The international Motorcycle Film Festival (MFF), recognized as one of the world’s most important motorcycling events, joins Pure & Crafted to screen two nights of film, August 12-13 2016 in Berlin. The lineup will include short and feature length films, all Official Selections of the MFF in New York. The Motorcycle Film Festival brings together established and up-and-coming filmmakers, riders, builders, enthusiasts, and industry executives. Past participants and entrants have received international recognition, secured commercial distribution and funding, and have captivated worldwide audiences. Corinna Mantlo (Founder, New York) and Irene Kotnik (2016 Judge, Berlin) will be in attendance at Pure & Crafted to introduce the films and discuss the 4th annual MFF set to take place September 14-17 in New York City.
Corinna Mantlo: The Motorcycle Film Festival was founded in 2013 by Corinna Mantlo. With 15 years of riding experience, Mantlo has spent almost as much time working in and for the motorcycle community. What started as local outreach in New York City grew into the well-respected Cine Meccanica movie nights; one of the largest and active women’s motorcycle clubs in the United States, The Miss-Fires; and the international Motorcycle Film Festival. A published authority on two-wheeled cinema, Mantlo currently owns and operates Via Meccanica, a leatherwork and restoration company that specializes in custom motorcycle seats.
Irene Kotnik: Co-founder of Video Art Channel, a platform for curating and exhibiting video art. In 2014, Kotnik co-founded The Curves Motorcycle Club and is currently organizing a Petrolettes event in Berlin which will feature races, live concerts, film screenings, and more. With a passion for the positive and supportive motorcycle community, Kotnik strives to connect women in gasoline culture to pursue courage and self-expression.
Friday, August 12th
6-9pm
First Floor, Postbahnhof am Ostbahnhof, Straße der Pariser Kommune 8, 10243 Berlin
Mercury Music Prize nominees Django Django became obsessed by the infamous Indian Well of Death riders in Allahabad. So, naturally, they asked Noisey if we’d be up for travelling over to India and standing right in the middle of large lumps of precariously speeding metal for a day, to film a video for their track “Wor”. We happily obliged, getting our shoes stolen in the process, but it was worth it to meet a bunch of guys with the most rock solid testicles we’ve ever come across.
This is a short film about how my mom became the owner of a motorcycle for the My Rode Reel competition. More deeply it is about how people use objects to connect with times, ideas, and people.
What would happen if you tried to ride a totally inappropriate vehicle from one side of the country to the other?
What if that vehicle was a 15-year-old trials motorbike, a Montesa Cota 315, with no seat, a tiny 3 litre fuel tank and top speed of 30 mph? Would man and machine make it…? That’s just what Greg Villalobos and Noel Thom set out to find out.
A day-dreamer rides around the world on a motorcycle, surviving only on money he makes along the way, until he finds what he wasn’t even looking for.
Traveling by motorbike, Daniel and Lars set out on an exhilarating journey to circumnavigate the globe. Aiming to finance their trip by working as they go, they want to experience local cultures more immediately than any tourist could.
Saturday, August 13th
6-8pm
First Floor, Postbahnhof am Ostbahnhof, Straße der Pariser Kommune 8, 10243 Berlin
We follow the heartwarming yet tragic love story of Red Molly and James, in this short animated film. A film about love, motorbikes, and a redheaded girl.
Rick Monahan has dedicated his life to vintage BMW motorcycles. He didn’t watch Easy Rider, he lived it. Rick’s passion for these bikes sustained him from bad ass teen shooting down Route 66 to opening his own indie garage in order to “pollinate Western L.A. with as many BMW’s as possible.
Legendary motorcycle builder Shinya Kimura shares his design philosophy while revealing his newest custom build for Yamaha. This launched the campaign for Yamaha’s new custom build division.
1 MAP FOR 2 is a documentary about the extraordinary motorcycle world tour by Tartarini and Monetti in 1957.A trip through five continents, 35 countries and 4 revolutions. The story of the world of the past through two guys with two motorcycles, a 16mm camera and a pocket map.
MotorCircus: Christoph Köhler, Marko Kramer, Martin Lemcke, Tim Adler
Country: Germany
4 Beemers, 8 Wheels, 16 Valves. A documentary about a journey from Berlin to the Isle of Man Classic TT. The story of four ‘MotorCircus’ Berlin boys on vintage custom BMW motorcycles, taking a 4,000 kilometre road trip from the German capital to the Isle of Man, via Belgium, France and London.
The mission of the Motorcycle Film Festival is to provide a home for motorcycle films from around the world, and to give motorcycle and film enthusiasts a reason to gather, discuss, and celebrate their favorite subject at great length every fall. Members of the motorcycling community are in the midst of the biggest creative boom centered on motorcycles since the 1970s. The massive, youthful rise of motorcycle mania has excited big motorcycle factories to collaborate with rising garage artists, and has inspired professional filmmakers to produce that long-dreamt two-wheel feature film. For more information and to purchase tickets to the 2016 Motorcycle Film Festival, please visit motorcyclefilmfestival.com. You can also follow MotorcycleFilmFestival on Facebook and @motofilmfest on Instagram.
