed interest in the do-it-yourself craft movement. Levine, darling of the local film and craft arts scene, is currently on tour screening her film all over the globe.
This film event is billed as BYOEverything, which means that you should feel free to bring your favorite drinks and even a chair. You can expect a laid-back atmosphere to watch some films, enjoy free popcorn, quench your thirst with your favorite malted beverage, and then ask questions of the filmmakers. Located midway between Milwaukee and Chicago, this event is expected to attract regional talent and to facilitate networking.
Part of a new series created and hosted by the RAC, expect subsequent Film Nights to expand and include a mashup of film with live music.
Fly Over Country Film Night is Friday, Dec. 11, at the Racine Art Council Artspace, located in downtown Racine at 316 Sixth St., from 6-9 p.m., The event is BYOEverything with free popcorn. Suggested donation is $4. For more information, click here.
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Nina Simone’s Summer of Soul
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I would like to congratulate all of those involved in organizing the “Fly Over Country Film Night” for a successful program and turnout, and I also want to thank them for making the program worth the drive. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the activities sponsored by Firestarter Films and the work that is being produced. What I found most profound is how their events are the source of community-building amongst aspiring local filmmakers. I found Ashley Altadonna’s work very engaging, and I found the piece “Whatever Suits You” to be an effective film essay, in that she used very effective images to illustrate very personal moments in her life. Her films were a important outlet to magnify issues that people of the transgendered community face individually and collectively. I was finally able to see Faythe Levine’s “Handmade Nation,” and her film offered an endearing insight into the lives of artists who specialize in making crafts. They found it as a way to manifest their creative sensibilities, plus develop entrepreneurial opportunities that combat the over-saturation of merchants and corporations heavily reliant on mass-production.
All three portions of this event shared a theme of community-building through artistic engagement, and I think the interaction throughout the evening between artists and patrons proved to be emulative of that spirit. The overall event set a strong precedent for future programming organized and sponsored by the Racine Arts Council and other partners.