December 20, 2014
by Motorcycle Film Festival | Dec 20, 2014 | Uncategorized |
If you came to MFF this year you may have seen “Romance” from Stories of Bike. The story of Chris and Karen Atkinson’s love for each other and riding has touched a number of people. If you haven’t seen it, watch it now at Stories of Bike.
In memoriam, Karen Atkinson
Thus, after hearing that her cancer had gone into remission last year, it is with heavy hearts that this week we learned of her passing. Cam Elkins who brought us the beautifully framed story tells it better than we ever could. Read his requiem here. The MFF family is intimately familiar with the harrowing effects of cancer and we send our sincerest condolences to Chris, Chris and Karen’s families, and their friends.
December 12, 2014
by corinna | Dec 12, 2014 | Uncategorized |
This Saturday will find the Co-Founders of The Motorcycle Film Festival (MFF) on the MAIN STAGE of the Progressive International Motorcycle Show (IMS) at the Javits Center in New York City at 1pm sharp.
We’ll be screening several short films (below) from this years official selection roster and discussing them with Judge and Filmmaker Peter Starr, director of Take It To The Limit (1981) among others.
Django Django “WOR”
Filmmakers: Jim Demuth & Posy Dixon
Mercury music video nominees Django Django became obsessed by the infamous Indian Wall Of Death riders in Allababad.
So, naturally, they asked Noisey to travel to India and stand right in the middle of large lumps of precariously speeding metal for a day, to film a video for their track “Wor”. They happily obliged, getting shoes stolen in the process, but it was worth it to meet a bunch of guys with the most rock solid testicles ever.
Tom Fugle
Filmmaker: Scott Pommier
Longtime bike-builder, 72-year-old Tom Fugle is working to complete a chopper for the Born Free motorcycle show. After years of toiling in relative obscurity and near poverty Tom’s work is at last getting some recognition.
Saturday, December 12th
1pm
New York Progressive Intl Motorcycle Show
Javits Center
655 West 34th Street
New York, NY 10001
GET YOUR TICKETS HERE
– The MFF Staff
November 25, 2014
by corinna | Nov 25, 2014 | Uncategorized |
Aaaand…we’re back! Autumn has been a busy time for the MFF, and now we’ve got time to catch our breath and catch you up.
Last month, just weeks after the 2nd annual MMF wrapped in NYC, founder Corinna hopped on a plane and left the cooler and shorter days of NYC for sunny Orlando and the AIM Expo.
It was an honor to be invited to the event, where we screened select clips from the MFF on the main screen at the convention center throughout the event, as well as hosted several public talks with motorcycle rider, industry leader, and all-around legend John Penton and his son Jack. We were joined by Todd Huffman, Producer & Director of Penton: The John Penton Story which took home the award for Best Feature Documentary at this year’s festival.
left to right: Todd Huffman, Jack Penton, John Penton
It was wonderful to watch footage from the film with John and Jack and share with the audience the impact that the Pentons had on the history of the motorcycle industry, not to mention decades worth of stories about riding and racing. The Pentons changed the race of dirt riding and their name is attached to most of the brands on the market today.
There was no shortage of industry attendees who knew of, knew personally, had raced with, or worked for the Pentons. It brought home the core belief of the MFF which is to bring motorcycle riders together as a community.
Todd and John signing movie posters
To find out more about screening Penton: The John Penton Story in your town, check out their website!
Perry King at the MFF Ride & Repeat
Fresh off the press, or whatever machine is used to print it, our new Ride & Repeat banner saw its debut, thanks to Aim Expo, Schuberth, and Held. The photo booth was set up all weekend with a beautifully customized Honda CB550 Four courtesy of Cafe Moto Club, and the crowd loved it. Even actor Perry King, who was there to host the AMA Hall Of Fame induction ceremony, stopped by.
Co-Founder (also Cine Meccanica host and history of vehicular film nut) Corinna was pretty stoked to talk to Perry about his first screen appearance on 2 wheels, in the classic greaser flick The Lords Of Flatbush (1974)
The Schuberth crew
Be sure to follow the MFF here, on Facebook and on Instagram for more exciting news coming soon! We’ve got plenty more in store for you, so keep watching this space. Until then, keep those wheels and cameras rolling!
-Matt ‘Howl On Wheels’ Howell and The MFF Crew
October 16, 2014
by Jack Drury | Oct 16, 2014 | Uncategorized |
Welcome back, MFF followers! Didn’t we say we’d be busy? With barely a moment to breathe, the MFF is taking this show on the road! Via flight!
