CIFF & Mental Filmness: Part 1

Mental Filmness and CIFF have arrived; I'm here to tell you what I've liked and what to look forward to. Part 2 will be more of a wrap-up similar to how I've covered the Chicago Critics Film Festival

Preamble: I’ve talked a lot about mental health over the years and on this Substack. I’m so happy to see that more subscribers are here for support. But consistency is something I struggle with regularly and openly due to depression and anxiety and ADHD. Lately, I feel precisely like I did a decade ago and then a decade ago before that. If I’ve been a bit slow with writing, the reasons mainly revolve around mental health issues coming into the forefront.

In my early-mid 20s, my dad passed. In my mid-30s, I made poor decisions regarding a close friend while living in Michigan. In my mid-40s, I once again find myself struggling with emotion regulation for a lot of reasons. One could say I was recently triggered, another could say it’s seasonal affective disorder. It’s probably a combination of a lot of factors that are best saved for treatment that I plan to pursue locally, now more than ever. Which brings me to a particular film festival that has meant a lot to me since its inception.

Sharon Gissy created the remarkable Mental Filmness Film Festival, which deserves all the support possible even if it means just watching what she’s curated for the virtual experience. Granted, I think the live screenings are every bit as vital, especially this year when filmmakers like Lori Felker, Sean Pierce, Nick Sansone all showed their work among many other local talent. Many work shown here is what has inspired me to make my first documentary hybrid memoir of sorts (more on that once I complete it).

Unfortunately, due to my own depression relapse, it’s been challenging to sit down to write again. But I can say without a doubt this is the best and strongest line-up of films and filmmakers assembled for this year’s festival. More on those (along with coverage of the live screenings) in a little bit.

In addition, it’ll be challenging to attend copious screenings for the Chicago International Film Festival but I was also able to catch a couple before it begins and plan to see at least a few more titles over the coming weeks. That write-up is more of a preview than anything else. It’s also a big deal this year, hitting its 60th anniversary but also, the great Robert Zemeckis will be showing his latest work, Here, closing night. There’s a lot to cover for both festival in terms of what I hope to see and what I’ve seen! Let’s start with five favorites / recommendations from each with much more to come next week.

Patient (dir. Lori Felker)

Fiction, reality, the private, and the performed overlap on a routine but emotional day at a medical center. Reviewed here previously for the Chicago Critics Film Festival. Suffice to say, plays more strongly on re-watch and can’t wait for the feature film version. Felker is fast becoming a favorite of mine.

Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve (dir. Nick Sansone)

It really is remarkable to see how much confidence and talent that local filmmaker Nick Sansone has, having only made a few short films throughout the years while in college. Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve is a clear indication that he is someone to watch since he brings a lot of compassion and well-observed insight on the very difficult subject of grooming. In this case, based on true events, it involves a young student who returns to her hometown for the first time in three years. We see that her home life is quite tumultuous along with the environment she’s surrounded by to be consistently triggering to say the least and for good reason. She just wants to move on but can’t. The impetus for her return is to testify against the former teacher that groomed her. Obviously, a lot is weighing heavily on her mind.

A fearless performance from Brianna Huffman proves that Sansone really took a lot of care and attention into ensuring she was comfortable, expressing a real vulnerability in every scene. At times, I was reminded of a recent film that covers this kind of abuse with Palm Trees and Power Lines - there’s a lot of subtlety here but within that, an internalized trauma that eventually bursts and every feeling felt is earned. This film played the live festival and it was a joy to watch Nick talk about his experiences not only as a filmmaker but as the person who was clearly affected by what happened in his own hometown, making this whole film personal in a lot of ways that prove to be cathartic for all involved.

Little Things Are Scary (dir. Sean Pierce)

Sean Pierce is a friend of mine that I’ve kept in touch with over the years and has also appeared on the Director’s Club Podcast a few times so keep in mind that there’s a bias involved here. Suffice to say, this to me felt one of the best portrayals of that inner voice we know all too well. And that voice happens to belong to none other than a remarkable actress by the name of Carrie Coon.

If I were giving awards, this would be right up there with some of the best of the fest - a beautifully realized examination of overthinking/worrying about the future on both a micro-level and a macro-level. We can all relate to this especially during lockdown/Covid. Sean is an excellent filmmaker and a short like this is an example as to precisely why he deserves everyone's attention. It really is about relatable anxieties that continue to invade us all, whether you’re a new parent or not. The montage of imagery is also stunning, creepy and beautifully rendered throughout. Seek this one out and support all-things Sean Pierce since I plan on continuing to do just that.

Compression (dir. Jakob Bilinski)

I was thoroughly impressed with the trauma drama Compression from frame one - in its depiction of agoraphobia, inner turmoil, isolation, trying to work through it all while podcasting. The story mainly revolves around Hazel working through and confronting her demons over the course of a night as a way to kickstart an extended vacation/staycation. We get to know her through a therapy session and a phone call with her sister as well.

