Why Poverty? – International campaign features short films || 11-02-13
- „Waste“ © Why Poverty?
For a project titled “Why Poverty?” the charitable organization STEPS commissioned a number of documentaries on the theme of poverty. In addition to eight feature-length films by renowned documentary filmmakers, the project also resulted in around 30 short documentaries by young filmmakers. The films have in the meantime been broadcast by 70 television stations and have been released online. Plans are for the films to travel the world during 2013 and be presented along with supplementary materials at events and programmes on poverty-related issues. As part of the campaign, the films can be borrowed and used free of charge by non-profit event organizers. STEPS International employs documentaries and other media both old and new in worldwide campaigns designed to spark debate and raise public awareness of important issues. Headquartered in Copenhagen and Cape Town, STEPS receives funding mainly from American foundations, film institutes and television broadcasters. The directors of the project “Why Poverty?” are Mette Hoffmann Meyer (television editor, DK), Don Edkins (filmmaker, ZA) and Nick Fraser (BBC, UK). STEPS already organized a similar project in 2007 called “Why Democracy?”
Thanks to Vimeo: gratuities for filmmakers and pay-per-view || 11-02-13
In September 2012 Vimeo introduced a kind of virtual donation plate. Paying Vimeo subscribers are now able to activate a tool called Tip Jar on their film pages. Satisfied viewers can then voluntarily leave a tip for filmmakers via PayPal. The amount is entirely at the discretion of the donor. Starting in 2013, Vimeo is taking things a step further. In future, filmmakers on Vimeo can earn money in other ways than by passing the hat. In a pilot project, Vimeo is now testing a pay-per-view system. Similar to the non-commercial German platform Onlinefilm.org, filmmakers are asked to set fixed prices for viewing their films, along with some conditions governing for example the distribution region or duration of use. Interfaces with other systems such as iOS or Roku allow users to watch films at their convenience on various mobile devices or as HDTV on their TV screens. With these two innovations, Vimeo is inaugurating a new strategy for financing the platform and giving the content producers a share of the revenues. While Tip Jar is similar to crowdfunding, pay-per-view is in fact an anachronism in these days of free-to-view websharing platforms where money is usually earned through advertising, as on YouTube. That said, Vimeo just might succeed with its new business model to further cultivate its quality image. It might then be able to eliminate pre-roll or other intrusive advertising. The portal of course takes a share of the filmmakers’ revenues. Vimeo today retains 15% of the tips left in the jar. From the point of view of the company, ambitious filmmakers in particular stand to profit from the new model. Vimeo is promoting the pilot project by pointing out that copyright holders and filmmakers will in future be able to get in contact directly with their audience, circumventing the distributors or other middlemen that otherwise take a cut of the business in the monetization chain.
Database of films from Africa || 11-02-13
- „Kichwateli“ © Bobb Muchiri / Filme-aus-Afrika
The organizers of the Cologne African Film Festival "Out of Europe", FilmInitiativ Köln e.V., have created an online database that provides detailed information on African films. At its launch in September 2012 the database contained 140 titles. Since then it has expanded continuously. The aim is not to put together as complete a filmography of African cinema as possible; the organizers instead wish to present selected works that have been tested at events and to provide information on how they can be obtained. In addition to filmographic information and portraits of film directors, distributors’ addresses, press releases and photos are supplied. The database is supplemented by reports submitted by people involved in (educational) work with African films on their experiences thus far, reports from African film festivals in Germany and abroad, as well as links to relevant websites from around the world. In addition, the initiators want to provide recommendations for compiling thematic film series on current and historical issues. The goal is to share with all those who are interested the experiences and contacts gained by the FilmInitiativ Köln e.V. over two decades of presenting African film festivals and series. The film database is in three languages (German, French, English). Only the editorial part of the Web page is not yet translated in full.
