SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING
Keep an Eye Out and Incredible But True director and master of the absurd, Quentin Dupieux, brings his latest film, SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING, to BUFF 2023 audiences. A brilliant bait-and-switch, this bizarre superhero team film is not what it seems.
Structured as a deranged knockoff of the Power Rangers, the film follows the superhero crew Tobacco Force. Ordered to go on retreat to recharge their relationship, their Chief, a scrawny puppet akin to TMNT Master Splinter, warns them of the ultimate intergalactic evil. Within the larger narrative, the film soon pivots to a campfire story anthology, each tale wilder than the last. Murder, mayhem, an industrial accident, and forbidden love all mix in Dupieux’s most bizarre film yet.
Quentin Dupieux’s style screams off the screen. You never know what weirdness comes next. He makes it a habit of pushing the envelope. The limit does not exist in his dialogue. Jokes often go on for longer than the audience expects. That is quintessential Dupieux. SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING is yet another over-the-top entry, and BUFF23 audiences are in for an unforgettable time. Heads up, stick around for the credits.
BOSTON UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL 2023
BUFF 2023 documentary feature STAND BY FOR FAILURE is an acid trip in creativity. An explosion of overlapping media and audio, jump cuts, and dissolves are mind-bending. Filmmaker Ryan Worsley takes us on a journey through Willy Wonka’s creepy ass tunnel whether or not we want to ride. Welcome to the world of Negativland. 
GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE
The mind of an artist is a splendid thing. SXSW 2023 doc GEOFF MCFETRIDGE: DRAWING A LIFE delves into the wondrous mind of a nurtured creative. Director Dan Covert puts a face and a name to the work we’ve seen for years. Meet Geoff McFetridge, graphic designer, visual artist, and family man. 
From director James Byrkit (Coherence) comes a collection of stories from the other side of consciousness.
A young Chinese-American rapper from New York struggles with her identity and career path in the thought-provoking short SLICK TALK. Balancing culture, passion, and parental pressure, Kiki responds to a manager who messages her online after watching her music video.
Animated short film SPROUT sees an agoraphobic scientist accidentally create a baby-like plant. As the creature rapidly grows, so does its curiosity to explore the outside, upending life in more ways than one. Written, directed, and animated by Zora Kovac, this sweet and child-friendly film tackles anxiety, bravery, human connection, and of course, growth. Watch it with the entire family.
Cooper is a screenwriter/musician who also works as a rehab counselor. Recently diagnosed with a form of OCD, he must navigate his new engagement, an ailing loved one, his clients, and his unpredictable compulsions. Writer-director Dillon Tucker‘s semi-autobiographical SXSW 2023 film PURE O makes the invisible disability visible. 
“Manifest your destiny” becomes literal in writer-director Tomas Gomez Bustillo‘s SXSW 2023 film CHRONICLES OF A WANDERING SAINT. In a small village in Santa Rita, Riat is an elderly chapel keeper who longs for sainthood. At odds with the righteous women from her prayer group, she cooks up a scheme to produce a “miracle’ at the expense of everyone in her life. 
Ezra Buzzington is the hard-line skeptic as Paul. Clad in his Magor’s uniform bespangled with medals, his bristly approach to patriotism is all too familiar even now. His audibly growing disdain makes the audience squirm. Jeremy Holm is Archie. He has the perfect touch of panache from his slicked-back hair, mustache, and crimson jacket. His looming figure, combined with his humor, creates a dazzling performance.
Dollars and the Devil. SATAN WANTS YOU at SXSW 2023 is more relevant than most of us would like it to be. In 1976, Dr. Lawrence Pazder and Michelle Smith had an unusual doctor/patient relationship. Under hypnosis, Michelle describes dreams as Pazder records and interprets for her. These sessions became a bestselling book, ‘Michelle Remembers, and the beginning of what we know as ‘Satanic Panic.” The monetization of fear is a powerful little devil on your shoulder. 
Gender identity is a hot-button issue around the globe. For intersex people, existing is complicated and emotionally taxing. SXSW 2023 doc WHO I AM NOT follows two individuals who follow divergent paths on their journey to self-acceptance. When intersex children are born, most doctors suggest that parents choose one set of genitals. This complex decision should not even be an option. Sharon-Rose and Katso were born with both sets of genitals. Neither function to produce children. The film exploring happiness, navigating family, discrimination, and dating is emotionally wrought and fascinating.
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