2020 Feminist Border Arts POP UP Program

FBAFF Presents

PANDEMIC POP UP A VIRTUAL FILM FESTIVAL & CULTURE WORK EXHIBIT

MAY 8-10, 2020

images from #Janelas, directed by Fernando Cavallari

Program At a glance: 1

Welcome A note from our virtual festival director.

3

Feature-length film Aleksi (Croatia) 87 min.

3

Moms double-feature Moms Don’t Cry (Brazil) 20 min.

Mis Amigas y Yo (Argentina )24 min

4

Quarantine/Beyond A combination of short films created during and focused on the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic and beyond.

Total running time: 30 min

6

Queer, Feminist, LGBTQ+++ Shorts A collection of short films that investigate gender identity and sexuality Total running time: 30 min

8

Dark Matter A collection of short films that will appeal to fans of horror films, thrillers, and experimental cinema.

Total running time: 40 min

10 Streaming on genders.nmsu.edu A collection of short films available to stream from our webpage.

12 Zines A collection of zines (self-made publications) on a range of topics.

1

Pandemic Pop Up! A Virtual Film Fest & Online Culture Work Exhibit Welcome to our remote fest & exhibit Feminist Border Arts regularly works with artists across North America and globally to asynchronously and virtually curate its culture exhibits and film programs. In fact, we only recently completed our 5th festival season in early March at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. The realities of pandemic and quarantine quickly motivated us to get back to work.

Filmmakers and artists responded and now we have crafted this one weekend, virtual event. Everyone is seeking to reach out, to find new ways of being together. An asynchronous event is one way that offers both connectivity and flexibility at once—two things in high demand now.

We chose the dates of this weekend because we want to honor the graduating seniors and everyone at NMSU, mothers of all ages for Mother’s Day, first responders and essential workers, people who have lost their jobs, LGBT+ folks, parents, people struggling through isolation or quarantine, and a number of other reasons. And we honor those who are dealing with the virus as well as any other health issue. We honor those who have passed. We want to support how amazing it is that so many are staying home as much as possible in order to help keep others safe and not overwhelm our fragile medical systems.

Creativity offers an outlet to communicate ideas, what we’re thinking and feeling. It’s part of what we’re meant to do, as humans. Our brains have evolved to reward creativity with its pleasure centers. That means creativity is rather important, even if our current system only seems to find its value in its potential for money making. That is one of the reasons we like pairing a film festival with a zine festival because zinemaking is, by definition, low-tech and self-made. Anyone can make one, out of anything. The goal of zine festivals is not to make money, but to share your work, often through giving them away and trading. Likewise, our work with Feminist Border Arts is not to produce a commercial festival, but to construct one where the curation, circulation, and archiving of innovative storytelling, especially in short form, by and about under- and misrepresented groups is foremost. Additionally, Feminist Border Arts works with pieces from many different parts of the globe. This means that our programming participates in the global dissemination of works of the imagination across multiple epistemological frameworks.

2

This virtual event is free and open to the public. A Dropbox link to the event is available on the Gender & Sexuality Studies website and social media (Facebook and Instagram). The link and accompanying password are active May 8th through May 10th. They will allow you to stream the selected films and read the zines and other media we have collected for this event.

But, wait there’s more: we also have embedded several films on our website for those who are interested in viewing additional official selections for this pop up. To view these selections, visit genders.nmsu.edu/film-festival.

M. Catherine Jonet FBAFF Founder and Co-Director

These films have not been rated by the MPAA. Some of the films in these programs contain mature themes. Viewer & parental discretion is advised.

3

Feature-Length film

Aleksi Director: Barbara Vekarić Croatia, 2019

Aleksi is approaching her 30s but still stuck under her parents' roof. While ignoring her pressing responsibilities, she follows her impulses with various men: Christian, an American photographer who she bonds with due to the similar interests; Goran, a local musician with whom she has an intense physical chemistry; and Toni, an older, richer, charming playboy who tries to lure her with his extravagant lifestyle.

Moms double feature

Moms Don’t Cry (Mãe não chora) Directors: Carol Rodrigues and Vaneza Oliveira Brazil, 2019

Rachel works in the family court and has to take her son to work because she can’t leave him with his father.

My Friends and I (Mis amigas y yo) Director: Belén Paladino Argentina, 2020

In Diana’s diary present and past, real and fantastic interlaces. All the things that never happened can occur.

Memories, old fears, unhealed scars, and past presences bloom. An invisible thread bones her, her mother’s, aunt’s, and an unknown grandmother’s story.

All those women are part of Diana and appear through blurred images, whispers, and beloved objects.

4

Short program 1: Quarantine Beyond

C-19 Director: Hassan Dehghanian Iran, 2020

Spring Director: Marc Haaz France, 2020

A different world, a great tragedy. A time to reflect.

When the city and nature come together to form one. Film produced as part of the quarantine linked to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Cortes/Cuts Director: Chris Mariani Brazil, 2019

Destruction of the digital image, motion blur and the construction of an image stream that denotes the time of the city.

#Janelas /#Windows

Director: Fernando Cavallari Brazil, 2020 Quarantine offers a break in routine from the typical chaos of the world.

