After 15 years of showcasing independent and international cinema, the Arlington International Film Festival turns the page. The organization is rebranding as the Finding Bright Film Festival, shifting toward more experimental filmography and multidisciplinary immersive works. According to executive director Jaina Cipriano, the next era of the festival offers a “creative ecosystem” for “professional weirdos.”
From its founding in 2010, AIFF developed a reputation for identifying promising voices early on, including Academy Award-nominated works such as “Elena” by Andrey Zvyagintsev. By spotlighting documentaries, the festival helped filmmakers reach major outlets such as PBS, CNN and Nova.
The landscape of film in New England has changed over the past decade, however, as the region has grown saturated with high-quality festivals that often incorporate foreign cinema. After buying the festival from its original owners a few years ago, Cipriano felt the international label was no longer unique enough. “I think the more niche we could be, the more community-driven we could be, the more of an impact we could have.” While the festival still values world cinema and multiculturalism, she elected to emphasize the local, creating an incubator for experimental filmmakers.
FBFF’s ethos? “Make Boston Weirder.”
One major aspect of the rebrand is a focus on interactive installations, artistic risk and handmade craft. Cipirano wants the festival to become the “South by Southwest of the East,” providing industry access for people working outside traditional molds. “There’s still a lack of vocabulary in the Boston art scene about what immersive art is,” she noted, adding that art installations, augmented reality pieces, interactive theater and escape rooms can all offer narrative experiences outside of the screen.
For a first taste of FBFF getting “weirder,” audiences can attend “Who Are You?” This immersive art experience runs through Aug. 30 at Somerville’s Bow Market. The experience conjures an aesthetic fever dream in a 15-minute participatory event in which guests interact with an actor in an “overgrown bedroom” setting.
Producer Eliza Malecki said the installation, which explores themes of identity and transformation, has received favorable comparisons to the television show “Atlanta,” a surrealist comedy-drama created by Donald Glover. “The way you behave influences the course of the experience,” Malecki said. “You are in control.”
A shortened version of “Who Are You?” was offered at the festival’s launch party in early August. The event heightened the immersive experience with a maximalist dress code and “Alice in Wonderland” decor, complete with teacups hanging from the ceiling, analog clocks and decks of cards. Activities included a self-serve cereal bar, live pole dancing and a station full of free good-luck charms.
FBFF operations manager Lucy Yan said low-impact creative exercises were used to foster genuine connection rather than “performative small talk.” She pointed out that the event offered opportunities for “getting silly and fun and weird,” including a bingo card full of icebreakers and a crafts station to make award ribbons.
Beneath the sparkling visuals and colorful aesthetics, FBFF’s goal is not to be weird simply for the sake of being weird. Its mission is to find hope and community in a world facing increasingly intense challenges. Cipriano said the title itself, “Finding Bright,” speaks to this conceit of “shining light” into “dark spaces.”
“Nobody leaves this festival feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders, because I think that we feel that enough of the time,” Cipriano said.
The Finding Bright Film Festival takes place Nov. 5-8 at the Capitol Theater, 204 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington. The festival offers a blend of film and interactive live performance, including witch hunts (a collaboration with Witch Hunt Theatre), candlelit tea parties to commiserate with filmmakers and live readings.
“Adults need time to be free to play and imagine,” Yan said. “That is what makes life beautiful and worth living – not to be dramatic.”
