Stony Brook Film Festival: A Well Curated Collection of Independent Film

This weekend marked the beginning of the Stony Brook Film Festival, held annually at the Staller Center on the campus of Stony Brook University. Like other local events, SBFF focuses on the community around filmmaking while also highlighting some of the best submitted films. The event runs from July 21st through July 30th, with screenings of movies held every night. Here are two of the movies (both of which are documentaries) that screened this weekend.

The Jackie Stiles Story: This documentary follows the astounding and record-breaking career of WNBA star Jackie Stiles. Featuring a lot of archival footage and interviews with former teammates and other people in her circle, The Jackie Stiles Story is an expertly done documentary. It is a story of grit and tenacity in the face of adversity that teaches viewers about how they do not be the most physically imposing person on the court but must possess a will to win above all else. It would be genuinely surprising if this film did not find a home on ESPN+ or another streaming platform.

Nasima: Nasima is also a sport documentary, telling the story of the first female surfer in Bangladesh and her work to shatter the glass ceiling in that country and make surfing more mainstream. The documentary is closer to a veritas-style than the previous (though very much not) and is more freeform, telling Nasima’s story by following her through her life and interactions with her friends and family. The documentary also successfully personifies the region of Bangladesh that she lives in and shows its evolution and acceptance of women swimmers and surfers as her career grows.

Between now and the end of the festival, there are still a lot of movies running. There are two features a night and every feature is joined by a short in the same programming block. Every screening also ends with a Q&A with the filmmakers. That said, and this is not specifically pointed at any film here or any specific film at LIIFE or NYCIFF and is more broadly directed towards independent filmmakers trying to get into a festival: A drone shot is not necessary in every movie. Across all the festivals attended this year, it is apparent that camera angles acquired via drone are being used for establishing shots or B-roll footage in an attempt to gain production value, however if the camera’s quality on the drone does not match the camera quality of the rest of the movie, it is going to stand out. It may seem like an easy way to increase production value, however there are easier ways, and sometimes an increase in production value is not necessary. When done well, it won’t be noticed by a viewer but when it’s done poorly it is very obvious.

Tickets and the schedule for the Stony Brook Film Festival are available here.