by RENEE PATRICK Cascade A&E Editor

 

Everyone experiences BendFilm differently. Choosing among 94 films watched over four days at seven different venues ensures an entirely different combination of movies for each festivalgoer. Often when I’m standing in line on Sunday after three days of the festival, I poll those around me for their favorite films, and they are always the ones I haven’t watched.

 

It’s so hard! The documentaries are riveting and cover every subject under the sun. This year the films range from Freeload, documenting the life of a hobo, to Slingshot, a tale about the eccentric genius of Segway inventor Dean Kamen, to Heaven Adores You, the intimate inquiry into the life and times of Portland singer Elliot Smith.

 

And the narratives? BendFilm Director Todd Looby called Bob Birdnow’s Remarkable Tale of Human Survival and the Transcendence of Self one of the best films he saw last year and Kumuko: The Treasure Hunter one of the more original movies in the festival. A is  for Alex is hilarious and I Believe in Unicorns is a fascinating coming of age story.

 

And the shorts! I love the shorts. Smart, funny, witty and bizarre, shorts this year run the gamut from local Richard Scott Nelson’s poignant look at our well-know waterway, Rivière Des Chutes, to animated films like Eye in Tuna Care and Women Who Hates Plants.

 

The best part? Getting transported to other worlds, other imaginations and emerging from the theatre unsure of the time of day, the day of the week or even where you are.

 

What is your BendFilm?