NYFF 2015: A note on the Projections Sidebar coverage

This year I'm doing something I've never done before and covering the entire Projections sidebar...or rather every film I had access to (a couple of films were unavailable to me when I was watching the films). I also skipped a couple because the screening links I was given didn't work, or more to the point the passwords didn't. I didn't chase corrected links because there wasn't time. All told it ends up being the better part of 54 films, mostly shorts but there are a couple of features mixed in. Its pretty much most of every program except Program 5 (which was only 2 films).

I'm going to honest here and say the coverage is not very detailed. Part of it is that it's very hard to write up short experimental films since they have to be experienced more than described. It too many films in too short a time - no that's not quite right it was too many films that were all over the place in too short a time. I probably should have written them upas I saw each film but I didn't do that, I didn't I finished a collection and then wrote that up but the mixed nature of each made writing each film up difficult after the fact.

Over all there are a few great films, a bunch of good ones and a great deal of crap. What I mean by crap is stuff that if I wasn't looking to report on every collection they would never have gotten mentioned. The best description of the whole sidebar over all is that if they lost about half the films they'd have one hell of a collection of films.

What I've done with most of the Programs is made a general comment at the top and then given you my impression for each film I saw. I indicate in each piece what I didn't see and why. I know its not the best way to do it, but since these films are experimental/Avant Garde what I think may not be what you think. Additionally I am not usually a fan of this sort of thing, I love it when these films work (I loved HARD AS OPAL)  but some of the others left me cold, or rather left me cold after 30 minutes of random images with noise for a soundtrack.

Starting shortly I'll be posting a review of a different program each day running up to the series starting. My hope is it will give you some idea what is in the series which many people going to NYFF completely ignore.

And my apologies to any hardcore fans of this series- I know my reviews will piss you off in places, but do understand I'm coming at the films from the point of view of a regular film fan and one not bathed in the Avant Garde.