Similar in format to the always popular Powderhound Review, the event is a catch all of sorts for all films relating to bicycling. Given our community's penchant for two wheelers, there was hardly a shortage of submissions. One of the festival's organizers, Bill Warburton, says that they received 24 submissions and hope to get somewhere between 15 and 20 of those films into the hour and a half slated for local programming.
A fundraiser for the Central Oregon Trail Alliance and the Bend Cycling Club, the Bend Bicycle Film Festival covers the wide variety of cycling mediums, including a piece on unicycling as well as footage from last year's Cyclocross championships.
Warburton himself submitted the festival's lone road cycling film, the hilariously titled "Bend Tuesday Night World Championships of the World." This short looks into the Sunnyside Sports Tuesday night rides which, as those who've ridden in them know, aren't always just "rides." These "friendly" get-togethers are often pegged as some of the hardest workouts in town, sometimes turning competitive, hence the hyperbolic, redundant and funny title.
Other local submissions include a music video from local beatmaker DJ Mud, a mountain bike joint titled "Under the Jimfluence" that organizer Paul Lissette was somewhat tight-lipped about (but did say it very well might be a highlight for some) and appearances by the people in the banana and monkey suits that have been seen at many a cycling event as of late. Also stirred into the local section is a segment of the professionally made Kranked 7: The Cackle Factor, parts of which were filmed in Bend, which should allow attendees to see some crazily skilled riders bouncing off of familiar local landmarks.
Following an intermission with plenty of raffle prizes (including a bike from Vulture Cycles) the second half of the festival is occupied solely by a presentation of the feature-length New World Disorder 9: Never Enough. NWD films, based in Nelson, British Columbia, released this film last fall and it's a high-energy romp full of all sorts of craziness. NWD 9 features some of the best freeriders on some of the biggest terrain in the world, as well as coverage from international events, but there's also some just downright downhill insanity. If you're a biking eye candy sort of person, this is probably a nice ending to your cyclo-centric night.
Still, it seems that many local riders - from downhill bombers to spandex warriors - will pack the Tower not for the professional video, but a chance to see some of their buds (and accompanying bikes) on the big screen.
Bend Bicycle Film Festival
6pm doors, 7pm show. Friday, 29, Tower Theatre. 835 NW Wall St. $10. Bike parking available. All ages.
