A Super (8) Evening

The James River Filmmakers Forum last night was an interesting look at the state of local film making of all types.

A sci-fi horror film shot entirely against a green screen?

Check.

A XXX-rated parody that becomes a surrealist rant?

Yep.

A time lapse film about Richmond's canal boats?

Yes, sir.

A French New Wave inspired memory?

Oh, yes.

A documentary about working 3 nights at Ground Zero after 9/11?

Most definitely.

The films ran the gamut from pure experimental, conceptual-type films to straight-on documentaries, but each offered the audience a peek into the mind of the filmmaker.

I was especially taken by the fact that so many of the works were a combination of new and old formats, many using the very old-school Super 8 while others also incorporated digital media.

Way back in college, I was part of a group who spent every Sunday shooting a movie on Super 8, so I found it pretty cool to learn that filmmakers are still into the format.

Who knew?

The evening ended with a town-hall kind of forum with the filmmakers answering questions and discussing the motivation behind their work.

The evening was presented by the Richmond Moving Image Co-Op, the same fine folks who bring us Flicker and the Italian Film Fest and the James River Film Festival.

With their support, no doubt RVA's indie filmmaking scene will continue to flourish and film lovers like me will only benefit.