Newsletter No. 4

[Iris Pfleging]

http://www.shortfilm.de
NEWSLETTER No. 4


EDITORIAL

Dear Readers!

In addition to the latest news and links to our updated information pages, 
this edition of the short film magazine is focusing on film in the art 
scene. Responses to this topic and the, hopefully, provocative theses we 
offer are particularly welcome this time, because we are planning to 
publish some statements and discuss different points of view - including 
yours, perhaps - in the next edition.

In the meantime, we hope you enjoy reading this edition.


Reinhard W. Wolf
Editor

mailto:editor at shortfilm.de


TOPIC

Film Between Black Box and White Cube

Today there is a growing tendency for film and media artists to exhibit 
their works in the context of museums and galleries, thus turning away from 
the cinema and focusing their attention on the art market. Especially 
affected by these changes – because of its affinity with art – is the short 
film genre.

The retreat of these artists from the classical cinema environment is 
taking place at a time when art cinemas are dwindling, meaning there are 
fewer and fewer venues able to present the artists' work on screen.

Public film funding institutions increasingly focus on commercial criteria, 
often neglecting the promotion of film as art, both with regard to 
production requirements and screening opportunities. One hardly dare speak 
of film art in this context, this term having long since been devalued as a 
catchall for film material deemed 'culturally highbrow'.

Arts institutions by contrast are extremely receptive to the moving image 
and welcome artists working in audio-visual media with open arms. At the 
same time, the distance between film artists and established institutions 
of the arts is closing rapidly. During the 60's and 70's, avant-garde 
filmmakers working outside of the institution of bourgeois cinema, while 
also spurning the bourgeois art world, readily chimed in with critics of 
the institutionalisation of art (the art market, museums, etc.). In the 
meantime, however, these institutions themselves have taken up this 
'institutional critique', incorporating it into their own philosophy and 
moulding it to shape their own legitimation, thereby draining it of its 
power. Moreover, the critical dynamics of this issue have since been 
defused and have more or less segued into a discussion on 'site 
specificity'. This in turn does not affect the art market as long as an 
artwork is in a form that can be packaged and sold. Where and when which 
film can or may be screened is not the principal question today – it's now 
only a question of context.

The ones with the most to lose in this conflict are precisely those cinemas 
and film festivals who design their programmes with the highest artistic 
ideals in mind and who take the theme of film as art seriously.

for the whole story see:
http://www.shortfilm.de/ikf/pages/magazin/index.php?id=112&lang_id=2



NEWS

Another Oscar Nomination for a German Short Film || February 2002

On the 12th of February the short film "Gregors größte Erfindung" by 
Johannes Kiefer was nominated by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and 
Sciences for this year’s Academy Award as one of five films in the category 
"Best live action short film".
"Gregors größte Erfindung" ("Gregor’s Greatest Invention") is a poetic 
comedy about a young man who tries to help his grandmother, who can no 
longer walk, to avoid landing in a nursing home, by inventing a kind of 
flying machine for her to get around in.
The filmmaker, who is originally from Munich and now lives in Berlin, 
produced the 11-minute film by himself with funding from the 
Berlin-Brandenburg Film Foundation. "Gregors größte Erfindung" was invited 
to participate in several festivals, especially in the USA, fulfilling the 
chief requirement for the Oscar® competition by winning first prize at the 
International Short Film Festival 2001 in Los Angeles.
This nomination demonstrates once again that German film is represented 
most successfully on the international level by the short film genre.
http://www3.oscars.org/74academyawards/index.html


More News:
– "The Short List" – A PBS Showcase for Short Film
– Bitfilm Announces Expansion
– Interview with John Maybury
– 13TH STREET Produces "Urban Myth Chillers"
– Impakt Festival 2001 Highlights on Tour
– Short Films by Roy Andersson and Lukas Moodysson on Tour
– Independent Days on Tour
– Kurzfilm in Spanien - Bilanz der Produktionsförderung

Further information:
http://www.shortfilm.de/ikf/pages/magazin/index.php?id=7&lang_id=2


