Very Semi-serious

Doc about the one-panel cartoons in the New Yorker. Full of charming talking heads and a nice balance of history/how the magazine works/what makes a good cartoon. Perfect for small screen viewing, look for it on Netflix.

Saved from the Flames

Archival presentation with a wonderful presenter/pianist. Nice assortment of early film shorts, many hand-colored. Especially notable for a before -after pair done around the great earthquake in San Francisco and the live flammable film demo. So glad I went, and a nice visit with scarlettina, e_bourne, and oldmangrumpus. Then I had to bolt for my next film, which was a delight.

Electric Boogaloo: The Untold Story of Cannon Films

The almost too crazy to be true story of the Golan-Globus era of Cannon Films. Doc was great fun, and it has generated a list of things I need to rent from Scarecrow. It explains so much about the B movie landscape of my childhood. So glad I got to watch it with C.

A Few Cubic Meters of Love

HELL YES. This why I come to the festival.
Slice of life in a scrap metal yard in the outskirts of Tehran, where Iranians work side-by-side with Afghan refugees. Iranian boy and Afghan girl steal time together in a rickety old container and dream of a life together. Lots of showing not telling and scenes without dialogue, but I never felt bored or lost. Excellent acting, clear motivations, no mustache twirling villainy. I left emotionally exhausted, but so satisfied. Highly recommended, I saw it at press screening, so all showings are upcoming. Go!

The Dark Horse

Is not a sports movie about Maori kids playing chess. It's about breaking bad cycles in your life, and controlling a mental illness, and family. But what got me in the door was the chess story, and for that I am grateful. This gets my festival best actor nomination. Highly recommended.*

*it is also about a Maori youth chess team in New Zealand.