Sundance Shorts Online || 11-02-13
- „Seraph“ © Dash Shaw
This January, like every year, the Sundance Film Festival put twelve new short films from the current festival programme online. The films can also be viewed after Sundance on the festival’s own YouTube channel, The Screening Room, which, after an interlude of collaboration with Yahoo, has now been reactivated. The twelve films include one of the seven award-winners at the festival: the animated film IRISH FOLK FURNITURE by Tony Donoghue (Ireland). Out of over 8,000 entries, a total of 68 films were nominated for the festival’s short film competition. Because of the not-very-restrictive regulations, a conspicuous number of commissioned works that have already been seen elsewhere ran in the 2013 competition, for example REINDEER (Nowness lifestyle magazine) and THE EVENT (Channel 4) as well as the music videos SERAPH (Sigur Ros) and UNTIL THE QUIET COMES (Flying Lotus). THE EVENT by Julia Pott and SERAPH by Dash Shaw are included on the Sundance playlist in The Screening Room.
URL Sundance Screening Room: http://www.youtube.com/user/ytscreeningroom
DVD Spotting || 11-02-13
- „Ofrenda“ © Claudio Caldini
_Human Frames – 96 films on 10 DVDs
Lowave (Paris) has released a ten-part DVD box of short films called Human Frames. This release presents some 100 films from Europe and Asia that were shown in the exhibition project of the same name at the art space Kunst-im-Tunnel in Düsseldorf (2011) and at the Werkstatt der Kulturen in Berlin (2012). In the art-film series, 77 video artists and filmmakers from Europe and Asia shed light on ten states of mind that characterize human existence. The topics are Happiness, Desire, Madness, Fanaticism, Fear, Anger, Melancholy and Isolation, as well as the Asian concepts of mono no aware (“the pathos of things”) and Impermanence. The works portray a timeless and universal spectrum of human emotional states that can be found across all national, social and cultural affiliations. 96 films, trailers, exhibition views, 99 biographies, 15 hours, booklet with 10 texts, subtitles: DE/EN/FR, PAL/ NTSC, all zones, stereo, 16:9 & 4:3, price €99
URL: https://www.lowave.com/de/projekte/764-human-frames-de
_Claudio Caldini – Experimental Films 1975-1982
Twelve films by the Argentine filmmaker: Film Gaudí (1975), Baltazar (1975), Ventana (1975), Aspiraciones (1976), Ofrenda (1978), Cuarteto (1978), Vadi-Samvadi (1981), Un enano en el jardín (1981), Gamelan (1981), La escena circular (1982), Templo cerrado (1982) and A través de las ruinas (1982). Blu-ray DVD, 2 booklets (essay by Pablo Marin, texts by Claudio Caldini), limited edition (300), multizone, $79.95; Publisher: Antennae Collection (New York)
URL: http://www.antennaecollection.com
Claudio Caldini: http://eldevenirdelaspiedras.blogspot.de/
_Jürgen Reble – Chemical Presence 1996-2011
Five hand-processed 16mm short films digitized in HD: Tabula Smaragdina (2010), Arktis (2004), Yamanote Lightblast (2006), Zagreb Tram Station (2009) and Liquid Movements (2011). Blu-ray DVD, 120 min, no region code, self-published in 2012, €100
URL: http://www.filmalchemist.de/blu_ray.html
Emerging Artists – AG Kurzfilm and German Films release preview DVD AG
Kurzfilm and German Films will soon be distributing a film programme featuring "Emerging Artists". For the premiere edition, an expert jury has put together a programme of eight works: CONFESSIONS WITH AN OPEN CURTAIN, Eli Cortiñas 2011; GAS AVALON, Carsten Aschmann 2011; SOUNDING GLASS, Sylvia Schedelbauer 2011; MEMORY EXTENDED, Yara Spaett 2011; SECHSTER SINN, DRITTES AUGE, ZWEITES GESICHT, Jan Riesenbeck 2012; SNAIL TRAIL, Philipp Artus 2012; ACHILL, Gudrun Krebitz, 2012 and LIKE RATS LEAVING A SINKING SHIP, Vika Kirchenbauer 2012. A preview DVD has in the meantime been released, which industry representatives can request from German Films or AG Kurzfilm. The programme will then be released as DCP and on Blu-ray disc in spring 2013 for international screenings.
Info: http://www.ag-kurzfilm.de/content.php?m1=3&l=de&pid_p=992