Door County Short Film Festival 2019

When it comes to small town USA I’m like the Bill Murray character from Groundhog Day. I seem to despise the very nature of spending time in a small town and can only imagine all the other things I would rather be doing than “wasting” my time galavanting around a small town. All this is to say when I decided that I would travel the 300 miles from northwestern Wisconsin over to Sister Bay, Wisconsin; close to being the farthest northeast you could go, I went with my arms crossed expecting to be treated with nothing but, in my mind, a fake sincerity, superficialness, and films that I have seen years ago. Yet, the moment that I walked into the Door County Short Film Festival I found that all of my cynicism quickly vanished.

I have two glaring issues with the festival which cannot be ignored: the first being the venue and the second being the time of year the festival is held. I’m one of those stingy people who believes films should be shown in a movie theater, since it helps add to the gravitas of the event and gives the filmmakers even more of a thrill seeing their work on the classic silver screen. When in reality the Sister Bay event is held at the local city hall which doubles as an auditorium and gym, one of the biggest stereotypes of small town America. I’m of two minds about this venue; the more dominating thoughts in my head are saying that I should be happy that these films are being shown at all, no matter how amateur the venue feels, but the lingering voice wailes that they should be shown at an actual theater. While Door County does have a movie theater, it doesn’t seem special enough to show imaginative and local films at. Perhaps it’s time that a local mom and pop theater open up that could partner with the festival to not only host this festival but also show the variety of short films year-round that are created by locals in the Door. However the biggest reason why a new venue is needed is because of space. Whether you wanted to buy food or to use the restroom you always felt like you had to walk over people to do either. It makes for a rather uninviting, and at times claustrophobic, atmosphere. With a more spacious venue I could truly see the festival soaring but right now it seems to feel like it’s crawling to realize its full potential.

The second aspect that needs to be addressed is the time of year the festival is being held: the off season for a tourist community. Mixing the ghost town like feel with the cold weather just makes the festival experience a little off putting. When attending a festival you usually try to get a drink or some food afterwards, sometimes even hoping to catch a director so you can pick their mind about their craft, but everything was closed well before the ending of the festival. I despise being in a place where restaurants close before 8:00 p.m.. As someone who used to work a later shift it always was infuriating. If the festival were to be held over the summer season it would bring more people in and add more for both the tourists and the locals to do. Another huge benefit to having it in the summer would be having to not worry about the unpredictable Wisconsin winters and the treacherous roads that may occur. Keep in mind that you can’t shovel sunshine.

Now, I have digressed enough about my concerns with the festival, I must mention that most of the films were outstanding and deserve to be seen by more people. As most festivals, you will never hear me complain about any film being bad since every filmmaker puts their heart and soul into the projects and that is once again true at the Door County Short Film Festival. The festival featured over twenty films, the longest running just over eighteen minutes, so you will find at least one film each member of the audience will enjoy. However, the festival does have some highlights that will at times make your souls soar and your heart ache. Fairy Tail directed by Justin and Kristin Schaack, from Richfield MN, is a lighthearted romantic spoof that will make your sides hurt from laughing. While those who are easily offended will probably not enjoy the comedic punch that the film has, if you are to simply take the film as a joke you will find it completely enjoyable. Momentarium directed by Steve Dorchester, from Green Bay WI, is a slightly somber look at life told through an animated prism. Fans of A Ghost Story will enjoy this story and even if you haven’t the story is simplistic enough to relate to everyone.

The film that I haven’t been able to shake since watching and the People’s Choice winner of the festival Hoan Alone: Personal Stories from the Bridge directed by Aaron Johnson, from Oak Creek WI, is an animated documentary talking about suicides that occurred on the Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee WI. As someone who drove across that bridge twice daily at one point during my life and as someone who has suffered depression for many years now, the experience of watching the film was truly an emotional roller coaster. The film might be about one specific bridge but the stories that are told in the film are told across many cities throughout the world, a true epidemic that we as a society don’t take seriously. I would be interested in seeing a feature length version of Hoan Alone since there's enough material that warrants a longer discussion. In fact, I could see a feature length version of this film having the same impact that Tower had a few years ago. With that being said, the eight minute film that I saw opened emotional scars for me but then offered to help sew them back up again.

While I have been to film festivals that I have enjoyed more, I can easily see the appeal of the Door County Short Film Festival and I would consider it a force for good in the universe. It’s run by people who are indeed sincere about the love for their community and for trying to spread the love of film. It would seem that the power of the silver screen can make the most cynical fall in love with some small town charm.

-Jonny G