Make a 60-second movie, post it on Instagram and win accolades, prestige, prizes and VIP hobnobbing at the 4th Annual Motorcycle Film Festival taking place in Brooklyn, NY, September 14–17, 2016.
Burgeoning and established film makers are invited to submit their moto movies on Instagram in two categories 1) Most Liked and 2) Judge’s Prize starting Monday, August 1 and closing Thursday, September 1, 2016.
Both award-winning movies will be featured at the 4th annual Motorcycle Film Festival in Brooklyn, on the MFF website, and will travel the globe on the MFF world tour. In addition, each winning filmmaker will receive a VIP all-access pass and a gift pack courtesy of our partners.
To Enter
1) Shoot/edit a moto movie in 60 seconds or less
2) Upload your movie to Instagram
3) Tag it #ZeroTo60 #motofilmfest #ridered
-Submissions must contain all three hashtags to be considered valid: #ZeroTo60 #motofilmfest #ridered
-Do not submit movies containing copyrighted images or music unless you’ve received permission to use the copyrighted material
-Movies must be complete and run 60 seconds or less to be uploaded to Instagram
-Movies must contain motorcycles to be considered for judging (we’re a moto film fest after all…)
-Movies must comply with Instagram policies including nudity (if not, we won’t ever see them)
-Have fun!
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Instagram
About the Motorcycle Film Festival
The annual New York City based festival brings together established and young film makers, riders, builders, enthusiasts, and industry executives to present compelling and engaging films, installations, and panel discussions. Recognized as one of the world’s most important motorcycling events, past festival participants and entrants have received international recognition, secured commercial distribution and funding, and enlightened worldwide audiences. For more information and to purchase tickets to the 2016 Motorcycle Film Festival, please visit motorcyclefilmfestival.com. You can also follow MotorcycleFilmFestival on Facebook and motofilmfest on Instagram.
Cat Bruce won the Short Narrative award at the 2nd annual MFF for her film Vincent Black Lightning, an animated film thatfollows the heartwarming yet tragic love story of Red Molly and James, A film about love, motorbikes, and a redheaded girl. Read all about Cat and the MFF award winning film here: http://motorcyclefilmfestival.com/vincent-black-lightning/.
Vincent Black Lightning will be screened at Petrolettes festival in Berlin July 29-31 2016 as part of an MFF films from the female perspective, so we took a few minutes to check in with Cat.
MFF: What new projects do you have in the works?
CB: After making Vincent Black Lightning, I went on to make a number of promotional animations, including a music video for a band called STRAW: vimeo.com/102508143. Following that, I made a short animated film called No Place like Home, focusing on a woman dealing with the threat of eviction. The trailer can be seen here: vimeo.com/154026285. I’m currently working on a few projects including another music video, and a promotional animation for a company I’ve worked for many times, called Black Cow Vodka, who make Vodka from the milk of grass grazed cows in West Dorset, England.
MFF:How did you find out about the MFF?
CB: I just happened to come across the festival online after making Vincent Black Lightning (an animated music promo) for musician Ewan Robertson in 2014.
MFF:Have you attended the MFF?
CB: I have not attended! I would have loved to, but as I live in Scotland, it would have been a very big trip, but maybe I will go another year!
MFF: How did you get into making films?
CB: I went to Edinburgh College of Art, and originally wanted to take the sculpture course. In my first year, I tried out all sorts of stuff, and after creating an animation, I fell in love with it and decided to do my degree in animation, which lead in to freelance animation jobs and making my own films.
MFF: Was making motorcycle films always an interest, or was this film an exception in your work?
CB: It was an exception, however, I have been inspired and may venture back into the animated realm of motorcycles.
MFF: Do you ride motorcycles?
CB: I do not ride motorcycles, however I don’t drive either. I’ve always thought that if I was going to use any vehicle, it would be a motorbike, but I haven’t gotten round to it yet. So I cycle a pedal bike and make engine noises with my mouth in the meantime. MFF: Is there anything you’d like to say as a woman filmmaker of a motorcycle themed film specifically?
CB: It was a great fun film to make. For me, when I think of motorcycles, I get a sense of freedom and adventure, which is something that as a female filmmaker, really resonates. As a filmmaker, you should be adventurous in what you are making, and you have the freedom to show people how you see the world. This is an important thing to remember, especially when at the moment, there are far fewer well known female filmmakers than males. The male point of view can dominate media, and that is why it is so significant to encourage female filmmakers and filmmakers from any other minority group; so we can see that there is more than one perspective, more than one way to live, more than one way to have an adventure, and more than one way to be free.
MFF: Anything else you’d like to add?