The only quibble I have is that it could be cut by 15 minutes and be even stronger. Especially during the opening scenes and an extended sequence involving a deceased loved one. As a feature film that taps into sustained surrealism, I was surprised by how deeply affected I was, even once we get to the reveal of what happened to our lead character in the past. Talk about a shock to the system that should please any horror fan.

I liked every character, real or imagined, and how they popped up throughout her dreamscape/mushroom trip/panic attack especially when their faces were distorted and contorted. Pure nightmare fuel especially that painting that manifests or when creatures would emerge unexpectedly. There's a glimmer of hope by the end that also snuck up on me.

A filmmaker like Lynch may not have gone there and chose to let the traumatized individual unravel into oblivion, but here, there's a compassion to the proceedings. At times some of the montages of memory reminded me of Malick even if that’s an easy go-to approach these days, it’s still beautiful to look at. There’s no doubt that Bilinski has a great career ahead of him.

Emily Durchholz too, as she takes Hazel through a brutal and terrifying night was terrific and nuanced, conveying a lot of contrasting fears with sincerity and a lack of histrionics (for the most part). Compression is an assured, often haunting piece of work that I hope people will actively seek out even with the unexpected running time. But it hit all the right notes for me.

Scroll Food (dir. Jason H. Bonner)

Set against the backdrop of the pandemic, Scroll Food tells the story of Derrick Loomis, quarantining at home alone, absorbing a smorgasbord of social media posts being spread online. His mental health begins to suffer due to his inability to put down his phone and “disconnect” from the world while he also deals with his own personal demons and depression. Sounds familiar!

I think this ended up being one of the most relatable films I’ve seen from the festival since it’s so easy for anyone to stay in bed and scroll, rather than read a book or try to get proper rest. The dopamine hits from social media are something I often struggle with on a daily basis to the point of muting/disconnecting from them all entirely. At this point in time, I think most folks will benefit from stepping away from the tendency to look at notifications as a way to distract from what’s going on inside.

Bonner’s influences clearly stem a bit from hypermedia portrayals and being inundated - during the Q&A, he cited Tony Scott as an influence which you can definitely see during a memorable sequence where everything being scrolled is seen projected on top of each other on the wall. Despite the technical mastery on display, it really does hit on a whole other level by the end. An audience member at the live festival commented on how triggered she was seeing the film and rightfully so given her own personal experience.

This is an incredible short film that could become a conversation starter regarding the effects of digital media on our collective psyches. It’s films like these that make this particular festival not only important, but essential in order to create a dialogue surrounding the ways society and technology fails certain people. And how it can leave one sinking deeper into a serious depression to where it’s hard to come out of it, especially when you want and need someone to text you back, but they’re unavailable to do so. What then?

Once again, there are many other films I will try to view and review in the coming weeks but those five are the ones that continue to resonate the most for the Mental Filmness Film Festival that I hope more folks will make the time for.

Lori Felker, Cortez Mack, Jason H. Bonner, Sean Pierce, Sarah Kopp, Lomai, in attendance at Mental Filmness Film Festival at Chicago Hope Academy

Chicago International Film Festival (2024)

So many movies, so much to see. Where to begin?! Well why not with a couple of titles I’ve had the pleasure of catching up with that you should make time for as well. Not to mention others I plan to see throughout the remainder of the year.

Vulcanizadora (dir. Joel Potrykus)

We need to talk about Joel Potrykus, who is undoubtedly one of the best filmmakers working today. All of his work is often hilarious but poignant, with hints of social commentary and brutal truth throughout while remaining singular and existential in ways that his latest work epitomizes to the core.

Suffice to say, this is a tricky one to review as well, mainly because the surprise element is key. I didn’t know where this film was going to go and I don’t think you should either. The summary and setup are simple: Two friends trek together through a Michigan forest with the intention of following through on a pact they’ve made. After they fail, there are repercussions and serious trauma to contend with as a result. The two friends are played by Potrykus himself and recurring stalwart Joshua Burge. Both are reprising roles from their previous collaboration, Buzzard.

With maybe the exception of The Alchemist Cookbook, I have been enamored with this type of storytelling that is employed which really came through vividly with the last film (a cult classic if there ever was one), Relaxer. The idea of sitting in one space and letting the world pass me by is all too familiar even if I’m not a gamer. My drug of choice would of course be movies. That film was certainly uncomfortable but again, grounded despite where it ends up going. With Joel’s latest work here, I can easily say that it starts out as a riff on Kelly Reichardt’s Old Joy and becomes something else entirely to where I was pretty much shaken to the core. Yet, again, I won’t go into specifics.

There’s more than just a portrayal of lost souls in the forms of metal heads trying to get back in touch with nature here. I think it’s hinting at something quite profound when it comes to a midlife crisis portrayal in a way that only Potrykus can achieve. It also feels like a huge step up too once we get to the turning point in the story. There’s a real sincerity on display with ideas surrounding mental instability, generational trauma and middle-aged malaise that feel right in line with great existential works of the past. That’s not to take away from how darkly funny and melancholic it is throughout.

