A scene from “BAMBA FEPP,” a short documentary by Maryam Tricia Murajada that examines the peaceful resistance against French colonial forces led by Senegalese spiritual leader Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba and his followers. The film was among 90 works featured at this year’s Bushwick Film Festival.
Bushwick Film Festival/YouTube
Last month, the Bushwick Film Festival celebrated its 19th anniversary, bringing together independent filmmakers, artists and industry professionals for five days of screenings, premieres and conversations centered on the power of storytelling. The festival kicked off Oct. 7 with an opening reception sponsored by Netflix, setting the stage for a celebration of creative ambition and the artists who make time to bring their visions to life.
This year’s theme, “Make Time for Your Dreams,” honored the unseen work that goes into artistry, calling upon us all to protect the arts through creative ambition. Founder and Festival Director Kweighbaye Kotee expanded on the decision for this year’s theme in a statement.
“You may not have unlimited time, money or resources, but you can keep making space for the thing that matters to you,” said Kotee. “The filmmakers in this year’s festival are proof of what can happen when people keep showing up for their ideas.”
Bushwick Film Festival Founder and Festival Director Kweighbaye Kotee (left) poses with “Bel-Air” actress and Creative Impact Award recipient Cassandre Freeman during the festival’s 19th anniversary celebration.
The five-day festival featured 90 films, including 13 world premieres, bringing together filmmakers from 60 countries and showcasing works across genres. Among them was the short documentary “BAMBA FEPP,” directed by Maryam Tricia Murajada, which examines the peaceful social revolution against French colonial forces led by Senegalese spiritual leader Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba and his followers.
“We’re asking a lot of existential questions and there’s a lot of changes in the world, some might even say we’re in crisis,” said Murajda. “This particular story offers a really beautiful lesson… It’s a universal one.”
A scene from “June and Roy,” a short film produced by and starring real-life couple Isabella Werber and Trevor Viner that made its world debut at the 19th annual Bushwick Film Festival.Bushwick Film Festival/YouTube
Short film “June and Roy,” produced by and starring couple Isabella Werber and Trevor Viner, also made its world debut. Based on a true story the film follows Werber’s character, a young woman whose relationship begins to unravel when she realizes copious amounts of her moisturizer have gone missing.
“It’s about the mystery of intimacy,” said Werber. “You think you know someone completely and then something happens and you actually might not.”
The couple worked on this film alone, choosing to direct, shoot, and edit the film without any external help.
“It was kind of an experiment,” said Werber. “We put the camera on the tripod and rolled on our scenes as many times as we wanted.”