Images Festival 2008 Coverage

Pre-Festival Coverage
April 1, 2008
April 4, 2008

Daily Coverage
Images Festival 08 Day 1 - Thursday April 3/08
Images Festival 08 Day 5 - Monday April 7/08
Images Festival 08 Day 6 - Tuesday April 8/08
Images Festival 08 Day 7 - Wednesday April 9/08
Images Festival 08 Day 11 - Sunday April 13/08

Post-Festival Coverage
Wrap Up

The Images Festival ran from April 3-13/08 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Images Festival 08 - Wrap Up

As the Images Festival comes to a close I feel like there was so much more to explore! What a fantastic festival full of energy, exciting and innovate ideas. It also has the most articulate as well as best dressed crowd (in a Queen West way) that I've encountered. The overall artistic quality of the films is very high and it pushes the boundaries of the moving image media in all of the programming. A mighty impressive festival indeed. Here are some of the highlights.

Favourite Feature: Hail the New Puritan from Day 7

Favourite Short: Tie - Foodie from Day 1 and nocturne (lampedusa - fort europa) the silent short from Day 6

Best Attended: The Lollipop Generation from Day 1 and Trading the Future from Day 11, in classic opening and closing night nature. There was great attendance throughout the entire festival from the events I went to.

Favourite Experience: The Conversation, a.k.a. Everything is Everything live video creation by Tasman Richardson and Kentaro Taki on Day 6 was hands down the most fascinating experience of the festival.

Still on my mind: Vivid images of some of the animated characters in the films, like Foodie falling into a bowl of cheese puffs and The Last Samosa making a run for it. So cute!

Best Day and Best Q&A's: Day 5 with oodles and oodles of shorts and many filmmakers in attendance, this was a very entertaining night.

Favourite Program: S is for Student curated by Lesley Loksi Chan, Dan Neuhaus and Serena Lee on Day 5. A wealth of fascinating short film, very impressive student works.

Wasn't expecting: Late starts. The festival has a relaxed arty feel to it and that felt like it naturally let to a more organic schedule.

Wish I hadn't missed: A lot. There was so many things that looked awesome and I wish I could have gone to it all! I would have liked to see the installations and possibly taken a bus tour, but my biggest regret was missing NO CUTS. NO SPLICES. Selections from One Take Super 8. I hope it was awesome.

The Images Festival ran from April 3-13/08 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Images Festival 08 Day 11 - Sunday April 13/08

Love was certainly in the air on the final night of the Images Festival, which helped it through a bit of a rocky night starting with a schedule change from starting time from at 8, to 7pm and some technical issues. Ironically the scheduled film, Trading the Future, started at just around 8pm. I'm thinking this was the time that it was meant to be shown after all, and the audience was very patient throughout.

The Garden City
Vera Brunner-Sung
USA, 14 minutes

Impressions: Interesting play between the intention of idea to the actuality of the ideas. The original idea for a location called Garden City is a place where every persons needs are planned for, which is an interesting concept but how can you plan for the unplannable? Exploring the location of Bangalore through city streets, highways and routes we see the city in its current reality.


(b.h. Yael)

Trading the Future
b.h. Yael
Canada, 59 minutes

Impressions: This video essay presents information regarding environmental concerns along with religious themes including the apocolypse to explore the idea of: Will the world end? Through informative interviews with experts as well as straight from the pavement opinions we see that there is an awareness and understanding of the environmental state of the world and are left pondering where and how we will live in the future.

The Images Festival runs from April 3-13/08 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Images Festival 08 Day 7 - Wednesday April 9/08

Hail the New Puritan
Charles Atlas
1985-6, USA/UK, 85 minutes
Choreographer: Michael Clark
Performers: Michael Clark, Gaby Agis, Leslie Bryant, Matthew Hawkins, Julie Hood, Ellen van Schuylenburch

Impressions: The audience was very lively at this screening and it was clear from the curators of the program Ben Portis (from Pleasuredome) and Kathleen Smith that they were very excited to present this film, especially considering that the filmmaker Charles Atlas was in attendance. Seeing Hail the New Puritans in this atmosphere was quite the delight. I am always up for seeing a dance themed film, and this one takes place in the 80's London punk scene and portrays a (fictional) day-in-the-life of dancers, primarily Michael Clark. From posed performances, video shoots to nightclub scenes and rehearsal conditions we travel with these heightened versions of the dancers persona's from the accessible to the surreal. Fantastic.