Confined in an apartment, where you can only see the world through the windows while waiting for an answer.

5

The Box of Silence/La Caja del Silencio Director: MarĂ­a Paula Contreras Columbia, 2020

Proowa (Yucca) Director: Stefany Mendinueta Columbia, 2020

Azul turns 27 and is very sad because his beloved grandfather is no longer with him, then he discovers a fantastic world that his grandfather inherited and it will be a secret between them.

Rita is an 18-year old girl who sees many problems in her community, so she decides to be a candidate for the position of Council within her community to fight for the improvement of the living conditions of the indigenous Chimilas.

Don't Worry Director: Mana Pakseresht Iran, 2020

A teenage girl is alone at home on her birthday and her nurse is in the hospital because of Coronavirus. A surprise awaits the girl.

Quarantsin Director: Chevoy Spain, 2020

Voicing a range of feelings and responses about our current reality, this film invites us to check in.

6

Short program 2: Queer, Feminist, lgbtq+++++

Beach Body Ready Director: Céline Ufenast UK, 2019

An abstract representation of a young woman's bodily insecurities, triggered by an advert she sees on social media.

Encounter Director: José Cardoso Ecuador, 2019

Three musical instruments playing simultaneously meets at a cave

Love in the time of Corona Directors: Anne Winds and Samantha Rex USA, 2020

An art piece on love, passion and selfcare in a time of isolation and panic.

And how to use your hand sanitizer wisely in the "6 feet apart” era.

Our Song Director: Sophie Fazio USA, 2020

"When words fail, music speaks" - Hans Christian Andersen. Our Song demonstrates the power of music to transport us to a moment in time, and in contrast feel the loneliness and pain of silence.

Queer Digi-love Director: Humad Nisar Germany, Pakistan, 2020

In this short experimental video project, the interaction and negotiation of sexual identity is explored in online queer spaces, especially in Pakistan, where being gay is illegal, because of Victorian laws set during the colonialism. This project explores sexual identity formation of queer subject in relations to the heteronormative culture in Pakistan and surveys what role digital media plays in it.

7

Same, Old. is a short narrative film about a young woman who runs into an ex-best friend at the corner store.

Transit Director: Stella Asmon USA, 2019

Same, Old Director: Haya Alghanim USA, 2018

Midaminótita. Nothingness is my name.

Corey’s first night out after top surgery sends him to the “no man’s land” of a shady gyno run. Luckily, he isn’t alone.

Short program 3: Dark matter The Epistemology of Becoming Director: Katya Kan UK, 2018

This video art piece presents a spiritual mantra of positive transformation for the artist in discovering her esoteric white witch powers. It consists of HD

video in combination of 300 2D stop motion animation frames, carefully and craftily hand drawn by the artist herself.

8 Swimming in the lake promises nothing special until one of the girls meets Mavka - mysterious creature from Ukrainian legends.

The Notebook Director: Esabella Strickland Canada, 2019

An urban legend of a notebook that takes the soul of children.

P/\ST: Tíseň Directors: Alžběta Suchanová & Nora Štrbová Czech Republic, 2020

Piece of Bread Director: Lev Seryapin Russian Federation, 2020 A piece of bread gone wild.

Mavka Director: Alona Shylova Ukraine, 2020

Two girls go swimming in the lake.

Along the way, they are speaking about their everyday life as a young women and problems of an adulthood.

Music video for Czech rap duo P/\ST. Personified Tíseň (=anxiety) is constantly changing its form – growing, dripping, creeping, gushing from the walls, coming from forests and rivers – still escaping. The lyrics of the song are rich for multiple interpretations and fantasy imagery, so combining it with animation was a natural choice.

9

Permanence Is Only A Word Directors: Kayla Tange and Luka Fisher USA, 2020

Permanence Is Only A Word is a film by performance artist Kayla Tange and Luka Fisher; who may or may not be a performance artist.

Quarantena Director: Misha Tarasiuk Italy, 2020

Chuck Hohng provided the translation and additional vocals.

This short film was realized with a smartphone, during the quarantine, in March 2020.

After a week of forced quarantine, a couple, locked up at home, start thinking about how they can get through the quarantine days without going crazy. He (Edo) has had some experience in cinema, so he decides to make a film with her (Jess). She doesn't like the idea of showing their daily lives to the public, except that she has no choice and is forced to act.

Despite their aim of not going crazy, they will get carried away until they won't be able to control their actions anymore.

10

Streaming on genders.nmsu.edu one thing you’re supposed to be good at? The film gives you a glimpse of an artist's process while making art and addresses issues of mental health. The protagonist, Abel, is struggling with the impending doom of a deadline, inducing the ever-familiar anxiety attack.

Akerman Director: M. Dianela Torres Mexico, 2020

Video essay about two fragments from Chantal Akerman's films "D’Est" (1993) and "No Home Movie" (2015). The footage was remixed for analysis purposes and to make the viewer recall the travelling left in these two sequences.

