Save the Date: Bicycle Film Festival 2012 Kicks Off in NYC Next Weekend, June 28 – July 1
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It’s that time again: next weekend, June 28 – July 1, 2012, will see the perennial celebration of human-powered transportation known as the Bicycle Film Festival. Entering its second decade, the three-day extravaganza is the first of over two dozen festivals worldwide, and founder Brendt Barbur notes that this year’s program might just be the most mainstream one yet… in a good way.
Brendt recently invited me to have a sneak peek at some of this year’s films, and while I must admit that I’ve only seen a fraction of the programming that they’ve premiered over the 11 years, I can say, once again, that this year’s BFF is not to be missed.
As always, the Anthology Film Archive is host to BFF New York, which predates the Red Hook Crit and New Amsterdam Bike Show as one of New York’s original bike culture instutions. Yet the annual event remains relatively underground in New York—Barbur’s forgone the parade in recent years because he’s “sick of dealing with cops”—but it’s gained traction in both world-class metropolises such as London and Tokyo and cycling-friendly cities like Minneapolis and Milan. (Barbur often works with city-level administrators, ministries of culture, etc., in international markets: he’s looking forward to a warm reception at the next stop in Helsinki, the 2012 World Design Capital, and Estonia, where Sister Session was shot and produced.)
The irony, of course, is that the BFF was a catalyst in the rise of urban cycling culture the world over, and Brendt acknowledges the festival’s roots in what was once considered to be a lifestyle choice: “Even in 2001, you’d wave at fellow cyclists [because we were so few and far between].” And while he hesitates to take credit for highlighting messenger (read: fixed gear) culture, it’s safe to say that the Film Festival has been a vehicle, so to speak, for cycling enthusiasts and amateur filmmakers alike.
Even as the alternative is subsumed in the mainstream—NYC’s forthcoming bike share is all but guaranteed to be a major turning point—it’s worth hearing from someone who has not only witnessed cycling’s growth in popularity but has presciently championed the cause.
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