Want to see more from Charles Atlas? Check out Live Images V - Charles Atlas and Alan Licht on Friday April 11, 9:30 pm at the Workman Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.


(Kathleen Smith - curator, Charles Atlas - Hail the New Puritans)

The Images Festival runs from April 3-13/08 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Images Festival 08 Day 6 - Tuesday April 8/08

On Day 6 of the Images Festival, I took in 2 programs: International Shorts Program VI: Blurring the Terrain or Landscape as a Verb and Live Images II: The Conversation, a.k.a. Everything is Everything. I continue to find the artistic level of the works in the festival impressive and Day 6 pushed that even further. The shorts program was fantastic and I have been looking forward to The Conversation, a.k.a. Everything is Everything from the moment I read the description of two artists having a conversation through live video.



First up we have the International Shorts Program VI: Blurring the Terrain or Landscape as a Verb a collection of shorts that present, alter and discuss landscapes. Here are the highlights.

Proximity
Inger Lise Hansen
4 minutes

Impressions: Beautiful film with a jarring feel as the simple landscapes were flipped and we saw the sky below and land above. I found myself trying to understand what I was seeing but eventually drifted to enjoy the gentle beauty the film created.

nocturne (lampedusa - fort europa)
Pieter Greenen
28 minutes, silent

Impressions: Silent film can be a challenge to watch and I found this one to be very compelling. Opening shot of waves, and continued with shots of lights in the distance in various formations. An infrared camera was used to create this look which appears to the viewer as black and white, and the majority of the screen was black for the majority of the time. Various different landscapes are seen in this style, some easily recognizable like fireworks and a lighthouse and some I'm still pondering what we were seeing. I also loved the nervous giggles at one point where the direction of the light from there screen was so pinpointed on the audiences that it was as if we were the ones being watched. Fascinating and meditative exploration.

A note on silent film, I understand it can be a challenge for the audience. All of a sudden you notice how noisy the chairs can be as you hear every squeak and shift. Then, when the audience settled, then you could hear people outside the theatre. It isn't for everyone but I found this piece compelling.


(Rubin Guzman - filmmaker: City of Blind Alchemsts, Pablo de Ocampo - Images Artistic Director)

City of Blind Alchemists
Rubin Guzman
12 minutes

Impressions: Neglected and barren landscapes are shown as we are informed via voice over facts concerning the production and use of uranium historically as well as in the not so distant past. This informative and important this film challenges you to face the effects of the past and what our future will be like if change is not made.

Q&A Highlights Filmmaker Rubin Guzman was in attendance and provided the audience with insights on the film: The main motivation of the film was in wanting people to see it as it informed them of the content. The use of absence of people was intentional to present the audience witha picture of what it will be like it this doesn't stop.


(set up for The Conversation, a.k.a. Everything is Everything)

The Conversation, a.k.a. Everything is Everything
Tasman Richardson & Kentaro Taki
Live

This was a fantastic experience. Two artists collaborating live through video with side-by-side projected images playing off each other. They informed us that they had a set of protocols on the images they were going to use including: news footage, daytime TV, nighttime TV, colour and then sound alone with the sound projected as video. It was wild to see the difference and similarities from the two sides as the collection of images were from Canada and Japan. It was such a treat to see this kind of experiment live, and a huge feat to do this kind of presentation with the simultaneous yet back and forth nature of the experiment, to see if a new image or theme brought forth would be picked up and used or not. In a lot of ways it reminded me of a MCing contest, but without the contest feel as it was very collaborative. This is a brave and exciting adventure and I am very curious to see where it leads. Kudos to both Tasman Richardson & Kentaro Taki for presenting this work, it has been the highlight of the festival.

