Squeaky Wheel: Downtown Renaissance Premiere Screening

DOWNTOWN RENAISSANCE PREMIERE SCREENING
SUN., SEP. 16TH @ 1:30 PM       LOCATION: BURCHFIELD PENNEY ART CENTER

Please join us for the premiere screening celebration of the sixth annual Buffalo Youth Media Institute! Downtown Buffalo saw the return of development in 2012 so it seemed appropriate to theme the Buffalo Youth Media Institute's return as well! This year's theme, Downtown Renaissance, spanned cultural, architectural and artistic areas. Over the course of the summer, students from across the Western New York area have been learning about Buffalo and the issues that face our community as Downtown Buffalo is revitalized and rebuilt. Under the guidance of professional filmmakers and historians, youth producers studied the history, architecture, nature and culture of Downtown Buffalo and made self-directed documentaries based on their own research and interest. Youth-produced documentary topics include the Buffalo Greencode, Buffalo Place, the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, Canalside, the Western New York Book Arts Center, musical diversity, food culture, community building, downtown living and more!

 

The Program: 

Downtown Flavor (8m56s) : Griffin Schultz     Buffalo, New York was once one of the greatest, most beloved, and well recognized cities of America because she was a monopoly of grain and steel, the western terminus of the Erie canal, and home to the Pan American exposition. Today she is recognized for something totally different: her culture, her taste and her flavor. This flavor comes from the very passionate local food businesses that keep Downtown Buffalo thriving, and the foods created by those local businesses that produce a wide variety of flavors only native to downtown Buffalo, NY.

Downtown Buffalo : More than Meets the Eye (2m1s) : Hawa Mgaza

A Queen City Project (5m39s) : Benjamin Sardinia & Nicholas Sabio     A first hand look at the history and present of the Buffalo Waterfront. It is a tour of canal side and insight in the publics views of the changes it has undergone. Explore how canal side should change for the future.

Motoring Down Main Street (6m29s) : Jamie Hager     This short film focuses on how car travel is returning to Main Street after a 28 year absence. It illustrates what the benefits and negatives are to this large change through two different perspectives. This movie overall depicts how Downtown Buffalo is going through a renaissance to improve the area and this is merely one change that the city is going through to become a better place. 

Downtown: New Developments (3m30s) : Jacob Amo     This short film provides an appreciation of the current town.  Based off that it answers possible solutions to making “fuller”, “24-hour”, better downtown.  And ways to improve the downtown region for with the entire community in mind.

Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (6m23s) : James Werick     A brief description of how Buffalo fell from glory in the second half of the 20th century begins the video.  Then four of the leading executives at Kaleida Health describe how the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus will revitalize Buffalo.  These interviews are paired with lightly experimental cinematography.

Western New York Book Arts Center (7m56s) : Colin O’Brien     An interview with Chris Fritton on how the Western New York Book Arts Center is helping to bring people downtown. Learn about their workshops and events they offer in this short documentary. Visit their website at wnybookarts.org.

Coexistence (4m51s) : Willow M. Greene     A brief juxtaposition of the vacant buildings and thriving businesses in the Downtown area. The film focuses on the buildings along the Metro Rail on Main Street. In this short film, the buildings speak for themselves.

Downtown Buffalo’s New Cultures (6m53s) : Claudia D’Auria     This documentary shows the different cultures that are brought to the Buffalo.  It shows the different ethnicities that come to Buffalo and make it so diverse and how these cultures in Buffalo are shown and used.

Shea’s Restoration (5m20s) : Samantha Archer

The Sound of Buffalo (6m52s) : Michael Thompson

INTERMISSION : 10 MINUTES

Where Are You?!? (3m36s) : Wilfried Atonfack

What’s New Downtown? (6m38s) : Rafael Mencia

Where the Lines Overlap (6m2s) : Corey Wilde & Alexys Schlosser     The piece is about the perspective of Kevin Cain, a performance space owner in the heart of downtown Buffalo. Kevin reflects on the development and progression of culture and music in Buffalo and how the renaissance of downtown not only affects him as an owner of The Vault, but also as a citizen.

The Buffalo Green Code (4m47s) : Kelly Patterson     In a city that hasn't been effectively engineered since the mid-twentieth century, the modern day urban planners of Buffalo lay out the physical framework for a prosperous future.  An interview with planner Chris Hawley reveals the methods and reasoning behind the Green Code, the urban blueprint that will return our city to its former grandeur.

Where is the Fun Downtown? (4m14s) : Jessica Mercado     Four different views on what is wanted downtown, compared to what is already there. All interviewees are different ages, making the answers more unique. The interviewees' answers are similar in a way.

A People Place (7m42s) : Julia Ziaja     This documentary is about how to bring more people to live downtown.  To get answers I questioned two downtown residents and what they think.

Young Drama (7m15s) : Allie Vuich     "Young Drama" is a documentary about lack of theater in city schools. It focuses on kids who have theater in their schools and who do not. It also focuses on how the kids draw inspiration from theater on downtown Buffalo, which has a large and successful theater district. 

The Beauty of Buffalo (4m36s) : Prasidy Ochi     This project gives people the opportunity to see the “Beauty of Buffalo.”  Exploring downtown Buffalo and informing the audience on how downtown Buffalo is constantly changing.

Thursday After Thursday (5m53s) : Jacob Smolinski     The free summer Thursday concerts are one of Buffalos largest events and a huge attraction that draws hundreds of thousands of people downtown each year.  This year however, Buffalo Place made a switch.  Make that, quite a big switch.

Mikey: The Motion Picture (8m4s) : Matthew Lippman     Mikey Lawler is an 18-year-old Buffalonian.  Fresh out of high school, Mikey spends his free time collecting cans and making friends downtown.  “Mikey the Motion Picture” depicts a day in the teenage vagabond's life
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