By George Kozera

It is imperative that I first note that the black and white Cinematography in GREY ROADS is beyond impressive; it is moody and atmospheric and sensual, making the sleepy town of Markdale, Ontario (not far from Toronto and home to Chapman’s Ice Cream manufacturing plant) a fascinating character on its own. Filmmaker Jesse McCracken (who edited, filmed, produced and directed this Film) takes us on his quest back home to reconnect with his estranged father and his gentle, soft-spoken grandfather. The two men differ wildly: his father is part of a motorcycle gang going by the name of Redneck Riders and the grandfather is involved in local community events. This is where GREY ROADS faltered for me as I was genuinely disinterested.

As much as we all might feel that our lives would make a fascinating movie, it is prudent to say that not everything in life is worthy of a Documentary feature film. There is no denying that Jesse McCracken is supremely talented and I anxiously hope he finds a compelling story, be it fictional or not, to highlight and share in the near future.

By Justin Waldman

In 2004, the Silk Road reopened between China and Tajikistan which was great for the latter as it was the economic boost the country needed. Davlat, who is the subject of this Documentary bought some freighters and tried to pave a new life for his family. Unfortunately, Capitalism intruded these plans and made life exceedingly more difficult for Davlat and his family.

The New Plastic Road shows one mans motivation for a better life, and his drive and tenacity but also what modern Capitalism and bigger pockets can do to nearly crush one’s spirit and drive. It is a beautiful Documentary that looks into what even the fight that humans will give to protect what is theirs.

By George Kozera

WELCOME TO SPAIN opens with an undisputable fact: Seville is the most beautiful city in Spain. Having spent a few days there many years ago, I wholeheartedly agree! When the city’s last brothel turns into a refugee recreational center for those seeking to start a new life in the country, Filmmaker Juan Antonio Moreno Amador meets a number of the people of different nationalities and starts a two year quest as he films their journeys while they try to adapt to a new culture and experiences. It’s an eclectic group.

Omnia is perhaps 8 years old and she, alongside her parents and two younger siblings, escaped from Yemen. Amelia is the oldest of the group. She’s a grandmother of nine, a retired schoolteacher and left Venezuela to start a new life in Spain. Marouane is 18, proudly gay and fled Morocco seeking asylum from sexual persecution back home. One cannot help but to cheer all of them on, praying they succeed.

WELCOME TO SPAIN, with great sensitivity, takes the audience on a trek while these newly displaced people adapt to new cultures, religious beliefs and food, unfamiliar places and ways of thinking. We smile as broadly as Omnia does when she receives a Christmas gift from one of the Three Wise Men or learns something new at the school she attends. When Marouane celebrates attending his first gay pride parade in Madrid, his enthusiasm and love of the freedom that he can finally express his true identity without shame or fear is palpable.

WELCOME TO SPAIN is replete with scenes that are humorous, heartbreaking, life-affirming and fascinating, it is a film with no fillers nor judgment and I enjoyed it tremendously.

By George Kozera

I first saw Italian Director Luchino Visconti’s Oscar-nominated “Death in Venice” at a private screening in the early ’80s. Whereas I was not as enamored by the Film as others, I found Dirk Bogarde’s performance as a sickly Composer fixated on a young boy while recuperating in Venice astonishing. What made it fascinating and believable was the look of the lad and, playing Tadzio, Bjorn Andresen embodied pulchritude. Described by Visconti at the Premiere of the Movie at the Cannes Film Festival as THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD, Andresen evoked an androgynous innocence, immortalized forever on celluloid. Whereas Andresen was never able to parlay that initial fame into a profitable career, he looks back on the 50 years since the release of “Death in Venice” with honesty and clarity. His personal life may have been in shambles which he never disowns but there is also a little sense of pride that his face inspired Japanese Manga.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD held me enthralled throughout. Bjorn Andresen’s life is worth visiting.

By Justin Waldman

Apart is going to make you angry, and it absolutely should. There is another war on drugs, and instead of getting help and providing sentencing that is not rehab or something helpful to first offenders to get the help they need, they serve sentences, long sentences that can destroy their lives. The Documentary focuses on three women: Tomika, Lydia, and Amanda, and their reasonings for being in prison, whether it be they got addicted to prescribed medication, and then got cut-off, being forced to buy elsewhere and getting caught. Or being caught in possession with intent to distribute when they simply a passenger in car. These women are not felons, they got caught in a war that is raging across the United States.

What makes Apart so powerful is listening to these women’s stories about what they did, how they got there, and exposing how broken the system is. Rehabilitation is not cheap, there is no denying that, but why can’t there be court mandated rehabilitation instead of prison time for first offenders? This Documentary focuses on their time spent in and out of prison and what their lives have become because of their sentence.