Follow the links to find out more about Tasman Richardson or Kentaro Taki


(The artists: Tasman Richardson, Kentaro Taki)

The Images Festival runs from April 3-13/08 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Images Festival 08 Day 5 - Monday April 7/08

I'm happy to be back in the land of experimental film and moving images and loved the presentations on Day 5 of the Images Festival. I attended both shorts programs of the day: International Shorts Program V - Just Before the Road Ends, There'll Be Another Road and S is for Student curated by Lesley Loksi Chan, Dan Neuhaus and Serena Lee. All in all that is 19 short films and 8 of the filmmakers were present for Q&A's. Kudo's to the insightful audiences at Images, they certainly had thought provoking questions.


(Left to right: Kim Sheppard - Here We Are, Penny Lane - She Used to See Him Most Weekends, Andrea Cooper - Fickle as Poison, Christine Negus - Blue Water)

International Shorts Program V - Just Before the Road Ends, There'll Be Another Road

This was a very strong program with shorts themed around memory and loss. There was a haunting truth to these stories, even the ones which were fictional. Here are the highlights.

Fickle as Poison
Dir: Andrea Cooper
Canada, 15 minutes

Impressions: A wild account of the history of a relationship from the perspective of both the people involved, however played by the same actress. Enticing.

She Used to See Him Most Weekends
Dir: Penny Lane
USA, 4 minutes

Impressions: A tale of the absent father told through animation and stills and a creative use of a dinosaur alphabet. Great use of text and graphics.

Blue Water
Dir: Christine Negus
Canada, 17 minutes

Impressions: Longing, loss and lament are explored in seven parts described in the Q&A by the Christine Negus that how the memory of things don't live up to what you want them to be.

Here We Are
Dir: Kim Sheppard
Canada, 5 minutes

Impressions: Exclusively using footage from You Tube to create this haunting work of side by side images exploring family and memory.



S is for Student
curated by Lesley Loksi Chan, Dan Neuhaus and Serena Lee


(Left to right: Josiah Aien-Drake - Countdown, Dylin North - Memory Thief, Sak Tatham - Drawn Close)

Countdown
Dir: Josiah Aien-Drake
USA, 3 minutes

Impressions: A simple idea with ingenious execution in this exercise of counting back from 10 to 1. Brilliant.

Countdown won for Best Student Film. Congratulations!

Memory Thief
Dir: Dylin North
Canada, 3 minutes

Impressions: With the screen split in three we and images and text float by us as we have to decide which to give our attention to, shall we read? listen? watch? or attempt all three. This short film felt very interactive and really made you think.

The Last Samosa
Dir: Ryan McClure Scott
Canada, 4 minutes

Impressions: This short film cracked me up, using many different styles of filmmaking including various forms of animation we see a lively tale as the last samosa attempts to escape the hungry humans.

Drawn Close
Dir: Sak Tatham
Canada, 3 minutes

Impressions: Subtle humour and literal repetition are created from what was initially an exercise in rotoscoping.

Drawn Close won for Best Student Video. Congratulations!

From The Ground Up In Order, Embrace
Dir: Nick Briz
USA, 2 minutes

Impressions: Binary code becomes art in this vocal and colourful short.

Life is Good
Dir: Jesse Bellon
Canada, 3 minutes

Impressions: Jarring images of layered signage, this felt oddly meditative and profound.

Sports and Diversions
Dir: Bum Lee
USA, 4 minutes

Impressions: Brilliant animated short of mixing and morphing recognizable images in and out and all around. Gorgeous.


(Jesse Bellon - Life Is Good)


(Nick Briz - From The Ground Up In Order, Embrace)

If you want to follow along with more daily fun, check out the Images Blog, and the iFpod an experiment in with a collection of 10 Canadian films entering the mobile YOUniverse. Find iFpod on the main Images Festival site, and select iFpod icon on the left hand side.

Remember, if you missed something on the schedule or can't make the scheduled time you can visit the Images Mediatheque at the Gladstone Hotel, Room 204 from April 4-12/08, 12-6pm. Free.

