1st-Ever NYC Motorcycle Film Festival Sept. 26-28

In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re in the midst of the biggest creative boom centered around motorcycles since the 1970s. The massive, youthful rise of moto-mania has excited big motorcycle factories to collaborate with rising garage artists, and has inspired professional filmmakers to produce that long-dreamt-about motorcycle feature film.

Every customizer has an in-house photographer and a YouTube channel; media platforms from magazines to television shows are swamped in advertisements featuring riders and bikes; and biker fashion is all the rage on the streets, sidewalks and runways from Venice to Williamsburg. And in this modern age of mass-media consumption, the talented craftsmen and riders and gifted videographers often unwittingly work side-by-side. And the work they’re producing deserves an outlet.

Taking its cue from the successful Los Angeles Motorcycle Film Festival, now in its fourth year, the new Motorcycle Film Festival, was founded by a group of NYC motorcyclists and independent filmmakers to provide a home for motorcycle films from around the world, and give moto/film enthusiasts an event to gather, discuss and celebrate their favorite subject. With a celebrity lineup of judges and guest speakers for three jam-packed days of days of film screenings, filmmaker Q&As, seminars, and parties, it’s slated to take place in Brooklyn on September 26-28.

Film categories include Short and Feature Length Narratives, Documentaries, and Experimental Films.

And before you think this is some start-up operation, the judges include Paul d’Orleans, aka The Vintagent, one of the top vintage motorcycle blogs in the world, and JP, author of the popular motorcycle culture blog The Selvedge Yard. Other judges include Stacy London and Ana Llorente of East Side Moto Babes, and the event’s sponsors include no less than Biltwell Inc., Indian Larry Motorcycles, Triple Nickel 555, RevZilla, Gerbing and MotoGrrl.

Tickets to individual showings are $8; full festival passes which include admission to some exclusive gatherings, are available for $65 by clicking here.

By Jon Langston