Cinema lovers who are drawn to the kind of original and experimental works they won’t find at the local multiplex (or even the local art house) can look forward to the arrival of the ninth annual Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF) later this month.
Begun in 1999 as an all-night program of short films, BUFF has grown into a four-day festival of feature-length and short films that can be characterized as being on the cutting edge of alternative cinema. The festival’s official award, introduced in 2000, is Bacchus, a demonic bunny on a vibrating pedestal, and the choice of such an icon perhaps says something about BUFF’s independent and playful spirit. Past festival guests include Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton, and cult film icons George A. Romero and Lloyd Kaufman.
I recently spoke with festival director Anna Feder to learn a bit more about the festival’s past, present, and future. Feder came on board in 2004 and runs the festival with program director Kevin Monahan. 
Discussing BUFF’s origins, Feder said,
“It started as an all-night film festival at The Revolving Museum [since moved out of Boston] and some years it was three days and two venues, one year it was two weeks and four venues. It's been all over the place. The former director David Kleiler created an excellent festival but without any infrastructure or consistency to carry the fest from year to year.”
Since assuming responsibility for the festival, developing that infrastructure has been a large part of Feder’s job. What exactly does a festival director do? According to Feder,
“A festival director’s job varies from fest to fest, much like a film director’s job is different depending upon the size and scope of the production. I do a bit of everything. I co-program the festival with Kevin Monahan, the program director. I secure sponsorship for the festival, both cash and in-kind with the help of the marketing director. I assist the PR coordinator in dealing with the press. I assist the managing director in recruiting and training interns and volunteers. I keep track of the finances and tell everyone that we don't have the money to do whatever they are proposing. If it's really important, such as bringing filmmakers, I try to scrounge up the funds to fly them and get the rooms donated.”Since the festival has essentially been reinvented by the current directors, and the connotation of the term “underground” has unquestionably changed since its introduction, Feder put the term in its proper perspective relative to BUFF.
“’Underground’ is not for mainstream consumption. It doesn't necessarily mean ‘transgressive’ or ‘shock cinema’ though we have a place for those films in our festival. Rather, underground is a fairly broad umbrella term for films that push the boundary in terms of form, content, or general sensibility.
Article comments
1 - Aaron Fleming
Ooh, I Stand Alone and Tromeo & Juliet, nice choices!
2 - BenP
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