We cover a lot of festivals throughout the year, but the one I look forward to the most is, by far, the Independent Film Festival of Boston. Today marks the start of the fest’s tenth annual run and to celebrate/promote, we’ve put together what we think are the 5 MUST-SEE films of the festival. You can view the selections after the jump.

Before we get to this list, I wanted to make it clear that there are many great films playing this year. If you find yourself in or around Boston over the next week, do yourself a favor a buy passes to any of the screenings at IFF Boston 2012 that you are able to attend. Their programming is always solid and even if the film falls flat, the staff and people behind-the-scenes of the event make sure your overall experience in one you’ll remember for years to come.

V/H/S (Screens Friday at 10:15PM @ Brattle Theater)

Definitely the highlight of the week for horror fans, V/H/S is a new take on the found footage genre that reportedly made at least one moviegoer vomit during its premiere at this year’s Sundance film festival. The film follows a group of lowlifes who are hired to break into a house and steal a video tape their told they will “know when they see it.” Upon entering the residence, the group discoveries there are dozens of unlabeled tapes on the premises and must then watch the collection in order to find the one they have been sent to recover. Sounds freaking fantastic, right? We would love to show and tell you more, but only a handful of images have been made available at this time, so you’ll have to trust us (as well as your stomach) and enter this one blind to what lies ahead.

God Bless America

At some point in the last decade, pop culture went to shit worse than it has ever before thanks to age of social media and reality television. Now, as the once sharp wit of American pop culture slowly gets lowered into a cold grave as the Kardashians sign a $40 million dollar deal with E!, Bobcat Goldthwait steps up as the voice of frustrated reasons with his latest directorial effort, God Bless America. This ode to taking back the America you could be proud of features nonstop humor, tons of violence, and one of the best final twists in recent comedy memory. If you like Falling Down and/or Network, you’ll find something to appreciate here.

For Ellen (Screens Friday at 9:15PM @ Somerville Theater)

Paul Dano has made a career out of portraying amazingly deep characters in tiny indie films. His latest, For Ellen, looks to be no different. Dano portrays Joby, an aspiring musician that has dedicated more time to his art than relationships who faces a major life crisis when his estranged wife tells him she not only wants a divorce, but sole custody of a daughter he never knew he had. Even reading that description again tightens the strings around my heart, so be sure to bring tissues if For Ellen looks like the film for you.

Jeff (Screens Saturday at 10PM @ Somerville Theater)

Of all the serial killers to have made headlines over the last hundred years, few have been as downright mesmerizing as saga of Jeffery Dahmer. Chris James Thompson’s Jeff looks to showcase this star of devious behavior as never before by giving a voice to those who, in their daily activities, unknowingly interacted with a man that would go on to instill fear in a nation. This isn’t about getting in Dahmer’s head, or trying to find a better explanation for his cracked psyche, this is something different and in a world of informative films, that is a rare treat.

Gayby (Screens Saturday at 730pm @ Somerville Theater)

There are dozens of films about two friends who decide to have a kid outside wedlock and the foibles that come with it, but few (if any) have touched the territory that director Jonathan Lisecki explores in Gayby. Jenn and Matt are best friends from college who are now in their thirties. Single by choice, Jenn spends her days teaching hot yoga and running errands for her boss. Matt suffers from comic-book writer’s block and can’t get over his ex-boyfriend. They decide to fulfill a youthful promise to have a child together… the old fashioned way. Can they navigate the serious and unexpected snags they hit as they attempt to get their careers and dating lives back on track in preparation for parenthood? We’ll find out this weekend!

As I said before, there are many great films screening during The Independent Film Festival of Boston 2012. If none of these strike your fancy, or if you’re just hungry for more, click here and explore the full lineup yourself.

If you are going, be sure to tweet at me (@UTGjames) and let me know your thoughts on the films!

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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