Review: Sedona International Film Festival Presents BUT FIRST

From the exhilarating get-go of BUT FIRST, Erin Brown Thomas's homage to the transformative effects of coffee, three dancers ~ Erin Love, Sarah Housepian, and Tiffanie Carson ~ undulate, thrust, and kick to the pulsating beats of ~ naturally ~ shaken coffee beans. (The percussive sounds were recorded at Akron Coffee Roasters.)

Thomas fuses wit and artistic sensibility (the creative use of geometric patterns and natural environs as the dancers' landscapes) with the high-octane power of Mike Esperanza's expressive choreography to create a masterpiece of movement.

The dancers perform with remarkable precision and muscularity at a level of energy and enthusiasm that is electrifying. Tyler Clark, the film's director of photography, does a brilliant job in capturing all the distinct angles of their performance.

All it takes is an infusion of the brew to jolt the trio into overdrive accentuated by a celebratory nod and hug among themselves in tribute to the high they have achieved. Bravo, coffee!

To be sure, this short film is steeped in high caffeinated rhythms. It percolates with energy. It...Oh, you get the point. It's rich and flavorful and a great treat for the senses.

BUT FIRST is one of the short film features in this year's Sedona International Film Festival. lt was made possible by a Co-Laboratory workshop with San Francisco Dance Film Festival and The National Center for Choreography.

Photo credit to Erin Brown Thomas

Sedona International Film Festival ~ https://sedonafilmfestival.com/ ~ 928-282-1177

Saturday, February 23rd through Sunday, March 3rd

Purchase passes at https://sedonafilmfestival.org/purchase-passes/

Multiple venues: Mary D. Fisher Theatre, 2030 W. Highway 89A; Harkins Theatres, 2081 W. Highway 89A; Sedona Performing Arts Center, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road