The Vandal [USA]
Executive produced by Darren Aronofsky (The Fountain, The Wrestler, Black Swan) and released by The New Yorker, Eddie Alcazar’s The Vandal uses state-of-the-art Metascope techniques mixing live-action and stop motion animation that is simply hypnotizing. Featuring Bill Duke as Harold, Baadja-Lynn Odums, Maurice Compte, Thomas Hildreth, Harry Goaz, and Abbey Lee, Harold’s tormented search for peace from traumatic loss results in an unexpectedly destructive awakening after he undergoes a lobotomy. When the procedure “turns his mind inside out” and his great love is suddenly gone, Harold’s desperate search intensifies.
The two documentary shorts are:
From My Window [USA]
Frank Pickell’s moving documentary follows Melissa Simpson’s journey from her bedroom to the summit of one of Colorado’s highest peaks, stopping at 15 film festivals. Despite being so close, those mountains have always been worlds away for Melissa, who was born with cerebral palsy. But, with the help of her friend and mentor, a blind adventurer, Melissa sets out to conquer something far more significant than a summit. Through humility and grace, Melissa proves that what is within us is stronger than what’s in our way.
Punch Drunk
North Shore Betty [USA/Canada]
Directed by Travis Rummel and executive-produced by Patagonia films, North Shore Betty celebrates the misty forests above North Vancouver, British Columbia. Hallowed ground for mountain biking, they are where Betty Birrell, at age 45, picked up mountain biking after a career as a mountaineer and professional windsurfer. Still off-road three decades later (now 73!), the single mother is a role model for her son, her friends, and anyone she’s met along the way—proof that you’re never too old to send.
Festival registration is open to the public, with three tiers of badges available for purchase: a three-film package, a six-film package, and a twelve-film package for the most dutiful cinephiles. In addition, patrons can purchase single screening tickets the day of if there aren’t enough badge holders to fill the theater capacity. For 2022, the Vashon Island Film Festival is raising funds for the island’s iconic Vashon Theatre.
Founded by veteran independent film producer Mark Mathias Sayre, the Vashon Film Institute is dedicated to fostering independent filmmaking in the Pacific Northwest, including the launch of two unique programs: the Vashon Island Film Festival and Vashon Scholars, a multi-week summer film intensive education program it plans to host for youth on the island starting in 2023. Its Board of Directors presently includes three individuals with island roots: Maura Little, Isaac Mann, and Peter Serko.
To learn more about attending the inaugural Vashon Island Film Festival, visit vashonislandfilmfestival.com.