The Excruciatingly Endless and Dishearteningly Tedious Tale of The Creator Who Cannot Create: A Journey into Lifelessness Director: Urja Vakta USA, 2020

Artist’s block. We’ve all been there before, right? You know the feeling when you have to try so hard to do the

Handshake Director: Katerina Sigala Greece, 2020

The handshake nowadays has become so typical, so impersonal. Do you speak without a soul? Has virtual reality taken the place of the real? Did you stop talking to the eyes? A handshake equals 1000 words and feelings.

Yours?

Present day, Present time: a 鬼鎮 (Ghosttown) moment USA—2020 Director: John Cates

Siera Begaye, indigenous artist, actress, and activist from the Diné (Navajo) Nation, speaks from her experience in this stylized portrait. The experimental music of MORHER (Ambrosia Bartošekulva) creates soundscapes that accompany and define the glitch landscapes of the film, from the construction of the transcontinental in the 1800s to the meanings of technologies today. As Amy Beste, Curator of Conversations At the Edge, writes: "鬼鎮 (Ghosttown) disrupts the Western's most pernicious tropes with glitches and noise, connecting yesterday’s traumas and technologies to those of today." Independent film curator Patrick Friel writes that "Ghosttown as a whole is a provoking and visually striking reworking of the Western form, infusing it with a more inclusive sensibility and a contemporary, digital/computer-centric aesthetic."

11 infinitely.

Queer, disabled bodies (also known as “queercrip” bodies) are systemically erased from public discourse. By investigating and then deconstructing ideas of visibility and camouflage with color and repeated movement, this series makes queercrip bodies unavoidable and impossible to ignore. They live online in GIF form, without beginning or end, following the idea that digital life permits queercrip people to live beyond oppressive limitations of society, and enter a plane of digital transcendence.

Rebirth Garments Directors: Eloise Sherrid, Sky Cubacub, and Lauryn Welch USA, 2018

A series of cinemagraphs exploring the idea of “radical visibility” in an ongoing collaboration between filmmaker Eloise Sherrid, the queercrip fashion collective Rebirth Garments, and painter Lauryn Welch. Cinemagraphs are artistic GIFs: shot with intentionality and featuring a mostly still image that has pockets of moving video that loop

Saudade Director: Matthew Esquivel USA, 2020

"a feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia"

12 Additional Official Selection (Not Currently Streaming This Weekend) Free and Beautiful Director: Narges Haghighat Canada, 2020

Worst Case Scenario Director: Autumn Palen USA, 2019

A woman recounts the turbulent summer wherein she was diagnosed with stomach cancer, just before meeting the love of her life

“Free and Beautiful� is a poetic animated short that illustrates heartbreaking realities in three parts around the subject of violence against women.

Zines Heteronormativity Creator: Karla Cabrera

Mostly News Pandemic Haiku Creator: Laura Anh Williams (USA)

Drawings of stick figures in love can tell us so much about unspoken assumptions. This zine defines and questions heteronormativity in pop culture.

The third in a series of zines that turn news stories into haiku, this zine keeps a chronology of headlines and tweets from January through May 2020, from cruise ships to face masks, from eels to bees.

Landslide Creator: Nina M. Vazquez (USA)

Read Me Creator: Ricky Araiza (USA)

Nola and Earri fall in love, a foundation based on false promises and no support Earri soon realizes that this relationship has drained her.

Read Me is an interrogation of the gendered rhetoric of the body.

13

SJZ Vol. 5: A QuaranZine Edited by: Laura Anh Williams (USA)

A collection of poems, photography, essays, playlists, and a crossword puzzle created by NMSU Gender & Sexuality students, alumni, faculty, and friends, all while staying home, together.

Sometimes I Lie Creator: Hari Chakyar (India)

As a teen and a young adult, I spent a lot of time feeling guilty and confused. I was too caught up in the conventional ways of gender roles and how I was to behave as a man. Any sign of femininity in a boy would be a subject of ridicule and gossip. I'm 33 now and I'm finally

feeling in charge of my sexuality and my fetishes. This comic is a way of normalizing cross-dressing for myself.

This is how I tell myself it is okay, that there's no guilt in dressing up.

Things I’ve Borrowed Creator: Sarah DiMichele (USA)

I've never been a person that keeps small objects that spark a memory; movie stubs, knick-knacks, etc. But when I look in my closet, maybe I am that kind of person. I've kept wearable items I've borrowed from people and never returned. We're all guilty of this.

But I'd like to believe that I've given these items a new life, and that maybe their original owner might've forgotten about them anyways.

The Feminist Border Arts Film Festival Pandemic Pop Up! is sponsored by NMSU Gender & Sexuality Studies/Interdisciplinary Studies.

M. Catherine Jonet and Laura Anh Williams are the Co-Directors of FBAFF. We would like to thank the following individuals, without whom this festival would not have been possible:

Amanda Adame Ricky Araiza Minerva Baumann Cynthia Bejarano Karla Cabrera Karina Calderon Manal Hamzeh

Amy Lanasa Jim Maupin Elisa Montoya Julia Smith Patti Wojahn

Discover more about Gender & Sexuality Studies at NMSU by visiting genders.nmsu.edu