Our fearless (sleepless?) founder Corinna Mantlo, is on her way to AIMExpo in Orlando, FL. Thursday and Friday are industry and media only days, but stop by on Saturday and Sunday if you’re on hand! We’ll have a Ride and Repeat set up featuring a Moto Cafe bike, hosted by our friends from Schuberth & Helde, and we’ll be screening MFF selected shorts in the Media Hub and in the Rider’s Garage all day long!
John Penton, Jack, Corinna, and Jack Penton headed to dinner with Director of the film, Todd Huffman.
We’ve also got some great interviews planned with Todd Huffman, director/producer of Penton: The John Penton Story, as well as John Penton himself and his son Jack. They will also be autographing copies of the Ed Youngblood’s book John Penton and The Off Road Motorcycle Revolution. Don’t miss out on these talks in the with these legends of motorcycling!
Thursday: in the Riders Garage (Industry)
- 10:00am-1:30pm – MFF film screenings
- 1:30pm-2:30pm – Penton Interviews
- 2:30pm-5:00pm – MFF film screenings
- 5:00pm-6:00pm – Penton Interviews
Friday: in the Riders Garage (Industry)
- 10:00am-11:00am – Penton Interviews
- 11:00am-2:00pm – MFF film screenings
- 2:00pm-3:00pm – Penton Interviews
- 3:00pm-6:00pm – MFF film screenings
Saturday (Public)
- All day – MFF film screenings (in the Media Hub)
- All Day – Ride & Repeat (inside the AIM EXPO front entrance)
Sunday (Public)
- All day – MFF film screenings (in the Media Hub)
- All Day – Ride & Repeat (at the AIM EXPO front entrance)
So, if you find yourself in the Orlando area this weekend, stop by and to say hello, get your picture taken, and get more information. Keep those wheels and cameras rolling!
-Matt ‘Howl On Wheels’ Howell and The MFF Crew
September 15, 2014
by Motorcycle Film Festival | Sep 15, 2014 | Uncategorized |
Hi Roland. How did you hear about the Motorcycle Film Festival?
I think I originally saw it on the interweb through friends and social media, but was formally introduced through Paul d’Orleans. And then there was that drunken night at Paul’s house in New York when I was officially pulled into the fray.
You’ve really moved up in the motorcycle wrenching world. You started by sweeping floors on your way to becoming Director of R&D before establishing your own company. What set you on this road?
I was a motorcycle racer. After ten years of dedicating myself to going fast and getting hurt, I figured I should try something else. I missed racing terribly and after getting really depressed I found solace in building and designing motorcycle and motorcycle parts. I loved the job so it stuck.
What are your favorite films? Motorcycle or otherwise, and what do you like about them?
I love films with real emotion that pull me out of my own reality. I like to go other places, to other worlds and feel a sense of displacement that gets me out of my own head. We spend enough time swimming through our own skulls, and movies do a good job of giving you something else to focus on beside yourself, kind of like riding a motorcycle.
You’re a builder and a designer, what will you be looking for in this year’s submissions?
I’m looking for passion without the cheese. Something outside of the typical ride a bike with a half helmet on and light a campfire. There are real stories out there, and they need to be shown and experienced. Of course I love racing and bike building and a new spin on either of those things would be really cool. A little depth into why people do what they do is always a plus as long as it’s not manufactured. A little fear is never a bad thing. The motorcycle horror genre hasn’t been explored in a while.
How does your experience as a road race inform your builds and view of motorcycling?
I just like to build bikes that work—that you can ride hard. The aesthetic is important, but if it works like shit I’m not interested. It has to have a purpose. I suppose I like movies that serve a purpose as well. Even if that purpose is to freak you out.
Your recent designs, especially in clothing, have a vintage feel. Is this a personal influence or do you sense a trend or zeitgeist in the motorcycle community?
I build the motorcycles I like. There’s not a lot out there I’m in love with, so it motivates me to build something I can really appreciate. It’s the same thing with motorcycle parts and apparel. I like to have a reason to do something; it’s not just about creating something for people to buy. It’s about creating something new I really dig.
You just opened another shop in LA. What was the inspiration behind that?
I’ve always wanted to have shop in LA. My buddy Nevo from PowerPlant had an opportunity, and we made it happen. For me it’s about getting the brand out there in an authentic way with my friend in a cool environment. It’s a place we can throw parties and events as well as show off what we do and how it’s done.
You never seem to slow down, what’s next
That’s the question I ask myself every day when I wake up. BMW parts, an Indian build, a bunch of new riding gear and Bell helmet designs rise to the top of the mental pile currently. I have a part in the new On Any Sunday movie, which is really cool and hopefully is one of the movies that makes the festival. I’m voting for it anyway if that’s allowed.
