BRENDAN & JEREMY SMYTH
Phone: 352.318.6705 & 352.318.5872
Email: info@thesmythbrothers.com
Web: thesmythbrothers.com, haverhillexperimental.org, durhamunexposed.tumblr.com
EDUCATION
University of Florida
B.A. in Economics
B.A. in English
- Certificate in Film & Media Studies
EXPERIENCE
Founder | UNEXPOSED Microcinema | 11/15- 02/17
- Founders of a microcinema in downtown Durham, North Carolina in the arts district.
- Our mission is to exist to facilitate the growth of experimental cinema outside of academia by establishing a physical presence to promote a constant awareness of its viability.
- Provide weekly shows based off a strict curating process centering around experimental filmmakers from specific geographical locations within the United States.
Curator | UNEXPOSED (screening series) | 02/14- present
- Organizing monthly film screenings in Durham, NC; completed nineteen shows in 21 months hosting 21 local and non-local filmmakers as visiting artists.
- Working with several establishments to provide changing monthly venues including The Carrack Modern Art, The Pit Authentic BBQ, Shadowbox Studio, and nine more.
- Successfully established an off-campus community of experimental film in Durham outside of Duke’s realm.
- Published eleven times in the local newspaper, INDY, distributed to 2 million triangle inhabitants.
Director/Programmer | Haverhill Experimental Film Festival | 01/13- 10/18
- Directed/programmed/organized an annual international film festival that ended after its 6th year
- Put Haverhill, MA on the experimental and underground cinema world map.
- Successfully acquired four grants from Haverhill’s Local Cultural Council in 2013 and 2014.
- Programming hours worth of content from hundreds of worldwide video submissions.
- Coordinating with jurors from other states to judge the festival and perform art installations.
- Coordinating with Haverhill hotels to ensure accommodation for visiting filmmakers and jurors.
- Writing press releases to multiple local and national newspapers: story picked up by WBUR, The Boston Globe, The Eagle Tribune, & The Haverhill Gazette.
- Managing five social/digital media platforms.
Filmmaker | Blacksmyth Films | 01/11- present
- Created three experimental, ethnographic documentaries on film and circulated them around the globe.
- Launched two successful Kickstarter crowd-funding campaigns.
- Published by The Journal of Short Film at Ohio State University.
- Maintaining five social/digital media platforms.
- Writing periodic press releases to newspapers describing our mission.
- Working closely with a graphic designer to brand company and all projects.
PROJECTS (4)
“Por Dinero”
- First 16mm experimental documentary set in Mexico and the United States.
- Raised $4,000 through Kickstarter with 80 project backers.
- Official selection of 11 competitive film festivals in Canada, Costa Rica, and across the United States (winner of four awards).
- Winner: Cincinnati Film Festival 2012- Special Jury Prize for Emerging Filmmakers
- Winner: Big Muddy Film Festival 2013- Honorable Mention
- Winner: Iowa City International Documentary Film Festival 2013- Best Inter/Trans/National Award
- Winner: Seattle True Independent Film Festival 2013- Best Short Documentary
- Spent one year of Spanish language self-study to prepare for expedition.
- Worked with graphic designer to design DVD packaging, T-shirts, flyers, website, company branding.
- Adopted by a high school Film Analysis class as annual curriculum in Gainesville, FL.
- Accompanied a linguist lecture at the University of Florida presented by Tony Woodbury, President of Endangered Languages in the Americas.
- Part of the annual NOFA conference in Amherst, MA and its workshop concerning migrant workers and social justice.
“Rice for Sale”
- Second 16mm experimental documentary set in Bali, Indonesia.
- Raised $8,500+ through Kickstarter with 100+ project backers.
- Spent six months of Indonesian language self-study to prepare for expedition.
- Official selection of four competitive film festivals (winner of two awards).
- Winner: Indie Grits Film Festival 2014- Best Experimental Film.
- Winner: Brattleboro Film Festival's Young Filmmakers Showcase- Grand Prize.
“Death Songs & Car Bombs”
- 16mm film set in Bali, Indonesia
- Official selection of 16 competitive film festivals across the world including the U.S., Canada, Scotland, India, and Japan.
- Curated by Lorenzo Gattorna at Anthology Film Archives as part of his “Improbable Made Possible” series.
- Published by The Journal of Short Film at Ohio State University
- Published in OtherZine Issue #28: Autonomous Zones!
- Winner: Short. Sweet. Film Fest- Honorable Mention
"News from the Sun"
- 16mm film shot in Durham, North Carolina
- Commissioned by Ben Russell for Moogfest Music, Art, and Technology Festival
- Official selection of 13 competitive film festivals across the world including U.S, Canada, Spain, Portugal, and Scotland.
- Published in OtherZine Issue #32: Cinemas of Resistance on front page
SKILLS
-Cinematography: 16mm, Super 8mm, HD video - Video editing: Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere
- Social Media Specialist
- Writing: Press Releases, Grants, Blog
- Crowd-funding
- Event Planning
- Budget Management
- Language: Spanish (intermediate), French (intermediate), Mandarin Chinese (beginner) Indonesian (beginner)
- Screenprinting