When it ended, I almost felt a sense of hope and relief that maybe I’m not in the worst place mentally but also proceeding with caution from this point forward. It’s easy to be at a crossroads and take the self-destructive, impulsive path that leads to sabotage and guilt of the highest caliber. Just because we age doesn’t mean we “grow.” Vulcanizadora is about reckoning with the past which includes the worst mistakes imaginable and how one must do more than simply come to terms on our own terms.

There’s a world outside waiting to tear us down when we walk alone so we must learn to live in it, as scary as it can feel. These lost souls may never truly find themselves but Potrykus’ latest work of art almost seems to suggest that they should consider fighting the fight instead of giving up. It’s the best film of 2024 so far and one that I will not stop thinking about anytime soon. Attend either of its two screenings one of which is on opening night!

Cloud (dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa)

Having just watched the other film Kiyoshi Kurosawa put out this year, Chime, I was eager to watch his latest. He taps into a specific flavor of sheer dread and inner turmoil better than most modern directors working today. A lot of it does in fact surround the dehumanization of modern technology and especially what the Internet is doing to the collective unconscious. Cloud is no exception and it’s a surprising entry to an already impressive resume. Mainly in the turn that it takes to where you wouldn’t think an action set-piece would be something this filmmaker ever set out to accomplish.

It’s also wild to think that two of the films I’ve seen so far for CIFF made me think of Kafka but it makes sense given the times we’re living in. There’s a lot of unease in the air, not just in this country’s political climate but within society as a whole. It’s no wonder why we look to the Internet to create our own worlds with which we can have some semblance of control. What happens when we lose our sense of control because we’re focused on the wrong things? Maybe there’s a lot of irony on display throughout Cloud which turns out to be another “big swing” of a movie for this filmmaker since this isn’t really a part of the Pulse universe, but more akin to the work of Tarantino.

A wild surprise to say the least, Cloud finds Kurosawa almost dabbling in revenge-thriller territory as we follow Ryosuke Yoshii reselling various items on the Internet to support himself. We see him negotiating a low price with an older couple for a product they’ve developed. They beg him to meet them halfway because Ryosuke’s price doesn’t even begin to cover their production costs, but he won’t budge, insisting that the product is useless – though he’s still willing to take the risk. In the very next scene, we see him posting the ads for the whole batch of that product online, listing them for 200,000 yen per box, up from the 3000 per box he paid.

A conflict ensues as he gets in over his head which is inevitable within a story such as this. One of the most interesting aspects of the film is how its protagonist is not even a morally ambiguous anti-hero, but an outright reprehensible nuisance that we still enjoy watching. The anxious atmosphere is definitely on display for a good long while before almost changing its tune entirely. Maybe the surprise element is what made it stand out since I was essentially strapped in for more effective, psychological horror. The use of green screen certainly adds a surreal tone that breaks suspension of disbelief. This ultimately transforms into a genre hybrid that is definitely not just another slow burn story about the perils of being too digitally connected. Though that’s there too for good measure, just not always at the forefront.

I genuinely wonder what die-hard fans of this director will think of this because it certainly subverts what you’d come to expect. The final outcome might even be deemed too unrealistically convenient, but that might also be the film’s biggest strength because we’re witnessing the triumph of evil. Which again, fits the times in a way that hopefully doesn’t reflect reality too much especially come this time next month after voting.

Other CIFF Titles To Look Forward To!

Blitz. British filmmaker Steve McQueen recruited the wonderful Saoirse Ronan for a lead role in this World War II period piece. Ronan’s character sends her 9-year-old son to the English countryside to stay safe during the bombings in London. Defiant, the boy begins a solo journey back to London, only to find himself in peril as his mother searches for him. Screenings here!

Nightbitch, starring Amy Adams, is the festival’s centerpiece. Adapted from the popular Rachel Yoder novel, it follows a woman who leaves her career to become a stay-at-home mom. Her maternal instincts kick into overdrive as she manifests a life in which she sometimes transforms into a dog. Director Marielle Heller will receive the Visionary Award.

The Brutalist stars Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones. From director Brady Corbet, it tells the story of an architect looking to escape post–World War II Europe. The movie, with a run time well over three hours, will be screened in 35mm at the Music Box. I keep hearing amazing things about this to where I hope I get to see it sooner than later.

Pavements is one of my most anticipated; it comes from Alex Ross Perry and is a weird documentary hybrid musical of sorts all about the band Pavement. Perry envisions an alternative reality where frontman Stephen Malkmus and the other members of the band are the subjects of a hot Hollywood biopic, an off-Broadway jukebox musical, and a pop-up museum exhibition, which all seem to be actually happening. Or are they, really?

Here. The closing night film is Here by one of my all-time favorite directors, the incredible Robert Zemeckis. Told much in the style of Richard McGuire’s acclaimed graphic novel, upon which it is based, Tom Hanks and Robin Wright star in a tale of love, loss, laughter, and life. Possibly all in one framed shot? Really curious to see how hard this one makes me cry. And of course, I truly hope to cross paths and thank Zemeckis for all he’s done over the years.

Again lots to look forward to in hopes there is time to catch them all while both film festivals are taking place! Stay tuned! For more info on CIFF, go here!