Kalamazoo Bicycle Film Festival Ended after 8 Wonderful Years
For a number of years this was the official website for the Kalamazoo Bicycle Film Festival. In 2017 an announcement of their Facebook page let everyone know that they were closing down after 8 years.
Content is from the site's 2010 - 2017 archived pages.
Boy, we will miss you.
Enjoy the nostalgic trip back.
The Kalamazoo Bicycle Film Festival’s “Bike Shorts” program is a collection of short films that celebrate bicycles and the culture that surrounds them. Each one is 12 minutes or less. The films feature a wide spectrum of experiences, stories and images of bicycling. Some will make you laugh. Some will make you think. The common theme is that they are all for, about or inspired by bicycles. The films will be chosen for quality of production, uniqueness and program variety.
FACEBOOK POST 2017
Kalamazoo Bicycle Film Festival
October 23, 2017 ·
Farewell. The Kalamazoo Bicycle Film Festival is retiring. We had a great time over the past 8 years presenting bicycle films. We couldn’t have done it without all the talented film makers who put their talent, vision and effort into their craft. Also making it all happen were the sponsors and the good people who came to the shows. Please continue celebrating bicycle culture, advocating for needed change and dreaming.
Instead of traditional trophies, the festival celebrated the winners with sterling silver rings commemorating the event. Similar to some of the most popular engagement cz rings styles the prizes were engraved rings with bicycle designs combined with film sprockets. We know the recipients will cherish these rings forever as reminders of the unique quality of these films, all themed around bikes! While small, the sterling silver + cubic zirconia rings emanate luxury and status without taking up a lot of space AND, you can wear them and show them off everywhere you go!
Kalamazoo Bicycle Film Festival Bike Shorts Program Film Entry Instructions
This program is a collection of short bicycle films. The films are for, about and inspired by bicycles. Other than that there are no other content or film style restrictions. The films will be chosen for quality of production, uniqueness and program variety.
All entries are submitted through FilmFreeway.
General Requirements and Information
- Length: 12 minutes or less
- Related to or featuring bicycles
- Edited and original
- Non English language films must include subtitles
- Entry Deadline is April 18, 2016
Accepted entries will need to be provided in Quicktime or MP4 format via Yousendit, Dropbox or another method to download.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2017 KALAMAZOO BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL
KALAMAZOO SHOW
Date:
Tuesday May16, 2017
Location:
Bell’s Eccentric Café
355 E Kalamazoo Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Show Times:
6:00 PM
8:15 PM
Admission:
$5.00
Films accepted into the 2017 Kalamazoo Bicycle Film Festival program "Bike Shorts"
Wild Trails
Director: EWIA
Time 2:21 / Slovakia
Is it you or your inner wild self that is pushing you forward into the unknown? It might be dark and scary, but that’s the only way to find those wild trails.
Cycle Lane
Director: Alex Gambs
Time 3:52 / United Kingdom
Running late for a job interview, the last thing Christian wants is a heated argument with a frustrated cyclist.
This is the Best County
Director: Paul Dolan
Time 2:00 / Ireland
Mark Graham cycled the 2500 km of The Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland. He realized that it made him proud to be Irish.
Bicycle Song
Director: Anna Malienko
Time 4:24 / Ukraine
The sounds of a bike journey connects with the sounds of the city and creates a beautiful song ... a song of joy, youth and inspiration.
Season
Director: Edgar Hans
Time 3:20 / France
Watch as the seasons change while a mountain biker rides the Vosges Mountains in France.
Fou Du Velo
Director: Maxime Baudin
Time 9:54 / France
Richard Geng challenges himself on an epic journey to conquer and climb Mont Ventoux 9 times in 24 hours on his road bike.
Gorge Roubaix
Director: Dronescape
Time 3:08 / USA
The 2016 running of the Gorge Roubaix Road Race from the Dalles, Oregon to Mosier, Oregon. Follow racers as they race through the Columbia River Gorge.
Bear's Hug
Director: Almir Correia
Time 5:28 / Brazil
Loneliness is a bear hugging you. He or she does not want to leave you. The bear is with you 24 hours a day.
Bike Portraits
Director: Sashko Danylenko
Time 4:56 / USA
A bicycle is a good tool to explore and understand a city. The bike culture is a reflection of the local society.
