Among the already-scheduled screenings are Push, a 14-minute film that transforms a toy store and the peopleinside into a music video for Salt-n-Pepa's classic '80s tune "PushIt," and If You Could Be, acomputer-animated hip-hop video about the incredibly popular “World ofWarcraft” online role-playing game. An animated short, Teddy Bear Only, written by FSF's own Shawn Monaghan and animatedby Milwaukee's Burt Gross, revisits the "new kid on the block" appealof a brand-new stuffed animal as it threatens the status of the old stuffedtoy, Teddy Bear. Crossing the Lake isa dramatic narrative with a comedic touch directed, written and produced byJerry LaBuy of Rockford, Ill.'s Caledonia Night Sky Co. Anotherdrama, Legacy, was written, producedand edited by Nic Collins from Peoria, Ill.
Many of the featured shorts were written for other film competitions,including two for 2010's 48 Hour Film Project: Cleaning House, Jared Stepp's mockumentary, and The Assistant, a film noir from FSFcreators Monaghan and Phil Koch.
FSF offers an interactive element that isn't seen at most film festivals."We show films for 30 minutes and then take a break," Monaghan says."It gives everybody a chance to talk about what they just saw and then beable to say to the filmmaker, ‘Hey, I'm an actor,' or, ‘I'm a composer,' and‘I'd really like to work on your next project.'” Critique sheets allow audiencemembers to anonymously identify elements of a film they liked as well asaspects that could be improved.
The event also features a two-minute film competition, a twist on thetypical "anything goes" motto of the festival. This time aroundthe theme is “daredevil,” meaning that a concept, image or word associated with“daredevil” must be included somewhere in the flick.
“Most of the filmmakers, they're creative, but it's difficult for themto come up with something on their own, so we just say ‘Here's an idea…'ratherthan saying, ‘Just make anything'and people are able to run with it,” Monaghanexplains.
Networking between audience members and filmmakers begins an hour beforethe screenings. Food will be available.
Firestarter Films started as a collaboration between Monaghan and Kochin 2008. Previous Firestarter Films events have been screened at the AlchemistTheatre in Bay View and Live Artists Studio in Walker's Point. This will be the event'sfirst time at the Harley-Davidson Museum.
The 10th Firestarter Films event will be held 4-9 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Harley-Davidson Museum's Rumble Room. Admission is $5.
