Tag: Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival

The Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival made its debut in September, joining cities like Lisbon, New York and Portland in celebrating this special aspect of motorcycle culture. After our interview in Episode 4, festival director Caius Tenche invited me to moderate a panel discussion with some of this year’s filmmakers and judges. Naturally, I jumped at the chance. It was a lively and fascinating conversation, and I’m excited to share it with you in this special episode.

Show Notes

Motofolk line up for the Saturday night screening at the Revue Cinema in Toronto’s Roncesvalles neighbourhood.

Here’s a complete list of the films selected for the inaugural Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival. Where the films can be viewed free, I’ve linked directly to those. Where they can’t, or I can’t find them, I’ve linked to the film’s web site. To learn more about the members of the judging panel, check them out on the festival’s site.

A.K.A. Brokentooth – Canada’s Ice Road Biker  Maybe it’s about riding a motorcycle in the arctic. Or maybe it’s about the true spirit of independence. Either way, meeting  Oliver Solaro is worth your time. Both he and director Jory Lyons participated in the panel discussion.

The American Wall of Death 

Serrini finds the humour in this ancient piece of motorcycle Americana.

Chasing Evel: The Robbie Knievel Story 

This brutally honest documentary about a lost son won Best Canadian Film honours.

Dream Racer 

This moving story of a privateer taking on the Dakar won both People’s Choice and Best Feature Film honours at the festival. The incorrigible Jacob Black participated in the panel discussion.

The Freedom Machine 

Jamie Robinson creates a feature length MotoGeo adventure. If you love Jamie, you’ll love this.

Giovanni Burlando’s Vision 

This delightful film, the one Toni compared to a “warm plate of fettuccini” won Best Short Film honours.

Hill Climb

Charming proof that there is nothing so timeless and universal as watching people do foolish things on motorcycles.

Howl Seat 

Europe sends us back a boisterous take on the custom bike road movie.

Klocked: Women with Horsepower 

A completely joyful story of empowerment that will leave you wondering if you’ve been paying enough attention to your own dreams.

The Little Person Inside 

This inspiring story about a paraplegic road racer proves both that our limits are higher than we think, and that the love of motorcycles may have no limits at all.

The Monkey and Her Driver

This oddball corner of the motorcycle racing scene provides the perfect backdrop for a story about two women and the true nature of competition.  Director Ned Thanhouser brought the perspective of experience to the panel discussion.

The Road is Calling and I Must Go 

A meditation on what riding feels like. Save this for a cold winter night.

Shinya Kimura – Chabott Engineering 

The custom scene is all about characters, and this portrait of Kimura will leave you a little less certain about the boundary between craft and art.

Take None Give None 

An engrossing documentary about a storied MC that has always flouted even the conventions of MCs.

Trail Master

A cheerful portrait of riders who are committed not just to riding, but to the world they ride in. Director Matthew Sanders participated in the panel discussion, and got more than one participant thinking about riding dirt again.

Virginia’s Harley

Virginia’s quest to build a machine all her own shows us that there’s more to “built not bought” than just bragging rights.

Special thanks and a tip of the helmet to Integrated Media Production Group for handling the recording of this event for me, and to Pfaff Harley Davidson for being such accommodating and professional hosts.

To be passionate about motorcycling is to be passionate about motorcycle films, or so it seems lately. In this episode, I talk with Caius Tenche, director of the Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival, about why our appetite for two-wheeled cinema is so insatiable. Tenche gives the digital age its due; it’s never been easier to record and share our stories. But behind this, it turns out, are reasons far more timeless and essential to why we ride.

Show Notes

You can find out everything you need to know about the Toronto Motorcycle Film Festival here. To stay current and connect with fellow enthusiasts, here are the Festival’s social media coordinates: Facebook torontomotofilmfest | Instagram @torontomotofilmfest | Twitter @tomotofilmfest

According to Wikipedia, at least, the first film that featured a motorcycle in a significant plot role was ‘Mabel at the Wheel’, by Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand and Mac Sennett. Here it is on YouTube.

Here’s the trailer for this year’s Lisbon Motorcycle Film Fest. The images do the talking, here, and give you a great sense of the kind of energy these films generate.

21 Days Under the Sky came up a couple of times in our discussion. Here’s the trailer. If you decide to watch the film, I’d love to hear what you think.

This is MotoGeo’s ‘Night Rider’, a confection I watched more than once while I waited for my own Triumph Scrambler to come. It didn’t hurt that Jamie Robinson loves this bike. Find MotoGeo here.

Caius also mentioned ‘Stories of Bike’ as an inspiration of his. A little more polished and people focused, you’ll find their films here.

Caius talked about the links between motorcycling, film and maker culture, and it would be hard to beat ‘The Greasy Hands Preachers’ for proof. You might want to pour yourself an artisanal IPA for this one.

If you’re not a rider but you’re curious about why people get so worked up about it, the film ‘Why We Ride’ is worth your time. Yeah, it’s sentimental, but this is who we are.

“It’s All A Blur” was used in this episode with the kind permission of Cuff the Duke. It’s from the band’s album “Way Down Here”, a personal favourite of mine for long, quiet rides in the country (only when it’s safe to listen, of course). You’ll find their music in all the usual places, including here.