MAKE A BIKE MOVIE.

It's like a BFF "I spy", and I spy FABRIC BIKE. But for the record, february hair flips in spandex & bathrobes = coldest day of shooting ever. But, make a bike movie. We promise they're fun to do. BFF entries for 2012 are due April 21st!

BFF TORONTO 11 VIDEO RECAP.

Thanks to Snow White for editing this little video recap of the BFF in Toronto this year. So fun, as always.

SEPTEMBER IN SF.

Last month I met Matt Reyes at the BFF in San Fran - great rider, as well as videographer. Here's his latest edit with some footage from the Street Party from the festival. I always like weird little snapshots like this.

BFF PIRATES!

whoa. remember this night? Gotta love @bikepirates.

BFF TORONTO SCREENINGS!

Better late then never right? Gonna be posting some highlights from Toronto's Bicycle Film Festival, over the next little while. So fun! Thanks again to our sponsors, Cap C, Cervelo, Crumpler, Orontas, YNOT, Dandyhorse, Bikes on Wheels & so so many others.

And an even bigger thanks to all our friends, family & the bike community of Toronto for coming out to our screening of FABRIC BIKE. The response & love was overwhelming. And if you're in Vienna, San Francisco, Lisbon or Sydney - FABRIC BIKE and the BFF are coming your way over the next month!

BFF TO DAY III & IV: SCREENINGS & DANCE OFFS.

The Bicycle Film Festival here in Toronto is in full swing. Tonight's screenings are going to be great with 3 different programs at 5, 7 & 9pm at the Royal Cinema - specifically the 9pm screening of Urban Bike Shorts, including the Canadian premiere of our film FABRIC BIKE. Then don't forget to come dance your face off at our closing party Let's Get Cranked at Hard Luck Bar.

It's going to be hard to top last night, but I think we can do it. Friday was fantastic with amazing films from all over the world. My favourite short of the night was definitely "Of Steel" directed by Ben Ingham. Check out the trailer below. We then raced and danced the night away at Bike Pirates, screaming our way through goldsprints, flooding the dance floor & out into the back alley. I seriously can't wait for all the photos from the last few days to surface.

SEE YOU TONIGHT!

BFF PHOTO RECAP: PANEL DISCUSSION!

Here's some pictures from the amazing panel discussion on wednesday night at the Gladstone Hotel. Thanks again to James, Tammy, Dave & Shamez for speaking, and also to Yvonne for doing a wonderful job moderating. Photos by Erin Simkin.

BFF DAY II: BIKES ROCK!

Riding with headphones in, is a dangerous, but extremely guilty pleasure of mine. There's nothing like finding that perfect track to glide around your city to - so for me, biking and good music sort of go hand in hand.

Needless to say we're all super pumped for BIKES ROCK! at the Legendary Horsehoe Tavern tonight! I do love me some good pop & tiny ukeleles! So come see these awesome bands:

The Meligrove Band

Octoberman

SPIN by Evalyn Perry

Christien Summers

Doors at 8:30pm TONIGHT!

Tickets $12

And if it's half as amazing as last night was - BFF TO is off to a fantastic start! The panel discussion was wonderful & inspiring. It's so nice to remind yourself in the midst of a negative political climate around cycling in Toronto at the moment, that there are so many people who can think independently, and present themselves eloquently. That, we as the cycling community, can rally, and think, and coduct ourselves positively. (And, a huge thanks to Dave Meslin for unexpectedly using us as an example for positive action - I have a serious brain crush on that man.)

Also, the artwork & bikes are phemoninal, and if you didn't make it out yesterday, the show is hanging til Sunday August 14th at The Gladstone Hotel.

BFF DAY I: BACK BREAKS!

The first day of the BFF Toronto is about to begin! The girls just finished hanging the art exhibit at the Gladstone Hotel, and it looks incredible!

This Wednesday night is your chance to see the Fabric Bike in person, alongside amazing pieces from Mark Charlebrois, Janet Bike Girl, and so many other fantastic local artists like Dmirti Bondarenko, who's beautiful work is featured above.

Back Breaks Art Exhibit is free, and runs from 6-10 at The Gladstone - With an amazing panel discussion mixing things up at 7. The panel, moderated by Yvonne Bamrick, is discussing "How to win over a non-cyclist at a dinner party." And features this stacked line up of speakers:

Dave Meslin (Founder, Toronto Cyclists Union)

Tammy Thorne (Editor, Dandyhorse Magazine)

James Schwartz (Founder & Editor, Urban Country)

Shamez Amlani (Co-Founder, Steets are for People)

See you tonight!