September 12, 2014
by Motorcycle Film Festival | Sep 12, 2014 | Uncategorized |
Toast, as taken by MFF Judge JP
The 2014 Motorcycle Film Festival trailer is brought to us by Toastacia “Toast” Boyd. Based in Los Angeles, the multi-talented video artist has a knack for sounds, movement, rhythm, pace and texture. Between breaths Toast took a minute to talk to us.
Which came first: bikes or movies and how did they come together?
Well, they’ve both been in my life for a long time. My sister and I used to jump garbage cans on our BMX bikes as kids, playing at being Evel Knievel while pretending to shoot film through the eye of our Six Million Dollar Man doll! But those weren’t real motorcycles or real film. I guess in actuality, motorcycles came first. A few of us saved up our paper route money and went in together to buy a used YZ100…we kept it down by the river to hide it from our parents.
Whenever asked what I wanted for my birthday or Xmas, I begged relentlessly for the same three things: a motorcycle, a drum set, and a movie camera. I guess faced with the other options, a movie camera appealed to my parents most! Once I got my mitts on a Super 8 camera, I began to film everything I could afford, including Mad Max recreations and action sequences.
In the MFF 2014 trailer you worked with the Velvets MC. Who are they and how did you meet?
The Velvets are a bunch of cool chicks that made a pact with me to go out and to dirt bike more. It started as a dare and turned into a sisterhood! So we’ve organized into an MC so we can push each other even further – improve our skills and enjoy the thrills of riding, wrenching and rocking!
What’s the best part about making movies with other bikers?
The best part is how passionate bikers are… about where they’ve just come from and where they’re headed. Cool thing is, it’s not just the people, but the bikes too!
Is there a common thread between riding and making movies?
Oh yes, yes, yes! It’s easy to say they both take you on a journey blah blah blah… but it’s way more than that. I always try to make film slightly more sensory by using texture, motion, and focus so it’s not just a window you look through, but light and shadow that you move through… Kind of like the difference between driving a car past a dirt field with the windows rolled up versus being on a bike so you can smell that it’s actually a strawberry patch!
Rumor has it you used to be in a punk band. Wanna tell us about it and how it fits with filmmaking?
It’s true! I began played in bands as a much cheaper way to be creative… Compared to the cost of making films, definitely! I definitely find rhythm a valuable tool. Since I do a lot of in-camera editing, always having a song in my head helps me keep a sense of pace. I love cutting to music in the edit room too. It’s like collaborating with an old friend!
How did you get involved in making the MFF ’14 trailer?
I’m not sure! When the subject came up, I was under the impression that mine would be one of several. I’m pretty sure that if I had realized that it was to be the “official” trailer of the festival that I would have sweated it a lot more! It’s probably a good thing that I didn’t have any idea – so I kept it somewhat whimsical!
Why did you choose to film it in Super 8?
I love shooting film for its texture and graininess. I used Super 8 because it’s small and portable. You know, hidden easily if you have to throw it in your jacket and take off on your bike!
What were the best parts of making this trailer and most challenging, besides us rushing the hell out of you?
We all had such had a blast taking turns riding around on the police bike – that might have been the best part. That mechanical siren is seriously a piece of art! It runs off a drum on the rear wheel, so you can really get a lot of personality out of it by altering either your speed or the amount of pressure on the handlebar lever or both. It screams at higher speeds and then it mournfully wails as you pull to a stop…so cool! Of course, we scared the hell out of some school kids that were cutting class.
As for the challenging part, that was probably the tricky development scenario I got myself into… sometimes I do “over-experiment”!
Do you have a favorite moto movie?
It’s almost impossible to pick just one, but I do have a small collection of old Regular 8 films about hill climbs and scrambles that I bought at a yard sale. I have no idea who shot the film, who those daring riders are that are in it, or exactly when or where the footage is from. But every time I watch the reels, I notice another peculiarity. The footage is very raw, almost rapturous. It’s a heartfelt documentation by an amateur immersed in a historical moment. It’s completely inspiring.
What are you working on next?
I’m working with the amazing and inspiring Cris Sommer-Simmons. We’re putting together a film about her coast-to-coast journey on a 1915 Harley-Davidson during the 2010 Motorcycle Cannonball. The footage I shot was originally to be B-Roll for a bigger project, but since that film never transpired, we’re going to use the film we have to put together her story. Stay tuned!
If you need more Toast, head over to her website at www.toastola.com and you can find toastola on YouTube too.