By George Kozera

When the relationship with his much older male companion rapidly declines, Filmmaker Isidore Bethel returns home to Chicago to emotionally recuperate and to reassess his needs and desires. His solution is to interview and film men that he meets on various gay dating aps to, ostensibly, get varied responses to how they deal with sexual scenarios and personal relationships, much to the chagrin of his mother with whom he has many telephone conversations. It becomes somewhat too apparent that the validity of this undertaking turns into opportunities to have sex with a large number of men and one can’t help but to agree with his mother when she states that this is strictly a vanity project. In a series of scripted and non-scripted scenes, some of which verging on graphic and explicit, ACTS OF LOVE is disjointed and its success relies on whether you find legitimacy in the theme being explored. I did not.

By George Kozera

When Director and star, Daniel Berish, discovered that his grandparents initially met at a nudist colony, he decides to visit Canada’s oldest nudist camp, Van Tan, to learn what life is all about while wearing only a smile. With all the “hoohah” bits pixilated for broadcast, NUDE TO ME is a wildly charming 20-minute foray into the forests of British Columbia where people tend to their gardens, chop wood and play volleyball.

In the beginning it was fun watching Berish awkwardly disrobe and then not knowing where to look when chatting with a club member but by the end, he was a pro and would forget that he had no clothes on! Everyone at Van Tan had personal reasons for being there and, due to Berish’s entertaining (with tongue-firmly-in-cheek) interviewing skills, everything you ever wanted to know about being at a nudist camp is answered with panache and humour.

One walks away from this Documentary wishing they could also have that sense of freedom and joy, commuting with nature and have all the dangly bits sway in the breeze. NUDE TO ME is high on my list of Best of the Fest.

By George Kozera

During my university years in Montreal, oh so long ago, I impulsively picked up an album by the all-girl heavy rock group Fanny based solely on who produced the album. At home, needle to the vinyl, and I became obsessed after hearing the first track. I wasn’t their only fan. FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK opens with a David Bowie quote: “Fanny is not one of the most important female bands of all time; they are one of the most important bands of all time, period. Their achievements are not only important to women, and their hard work is not only impressive for female musicians.”

Whereas in essence this is a straightforward “whatever happened to” Documentary, I was deeply enthralled throughout this 92 minute tribute to a band that were not only groundbreaking, they inspired future all-girl rock bands like The Go- Go’s, The Runaways and The Bangles. Fanny, headlined by two Filipina sisters, broke all musical boundaries while fighting prejudices they experienced, whether they be race, gender or sexuality-related. With interviews from a slew of musical icons (Bonnie Raitt, Richard Perry Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott to name a few), FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK is a must-see.

By Justin Waldman

Ain’t no time for Women is a Short Documentary about the 2019 Presidential election in Tunis. These women are all gathered in a salon discussing everything they have gone through throughout their lives with the dictatorships and hardships they’ve gone through. In its short 19 minutes, it packs an impactful punch.

What makes Ain’t No time for Women so great is the fact that in such a short time the women can turn this regular salon into a political powerhouse with their conversations. Everything is discussed between the hardships they endured in the dictatorship to the bright future they and every other woman is going to have in the future democratic state. There will always be time for women moving forward in the town of Tunis!

By George Kozera

By day, Hermes and Betta (a lovely middle-aged Italian couple) run a pet supply store, interacting with clients on a very professional and personal level. It’s at night when they let their freak flag fly: Hermes and Betta are swingers where their interactions take a wildly different turn.

BLOOM UP takes us deep inside the world of swinging where like-minded people explore carnal pursuits without shame, fear or judgment. It is a fascinating topic to pursue as it is virtually impossible not to explore the subject matter with preconceived notions. This couple, alongside the many others who participate in these trysts in the movie, appear to be…for lack of a better word…normal. Prior to attending the events, Hermes and Betta make sure they dress to maximize their sexiness and appeal and who of us doesn’t want to look our best before going out on a date.

Writer, Cinematographer and Director Mauro Russo Rouge must be commended for taking a lifestyle choice that may be foreign to many and humanizing it, without prejudice. Yes, it is rather explicit and perhaps a tad misogynistic, but it also explores a topic that always confused me: how does one deal with a swinging lifestyle and not be emotionally-distanced? How can watching someone you love be intimate with someone else? This question is addressed in this Documentary. BLOOM UP is niche filmmaking. It is definitely not everybody’s cup of tea, but it tackles an adult subject matter with precision and insight.