How's the weather in your backyard? Looks like we're heading for a spring thaw.
Don't look at my gut, okay? I've spent the last two years eating my feelings. I consumed a lot of guilt, a lot of negativity, and a lot of Ben & Jerry's.
Like Alice's Rabbit, I'm running late and there is much to discuss, including new goings-on at TikiKiti. We'll be continuing our mission of curating Unofficial Music Videos from every point on the map, but we're also going to delve through our archive of videos and try to connect some cultural dots, in the form of (drumroll please!) the TikiKiti International Film Festival (TKIFF).
We're totally jacked to bring back some slapping videos from past masters, and put them together in new combinations with fresh entries to create themed online happenings (film festivals).
Together, we'll explore our respective cultural identities, emphasizing the things we have in common, analyzing the conflicts that divide us, and maybe learn a few sweet dance moves along the way.
More on this as it develops.
By far, the greatest thing we've done at TikiKiti is encouraging emerging artists to "go for it" by convincing them that our intentions are good, and that there is an audience for their work.
Case in point is French filmmaker Kevin Bodin. We've gone from repeatedly gushing over his stunning visual style, to actually suggesting the song "Moaning Lisa Smile" by Wolf Alice as proper inspiration for a dynamite video.
Oregonian Jesse Locke has gone from being an early participating video artist, to hosting segments on the TikiKiti YouTube channel.
Expect a new and improved website, more interviews with a wide range of artists, and creative field reports from... everyone.
Basically, we're doing a deep dive into our collective talent pool. While the quest for the Barclay Trophy continues, we're going to be responsible for much more content, written, filmed, and produced by TikiKiti types like you and me.
Stay tuned! We are on the move and we want you to come with!
This is your daily reminder that Team TikiKiti is a hazily organized flock of filmmakers, artists, writers, and scalawags, intent on scrutinizing music videos from folks like you, the current inhabitants of Earth. It's an endeavor we've been picking at for several years, but our enthusiasm for the work continues to evolve.
A hearty round of applause for Swedish artist Emil Oberg, who sent us this music video for fellow Swedes, Amason. In this edition of the TikiKiti Awards, we'll also visit Mumbai, and make a few stops in America, so we don't get too homesick.
1. Producer: Emil Oberg
Artist: Amason
Song: "Parachutes"
Category: Narrative
Welcome, my son, to the machine. Behold the plight of the office drone, gamely shuffling papers until the weekend arrives, when he is rewarded with a taste of sweet freedom. Simply told, but Oberg evokes layers of pathos from his leading man through editing that bounces from mundane chaos to pure moments of deep thought.
2. Producer: Melissa Chilson
Artist: Everything Everything
Song: "Distant Past"
Category: Performance
Filmmaker Melissa Chilson shows true colors while getting vividly introspective. Through precision editing and an infallible color palate, Chilson illustrates how the need for validation can lead to a rabbit hole of self-pity and maudlin reflection.
3. Producer: Frank Galpin
Artist: Katrina Stone
Song: "Best Of Luck"
Category: Narrative
There's a feeling going around that's contagious. Not sure if it's a song, a meme, or a positive attitude, but writer and motivator Frank Galpin captures an artful organic journey that seeks to keep us in the moment, and succeeds.
4. Producer: Zubin Sahney
Artist: Whiterosemoxie
Song: "West Side Boys"
Category: Vérité
This "Mumbai Vlog" uses a roving camera and flashes of red amidst moody black-and-white street scenes to deliver a slice of life that is both piping hot and too cool for school.
5. Producer: Kai Turner
Artist: Valentine
Song: "American Boy"
Category: Narrative
California filmmaker Kai Turner asks some deep questions in sign language—and discovers that the best way forward is holding hands with someone else.
And there you have it, another whirlwind tour of hearts and minds from near and far. We're not sure where we're going, but we know we're getting there.
