It’s a funny thing about crashes. If you’re in a car that collides with another, you’re showered with gifts and sympathy. But if you’re on your bike, you get blamed for being in the road in the first place. Such was Brendt Barbur’s revelation during his six-month rehabilitation after his bike slammed into a New York City bus, when he decided that cycling needed an image makeover.
The result was the Bicycle Film Festival, an annual celebration of cycling through film, music, and art. Brendt wasn’t sure it would make it to Year 2, but now, in Year 25, it has entertained and informed millions in more than 100 cities all over the world.
There’s a lot to be grateful for and a lot of work left to do, now that opposition to bike infrastructure is starting to mount. Luckily, more young advocates speak the language of urban planning, and they’re using their platforms to share their work with appreciative audiences. We also talk about the (almost) late, lamented community of bike messengers, the trajectory of bike culture over the last 25 years, and the ways that increased visibility and togetherness will see the festival through the next 25.
The Bicycle Film Festival Program
We’re less than two weeks away from the Ann Arbor Bicycle Film Festival, which will be held at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor on March 1 at 7pm. (Get your tickets here.) Here’s a look at the 105-minute lineup, comprising 11 short films chosen for this special anniversary:
GREG MINNAAR: FEARLESS, ALMOST
Dir. Taj Mihelich | USA 2023 | 6 min.
VELODROOL
Dir. Sander Joon | Estonia 2016 | 6 min.
DAD BOD CYCLIST
Dir. Will Truettner | USA 2023 | 5 min.
LOOP OF PAIN
Dir. Jen Proctor | USA 2025 | 16 min.
A WAY FORWARD
Dirs. Issac Seigel Boettner, Jacob Seigel Boettner | Kenya 2017 | 6 min.
ESCAPE AND EMBRACE
Dir. Mahshid Hadi | Iran, Canada 2024 | 11 min.
GRACE
Dir. Tomas Mankovsky | USA 2015 | 4 min.
BEYOND THE BINARY
Dir. Mairin Hart | USA 2023 | 9 min.
REVOLUTIONS
Dir. Jon Chiang | Canada, USA 2022 | 15 min.
BIKE CHURCH
Dir. Nicholas de Miranda | USA 2021 | 5 min.
TRAILBLAZER
Dir. Jonathan Mehring | USA 2023 | 22 min.
Conquer the Cold ends February 20!
Have you been logging your car-free commutes since the Conquer the Cold Challenge began? There’s still time for a final push for some great prizes, including a Brooks England messenger bag courtesy of Human Electric Hybrids, lots of warm apparel, various local gift cards, and the grand prize of a $250 gift card from Bivouac Ann Arbor!
Other links:
Greg LeMond was named 1989 Sportsman of the Year
Dogtown and Z-Boys and the rise of California skate culture
About filmmaker Jonas Mekas, who helped bring BFF to life
How Critical Mass grew before social media
A YouTube video explains what a stroad is.
A quick look at “15-minute cities”
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