CB: I grew up in the highlands of Scotland, where we have a yearly Harley-Davidson festival called Thunder in the Glens, and I remember as a kid I really looked forward to it. Hundreds (or what seemed like hundreds) of folk from all over the world on Harleys, and other motorbikes would ride through all the wee highland villages, until they got to Aviemore where there was music and food. And it was so loud, it really did sound like thunder. It’s quite a poignant memory, watching and hearing these big thunderous and super cool motorcycles roaring past as a small kid. So it probably has positively affected the way in which I see motorcycles. Just thought I should give it a shout out.
Article by MFF Host and Head Judge Paul d’Orleans, reposted from his website, The Vintagent
Cliff Vaughs at the Motorcycle Film Festival panel discussion, which I moderated – a film of his visit to NYC is being edited as we speak (photo courtesy the Motorcycle Film Festival).
Cliff Vaughs, best known for his creation of the ‘Easy Rider’ choppers, sailed away from this world quietly on July 2nd from his home in Templeton, CA. Had it not been for Jesse James’ ‘History of the Chopper’ TV series, Vaughs would have likely vanished from history, but the question ‘who built the most famous motorcycles in the world?’ needed an answer. That led Jesse to a sailboat in Panama, where he found Cliff, who’d left the USA in 1974. Why he lived alone on a sailboat in the Caribbean, instead of soaking up praise for his work on ‘Easy Rider’, and his filmmaking , photography, and civil rights work, is a long story. I told some of that story in my book ‘The Chopper; the Real Story’, but Cliff’s life was too big to fit into one chapter of a book, and he dismissed ‘Easy Rider’ as “Three weeks of my life”.
Cliff Vaughs on Malibu beach in 1973, on his white H-D Shovelhead chopper. (photo courtesy Eliot ‘Cameraman’ Gold)
Cliff Vaughs was born in Boston on April 16th, 1937, to a single mother, and showed great promise as a student. He graduated from Boston Latin School and Boston University, then earned his MA at the University of Mexico in Mexico City – driving from Boston in his Triumph TR2. Moving to LA in 1961, he encountered the budding chopper scene, and soon had a green Knucklehead ‘chopped Hog’, as he called it; that’s where he befriended motorcycle customizer Ben Hardy in Watts, who became his mentor. Cliff was recruited to the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1963, and brought his chopper to Arkansas and Alabama, where he drag-raced white policemen, and visited sharecropper farms “looking like slavery had never ended.” He added, “I may have been naïve thinking I could be an example to the black folks who were living in the South, but that’s why I rode my chopper in Alabama. I was never sure if the white landowners would chase me off with a shotgun. But I wanted to be a visible example to them; a free black man on my motorcycle.”
Cliff’s chopper adventures in the SNCC was a story never told – he was too radical, too provocative, too free for the group. Casey Hayden (activist/politician Tom Hayden’s first wife) remembered Cliff as “a West Coast motorcyclist, a lot of leather and no shirts. Hip before anyone else was hip. A little scary, and reckless.” Cliff’s ex-wife Wendy Vance added “He was a true adventurer. … There was just some sort of fearlessness in all situations. It did not occur to him that he was a moving target on this motorcycle. At a march in Selma, the civil rights leader John Lewis refused to stand next to him. ‘You are crazy,’ Lewis said, ‘I will not march next to you.’ The fear was that, somehow, Cliff would make himself a target.”
A never-before published photo of Cliff on his white H-D Shovelhead chopper in 1973 (photo courtesy the Easyriders archive)
Cliff was indeed a target of many failed shootings, and his tales of riding his chopper in the South were incorporated into ‘Easy Rider’, after he returned to LA in 1965 to make films like ‘What Will the Harvest Be?’, which explored the nascent Black Power movement. Cliff was Associate Producer on ‘Easy Rider’, and oversaw the creation of the Captain America and Billy choppers, which became the most famous motorcycles in the world. He didn’t get the recognition he deserved for those bikes, partly because the whole crew was fired when Columbia Pictures took over production, and Cliff’s payout/signoff included a clause keeping him off the film’s credits. Publications like Ed Roth’s ‘Choppers Magazine’ explored Cliff’s role in ‘Easy Rider’ from 1968 onwards, but both Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper at various times claimed credit for building those bikes, and Dan Haggerty took credit too. Hopper acknowledged in his last year the seminal role Cliff Vaughs played, as did Peter Fonda, in 2015. Cliff went on to produce ‘Not So Easy’, a motorcycle safety film, in 1974, but left the US to live on a sailboat in the Caribbean the next 40 years. He was brought back to the US in 2014, as appreciation spread for his contribution to motorcycle history, and he was celebrated at the Motorcycle Film Festival in Brooklyn last year; a documentary from his time in NYC is being edited as this moment. Godspeed, Cliff.
Cliff Vaughs with a re-creation of his ‘Captain America’ chopper in 2014