Biketown YYJ
Director: Matt Hulse
Time 6:20 / Canada
Biketown YYJ celebrates the cycling community in Victoria, BC, Canada. This music video is a parody of Downtown, by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.
Georgia Simmerling - Transcending Skis and Bikes to Make History
Director: Benjamin Johnson and Kurtis So
Time 2:08 / Canada
This two time Olympian traded her skis for a track bike and dedicated herself to competing in Track Cycling at the highest international level.
Like Riding a Bike
Director: Louisiana Kreutz
Time 8:44 / USA
A group of senior citizens riding tricycles in East Austin. As they ride, we hear how the world has changed since they last were on a bike.
Extreme Unicycling
Director: Tristan Anderson
Time 3:28 / United Kingdom
On the fringe of bike culture, these unicyclist push the boundaries of the sport.
Dame Mit Hund
Director: Sonja Rohleder
Time 3:00 / Germany
A woman walks her dog in the park, where she meets a man she would have liked to avoid.
Dreaming Alps
Director: Angel Ramos
Time 3:23 / France
This story follows a short but intense trip to the heart of the Alps to climb some of their iconic passes.
Bikey
Director: Leonie van den Schoor
Time 3:03 / Netherlands
Bikey is made from spare bicycle parts in a Dutch workshop. He is discovering the world and looking for a friend.
Flashes of the Altai
Director: Joey Schusler
Time 5:00 / USA
Three childhood friends set out for the far western corner of Mongolia to combine mountain biking and packrafting in a self-supported adventure into the unknown.
Struggle, Spoke & Summits
Director: Matt Green
Time 10:10 / United Kingdom
Two novice road cyclists embark on their biggest challenge to date, as they train for the Coast to Coast in a day bike.
The Last Ride
Director: Ryan Van Duzer
Time 3:09 / USA
After 13 years Ryan's bike finally dies. He reminisces about traveling the world with his lost friend.
How can you ride a bike with that thing?
Director: Peter Carlone
Time 0:55 / Canada
Two men engage in locker room talk.
The Oldest Racer
Director: James Callum
Time 4:13 / United Kingdom
This documentary features 75 year old cyclist Mick Ives. He explains what cycling means to him and how great of an impact the sport has had on his life.
Un Petit Tour Dans Paris
Director: Peter Scholl
Time 1:31 / France/Germany
Their romance moves at its own speed as the fast paced world of Paris spins around them.
Ascend
Director: Simon Perkins
Time 6:00 / USA
As a young adult, Jon lost his leg to cancer. Mountain biking has played a critical role in helping him sink his teeth back into life.
Max Your Days
Directors: David Fletcher and Jason Stirling
Time 5:06 / Italy
Getting the most out of every day while exploring the coast of Italy.
Escape-Lee Craigie’s inner journey along the Caledonia Way
Director: Kirk Watson
Time 5:04 / United Kingdom
This film by Sustrans follows adventure cyclist, Lee Craigie as she journeys along NCN78, The Caledonia Way in Scotland. More
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2015 KALAMAZOO BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL
The festival is a celebration of bicycles and the culture that surrounds them. The films feature a wide spectrum of experiences, stories and images of bicycling. Some will make you laugh. Some will make you think. The common theme is that they are all for, about or inspired by bicycles.
2015 Bike Shorts
KALAMAZOO SHOW
Date:
Tuesday May 12, 2015
Location:
Bell’s Eccentric Cafe
355 E Kalamazoo Ave, Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Show Times:
6:00 PM (all ages show)
8:15 PM (21 and over show)
Admission:
$5.00
LANSING SHOW
Date:
Friday May 29, 2015
Location:
Midtown Brewing Company
402 South Washington, Lansing, MI 48933
Show Times:
6:00 PM
Admission:
TBD
~~~~~
This program is a collection of short bicycle films. The films have been chosen for quality of production, uniqueness and program variety.
Films already accepted into the 2015 Kalamazoo Bicycle Film Festival program "Bike Shorts"
Bicycle Safari
Director: Nolan Alan McNally
Time 3:59 / USA
Riding a bicycle, with fun and exploration being the only destinations.
