Rolling Auteurs

You might not think of skateboarders as early-adopter tech geeks, but in the late '90s they were among the first groups to liberate handheld cameras from the backyard barbecue. Soon, no session was complete — and no handrail unequivocally nailed — unless it was captured on tape. It's no surprise that more than a few of those kids ended up turning the camera onto things other than their fellow skateboarders (we're looking at you, Spike Jonze). Since 2001, the Underskatement Film Festival has brought us short pieces made by but not necessarily about skateboarders and skateboarding, and fans, according to the fest's MySpace page, "generally enjoy them very much." The goal of the fest is "to promote film as a medium that is influenced by skateboarding," which translates as: Anything goes. The films range from documentary, narrative, and animation to experimental — and yes, of course there's some skating. Filmmakers include Buddy Nichols, Rick Charnoski, Jon Humphries, Laban Pheidias, Bryce Kanights, Pete Koff, Jimmie Armentrout, and Dan Wolfe. And stick around — your ticket stub gets you into the after-party at Café du Nord, with music by Hightower and The Oh Sees.
Sat., Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m., 2007