spetrovafilmfestivals2020

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My Essay Structure

This silly gift shows and documents my main essay structure and some research.

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During my research period I realised there were not enough resources were I could do a proper investigation as the idea is not so well known. I looked into some of the festivals suggested by my tutor such as Flatpack Festival in Birmingham, The history of Rotterdam Film Festival and Glastonbury Festival, but for this one there was almost nothing related to a moving - image.

I then began to change my direction, and we discussed to focus more on the traditional idea of a film festival and their purpose as I was interested into how things evolved and what we know now as the definition of a film festival. 

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Essay research Following my presentation for own film festival, I wanted to dive deeper into the idea of a festival as a collaborative platform. My initial question was ~ ” How could film festivals be innovated?” After having a discussion with the tutor he suggested to do a case study, a manifesto, see how other independent festivals cope in this way and check into some archives.

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Our own film festival ideas

This was my proposal for a film festival. 

I have attached parts of the presentation due to the image limit.

I wanted to imagine a film festival that works in collaboration with different art forms, something that is not so well known in our society. Something far from the glamorous red carpet and the “first class” celebrities, perhaps a bit too ambitious, but it is just what interests me. The idea was to have a place that could be shared with independent creative people from all backgrounds, new young filmmakers, only just trying to get into the industry as well as already well - known and established filmmakers. Somewhere were all artists, would share knowledge and exchange experience. This is why I called my festival Bologna International Film and Arts Festival. Bologna is a perfect place to create a big special event where filmmakers, other visual artists, musicians etc. would gather and hold discussions, film screenings, workshops, art exhibitions and live concerts. Another big difference was that there would be no competitions. Most of the film, music festivals or art fairs hold competitions, especially for the young, which I think, divides us from each other as a creative community.  

I think I would evaluate this presentation as overly ambitious and a bit vague as I still didn’t understand exactly how to present prises, and could go a bit further into promotion, but I guess learning this is actually a longer process. Overall I had fun, and perhaps one day I could use this idea as something else.

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THE IMMERSIVE AND THE CINEMATIC 

Just a quick example of my notes (not very good-looking) from this week’s lecture by Frank Gray, which I really enjoyed. It was really interesting to see and go through the very beginning of screening, projectors, storytelling, to get an idea of what are immersive spaces and how physical spaces were used as environments for storytelling and how things evolved and turned into the festivals we know today.

Some of the many parts of the presentation that I found interesting.

Physical Spaces

Very great names were mentioned in the lecture, one of them was John Constable, who is one of my favourite painters. It was curious to be reminded how painters during the period of Romanticism would approach light and how that would effect their surrounding environment and objects.

The Poole’s Myriorama - A Moving Canvas - 1889

~ “It became a new visual element to theatre and helped incorporate a more realistic quality. Not only was it a special effect on stage, but it also served as an ancestor and platform to early cinema. “

Projection - History on Screen - 1645

The Magic Lantern - It was invented in the 1600s

It is debated who was the inventor of The Magic Lantern, either the Dutch physicist Christiaan Huygens or the polymath Athanasius Kircher who wrote the astonishing The Ars Magna Lucis et Umbrae (The Great Art of light and shadow).

https://jamesgray2.me/2018/02/23/kircher-and-the-first-published-illustration-of-a-magic-lantern-3/

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My Top Five

As a start of the module, we were introduced to what film festivals are, how they function, what are their aims and why are they so important.

Quite fascinating, actually without film festivals, I imagine cinema wouldn’t exist. 

We were asked to pick 5 of our favourite movies, think about genres, and what interests us. 

My top 5 favourite movies go under the umbrella of Action Sci-fi, Drama Sci-fi, Horror Sci-fi and Mystery in terms of genres and Mind-bending films.

1. Tomb Raider 1

This is my favourite of all times, I grew up playing the game and watching the two movies starring Angelina Jolie and it was love from first sight. I loved the plot - the idea of this English female that goes on dangerous adventures, owning a Manor in England, having all sorts of gadgets, and solving difficult puzzles that are connected to some great danger, the visuals are stunning, the action, the mystery. For long time I was growing up drawing the character of Lara Croft, which is of course still my favourite.

2. The Matrix 

Again, discovered it when I was little, but then I forgot about it for some 15years, and only just re-watched it last year with fresh eyes and was totally blown away. I don’t have much to say about the Matrix, it is just Classic. Some of the best films for me - ever created in the past 20 years.

3. Mr. Nobody 

This film was suggested by a friend a few years ago and it was one of those films that make you really deeply think and feel excited at the same. The plot is incredible and its philosophical idea of parallel lives. I had to re-watch parts of it, because of its mind-bending narrative, and I continue watching after so many times and years, and I would always find interesting things.  Mr. Nobody had its world premiere at the 66th Venice International Film Festival where it received the Golden Osella and the Biografilm Lancia Award

4. Cloud Atlas 

Cloud Atlas goes under the same category as Mr. Nobody.

“ Even as I was watching "Cloud Atlas" the first time, I knew I would need to see it again. Now that I've seen it the second time, I know I'd like to see it a third time — but I no longer believe repeated viewings will solve anything. To borrow Churchill's description of Russia, "it is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." It fascinates in the moment. It's getting from one moment to the next that is tricky. Surely this is one of the most ambitious films ever made. “ 

~Roger Ebert

I can fully relate to this quote.

5. Annihilation 

Starring Natalie Portman, let’s be honest, she’s never done a bad film. 

A film that keeps the excitement until the very last minute. What caught my eye was definitely the outstanding visuals.

“Annihilation” is not an easy film to discuss. It’s a movie that will have a different meaning to different viewers who are willing to engage with it. It’s about self-destruction, evolution, biology, co-dependence, and that which scares us the most—that we can no longer trust our own bodies. It's meant to linger in your mind and haunt your dreams. In this recent wave of sci-fi films, it's one of the best. “ ~ Brian Tallerico

Series

I have included two of my favourite series on Netflix as well.

1. Dark

German science fiction thriller. Dark deals with time travel at first but later ventures into alternate realities and it really hooked me with this. They made 3 seasons which I am very happy with, apart from the ending. Some criticise upon the story, but I absolutely adore it.

2. The OA

American mystery drama based on a true life - encounter, not sure to what extent as the show is quite surreal. After the second season the show was cancelled due to an injury of the main character - OA. I personally felt some moments were a bit exaggerated and disturbing, but overall interesting and impressive as Brit Marling is the co-creator and is starring in the show as the OA.

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“Film festival - gathering, usually annual, for the purpose of evaluating new or outstanding motion pictures. “ Britannica