The Borscht Film Festival is a
film festival organized by the
Borscht Corporation held in
Miami,
Florida roughly every 18–24 months. The festival's mission is to tell Miami stories, forging the cinematic identity of the city. While most of the films screened are commissioned specifically for the festival by the Borscht Corporation, they also accept works where the subject matter or filmmaker has some tie to
South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
.
Known as "the weirdest film festival on the planet," the festival is characterized by a gonzo sensibility, sense of spectacle, and focus on regional storytelling. While critics of the festival point out its chaotic structure, they also acknowledge that it is part of an overall ethos that is "teeming with lunacy and inspired imagination." It has been lauded for its "visionary and experimental organizational methods” with
''Filmmaker'' Magazine going as far as to recognize it as the most conceptually bold film festival of its era, and also a reinvention of the concept of a film festival.
Over the years the festival grew from a small, one night underground screening of student films to an internationally recognized event that became influential in the world of independent film for its inspired programming and curatorial skills, supporting the early work of artists like
Jillian Mayer
Jillian Mayer (born June 24, 1984) is a visual performance artist and filmmaker. She was born in Miami and is based there today. Mayer's video works and performances have been displayed at galleries and museums internationally and film festivals ...
,
Barry Jenkins,
Tarell Alvin McCraney,
John Wilson John Wilson may refer to:
Academics
* John Wilson (mathematician) (1741–1793), English mathematician and judge
* John Wilson (historian) (1799–1870), author of ''Our Israelitish Origin'' (1840), a founding text of British Israelism
* John Wil ...
,
Terence Nance,
Rachel Rossin
Rachel Rossin (born 1987, West Palm Beach, Florida) is a multi-media and installation artist based in New York City.
Personal life
When Rossin was 16, her mother brought her to the Whitney Museum of American Art where she was attracted to Kiki ...
, and more. Films that first played at the Borscht Festival later went on to screen at
Cannes,
Sundance
A Sun Dance is a Native American ceremony.
Sun dance or Sundance may also refer to:
Places
;Canada
*Sundance, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood
*Sundance, Manitoba, a ghost town
;United States
* Sundance, New Mexico, a census-designated place ...
,
Toronto,
SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
, and various other festivals.
The Borscht Film Festival was founded by Lucas Levya and a group of
New World School of the Arts alums in 2005.
History
The festival was founded by a group of
New World School of the Arts students in 2004.
[Miami Herald http://miamiherald.typepad.com/reeling/2009/11/the-2009-borscht-film-festival-launches-tonight.html/]
References
External links
*
Film festivals in Florida
Film festivals established in 2005
Culture of Miami
Tourist attractions in Miami
2005 establishments in Florida
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