Crazy Mel’s Film Festival Run
By Kevin Maher
When I worked with the Tribeca Film Festival, I got an inside look of how they distinguish submissions. I’d been invited as a consultant for a special event that would combine short films with live comedy acts. And when it came to the stuff being projected on-screen, there was one loaded distinction. “We want comedy films,” they said, “not funny internet videos.”
Today we know this classification as the maddening “art vs. content” debate.
Who can say what’s art and what’s content?
In this case, it was the people sitting next to me in a conference room within the offices of the Tribeca Film Festival. These people got to decide what’s a “short film” (it includes a narrative, a cinematographer and high-quality production values) or a “funny internet video” (which, from their vague description might’ve involved a dog farting). Up until this point, I’d worked with a handful film festivals, mostly comedy film festivals. And there’s this typical a tug of war – what’s more important: the production values or the humor jokes? I’ve seen some beautifully made “comedies” that aren’t exactly “funny”. And I’ve seen some low-budget videos that get dismissed, despite people laughing out loud when they’re screened.
Atomic Abe’s “Crazy Mel’s Auto Emporium” led a double life as online content and as an award-winning short subject. It had a great festival run – despite the fact that it had been published on YouTube.com. (Some festivals won’t even consider a movie if it’s available online.)
“Crazy Mel” played a crazy number of festivals – and it won some awards, including Best International Film (Canadian International Comedy Film Festival), Best Script (Madcap Comedy International Short Film Festival), and Best Comedic Sketch (All The Laughs Comedy Awards). The short screened in Oakland, Austin, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Denver, Hamilton Ontario, Las Vegas, Long Beach Island, Winnipeg, Reno, and three times in Brooklyn. (Yeah, Brooklyn!)
Seeing “Crazy Mel” at a festival is fun because it’s positioned as cinema. When a film is on YouTube, people might call it content. But sitting in a movie theater, watching it on a giant screen, with an audience of filmgoers, it’s a different experience. (Even though it’s the same exact movie.) And because “Crazy Mel” is a comedy, it’s especially rewarding to hear the audience react.
Of course it didn’t always screen inside a theater. One of those Brooklyn screenings was with Rooftop Films. They included our short at a Green-wood Cemetery event, in a series about death. From the official festival listing: “The characters in these films quest for the meaning of life and death… The grass growing from a grave feeds a flock of gentle sheep.” Yeah, exactly. Also, the movie is pretty funny.
Atomic Abe’s Kevin Maher and Nick Nadel at Rooftop Films’ post-screening Q&A in Green-wood Cemetery, Brooklyn
The short got big laughs (phew!) and honestly, it’s fascinating to see our video programmed alongside a documentary about a train accident and a German animation about goats. I love attending film festivals because I’ll see some works of art that I wouldn’t see otherwise. Also, it’s flattering to see our work presented as “art.”
This contrast reminds me of a wonderful poetry collection. Stephanie Barber’s NIGHT MOVES is described as “a sad and wonderful book of love poems.” Which it is. Kind of. The book is an 86-page collection of YouTube comments for the Bob Seeger song “Night Moves.” It’s a different way to consider YouTube comments. Printed, bound, centered, held in your hands, in a book of poems.
It just goes to show how we engage differently with a work of art (or a piece of content) when it’s presented differently.
Thanks everyone who supported “Crazy Mel” during its festival run. We’ve loved meeting fellow filmmakers, programmers, attendees, and artists. We’ve got one more festival we’re waiting to hear from. Fingers crossed.
But don’t worry – if it doesn’t get accepted you can still see it on YouTube.
Atomic Abe Hits 5 Million Views!
We’re pleased to announce that Atomic Abe’s YouTube channel has reached 5 million cumulative views and over 36,000 subscribers. If you haven’t already, now is a great time to subscribe to Atomic Abe on YouTube.
Recently, we launched a BRAND NEW SERIES all about anthology TV shows. Much like our hit series “Behind the Backdoor Pilot,” “Anthology of Anthology TV Shows” takes a look at weird, wild and forgotten anthology shows from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and beyond. So far we’ve spotlighted anthology shows featuring the likes of Steve Martin, Vincent Price and more.
Watch a sample episode of “Anthology of Anthology TV Shows” below. To see more, visit Atomic Abe on YouTube.
Atomic Abe’s Nick Nadel On the Comic Crusaders Podcast
To celebrate Atomic Abe’s animated short film Message From the Future inclusion in GeekFest Film Festival, cowriter/coproducer Nick Nadel sat down with Comic Crusaders host Al Mega for a fun chat.
Nick and Al discuss everything from making an animated short during the pandemic to Nick’s work with The Onion and much more. Plus, they find they share a surprising connection.
Watch the chat below and click here to watch Message From the Future.
Lighthouse Film Festival Recap
Atomic Abe took Long Island Beach, NJ by storm when our award-winning animated short film Message From the Future played the 2021 Lighthouse International Film Festival. Cowriter/coproducer/voice actor Kevin Maher attended the festival and provided the recap below. Read on for more about the festival, and to see an exclusive promotional video created by Kevin around Long Beach Island.
Kevin Maher writes:
As a New Jersey native, I was thrilled to get to screen our short film in Long Beach Island at the Lighthouse International Film Festival.
The four-day festival showcased a "COVIDEO" program of shorts that were made during the pandemic, or about the pandemic. This collection included documentaries, comedies, stop-motion, horror and a mockumentary starring Linda Lavin. (Finally, I can boast that our movie shared the bill with one of the stars of The Muppets Take Manhattan.)
For most of the filmmakers, it was the first time they were seeing their short with a live audience. And for a comedy, that makes such a difference.
After MESSAGE played, programmer Chip Parham brought me up for a Q&A and we talked about how the short was written as a live-action film but because of the pandemic we had to make it as animation.
That night, I hobnobbed with other creators and filmmakers at a packed party at "Bird & Betty's" in Beach Haven. It was the most people I'd been around in 14 months. And because NJ dropped the mask mandate, most people were maskless.
I met up with friend and fellow filmmaker Jeremy Workman, whose documentary feature Lily Topples the World was the closing night film. Jeremy was like the character in a movie who knows everyone at the party and gives you necessary exposition and gossip.
Thanks LIFF and Long Beach Island for a fantastic weekend and a thrilling festival. We'll be sure to submit our next film and bring more of the Atomic Abe team in '22.
Our movie played at the Lighthouse International Film Fest -- and everyone was talking about it! Watch the video diary and Message From the Future below.
Message From the Future at Lighthouse International Film Festival
We are pleased to announce that our short animated film, Message From the Future, will be screening June 5th at the Surf City Firehouse during the 2021 Lighthouse International Film Festival. Cowriter/coproducer Kevin Maher will be attending the festival. Say hi if you see him!
Lighthouse Film Festival features a wide variety of films from a fantastic lineup of filmmakers. We’re so excited to be featured in a festival that includes Sundance hit John and the Hole and the award-winning documentary Lily Topples the World, directed by friend of Atomic Abe Jeremy Workman.
Come watch our short film and then hit the beach! (Message from the Future will also be available to stream virtually on the Lighthouse Film Festival website starting June 3rd.)