3-6-07 // Online Exclusive: Bicycle Film Festival

The Groove Collective plays during a film screening in New York. Jena Cumbo

Maybe the only thing as enticing as the Bicycle Film Festival (BFF) would be a Bicycle Brew Festival (BBF). But until someone patents that idea, the BFF rests alone as cycling’s premier combo meal.

In its third year, the Bicycle Film Festival is chugging along and will stop at 15 cities worldwide. The tour begins in New York at the Anthology Film Archives during the city’s Bike Month. It then travels to Los Angeles in July and crisscrosses the globe before finishing in Sydney, Australia, in December.

The festival includes dozens of feature-length and short films—everything from Roam to Joe Kid on a Stingray to Pedal has been shown in previous festivals. Films are still being accepted for this year’s event, but the festival has already scheduled a few popular films, including B.I.K.E., Red Bull Mean Streets, M.A.S.H., A Sunday in Hell, Klunkers and others. (For an up-to-date film listing and festival schedule, go to bicyclefilmfestival.com)

This year, the festival will focus on promoting a clean, environmentally conscious lifestyle. The opening show in New York will run in conjunction with a free, solar-powered outdoor rock show hosted by Solar One (www.solar1.org). “We hope that the BFF opens people up to using bikes as a form of alternative transportation, ultimately helping our environment and reducing air pollution,” said BFF founder Brendt Barbur. “Each time we begin in a new city, I can’t help but be inspired by the growth in enthusiasm for bicycle riding.”

Anthony Howard, the anti-hero of B.I.K.E. with a tall bike. Jena Cumbo

For more information go to www.bicyclefilmfestival.com