Resfest is one of the nation's premiere film and video festivals to focus entirely on "digital media." The funny thing about digital media is that it encompasses everything that has been touched by the digital process, from the most sophisticated computer rendered animation to the crudest, most amateurish DV home video. Resfest's programs have always featured a mix of styles and their first ever DVD compilation, The Best of Resfest: Resfest Shorts Volume 1, is no exception.

Film fans open to different interpretations of the moving image artform will find a lot to like about The Best of Resfest. The finest film here is Bob Sabiston's Snack and Drink, a precursor of Sabiston's work as lead animator on Richard Linklater's Waking Life, except that unlike the pretentious, self-involved characters of that film, Snack and Drink follows a real autistic boy to the 7-11 as he discusses some of his favorite cartoon characters. At under four minutes Snack and Drink has more energy, attitude, and personality than most features.

Other standouts include Zach Schlappi's computer generated Pasta for War, which combines Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will with old newsreels to create something bizarre and hysterical; Thomas Trail's A Portrait of Harry, a short, sweet look at an 88 year old ukelele player; Michael Overbeck's Tongues and Taxis, a surreal animated piece that involves a giant tongue, a ninja-like cat, and some very unique visuals; and Michael Mills' pseudo-documentary Deformer about straight-edge skateboarding legend Ed Templeton.

Some of the films show good technique but weak ideas, or interesting concepts paired with tough to decipher construction. Koji Yamamoto's Syokyoan is a beautifully made samurai film starring two characters straight out of Hello Kitty. The film's story, however, is nonexistant, and there is almost nothing to watch. James Kenney's Ground is fascinated with language and how we use it to define everything around us, thereby putting everything in a box, but the mixed media that it uses may leave many viewers scratching their heads.

Even though the films may vary in quality, they are rarely without merit. In a world where big time filmmakers want to play it safe and deliver carbon copies of yesterday's blockbusters, this collection of films shares an adventurousness that is completely infectious.

VIDEO:
The image quality is universally good. These films, many of which originated on computers, have obviously been taken care of by their makes cautiously. Colors on many of the films, like Snack and Drink, are vibrant and alive. The pictures are crisp and clear. Most presentations are full screen.

AUDIO:
The Dolby Digital 2.0 audio is fine. Some of the films feature audio production of modest origins, but the disc presents all of them very well.

EXTRAS:
Every film here features commentary from the director. In the case of some of the shorter films the directors barely get to introduce themselves before they are out of time, but for the most part this is an excellent feature that gives insight into a wide variety of styles and motivations.

The disc also features an assortment of stylish Resfest trailers.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Some of the work here is absolutely fantastic. Even the more self-consciously "arty" films are worth a look. But the best films here display independent minded creativity at its finest.