FAIT DIVERS

– Trashfilm-Award – Senseless Short Films for Nonsense Lovers
– The Spirit of America
– Times Square Open Air Shorts
– 99 Euros
– 120,000 Euros
– Wallace and Gromit Go Online
– MoMA – The First Decade: Video from the EAI Archives
– "private affairs" – A Contemporary Video Exhibition in Dresden
– "Manual" by Christoph Girardet and Matthias Müller tours the UK
– Kurzfilme im Fernsehen

Further information:
http://www.shortfilm.de/ikf//pages/magazin/index.php?id=59&lang_id=2


AWARDS AND HONOURS

Tampere Film Festival || 10.03.2002
Grand Prix (5,000 Euros): "The Invasion" by Phil Mulloy (GB)
Best Documentary (1,500 Euros): "Lehrfilm über die Rekonstruktion von 
Stasiakten" by Anke Limprecht (D)
Principal Prize (1,500 Euros): "Meska Sprawa" by Slawomir Fabicki (PL)
Special Prize of the Jury (1,500 Euros): "Close up on Bintou" by Fanta 
Régina Nacro (Burkina Faso/F)
Prix UIP Tampere (2,000 Euros): "Kuvastin" by Tatu Pohjavirta (SF)
Diplomas of Merit from the International Jury: "To Foustani" (Monica 
Vaxevani, Greece 2001), "Copy Shop" (Virgil Widrich, Austria 2001) and 
"Heart of the World" (Guy Maddin, Canada 2001), "Hock Hiap Leong" (Royston 
Tan, Singapore 2001), "Muno" (Bouli Lanners, Belgium 2001).
International Jury members were: Aryo Danusiri, Tiina Erkintalo, Gareth 
Evans, Jay Rosenblatt & Bec Smith.

National Competition – A Series (films under 30 minutes)
Main Prize (5,000 Euros): "Eläköön Markkinatalous!" by Christian Lindblad
Special Prize (1,000 Euros): "Taivasmatka" by Janne Heinonen
Diplomas of Merit: "Telakka" by Tuukka Hari, "Kuvastin" by Tatu Pohjavirta.
National Competition – B Series (films over 30 minutes)
Main Prize (5,000 Euros): "Family Files" by Mari Soppela
Special Prize (1,000 Euros): "Blatnoi Mir" by Jouni Hiltunen
Jameson Short Film Award (6,000 Euros): "Eläköön Markkinatalous!" by 
Christian Lindblad
Resurssipalkinto (3,400 Euros): "Sirkka" by Jarkko T. Laine (camera)
National Jury members were: Marja Pensala, Jaak Löhmus & Yrjö Pulkkinen

The Risto Jarva Prize (10,000 Euros): "Turon Baari/Turo's Bar" by Janne Kuusi

First Micromovies Competiton (10,000 Euros): "Lie Detector" by Paul Bush (GB)
Diplomas of Merit: "Nimeni on Hirvi, James Hirvi" by Harri Kassinen, 
"Pyonggyang Robogirl" by Hokkanen & Ruippo.
Micromovies Jury members were: Erkki Huhtamo, Jonathan Wells, Phil Mulloy & 
Heli Rantavuo
http://www.tamperefilmfestival.fi

More Awards and Honours:
– César du meilleur court-métrage
– Oscar® Nominations
– Short Film Awards at the Berlin International Film Festival
– Awards at transmediale.02
– Awards at Festival du court métrage Clermont-Ferrand
– Short Film Awards at the Göteborg Film Festival
– Short Film Award Winners of the Max Ophüls Preis 2002
– Swiss Film Award 2002
– German Film Critics’ Awards 2002
– Short Film Awards at the Sundance Film Festival
– Short Film Awards at the Slamdance Film Festival
– Short Film Awards at the International Film Festival Frankfurt
– Awards at the 16th Festival du Film Court de Brest
– Awards at Cineanima, Espinho

Further information:
http://www.shortfilm.de/ikf//pages/magazin/index.php?id=60&lang_id=2


DATES

Festivals in Germany
International Festivals
Deadlines

Further information
http://www.shortfilm.de/ikf//pages/magazin/index.php?id=113&lang_id=2


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