BFF COMING TO TORONTO!

Next week the Bicycle Film Festival stops in our fair city.

This year, we've been more involved than ever in helping bring the BFF back to Toronto. From Patricia & Kirsten curating the art exhibit, to Cat wrangling volunteers, to Irene's media saavy ways, to me (Laura) illustrating the promotional posters alongside the lovely & talented graphic designer Frank Maidens. And so many other things inbetween.

But next week it all goes down. art. films. parties. races. goldsprints. dancing. bikes.

Not to mention, the Canadian premiere of our short film FABRIC BIKE at the Royal theatre! The unveiling of the Fabric Bike itself at the Gladstone! AND the out of control closing party we're throwing at hardluck bar on the last night of the festival!

so. much. stuff.

Get ready for us to bombard you with blog posts... or you can check out the program & buy your tickets online HERE!

BFF NYC part II: BMX Jam.

Too fun.

LOS ANGELOPES.

Hands down, Los Angelopes by Richie Thomassen was my favourite short at the festival. Beautifully shot. Fantastic subject matter. So much so, that this trailer doesn't even do it justice. I'm excited for the BFF to come to Toronto, just so that I can watch this in full all over again.

BFF! NYC! DNS! FTW!

What a ridiculous weekend. More stories & photos to come. But, let's just go back and do it all over again, yeah?

FIXATION

The east-coast ladies are in NYC right now taking it over. Already FABRIC BIKE is in the top 10 films to watch at BFF according to Opening Ceremony. It's a pretty big honour seeing the company we are keeping.

Thinking about not being in NYC makes me sad... so more on other bike movies, FIXANATION just put out it's trailer. If you're fixed on fixed you got to check this out if you haven't already.



One of the riders featured is Sean Martin of Take Over LA. I got to party a bit with Sean at Interbike last year. (Got to love gingers.) He's a fine upstanding gentlemen and a scholar. I'm stoked to see the full movie when it hits stores! Also, lets go ride bikes in LA. Look at all that room on the road!



Here we are doing shots at the International Gold Sprints in Vegas. I'm rocking out DNS seafoam bamboo bike tights, Sean's on my right, Justin of KNICE Clothing is on my left, and there will be a special prize rewarded to whoever can name the mystery man on the far left.

BFF NEW YORK PART I: JOYRIDE!

So far our time in New York has been fantastic. Joyride at the Spencer Brownstone Gallery in Soho was great and entirely packed. Maybe the fact that the bar was dry by 8 pm was a good sign. It was an amazing chance to check out the other artists, make a whole lot of new friends and chat about the Bike. So far it seems to be getting a fairly good response. Check out this article written by Velojoy, the photo below was a sweet shot Prolly snapped.

But the best is yet to come! Our film is premiering today at the Anthology Film Archives at 6, 8 & 10 pm! And according to Opening Ceremony even listed it as one of the Top 10 Must-See films at the 2011 BFF.

So now is when we roll out of bed (other people's couches & floors), scrounge up some breakfast (yes it's well past noon) and make our way over to the BFF Street Party. Thanks for all the love NYC!!

FABRIC BIKE IN NEW YORK!

So tomorrow's the big day. The one where we get up ridiculously early and drive 9 hours to the New York City, where the Bicycle Film Festival circut for 2011 begins Wednesday.

Don't miss the fabric bike in person at the opening for JOYRIDE in Soho, and our film premiere in the Urban Shorts Program on the lower east side. Details for both below:

JOYRIDE

Thursday, June 23rd

Spencer Brownstone Gallery

3 Wooster St

Opening: 6-9 pm

URBAN SHORTS

Saturday, June 25th

Anthology Film Archives

32 2nd Ave, at 2nd St.

Screenings: 6pm, 8pm & 10 pm

Mayhem awaits.

Nightshades Throwback - BFF 2008

This was the after-after party of our first Bicycle Film Festival in 2008. Brendt Barbur, (the guy who started the festival) stayed at Aubrey's old apartment building in Chinatown. We had such a fun time that year. There was a fire door with a ladder in the building that lead out to the roof, so we decided to head up there after the movies were over. Cat lit fireworks, and Niamh dropped teapot off the roof by accident. Now that we're heading to NYC with our first actual film in the festival (and art in the art show!) it's fun to look at BFF pics from back in the day.