via: M-appeal.com
“Do you have metal force to hold on to your Iron Maiden tickets?”
Bogota-born director Mauricio Leiva-Cock’s debut film The Night of the Beast mixes fact and fiction perfectly. Mauricio, who previously worked on the Netflix original Green Frontier, has created a film that is refreshingly different and does away with the usual norms that he believes the world expects from Colombian cinema. Starring Esteban Galindo and Daniel Esteban Reyes, The Night of the Beast certainly deserves being selected for over a dozen film festivals, including the TIFF Next Wave Festival.
The film opens with two young boys seen roaming the alleys of Bogota, looking forward to the best night of their lives as they wait to see the famous rock band Iron Maiden. However their happy day takes a sharp turn when a group of thieves steal their concert tickets.
via: Cinematerial.com
Here’s The Rundown
Editing: There are two notable aspects to the editing in The Night of the Beast. The editing of certain scenes is unique. The short line-art animations, which last only a few seconds over a shot, help add to the film’s ambience and are altogether a very creative touch. The animations are not overdone in the movie and only appear in selected scenes to add extra depth.
However, while using rock ‘n’ roll music for the film’s background score is a great idea, at times the music is just too loud. The sound even overpowers the dialogues as well at certain points, which is detrimental to the film.
via: Tfiny.org
Performances: Each performance in the film is terrific. Reyes and Galindo’s onscreen relationship feels completely natural; it almost seems as if they are close friends in real life too.
Friendship: The Night of the Beast is a film about various aspects of friendship. Over the span of just one day, the two teenage characters can be seen bonding over their love of rock ‘n’ roll music and their favourite band Iron Maiden, and have their friendship challenged when their concert tickets are stolen and certain secrets revealed. But at the end of the day, the two friends overcome their adverse circumstances and disappointments, showing the audience that nothing can get in the way of a strong friendship.
Watch the trailer here:
The Night of the Beast is being showcased at the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival
TIFF is calling young people from across Canada to come together at home to celebrate this year’s TIFF Next Wave Film Festival, running February 12–15, 2021. The festival — which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year — will be held online via digital TIFF Bell Lightbox and TIFF social media channels, making the best youth narratives available to viewers across the country for the first time.
Curated for youth, by youth, the titles selected for this year’s lineup demonstrate the power, tenacity, and steadfastness of the next generation, and feature stories of self-discovery and community. The TIFF Next Wave Film Festival offers FREE films for anyone under 25. Complete festival details, including the list of film titles, schedules, and ticket information, are available at tiff.net/nextwave.
BONUS: Faze had a chance to ask TIFF Next Wave Film Festival Committee member Andrea Landaeta a few questions…
How did you become a member of the committee?
I first heard about the Next Wave Film Festival around summer of 2019, and I immediately thought “this is the absolute coolest thing I have ever heard of and I need to know more right now.” I had no experience in anything film-related (I don’t even go to an arts school), but I just knew I had to at least apply. When applications opened up on the Next Wave site for the 2020-2021 year, I spent a solid month editing/rewriting/overthinking the script I wrote for my application video. I put up a bedsheet on my wall, filmed the video on my crappy phone camera, wore my nicest Hawaiian shirt, and completely ignored my script and followed my gut instead (so much for all that overthinking).
About a month later, I got an interview, and I vividly remember that they asked me, “Who would your ‘film parents’ be?”, which I think really shows how easygoing and warm the atmosphere here is. (My answer was Keanu, btw.) Applying to the TIFF Next Wave Committee is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I completely recommend it to anyone who’s passionate about movies and stories! My advice: listen to your gut, always.
How has your experience as a member been?
My time on the Next Wave Committee has been a really amazing time. I’ve gotten to meet so many incredible people and watch so many good movies! Even though programming for a virtual festival has been a challenge, I’m so proud of all the work we’ve done and it’s been incredibly rewarding. Next Wave has a huge focus on amplifying the voices of diverse filmmakers and telling stories that are usually silenced, and this year’s film lineup reflects that perfectly.
Representation is something that’s really important to me and that I wish I had more of growing up, and it means so much to me to have been able to work for a festival that prioritizes exactly that.
What is your favourite film from the festival and why?
They’re all so amazing, it’s hard to pick just one…. but I have to say Scales, directed by Shahad Ameen. I love mermaid lore, I love magical realism, I love stories that use mythology as an allegory for the oppression of women…what more could I possibly ask for?
Watching Scales feels like listening to a fairytale or a poem; it’s minimalist dialogue and stunning cinematography makes it feel even more otherworldly. It’s such a powerful and moving film, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I first watched it months ago.
If you could only watch one film for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why?
Into the Spider-Verse for sure! It’s my all-time favorite movie, I could watch it forever on repeat and never get tired. The music, the animation, the characters are all absolutely perfect, and there is nothing I would change about it. I’ve seen it about six times since it came out and every time I find something I hadn’t noticed before, and I always find something new to love about it. It is literally the cinematic gift that keeps on giving. If I had to watch this movie for the rest of my life, I think I would die happy.
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