LuneAseas is ringing out the summer with the Lyric Cinema in the 3rd annual Silent Film Festival.
“Like a music video, but instead of the video being driven by the music, the composition of the music is driven by the movement in the video.”
photo by Van Abbey
Which came first the chicken or the egg or music or the movement? The unspeakable bond between movement and music is a lifelong investigation for LuneAseas work. The Silent Film Festival began in 2020 as a way to keep dancers, filmmakers, and musicians active with cross country collaborations, support as many artists as possible during lockdown, and further investigate the unspoken bond between movement and musical creation. “ We didn’t anticipate the kind and supportive response from the artists and the community. It ended up helping to broaden the artistic communities by building cross disciplinary and international collaborations, in a way that is still intimate and sincere. The festival has also given musicians and dancers a new way to create and walk away with a lasting and quality product. Additionally it is quickly becoming an end of summer staple here in Fort Collins and we are lucky to have the City of Fort Collins, the Bohemian Foundation, and the Lyric Cinema partner with us for it,” says artistic director Leah Casper.
The Independent Silent Film Festival 3.0 will feature live music creation while showing classic silent films, live performances, and new collaborations from across the country.
The first hour of films will include classics such as Charlie Chaplin’s The Kid; excerpts from Metropolis, a 1927 German expressionist science-fiction drama; and two Georges Méliès works: The Mermaid and The Haunted House. While they’re being projected, Adam Bodine and his trio will accompany the films with music. Throughout the evening dancers will perform, displaying how silent film stars are some of the first contemporary dancers.
Last year audience members said: ”LuneAseas has successfully pulled together a fun creative event that can be enjoyed safely”; ”Sometimes I can’t tell what came first, the music or the movement. These collaborations are truly remarkable”. The silent film festival will host up to 12 films from filmmakers, dance, circus, and theatre troupes from Colorado and across the world. Each short film will be paired with local or independent musicians to create a musical backdrop for each film. The musician’s role for the 3-5 min film is to record a musical interpretation of what they see in the film, then the recording will be synced up to the film.
photo by Van Abbey
The festival will premier new short films and works from Colorado artists: In the Wings (Denver), Front Range Contemporary Ballet Company (Fort Collins), Dance Express (Fort Collins). It will also feature a selection of international and national artists: Stopgap Dance Company (U.K.). Jeremy Speed Schwartz (New York),Luca Di Bartolo (Italy), Stacy Pascal Gaspard ( Los Angeles), Shi Wei (China), Yuuki (Japan), Pierre GAFFIé (France). The films will be accompanied by scores from local favorites: Los Mocochetes, Russick Smith, 12 cents for Marvin bassist Hillary Freeman, Cerise Sprauge, Kira Lynn Sands, Anthony Arras, national act Lean Year, and more. The Independent Silent Film Festival will open at the Lyric September 23rd and will be available online starting October 1st. Tickets and more information can be found at: www.luneaseas.org/silentfilmfest3or at www.lyriccinema.com.
LuneAseas is a non-profit performance incubation team that uses classic and contemporary literary sources, modern dance, performance art, experimental theater and multimedia visuals to create memorable experiences for audiences from all walks of life.