Split Tooth Media Presents: The Shut-In Film Festival

Each week in April, Logan Ann Taylor will program her own mini film festival to combat the feeling of isolation while much of the world is ordered to stay home

Hello, dear Split Tooth readers. I hope everyone is hanging in there amid this unprecedented, unanticipated and unwelcome situation in everyone’s lives. Like many of you, I have a million negative thoughts about the effects of the coronavirus, fears about what this is going to do to our economy, to members of my family in vulnerable populations and to everyone’s mental health during quarantine. But also like many of you, I’ve found solace and comfort through movies. They have always been my salve, my escape route and my outlet for the fears and anxieties of daily life. I see no reason why now should be different, except we may have more time on our hands to really sit down, be present and watch a movie just for fun.

There have of course been bountiful lists of movie recommendations in the time of COVID-19, some a bit too literal for my liking — outbreak/zombie/apocalypse films, I’m looking at you — but most have the good intention of helping viewers navigate, express or escape their emotional states. Whatever your preference and whatever you need, there’s a list for you.

Selfishly, though, I’m looking to fill an even bigger hole than a few pop-culture listicles can adequately address. In this madness, multiple film festivals that I program for, consult for or simply hoped to attend have crumbled and disappeared. Everyone in my industry has. No one is discussing films for festival consideration because no one trusts if and when festivals are happening. And who can blame them? We’re in a state of complete unknowing. The future is fuzzy at best. Most of my curatorial work now lives in a state of indefinite limbo.

BUT I WANT TO PROGRAM A FESTIVAL DAMMIT.

So I’m going to.

For every week in April, I’ve constructed a five-film series of thematically tied movies. I’m going to document the movies I’ve chosen, why I love them, where you can find said films, the recommended viewing pattern and timing (in some cases one per night for five days straight, in other cases double features) and the experiences of my audience. Currently that audience is just me, my husband, my dog and my cat, but I encourage you all to join me and share your thoughts in the comments for each week’s post.

We’re going to get through this, y’all. Even if we have to go back to the days of doing what we love before it mattered if we were getting paid or getting noticed or whatever may motivate us in the “real world.” Just exercising (or exorcising) our passions for no other reason than the joy of the process. I hope this exercise provides you as much entertainment, inspiration and/or catharsis as it does me.