Bed-Stuy Heroes Captured Through Lens of Indie Filmmaker

The Brooklyn Film Festival (BFF) kicks off today, showcasing the top talent of hundreds of local and international independent filmmakers. This is BFF's 14th year, and the lineup includes more than 100 films, premiering from June 3 - June 12, at Brooklyn Heights Cinema and indieScreen.

Marco Ursino, the festival's director, says that as time has gone by, the event has begun to sell out. He credits the vision of the directors as one of the major factors, explaining, "This is a festival that pushes the agenda, and it gives a voice to people who normally don't have exposure. We keep building a good reputation because of the great films that we show."

One of those films is uniquely Bed-Stuy: The documentary Bed-Stuy - Do or Die, takes a look at Bed-Stuy's volunteer ambulance service, the Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps (BSVAC). It is the first minority-run volunteer ambulance group in the United States, and the story behind the people who work for BSVAC is powerful.

Danny Bishop, the film's director, was so moved by their story that in 2008, he borrowed money to travel from his native England to Bed-Stuy to film the ambulance group. He said that the ambulance workers - lead by BSVAC's co-founder Captain James "Rocky" Robinson - were truly inspiring.

"The volunteers, who are of all ages, give up their free timewith their families to help people in their neighbourhood and get no financial reward or benefits for doing so," said Bishop. "[They] often prefer to be volunteering than risk being at large on the streets where they could get hurt or in trouble. They are such incredible, admirable people."

As Bishop filmed, he became aware of just how difficult a job it was: "We never knew when an emergency call would come in, or what type of call it would be, so we always had to be prepared and on standby with the equipment ready to go."

Bishop has been working in film for about 10 years now, on various commercials and other items, but filmmaking (Bed-Stuy - Do or Die is his directorial debut) has become his number-one passion.

It's his hope that audiences not only will appreciate that passion, but be provoked to action by the story of BSVAC.

"Volunteer groups such as the BSVAC need to be set up to help people that are less fortunate than others, and I hope that this enlightens the viewers to this fact. [Hopefully the film] makes them not only want to help charities such as this one, but also to strive for equality for all people."

Bed Stuy - Do or Die premiers on Sunday, June 5, at indieScreen at 5:30pm, and Tuesday, June 7, at indieScreen at 8:00 pm. The director will hold a Q&A session immediately after the Sunday premiere

Single program tickets are $10 for the general public and $8 for students and senior citizens. Full festival passes are $200. Four-pack passes are available for $25. Click here for the full festival lineup.