Fans of artistically and politically invested film know where to head each year in late January - with its record of presenting some of the best experimental, independent projects from around the globe and visual arts exhibitions, the offerings at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) really can't be topped. The 36th installment will take place 24 Jan-4 Feb and although the full programme listing won't be revealed until this Thursday, 18 Jan (click here for a direct link), here's our pick of events to definitely watch out for.
Still from 'La Antena', by Esteban Sapir, 2006.
Having its world-premiere on opening night at this year's festival, Esteban Sapir's 'La Antena' (The Antenna) is sure to be the talk of the town. Supported by Rotterdam's Hubert Bals Fund, the film is screening in the festival's Tiger Awards Competition, one of 19 new films supported by the fund. What film buff wouldn't love the allegorical, bittersweet fairytale plot - set in a surrealistic, snow covered city, the film chronicles Mr TV's rule, a dictatorship in which all spoken word is controlled, used for broadcasts as well as for food production. 'La Voz', a female singer, escapes the rule of Mr. TV. She and her young son are the only persons able to speak; a man, his father and his young daughter join forces with La Voz in an attempt to overthrow the power of Mr. TV. Will the power of the media be strong enough to withstand them? The film, shot entirely in black-and-white, refers in style to silent cinema but also uses many graphical, digital and animated special effects. Esteban Sapir (1967, Buenos Aires) made his directorial début with 'Picado fino' (Fine Powder, 1996), generally regarded as one of the first films of the so-called New Argentine Cinema. He is active within the film and television industry since 1995 as a cinematographer, script writer and camera-operator. 'La antena', supported by the Hubert Bals Fund in its script and post production stages, is his second feature film. Festival Director Sandra den Hamer thinks 'La antena' is 'one of next season's most lovingly crafted and strikingly original films, and an engaging statement against the power of mass media and its cult of recycling', perfect for a festival which treasures originality and taking a stance above many others.
There is a whole catalogue's worth of art-oriented programming to look out for -
• Artist in Focus: Knut Asdam, a series which will showcase Asdam's film and video work to date (click here to have a look at some of his work).
• Exploding Cinema, a group of exhibitions of film-related arts installations.
• Exposing Cinema, an exhibition of film on film.
• What (is) Cinema, a debate and discussion.
• Cinema Regained, independent/avant-garde film classics and documentaries on film.
• Filmmakers in Focus, retrospective honorary programmes featuring films by Abderrahmane Sissako and Johnnie To.
• Rotterdämmerung, described as 'the twilight zone of film'. Book your tickets!
• Still 16, concerning the disappearing 16mm film.
• Hot Spots Bucharest and Tehran, a series of evening performances featuring young artists and musicians from Bucharest and Tehran.
From IFFR programmer Gertjan Zuilhof's 'In the mountains' blog (see below).
Have a look at a couple of programmers' blogs, a great glimpse at what it's like from the inside too.
IFFR
24 Jan-4 Feb 2007
Lupe Nunez-Fernandez is former senior editor of ArtReview and is currently based in London and Madrid.
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