Comfortable
Director: Cigdem Slankard
Time 8:00 / USA
A family of seven and avid cargo bikers lead a car-free lifestyle in Buffalo, New York
Forgotten Dirt - Afghanistan
Director: Anthill Films
Time 10:13 / Afghanistan/Canada
A small team of riders travel to the remote Wakhan Corridor in Afghanistan on a world first mountain bike expedition to explore trails that are thousands of years old.
Havana Bikes
Director: Diego Vivanco
Time 5:20 / Cuba/Spain
In Cuba new bikes are difficult to come by and parts are not readily available. A handful of mechanics provide a service to those who rely on their bikes in their everyday lives.
Its All About The Bike
Director: Colum Lynch
Time 4:00 / Ireland
A period sensitive restoration of a 1951 Thanet Silverlight road bike by Lego characters.
La bici
Director: Maria Barahona
Time 4:04 / United Kingdom
A man ponders the love hate relationship he had with his bike.
My Legs My Gears
Director: Peter Scholl / Mark Wagner
Time 8:29 / Germany
A portrait of Mianzi Rei who lives for her passion of fixed gear bikes and track racing.
The Gift
Director: Russ Lamoureux
Time 2:46 / USA
Set within the mind of a man as he watches the woman he loves transform his gifts into freedom.
Tron Kong
Director: Jen Moeller / Joshua Wong
Time 2:09 / Hong Kong, China
Light bicycles battle it out on the streets of Hong Kong.
Whiffed Out
Director: Jason Giampietro
Time 11:34 / USA
The journey of a bicycle that is abandoned in a hallway, lent to a man looking for a delivery job and is eventually passed on to a new owner.
Bestest Friends
Director: Tim Bornholdt
Time 3:25 / USA
Koo Koo Kangaroo's music video shows us you'll never be as close to your best friend as you are on a tandem bicycle.
A Fine Balance
Director: Tim Askew
Time 4:27 / United Kingdom
The UK's only extreme unicycling display team takes to the streets of Edinburgh.
Flying V Messengers
Director: Chuck Fry / Ryan Blaske
Time 2:06 / USA
Flying V Messengers is a donation only service in South Bend, Indiana.
Between the Stops
Director: David Phu
Time 2:33 / Canada
Josh elevates his bicycle tours beyond a checklist of landmarks to make them interactive, social experiences.
Heritage Bicycles
Director: Philip Giancola
Time 2:48 / USA
Located on Chicago's north side, Heritage General Store specializes in locally handcrafted bicycles, coffee and building community.
Velocipedist Bicycle Company
Director: Felicia Manning
Time 2:14 / USA
In this shop, every bike tells a story. Velocipedist is purely aesthetic and brings about a feeling of nostalgia from the moment you step through the doors.
ACE
Director: A D Cooper
Time 7:22 / United Kingdom
Two bored boys try to frighten an old man. His response is anything but predictable.
Late Night Training
Director: Blaž Miklič
Time 1:16 / Slovenia
Peace and quiet late at night. Time for you, bike and training. Is there any better way to finish your day?
Lock Block
Director: Richard B. Pierre
Time 1:16 / Canada
A cynical young man must overcome his nature to seize romance.
Toof
Director: Orlando Cubitt
Time 6:41 / United Kingdom
A bike thief owes money around town and eventually has to pay.
The Double Diamond
Director: Calum Stirling
Time 9:16 / United Kingdom
Working with the book Besoin de Vélo by French writer Paul Fournel, Double Diamond takes us through the physical and philosophical landscape of a cyclist.
Lonely Yellow
Director: Alina Janukevičiūtė
Time 4:30 / Finland
Free yellow bicycles in a small town of Finland were slowly stolen until there was only one. The last bicycle must change his thinking to find new friends.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2012 KALAMAZOO BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL
A selection of films that have been accepted into 2012 Bike Shorts
10 Things I Have Learned About Mountainbiking
Director: Tom Malecha
Time 3:35 / Switzerland
Insights and inspiration gained through mountain biking.
Roll the Dynamo
Director: Mike Lark
Time 3:25 / Spain
In this music video from the band Dynamo TEAM a woman rides her bicycle around Barcelona as an admirer follows and takes pictures.
The Bike Race
Director: Tom Schroeder
Time 12:00 / USA
An animated documentary telling the story of a bicycle race that turns into a love triangle.
Blackstone Bicycle Works
Director: Matt Ogens
Time 3:34 / USA
Blackstone becomes the first to receive Seattle’s Best Coffee Brew-lanthropy award. This community bike shop teaches Chicago youth how to refurbish bicycles.