The Images Festival runs from April 3-13/08 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Images Festival 08 Day 1 - Thursday April 3/08

It begins! A moody Thursday night is turned into a world of expression and excitement at the Workman Theatre on the Opening Night of the 21st Images Festival. This is my first time attending the Images Festival and I can say right now that I know it will not be my last. The festival was initially created to fill a void and show works from Canadians, women, the queer community and beyond. As the 11 day festival kicks off, it is clear that the programming continues to meets the criteria first set out 20 years ago. Over half of the content is Canadian (from 7 different provinces), exhibiting works from over 20 countries and represents many cultures and communities. Sounds like we are in for one wild ride!


(Tori Allen, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors)


(Pablo de Ocampo, Artistic Director)

There were many thanks and acknowledgements for the Opening Night screening or The Lollipop Generation and the short Foodie. The festival is committed to working with the media arts community on many levels.


(Allyson Mitchell and Fiona Smyth from Foodie)

Foodie
Allyson Mitchell and Fiona Smyth
Canada, 8 min

Impressions: Food food and more food. Foodie transforms from though time as she indulges, eats, attempts to refrain from the food among her. Ingenious use of animation in multiple format from cute as a button to bizarre and interpretive, paired with a fantastic score brings Foodie to life in ways that we can all identify with. As a plus, any film that creates a tactile sound with shag carpet works for me.

The Lollipop Generation
G.B Jones

Impressions: Director G.B. Jones introduced this film by saying she "Tried to make a movie that would equal Plan 9 from Outer Space", for which I would say - well done. The pace of the film shifts from frantic to dreamy as it loosely follows runaway Georgie (played by Jena von Brucker) through the adventures with her new misfit friends through underground life. Engaging and brazen, this film is unique beyond comparison and artistic beyond belief.

That's quite the crowd!

The Images Festival runs from April 3-13/08 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Images Festival 2008

This week brings us the second oldest film festival in Toronto: The Images Festival. It is much more than just a film festival, as it celebrates many forms of moving images be they on screen, off screen or live. There are also numerous talks on moving images issues as well as parties. There are even bus tours! How many festivals can boast that? Here are some of the fascinating image opportunities to check out:

The Lollipop Generation (Dir: G.B. Jones) starts off the festival as the Opening Night Gala screening (Thursday April 3/08, 9pm). This film was 15 years in the making and follows a runaway to an underground world of back alleys and lollipops. A strong sense of attitude and fun are infused in what appears to be a dark subject. See for yourself by watching the trailer here.

If shorts are your thing, you have oodles to choose from. There are 8 International Shorts Programs including shorts Russia, Japan, UK, USA and beyond. Want to catch up with new talent? Check out the S is for Student shorts program (Monday April 7/08, 9pm). If you can't get enough of Super 8 there is a fantastic event just for you! NO CUTS. NO SPLICES. Selections from One Take Super 8 (Friday April 11/08, 11pm) a series of 3 minutes films done in one take, on Super 8.

For Live Images, check this out: The Conversation, a.k.a. Everything is Everything (Tuesday April 8/08, 9:30pm). Two artists, Kentaro Taki and Tasman Richardson have a live improvisation through the medium of video. I can't wait to see what this will be like.

Concerned about copyright? Check out Copy Cats: Copyright and Appropriation in the Media Arts (Sunday April 6/08) for a moderated panel will discuss Canadian copyright laws, specifically how they impact media artists.

Want to do something really different? Try one of the Bus Tours. That's right not one but two bus tours. The Performance Bus Tour with media art on the bus itself is on Sunday April 6/08. The Off Screen Bus Tour will be on Saturday April 12/08, focusing on installations in Queen West as well as Harbourfront areas.

See something on the schedule but can't make the time? No problem. Festival goers have the opportunity to catch up on missed films at the Images Mediatheque at the Gladstone Hotel, Room 204 from April 4-12/08, 12-6pm. Free. Now that really is the best thing since spliced bread.

There are many more events during the 11 day festival. For full details visit the Images Festival website (from the website, select Program at the left) or pick up a copy of the program at any of the following locations: Queen Video, Suspect Video, Revue Video, The Film Buff and Pages Books & Magazines.

The Images Festival runs from April 3-13/08 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.