April 6th

SATURDAY NIGHT DOCUMENTARY SHORTS SHOWCASE

The Bishop Bar | Doors 6pm | Lights 6:30pm 

6:30pm Doc Shorts Block I

  1. Bad Syne (US)

    Two artists collaborate on music and life on an epic road trip.

  2. Samuel Plato (US INDIANA)

    As the first African-American architect in Indiana, Samuel Plato overcame the racial restrictions of the early 20th century. Preserving Plato’s deteriorating buildings is crucial to remembering his legacy.

  3. MindFully Blind (US BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA)

    This documentary delves into the vibrant and eclectic music scene of Bloomington, Indiana, through the lens of a local band making waves in the community. The film takes place over a three year span, exploring the unique upbringing of the band and the impact of all their hard work. Through electrifying concert footage and impactful interviews, viewers witness the band's connection with their audience and the profound impact of their music.

  4. All Things New
    Jasmine, a survivor of sex trafficking and addiction, inspires others with her story of transformation and redemption.

7:30pm Doc Shorts Block II

  1. Okay, Mr. Ray! (US)

    No one could spin a yarn to make a sale like Ray Lum. Twenty years after their initial meeting, Bill Ferris returned home to Mississippi in the early ‘70s with a camera.

    The result reveals a look back at the colorful rhythms of Ray’s life—at home, at the auction, joking with strangers outside country stores— and provides a glimpse at Southern manhood, friendship and loss. Now nearly Ray’s age when they first filmed, Ferris has become a Grammy Award winning documentarian and renowned folklorist.

    Using never before seen 16mm footage and new animations, OKAY, MR. RAY is a short documentary film about how even the tallest tales help us keep the memory alive of the ones we love.

  2. Saving Superman (US INDIANA)

    Logline:
    When a local man with autism known as the town hero faces eviction, the community comes together when he needs saving.

    Synopsis:
    In a small suburb outside of Chicago lives a 57 year old man with ASD (autism spectrum disorder) named Jonathan, also known as ‘Superman’. Known for his heroic actions, he’s a revered member of the Glen Ellyn community and has been a staple in the 4th of July Parade for nearly 30 years. When Jonathan’s living circumstances were threatened by new development, the town decided to spring into action after his best friend Julie started a fundraiser to save his home.

  1. LIMINAL (US INDIANA)

    Liminal: Indiana in the Anthropocene is a meditative aerial film that illustrates our state as a microcosm of this new planetary epoch. This is a condensed edit provided to BIFF by the filmmaker, the full film covers a wide scale of the new planetary epoch we are entering.

8:30pm Shorts Block III

  1. Stargazing (US INDIANA)

    This music video is a culmination of research exploring the life of Elizabeth Breckenridge (1843-1910) who lived and worked as a paid domestic service in the home of Indiana University's first president for over 50 years.

    Dr. Maria Hamilton Abegunde and Dr. Raymond Wise worked with Indiana University librarian and Wylie House Museum Director Carey Champion, doctoral student Jeffrey Giddings, and students from the African American Arts Institute (AAAI) to research and explore Breckenridge's life through original poetry, prose, and musical performance.

    Rather than fabricating Lizzie's life or filling in the missing pieces of an archive, this project will use the arts to create an opening of possibilities to locate Lizzie's story within a larger narrative at Wylie House, in Bloomington, and in Indiana.

  2. HAWTHORE! An Indy West Side Story (US INDIANA)
    For over a century, the Hawthorne neighborhood of Indianapolis has been a place where neighbors become friends. Nestled in the heart of the great west side, is a diverse portrait of people connected to the past and finding community in the present.

  3. The Dolphin Dillemma
    Imagine, waking up being covered in third-degree burns, that's what it's like for the Burrunan dolphins in Australia. But why is this happening? That's what Dr. Duignan, Director of Pathology at The Marine Mammal Center, Dr. Stephen’s from Murdoch University, and Dr. Robb from the Marine Mammal Foundation had to find out. This film explores this international collaboration that proves for the first time that these lesions being found on cetaceans around the world are only caused by climate change.

    10:15pm

    GRAND BIFF AWARDS CEREMONY