The movies shown at the Brainwash Movie Festival are a great mix of original humor, experimental art movies, innovative animation, and short live-action stories with high production values. The moviemakers are unique and skillful storytellers, and the movies themselves pack a real punch into anywhere from 5 to 18 minutes.
In 2011, we featured a love story set in a post-global warming dystopia, a science-fiction period piece set in 1972, a six-minute Japanese historical epic comedy, a short about a man and his monkey puppet, and many more.
On September 3rd, we featured food vendors and began the show at 8 pm. On September 9th and 10th, we had food vendors starting at about 8 pm and started each 90 minute show around 9 pm.
Who won awards?
1st Prize: Clean is Good
2nd Grand Prize: Earthship
3rd prize: Coming Soon
4th prize: 5 Minutes Each
5th prize: The Lost Samurai
Audience Choice: My Friend Peter
Executive Consultant Award: Dave Reda for My Undeadly and Horror of Our Love
What did you show?
Saturday, September 3, 2011 (8 pm):
- Encore presentation: 2010′s award-winning Goodnight Harvey . . . . Josh Self & Orlando Rivera II
Muppos: those furry puppet performers we know and love. What you didn’t know: they’re alive! Must-see short from local filmmakers. - Encore presentation: 2010′s award-winning Horror of Our Love . . . . Dave Reda
This horror romantic comedy short film will twist your normal love story’s back until it breaks. - How to Make it in Filmmaking . . . . Shanna Maurizi (screening at about 10 pm)
The story of irrepressibly ambitious Brooklyn director Ari Taub and his war movie. - My Hood . . . . Jasmine Lewis
Microshort by a student at the Perspectives High School of Technology in Chicago, IL.
Friday, September 9, 2011 (9 pm; food trucks open at 7 pm):
- Coming Soon . . . . Raji Barbir
Jesus returns to Earth — Salt Lake City, to be exact — and receives a surprising welcome. - 5 Minutes Each . . . . Vojin Vasovic
Anthropomorphized obsolete technology illustrates the constant struggle of being an artist. Animated. - Dessicator . . . . Wijnand Geraerts
Extreme weather conditions lash the plateau keeping people in a state of constant struggle, from which there is no escape. - My Friend Peter . . . . Mike Kopera
Gerald’s one best friend and companion — his monkey puppet, Peter — terrifies him by talking to strangers. - Spirit of the Bluebird . . . . Jesse Gouchey and Xstine Cook
Animated tribute to murder victim Gloria Black Plume, narrated by Gloria’s surviving family members. - Cantata in C Major . . . . Ronnie Cramer
Six hundred and five film clips are assembled and used to create a piece of electronic music. - Once Upon A Time in 1972 . . . . Chris Lukeman
This transistorpunk/science fiction/action/adventure/period piece follows its hero through a crazy night in some version of the early 1970s. - Weightlifting Day . . . . Aleah Myles
Microshort by a student at the Perspectives High School of Technology in Chicago, IL. - Gideon Verite . . . . Raquel Cedar
Failed actor Gideon Yeal gets the role of a lifetime stepping in for a famous director. - $10 Bill . . . . Josh Self & Orlando Rivera II
Puppet loses woman (Isis Love), puppet gets drunk, music by MC Vulgar.
Saturday, September 10, 2011 (9 pm; food trucks open at 7 pm):
- Of Frogs and Gods . . . . Brad Pattullo
A group of frogs go down the destructive and fruitless path of a holy war. - Drift . . . . Sebastian Jones
Stanley ventures through his dreams in search of his girlfriend Kate and what he might have done wrong. - My Undeadly . . . . Dave Reda
Zombie short with a twist. Braaaaaaaains! - Goodbye Digital . . . . Bryan Ortiz
Or, “The 5 Stages of Grief in Digital Dating”: Love connections are not always found online. - Clean is Good . . . . Carlos Matiella
Experimental non-narrative animated short film. - The Lost Samurai . . . . Yuta Okamura
A samurai is sent forward in time to modern-day America; an anime fanatic who makes it his mission to return the samurai to his rightful time and place. - Just Pretending . . . . Benjamin Teh
John loves Amy, Amy dumps John, so John asks Kate to pretend to be Amy. Kate agrees, on one condition. - Four Cubic Feet of Space . . . . Tony Gault
Artist Daniel Sprick ruminates on the fragile nature of human existence. Lots of bones. - Earthship . . . . David Wilson
The Whitmore family has survived a climate change disaster, but everything changes when a mysterious woman appears. - At The Movies . . . . Garrick Duckler
A narrator talks about love in real life and how it isn’t quite the same as it’s portrayed in the movies. - Working Disaster . . . . Corey Mims
Microshort by a student at the Perspectives High School of Technology in Chicago, IL.
When was the 17th Annual Brainwash Movie Festival?
September 3, 9, and 10, 2011, after dark.
Okay, where was the 17th Annual Brainwash Movie Festival held?
The festival returned to the Mandela Village Arts Center at 1357 5th St. in Oakland (adjacent to the West Oakland BART station and Interstate 880).
How do I enter my film?
To submit your movies for 2012, please see our Call for Entries.
