Despite cinemas being shut, Bicycle Film Festival lands in Maine with a curated virtual screening of short films. Available from March 12-21, hosted by Bicycle Coalition of Maine.
Bicycle Film Festival celebrates the bicycle through a virtual festival program, specifically curated for Maine. The BFF selected short film program offers an international point of view of the cycling movement. The stories appeal to a wide audience from film connoisseurs to avid cyclists and everything in between.
Bicycle Film Festival plays an important role in creating an eco-friendly society and bringing diverse communities together.
BFF Founding Director Brendt Barbur added, “In a year of a global pandemic, economic strife, a contentious political period the bicycle boom worldwide is optimistic news to celebrate. We hope to offer a positive respite from all of this for people.”
The program will be available online from at anytime from March 12-21. Tickets are available now on www.bicyclefilmfestival.com with sliding scale prices at $10, $15 and $20.
A portion of all ticket sales benefit Bicycle Coalition of Maine. After the short film program, The Bicycle Coalition of Maine presents a panel discussion “Everybody Biking Everywhere in Maine.” Maine is an amazing part of the world to explore by bicycle. Topics will cover equipment, skills and safety, route development, commuting, bikepacking and touring, inclusion regardless of age or background, adaptive cycling for people with disabilities, and ideas for blending bicycling into everyday lives.
Bicycle Film Festival had plans in motion since the summer of 2019 to celebrate the 20th anniversary kicking off in New York this past June 2020. The festival expected 20,000 attendees over one week of events. People had bought tickets from around the world to attend. Then COVID-19 safety mandates forced it to be postponed. BFF is making a comeback by touring the world virtually. BFF has plans to produce over 50 virtual events in the United States and over 100 internationally in Brazil, Ecuador, Canada, Estonia, Italy, Japan, UK and more in the next few months.
Founded in New York Bicycle Film Festival has been celebrating bicycles through art, film and music the last 20 years. The physical BFF spanned the world in up to 100 cities to an audience of over one million people. The international locales included Paris, London, Tokyo, Shanghai, Moscow, Mexico City, Capetown and Istanbul and more at some of the most important venues such as Sydney Opera House and the Barbican or an old factory in Zurich. The Subcultures of cycling have shared equal billing with the most exciting innovators in music, art, design and film. Participants have included: Erykah Badu, Karl Lagerfeld, Francesco Clemente, Shepard Fairey, Albert Maysles, Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Alex Katz, Kaws, Gavin Turk, Mike Mills, Paul Smith, the Neistat Brothers, Tom Sachs, Ridley Scott, Kiki Smith, Swoon and Ai Weiwei.