In his directorial debut, Derek Franson reveals the story he wrote 13 years ago, following Koffie on her search for emotional, and sexual, connection. Koffie believes she’s found that connection in her tattoo, which provides sensual pleasure as it moves about her body in masturbatory-esque moments, and she begins to withdraw from friends and family. But when her tattoo begins to turn into a jealous douche bag, Koffie must conquer the only person really standing in her way: herself. … read more
Voltaire, Hellblinki, This Way to the Egress @ Area 51 10.14
It’s an hour or so after the sun has gone down on a crisp October evening, and practically everyone I know is at Area 51 to see Voltaire. … read more
Doppelgänger Paul (Or A Film About How Much I Hate Myself)
Doppelgänger Paul follows the strange and unusual friendship between Karl and Paul, both of whom are lonely and somewhat antisocial. When two other “Doppelgängers” show up with a massively edited version of Karl’s 20,000-page manuscript, Karl and Paul set off on a road trip to Portland to confront them. Along the way, Karl and Paul learn that they must first confront themselves. … read more
Grieves & Budo @ Kilby 10.15
Grieves & Budo picked up some worthy fame while touring with Atmosphere and being a part of Warped Tour. With the show they put on here in Salt Lake, it’s no wonder. As they played ‘’Pack It Up,” I could see hearts in most everyone’s eyes as they sang along—‘’Ooo, I got a feeling you could be my baby.’’ For being a skinny kid with less than perfect teeth, Grieves has the means to get serious booty. … read more
Getting Up
Slamdance alumnus Caskey Ebeling’s Getting Up documents the artistic rehabilitation of Los Angeles graffiti legend, social activist and publisher Tempt One. … read more
Treasure Island Music Festival in San Francisco
Last weekend marked the 5th Annual Treasure Island Music Festival, a rock and dance festival that takes place in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. Set against the stunning backdrop of the city skyline sandwiched between the Bay and Golden Gate bridges, this festival has become a staple of the Bay Area, offering a charming, low-key, and boisterously fun two days jam-packed with consistently good live sets and breathtaking views. … read more
The Sound of Small Things
Peter McLarnan presents a gut-wrenching look into the young marriage of Sam and Cara as they struggle to maintain trust and communication despite Cara’s recent deafness. A group of visual artists’ first foray into narrative filmmaking, The Sound of Small Things uses lush cinematography to capture the nuances of human interaction. … read more
From Water Tower to Wind Power
Trolley Square has become one of the finest examples that can be found in Salt Lake City of rebirth, or bringing the new and the old together to create something amazing. … read more
The Invisible War
The Invisible War offers an intimate glimpse into one of America’s deepest secrets. Sexual violence against women in the military has reached epidemic levels, and high-level officials are systematically sweeping these cases under the rug. … read more
Afro-punk Death to Hip Hop Showcase: Ninjasonik, Cerebral Ballzy and Death @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 10.18
At the tail end of August, the free Afro-Punk music festival was canceled due to Hurricane Irene’s untimely arrival in New York City. Luckily, no pending natural disasters derailed their highly successful and entertaining CMJ showcase. … read more
Detropia
Creating a documentary focused on a place, rather than a person or an event, is no easy task. Detropia could have easily been an incoherent mess of interviews with unemployed autoworkers and cutaways to the often-photographed crumbling buildings of inner city Detroit. Luckily, Ewing and Grady have created something that moves beyond the typical clichés of Detroit. … read more
CMJ Day Two: From Indie Pop to Hip Hop
Day two of CMJ started as mellow as possible. It was fitting for my hangover from the night before and the overcast rainy weather that had infiltrated the city. … read more
