2026 New Haven Music Video Festival
Flint Street Theater
New Haven
June 5, 2026
Friday night was the second annual New Haven Music Video Festival.
Yes, you read that right. New Haven has its own music festival – the brainchild of artist Brian Ember (née Robinson).
“I feel like if you’re gonna put so much energy into making music, the component that needs to happen [next] is you gotta build community while you’re doing it,” said Ember.
Ember hosted the first festival three years ago at Best Video, alongside friend Brian Slattery (a New Haven Independent arts reviewer, among other professions). This year he was looking for something larger and a bit more dramatic. So, Friday night found a crowd of viewers eagerly munching on popcorn at the recently revived Flint Street Theater, which is now amazingly (though sadly) New Haven’s only operational non-“adult”-only movie theater.
What better place to debut creative visuals from New Haven’s finest? In three months, Ember received over 40 submissions from New Haven artists for the festival; he narrowed it down to about half that amount. Of course, he had to add himself to the list. That evening he premiered his own sentimental music video (directed by his son) for his song “Nothing on My Phone Really Matters.”
A hush settled over the audience as the opening credits for the festival rolled. I settled into my seat, ready for the unexpected – after all, Ember announced that videos ranged from clown death metal to classical piano.
So many videos caught my eye, with tunes that rang in my ears well after the show but I, too, narrowed my list down to a few that captivated me:
Model Kit – “Innocent Offender” (dir. Elle and Tim Rinaldi)
Somehow ’80s-inspired act Model Kit made a simple white soundstage look super fun and chic in their video for “Innocent Offender.” For the upbeat pop-rock song, the artists alternate between playing keyboards and guitars. I did think the song title was hilarious as the gentlemen of Model Kit are older white men, and I could imagine them to be the very demographic that would claim innocence after offending. The title summoned flashbacks of awkward (to put it mildly) office moments past. But the tune was so catchy (and certainly not about that subject) that I forgot all about my trauma and immediately clicked ‘Subscribe’ to their YouTube channel.
Phatt James – “Quick to Notice” (dir. Kicker Pictures)
The video opens with a shot of the boys lounging in an old school ride. Then we see them walking along a beautiful New Haven beach. Next, a drone shot follows Phatt James as they meander along the streets of New Haven’s Morris Cove neighborhood, showcasing our gorgeous shoreline. Of course, one of the rockers has the requisite long hair flowing in the breeze. Beautiful shots of nature were interspersed with shots of a band member playing the guitar. I’ve done the best I could have/in every moment, they sing, the sentiment going perfectly with the laissez-faire direction of the video and the song’s chill acoustic sound. The band said this is their favorite video yet because it shows them in their essence, enjoying their time together.
Perennial – “Mouthful of Bees” (dir. Kicker Pictures)
Kicker Pictures has a lot of range because the video they directed for Perennial couldn’t be more different than the one they directed for Phatt James. The music video starts at full throttle with the band’s lyrics splashed on the screen: taste that honey/a mouthful of hornets/taste that honey/a mouthful of bees, they scream-sing. It launches into shots of the band members wearing identical striped shirts and tearing it up, each shot a different color from yellow to pink. They’re playing their instruments in unconventional ways, shredding a guitar strapped backwards onto one band member and snarling into the drum kit. Some shots show band members writhing on the ground, and in others they look verklempt to the point of breaking their instruments. In less than two minutes, they establish themselves as the magnetic dudes you want to rock out with.
Janina McQuillan – “cool” (dir. Eamon Linehan)
First, we see the back of McQuillan sitting on the beach, gazing at the water. The song’s lyrics are framed as warnings from her late mother. Moody shots of McQuillan on the beach are mixed in with archival footage of her as a baby and toddler with her mother, or just her mother alone. One particularly evocative shot shows McQuillan’s mother singing on stage (in a fabulous outfit), driving home the theme of musical and familial legacy. The video ends with old footage of teenage McQuillan sweetly chatting with her dad. By the time the epitaph “For Mama” comes on the final frame, you are seeing it through a veil of tears.
Ethan Fiske – “Life of Love” (dir. Brenden Castro)
“Life of Love” is a dreamy groove of new age doo wop – the video even starts off with that hazy glow that’s meant to conjure the feeling of a sepia-toned past. Shots alternate between summer fun (grilling and playing beer pong outside), the band playing, and Fiske trying to mack on a lady while earnestly singing in falsetto: Just let me play with you a little bit/just have some fun for the hell of it. By the time we get to the bonfire scene, we’re fully in Fiske’s world and can feel the heat from the fire like we’re sitting there with the band. It almost made me believe romance is real … almost.
At the close of the festival, the end credits screen read: Support Local Music. Go to Local Shows. Buy Local Records. A simple ask for such dedicated musicians willing to bring us into their vivid artistic worlds.