Boikzmoind
Director: Gavin Strange
Time 30:00 / United Kingdom
A film about riding fixed gear bikes in beautiful Bristol. The film shows the diverse cross section of riders and asks why ride bikes with no gears in a city full of hills? It also shines a light on the community and camaraderie that comes with the simple joy of riding bicycles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2010 KALAMAZOO BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL
The festival is a celebration of bicycles and the culture that surrounds them. There will be Bicycle films shown throughout Kalamazoo as well as other bicycle events. The films feature the wide spectrum of experiences, stories and images of bicycling. See the schedule below for full details.
2010 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
THURSDAY JULY 29
Film Program: RAD
Location: Oakwood Neighborhood Association
Time: 9:15 PM
Admission: Free
RAD - Outdoor Cinema
The Kalamazoo Guerilla Drive-in will be providing an outdoor viewing of this 1986 classic. Cru Jones, a rising talent on the BMX track, faces an uphill climb as he gears up for the important Helltrack race. He must contend with a shady sponsor who changes the rules at the last minute, and champion rider Bart Taylor is hoping for an easy victory. When Cru realizes that the race falls on the same day as an important school test, he must decide whether bikes or books will determine his future. RAD TRAILER
To get to the Oakwood Neighborhood Association take Laird Ave South off of Parkview. Go one block and turn West (right) at Logan Ave into the school parking lot. The ONA is located on the schools property. Because it is located on school property alcohol and smoking are prohibited. Bring a chair or blanket to sit on.
FRIDAY JULY 30
Film Program: Bike Shorts
The Little Theater
Oliver Lane & Oakland Drive -
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $10 (Cash or Check only)
Bike Shorts
Filmmakers show their creativity in this compilation of short bicycle films. A broad range of styles and formats are used. This mixed bag has something for everyone. Some will make you laugh. Some will make you think. The common theme is that they are all for, about or inspired by bicycles. Click here for the bike shorts line up.
SATURDAY JULY 31
Film Program: Trails & Tribulations
The Little Theater
Oliver Lane & Oakland Drive -
Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: $10 (Cash or Check only)
Singletrack Minds – 26 min
This film examines the origins of mountain biking in Marin County, California and the lasting, and often negative impact the early mountain bike pioneers made on the local hiking community. Roots of the conflict and present-day controversial solutions are explored from multiple angles. Perspectives range from mountain bike pioneers Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly, and Wende Cragg to hiking advocates from the Sierra Club and Tamalpais Conservation Club. This documentary is a local story felt around the world as hikers and bikers struggle to coexist. SINGLETRACK MINDS TRAILER
Freedom Riders – 50 min
The story of a core group of riders who evolved from covertly building rough and unsustainable trails, to creating a precedent setting relationship with the Forest Service and creating the first freeride specific trails on public lands in the lower 48. The film takes a look at the evolution of the sport, the progression of trail users, and an inside story of a group of riders that would never see their passion die. FREEDOM RIDERS TRAILER
Note: Frequent use of adult language.
SUNDAY AUGUST 1
Film Program: The Bicycle Corps
Stryker Theater / Kalamazoo Valley Museum
230 North Rose Street –
Time: 2:00 PM
Admission: Free
The Bicycle Corps: America's Black Army on Wheels
60 min
In the 1890s, the U.S. Army believed it could replace horses with popular new "safety bicycles." Testing this theory, the army sent 20 African-American soldiers on a 2,000-mile ride from Fort Missoula, Montana, to St. Louis, Missouri. This program traces the group's route across the American West through the eyes of two riders: the enthusiastic white officer and a black first sergeant, whose experience guided and motivated the enlisted men.
OTHER EVENTS
SATURDAY JULY 31
Big Kids Urban Bike Challenge
Ace's Cycle
346 South Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Time: 8 AM Registration, 9 AM start, Cut Off 3 hours
Race Fee: Two Person Team $20 Early, $30 Late
The Big Kids Urban Bike Challenge is an experience to bring you back in touch with your big kid self on your favorite motor-less mode of transportation. Your highly tuned sense of adventure will carry you through this urban, no-holds barred scavenger hunt that sends you throughout Kalamazoo looking for clues. The event is open to teams of two ages 16 and up.