The Gallery
By Tanner Kent
Leaving Mankato ‘Speechless’ Inaugural Bethany film festival features film screenings, local winner and music video premier
T
he inaugural Speechless Film Festival kicks off May 3-4 in the theater at the Mankato Place mall. Speechless is an international film festival for students and professionals inspired by the universal art of visual, but not silent, storytelling. The inaugural event received 86 entries from 24 countries. The festival springs from Bethany’s highly competitive media arts program, which boasts a long record of regional and national accolades, including a 2010 Emmy nomination for “Maverick Hockey Weekend.” In addition to screening submitted films, the event will also include the debut of the stop-motion music video that Bethany media arts students created for “Midnight on the Interstate” by Trampled By Turtles. The festival winners, which were announced before the event began, include:
• Professional Long Form: “Indrivaren,” directed by Michael Rendell (English title: “When The Man Comes Around”). A 23-minute film produced in Sweden and Poland, “Indrivaran” tells the story about an anonymous bureaucrat who works for Death — collecting the souls of the departed. Stuck in a monotonous work routine, the collector starts to question his vocation after an encounter with a terminally ill girl named Amanda. The more he learns about her, the more he starts playing by his own rules. • Student Long Form: “Walker,” co-directed by Eero Heinonen and Paco Bouazza. “Walker” is a 30-minute philosophical short film set in scenic background of the Himalayan mountain range in Nepal. It asks the questions of balanced existence and searches for ultimate happiness in human life. The film provides an impressionist and meditative portrayal of a young man’s journey to Nepal and India. • Professional Animation/Experimental/Other: “Sleight of Hand,” written and directed by Michael Cusack of Australia. In this 10-minute film stopmotion film about illusions, a man yearns to know his place in the world and how he fits in when, sometimes, it’s better not to know. • Student Animation/Experimental/Other: “18 Minutes,” by Savannah College of Art and Design student Christopher Mennuto. Mennuto wrote of his three-minute short film: “This animation is the story of my father’s survival on September 11th. Although I was only 10 when my father narrowly escaped the fall of the towers, my recollection of the events of that day still resonate in my mind.” • Professional Short Form: “Later than Usual,” written and directed by David Hovan of Canada. This 6-minute film shows a day in the life of an elderly couple. This couple has lived so long together that they have nothing left to say to each other. The non-verbal interactions 12 • May 2013 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
between the two make for sometimes funny and at other times poignant moments throughout the film. • Student Short Form: “Enveloped,” directed by Bethany Lutheran College student Landon Brands and co-written by Grace Merchant and Brands. This film is about a man working in a crazy, colorful post office who wants to propose to his girlfriend. But when his bumptious boss and a mail mix-up get in the way, he’ll need to sort through the mess so she can say “yes.” Professional winners will receive $1,000 while student winners receive $500. Judges included: Lars Johnson, associate professor of English at Bethany Lutheran College; Don Larsson, professor of English at Minnesota State University; Jeff Boortz, assistant professor of graphic design at Georgia State University; and Tim Lind and Shelley Pierce, KMSU radio morning show hosts. To purchase event passes or find more information, visit www.speechlessfilmfestival.com. M