Last year the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival made its debut in Western New York, unveiling numerous independent films from both local and international artists.
Now in its second year, the purpose of the festival remains to "provide the opportunity for audiences to view films not otherwise released commercially, create an awareness of the finer points of filmmaking...and to showcase new emerging talent."
The festival began Monday March 26, 2008, showcasing different films from different genres (humanitarians documentary to B-movie science fiction) at several different venues throughout the Buffalo/Niagara region, such as The Market Arcade and The Historic Riviera Theatre.
The Quickie, a short 10-minute dramedy, was the opening film for the Tuesday evening show, starting at 7 p.m.. The director, Cosmos Kiindarius, is a well-known scriptwriter in Hollywood, with six years of writing experience, as well as a production assistant on films such as Zodiac and National Treasure.
This was, however, the filmmaker's directorial debut. His inspiration came from the idea of games and how they're played in relationships. Kiindarius wanted the film to have some sort of impactful meaning while still maintaining its comedic entities
"My question became: If they were to play another game, what would it be, what would they do now? I decided that their new game would be divorce. So I decided that every year they would move to a different place and start the proceedings for a divorce. Usually they would get themselves into trouble, and sometimes end up in jail," Kiindarius said. "They never got divorced, but there was always the danger that one of them would sign the paper at the last minute. The trick became to write a film that no one had ever seen before and who had never seen the concept before to be able to connect with the films."
The short served as a clever and insightful way of segueing into the new Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz) comedy Run, FatBoy, Run, debuting last night directly after The Quickie. Fatboy tells the story of a man looking for a second chance with Libby (Thandie Newton) the woman of his dreams, who he left pregnant at the altar five years prior.
Adding to the star power of the film is David Schwimmer of Friends fame, who is making his directorial debut with Fatboy.
"I enjoyed it, it was definitely a comedy if it involved Simon Pegg. My favorite parts of the movie were any that involved Simon Pegg; he is just such a funny character," said Jacqueline Young, a junior media study productions major.
For those who have never seen a Simon Pegg film before, the dry humor and sarcastic undertones might not strike as funny. That being said, the uniform reactions from the audience spoke to the film's universal laugh potential.
"Simon Pegg has done a lot of good movies like Shaun of the Dead. I don't like the romantic thing that he did [in Fatboy], because he doesn't normally do that but the movie was still okay. I would recommend this to other people to watch," said Aparna Rawal, a senior media study and business major.
While Run, FatBoy, Run may explore a side of romance and Pegg's acting that some devout fans may not want to see, it succeeds in illustrating and examining a side of love that many people encounter while remaining comedic enough to attract a large variety of audience members, which could prove prosperous at the box office this Friday.
While the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival may not offer a consistent slew of David Schwimmer comedies, it provides the local collective a chance to watch relatively unseen art recognized and enjoyed, opening doors for these artists to become the next Ross or Simon Pegg.
For more information on the festival and a film-screening schedule, go to buffaloniagarafilmfestival.com.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
