3rd Montreal Underground Film Festival program

MUFF’s third edition, IN MUFF WE TRUST, broadens its horizons to feature an international crop of underground films.

The third edition of the Montreal Underground Film Festival (MUFF) will unravel at a frenetic pace over a three-day period from May 15 to 17, 2008. With over 300 submissions hailing from over a dozen countries, MUFF had the daunting task of selecting the 80 finest and most innovative shorts and feature-length offerings from local and international artists. This year, three venues will host MUFF nights of cinematic chaos under the banner “IN MUFF WE TRUST” : The legendary opening night will take place at Vinyl shop Nice Music (435 Beaubien West 4th floor)on May 15th, at 8:30pm sharp. On May 16th and 17th, The Main Hall (5390, Boul. St-Laurent), and Friperie Potetr (6029 ave. du Parc corner Van Horne) will be hosts to cinematic underground MUFF life 2008!

MUFF 101
MUFF is a festival that celebrates low-budget film-making and promotes those who challenge the boundaries of mainstream Hollywood. Zoë Brown and Karina Mariano, co founders and leading ladies of the MUFF, wanted to leave the conventional film aesthetic attitude on the cutting room floor when concocting the fest’s lineup. Mariano and Brown, both independent film-makers with many projects under their belts, sought out edgy films bustling with creative freedom, energy and experimentation. Films in any way affiliated with a major motion picture studio were ineligible.

MUFF Programming
This year MUFF will REALLY go underground with it’s closing night party and feature film premiere of the documentary by U.S. filmmaker Melody Gilbert “ Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness” (www.urbanexplorersfilm.com). A group of actual urban explorers will come to MUFF to introduce the film. They will share their stories and their pictures, they MIGHT even share some tricks and maps of the Catacombes!!! The MUFF lineup is a trail mix of ex-para-mental goodies and sexy fun flicks. Audiences will be able to indulge in Warholian eye candy (‘’Histoire sans fin’’ by Yann Breuleux, ‘’Chronicle Re-Construction ’’ by Steven Woloshen), electro-sex goodies (“Bildo” by Lamathilde (www.lamathilde.com/ ), “SuPORNnatural” and “Jerking”), the Rockabilly scene in BC (“ Shake, Rattle and Roll”), heart wrenching 16mm shorts (Alexandra Grimanis’ barely off the Steenbeck “ Lucky Girl”), allegorical fairy tales (‘Jeep’s latest “ The Lounge Toad”), Politi-loco (“ Hunger State”, “ Haute vitesse” by Dominic Gagnon) , road movies and nostalgic pieces (“Trecho” from Brazil, “ Mary”, “ Vos”), mood pieces (“ RH Factor”, “ Blue Water”) downward spinning (“Juddha - 1970 AC” from Switzerland http://www.myspace.com/gregeloirom) and a poetic short documentary about a woman boxer (‘’Underdog’’) to name just a few. MUFF attendees will once again be made privy to more than twenty film premieres, along with a hefty film serving courtesy of Canadian staples Volatile Works collective, Winnipeg Film Group, Vidéographe, Le Groupe Intervention video and Video Out. This will solidify the MUFF foundation and help it carve out a niche as the reference point for Canada’s censor-phobic, alternative film-makers.

Opening night – May 15, 2008 Opening night will be hosted by the fabulous Danny Demon. The 60 minute screening of “The Best of” MUFF 2008 will be followed by a wild night of dancing thanks to DJ Lynne T of Lesbians on Ecstasy. Mariano & Brown, who also dish it out on circuit tracks as roller girls for the Montreal Roller Derby League, promise to spice up the opening night festivities with rollercking good times! Gals on wheels will command the opening cocktail (8:30pm) by selling raffle tickets.

May 17-18-19, 2007

MUFF Evening Table d’hôte
Head chefs: Zoë Brown and Karina Mariano

Appetizers

Fresh Fluorescent Banana Split (Cage and Aviary Birds / Thomas Bogaert /Belgium)
A kind of animated porno made with 1500 fluorescent paintings on old magazines for ormitologists.

Uncle Cluck Chicken Fingers (Uncle Cluck / Allan Brown / Montréal) “Chickens are good for two things...layin’ eggs and barbecues.” Uncle Cluck is a fairy tale embalmed within the obscurity and imagination of memory as the narrator’s uncle transforms into his own worst nightmare.

Gentleman Tartare (Merry Sea-Gentleman and the Cod Fisher’s Voyage Below / Sam Scott/ Canada) Thrown overboard in a storm, a fisherman is rescued by a curious sea creature. The story is told in stop-motion animation made with textiles and embroidery.

Main Course

Catacombe Bone Roast (Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness / Melody Gilbert / USA) Police think they are terrorists but urban explorers are actually a growing subculture of adventure seekers from around the world who explore places most people would never dream of going. (www.urbanexplorersfilm.com/)

Salty Brazilian Sweat Stew (Trecho (Passage) / Clarissa Campolina, Helvécio Jr./ Brazil)
The Movie follows the footsteps of Libério through brazilian highways. This audio visual diary recounts a journey made light years ago. The questions and memories of the character are transformed through the passage of time, by the lasdscape and the experience of making the film.

Politi-loco Soufflé (Mahaha The Tickler / Mike Maryniuk / Canada)
Mahaha the Tickler is a about an Inuit legend concerning a spirit who tickles prankster cops to death.

Desserts
Chef’s note: These sweets will be served extremely hot. Please check temperature with tongue before eating.

Genderfuck Muff Pie (Jerking / Val Desjardins / Montréal)
Sexy short in which genderfuck, boxing and masturbation come together as candy for the eyes...

Pink Queer Tiramisu ( Toi et Moi / Ali Cotterill / USA) Toi et Moi is the hot new music video for Olympia, WA based electro duo Scream Club. Hot pink fantasy world with dance offs and drag queens featuring some of Portland's hottest queer glitterati.
http://www.muff514.com