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IndyShorts



I was at IndyShorts last weekend, which was the second year Heartland Film Festival has provided a separate four-day venue for short films. It’s always hard to get back to real life after being away, but, for me, it seems especially hard after being at film festivals. Whether you’re a filmmaker or a film lover, the atmosphere at a film festival becomes contagious. At times I daydream about just going from one to another, constantly watching films that I might not get a chance to see otherwise (although with streaming that’s becoming less true). Of course, I know I’d get tired of the constant need to search for food I might actually be able to eat, and would miss my husband and cat, but for brief periods of the year, it’s not a bad time to spend away from home. I particularly like the set up of this festival with most of the films and programs taking place at Newfields, with beautiful grounds that are accessible to clear your head and move your body, ample seating when you need a break, and a café with extended hours.

It’s hard to try and encapsulate the event, especially as I was a volunteer screener, so had seen close to 300 films before attending the festival. With over 3,000 films submitted, there were only three films I’d actually seen and reviewed before (strangely enough all high school shorts, and all exceptionally good). During the four-day event, I saw 66 films in their entirety, and several more partial viewings, along with six full workshops. One workshop on film criticism did spur me on to get back to my blogging, whether anyone is out there reading or not.

The inevitable question is what left the strongest impression on me. While there were many powerful films, during one program block a fellow filmmaker openly wondered after a film how you could support yourself doing such projects. That comment fit nicely with the title of a workshop offered – Passion and Profit. Many would state those two drives don’t fit together, and, for most of us, they rarely do. But what’s generally obvious is that if there’s no passion, there isn’t a good film.

That leads me to the film that I still am thinking about a week later, and was full of passion – 1500 Miles – a documentary about an amputee who didn’t let losing a leg keep her from becoming an athlete (and not just any athlete, but an ultratriathlon winner). She and her small team in this film compete by running, bicycling, and swimming for 1,500 miles down the Pacific coast, from Seattle to San Diego. I participated in my first 5K this year and was pretty psyched to go at it again, but I can’t even imagine the training and discipline to undertake such a race as this, and I have both legs.

Part of the film isn’t just to highlight Nicole Ver Kuilen, but to bring up the fact that she is constantly having to fight with insurance companies who think prosthetics should last longer than what the manufacturer states, and don’t feel the need to provide what she needs to compete. A lot of the film seems, at least to me, about changing how we view so-called handicapped people, and is clearly looking to change the laws so it will be easier for others. I personally have my doubts that the politicians will do the right thing, as they rarely do, but if enough people watch this film and come away as I have, then a ground swell could be produced compelling both industry and politicians to actually be of service to people, people who are interested in proving they can do and be more than society says they should.

It’s films like this that make me feel amazement at my fellow man and believe that maybe things aren’t as bleak in the world as they seem. That is why most of us enjoy watching films – to experience someone else’s life and to get that thrill of wonder while watching, and perhaps also change the world.



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