Big Ears 2017: Flicker and Wow Film Shorts Series

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Big Ears’ 2017 film lineup is nearly as imposing as the festival itself, even for those well-versed in the cinema; potential mind-bending audience experiences abound, often poised against each other on the packed schedule. But for curious viewers hoping to get the richest experience in the shortest possible time, the program’s Flicker and Wow series may be the weekend’s strongest bet.

Taking its name from the sub-series of experimental films presented by Knoxville’s Public Cinema, Big Ears’ three Flicker and Wow screenings are like mixtapes of short-form cinema, lovingly curated by Public Cinema founders (and Big Ears film programmers) Darren Hughes and Paul Harrill.

Hughes points to the Flicker and Wow shorts as some of his festival favorites. If that’s not recommendation enough, this year there’s an exciting new angle: From Stan Brakhage to Chuck Jones, the series’ first installment, on Saturday, is programmed entirely with child audiences in mind.

Hughes says the idea crystallized when his young daughters were delighted by experimental animations by Jodie Mack, a Big Ears 2016 guest whose “Glistening Thrills” serves as the kids program’s finale. But he’s also quick to frame it as an issue of cultural heritage.

“I’m just old enough to remember the thrill of walking into school and seeing a 16mm projector at the back of the classroom, and I also remember them being replaced by TVs and VCRs in the mid ’80s,” Hughes says. “My daughters, who are 4 and 6, experience everything digitally, usually via streaming. We want them and other kids to touch celluloid and to see and hear a projector. We also want them to have a lot of fun, which Kids! most definitely will be.”

Best of all, the three Flicker and Wow screenings, like all of Big Ears 2017’s programming at the Knoxville Museum of Art, are free and open to the public.

The Flicker and Wow series of short films will be screened at the Knoxville Museum of Art (1050 World’s Fair Park Drive) on Saturday, March 25, at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday, March 26, at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Admission is free. 

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Nick Huinker is fortunate to have spent the past 15 years living and covering Knoxville’s near-constant DIY music renaissance. Once a year he does his best to return the cultural favor as producer of the Knoxville Horror Film Fest; most of the rest of the time he’s of limited use.

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