Every 18 months or so, something special happens in Miami. Okay, special things happen in Miami more often than that. But still. The Borscht Film Festival is the SXSW of the indie film festival circuit, and as it stands, the event is gaining traction, but more people need to know about it.VICE attended the ceremonies in 2011, and, on the low was also present via Noisey during last December's proceedings. The main takeaway: Borscht has gotten a lot bigger and a lot crazier.Jillian Mayer and Lucas Leyva made a short about the Internet, #PostModem, that visually explored the boundaries of space and time. Laimir Fano‘s Waiting for Berta made the death of Fidel Castro a brief reality. And Bleeding Palm’s Adventures of Chris Bosh in the Multiverse took more shots at the Miami Heat star than Lil Wayne.But even if you're not the type to discuss film ad nauseum or stand in front of a painting for 20 minutes in a museum, there's a core, visceral feeling about what these kids are doing in the city that Trick Daddy calls home. It's mostly resonated through one medium in particular: Music.
One of the shorts in particular, Miami '96, was about the implications of the city's groundbreaking bass scene asked important questions about the influence of music on impressionable youth. Then you had the aforementioned #PostModem, an ultra-meta viral journey of digital age showtunes, which felt like you need to be on DMT to really understand it. Internet wizard Yung Jake performed from his iPhone with a level of display that was awe-inspiring.Beyond the films, Borscht has a running appreciation for music and how it relates to our experiences. If you consider yourself a weird, all-knowing music nerd who's up on about every nuanced movement happening in every corner of the country, Borscht needs to be on your radar.
For a festival that represents Miami so faithfully, it’s no surprise that the spirit of the city’s biggest artists is wholly apparent in the art on display and the work ethic that goes into its production. Whether that’s Rick Ross’ mantra, “Everyday I’m hustling”—a testament to all those hours in the edit room—or Gloria Estefan’s “Coming Out of the Dark” and its verbal depiction of where this festival is heading, it’s clear that music, Miami’s in particular is in the bloodline of its production.So yeah, that's Borscht Film Festival as a whole, sure. But more specifically, this is an account of where the festival stands as of its lasting outing—the group's finest work yet. See you in hell for the sequel. Which is, whenever they decide to round up the troops and put together the next one.Ernest Baker pours codeine on his white silk pants with startling regularity. He's on Twitter - @newbornrodeo
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