The first annual Motorcycle Film Festival is coming to New York on Sept. 26-28th, and my first response when I was invited to participate was 'Finally!' We're in the midst of the biggest creative boom centered on motorcycles since the 1970s, where every motorcycle customizer seems to have an in-house filmmaker, and every hip moto-event from Biarritz to Melbourne is half paparazzi, and camera cars block the faster riders. We may grumble (or pose) on the day, but we love re-living the antics of our fellow bikers on Youtube, and marvel at the work of supertalented videographers, who often unwittingly work side by side. The massive rise of youthful moto-mania has excited big motorcycle factories to collaborate with rising garage artists, and inspired professional filmmakers that now is the time to produce that long-dreamed two-wheel feature film.
Gonzo filmmaking, 80s style; 'Mad Max' under construction...
Nobody grasped the lack of a proper Motorcycle Film Festival until Corinna Mantlo and Jack Drury conjured the idea, and suddenly, foreheads were slapped from Hollywood to Sydney – why hadn’t this come up before? Simply put, it’s because this pair hadn’t done it yet. When Corinna (who has run a weekly motorcycle film series for years) contacted me to co-host the Festival, what could I say but WOW YES! I’ve been writing about motorcycles and culture on TheVintagent for 7 years now, and have reviewed/dissected plenty of motorcycle films, making many obscurities available on my site, like ‘Scorpio Rising’ and ‘Not So Easy’, plus motorcycle-based shorts from artists as diverse as Buster Keaton and Karl Lagerfeld.
A screen shot from 'Why We Ride', courtesy director Bryan Carroll - this feature film will have its East Coast début at the MFF
I’ve been a complete movie nut since my ‘teens, and from my 20s onwards was a Film Festival regular, watching everything by my favorite directors: Fassbinder, Tarkovsky, Kurosawa, Cocteau. Equally a motorcycle nut, I was fascinated by the use of bikes in film, whether as props, characters, or symbols (Death! Rebellion! Freedom!). I can probably still quote every line from Kathryn Bigelow’s first feature, ‘The Loveless’, which became a kind of talisman for my Café Racer club in 1980s San Francisco, the Roadholders M.C.
By coincidence, I’ve been filmed in two upcoming motorcycle feature films in the past year (including the above from Eric Ristau, who'll show his film 'The Best Bar in America' this year), and one of those films, ‘Why We Ride’, will have its premier at the MFF. Of course we’re proud of All the films being shown; they’re an excellent sample of the mighty wave of bike-based video/film content generated just this year, in what looks like a Motorcycle Renaissance happening right under our noses.
Our esteemed panel of judges this year includes photographer Dimitri Coste, Stacie B. London (exhibition designer at MOCA in LA), Ana Llorente (ALTdesign), JP from the Selvedge Yard blog, and yours truly.
SCHEDULE FOR THE MOTORCYCLE FILM FESTIVAL
Wednesday September 25th 2013:
Filmmaker Meet and Greet; Happy Hour. Come kick off the 1st Motorcycle Film Festival with cold drinks, fine BBQ, and the friends, family, and VIPs of the MFF.
At Lady Jay’s: 633 Grand St, New York, NY 11211
Cine Meccanica: the infamous free, weekly vehicular film night hosted by MFF co-founder Corinna Mantlo. Film starts at 8:30. Free popcorn, Juke Box Meccanica, and $2 Bingo for prizes! Check this website for details.
Where: Lady Jay’s, 633 Grand St, New York, NY 11211
Price: Free entry, (and Free BBQ for VIP passholders), courtesy of Lady Jay’s
Thursday, September 26th, 2013
Screening #1: (Feature Documentary and shorts block TBA), plus Filmmaker QandA:
Where: Over The Eight – 594 Union Ave, Bklyn, NY 11211
Price: $8 (VIP passholder admission is free) Buy Tickets Here!
MFF After-Party (9pm-1am): Scoot on over to the Lone Wolf for a jam-packed evening of bands, beer, and motorcycle shenanigans with a backdrop of classic biker films curated by Cine Meccanica. Buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win a bag of moto goodies at the end of the night, courtesy of our generous sponsors. Playing: The Andy Animal Family Band and Hector’s Pets
Where: Lone Wolf – 1089 Broadway, Brooklyn, NY 11221
Price: $12 online / $15 at the door (VIP passholder admission is free) Buy Tickets Here!
Friday, September 27th, 2013
Screening #2: (Feature Narrative and shorts block TBA), Filmmaker QandA
Where: Saint Vitus – 1120 Manhattan Ave. Bklyn, NY 11222
Price: $8 (VIP pass holder admission is free) Buy Tickets Here!
MFF After-Party (9pm-1am): Don’t miss this second night of bands and beer over a backdrop of classic biker films curated by Cine Meccanica at Saint Vitus while DJ Sommer Santoro from Black Gold Brooklyn spins ’60s garage, surf, and biker classics (all vinyl of course). Buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win a bag of moto goodies at the end of the night, courtesy of our generous sponsors. Playing: The Tombstone Brawlers
Where : Saint Vitus – 1120 Manhattan Ave, Bklyn, NY 11222
Price: $12 online / $15 at the door (VIP passholder admission is free) Buy Tickets Here!
Saturday, September 28th, 2013
Brunch Seminar: Motorcycles and Film
Where: Over The Eight – 594 Union Ave, New York, NY 11211
Price: $10 (VIP passholder admission is free) Buy Tickets Here!
Screening #3: (Feature Documentary and shorts block TBA), Filmmaker QandA
Where: Saint Vitus – 1120 Manhattan Ave, Bklyn, NY 11222
Price: $8 (VIP passholder admission is free) Buy Tickets Here!
Screening #4: (Feature Narrative and shorts block TBA), Filmmaker QandA
Where: Saint Vitus – 1120 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11222
Price: $8 (VIP passholder admission is free) Buy Tickets Here!
MFF 2013 Award Ceremony:
Where: Saint Vitus– 1120 Manhattan Ave., Bklyn, NY 11222
Price: Filmmakers and VIP passholders ONLY
MFF 2013 Closing Party: The final night of MFF. Details on this party to be released soon. It’ll be a doozy!
Where: Saint Vitus 1120 Manhattan Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11222
Price: TBA (VIP passholder admission is free)