Another year and another Rotterdam festival over. A festival barely watched by the world, it passes under the radar as the more ‘famous’ films and filmmakers take a break between Sundance and Berlin. But this is not to say that Rotterdam isn’t an enjoyable festival. In fact it is one of Europe’s more interesting and educational festivals. So, it doesn’t have Venice’s canals and doesn’t have Berlin’s cosmopolitan edge, but what it does have is a little integrity where film is concerned.
Rotterdam’s success this year wasn’t based on ticket sales, in fact it’s attendance of 358,000 in 2005 remained the same this year. With a decision to cut down on internet ticket sales (which is usually what sells out the majority of seats for a film even before you get to Rotterdam) the powers that be decided to expand upon sales by telephone and box-office (God forbid you should actually wait to get to the festival to get your tickets, I whole heartedly wish they had done this a few years ago). Due to a reduction in films and screenings it came about that the cinemas were fuller than previous years. There were also fewer films shown this year with a Netherlands distributor pre-festival, which meant not only an increase in independent films but an increase in films which had probably never been seen before in the Netherlands.
The festival (the 35th) opened on 25th January with the premiere of Shunichi Nagasaki’s Heart Beating in the Dark (Yamiutsu Shinzo). Nagasaki released a film of the same name in 1982, this however, is a completely different film... almost. A film that has been described as part-sequel and part-remake, staring actors from the original film. Nagasaki is known for his work across a wide range of media, from Japan’s 8mm revolution in the 1970s to contemporary digital footage and in respect to the director, Rotterdam named Nagasaki ‘Filmmaker in Focus’ for the festival. Opening the festival with his premiere, and following it with a retrospective of 13 of the director’s films. This was Nagasaki’s first retrospective ever to be held outside of Japan, and had a great effect on Rotterdam’s festival audience. It has been suggested that interest has been shown in screening Nagasaki’s work elsewhere in Europe.
Featuring a smaller number of features this year it is apparent from the festival’s schedule that a great deal of shorts have been included instead. Titled ‘Short: As Long as it Takes’, the programme was applauded by audiences at the festival. This was an innovative approach to the film festival for three reasons. One, because it has increased the field of originality screened at the festival. Two, because it has opened up the festival to a number of filmmakers only able to fund a short film. And three, perhaps most obviously, these shorts would possibly not have been shown anywhere else. Unlikely to make it onto DVD, and not likely to be shown in a cinema, Rotterdam provided the perfect surroundings to applaud films that would usually be overlooked. Likewise a new element to this year’s festival, ‘The Film Office’ also aided the plight of young or independent filmmakers. The ‘FO’ is an initiative to increase the contact young filmmakers have with the industry at large, giving help whether it be in creating contacts or the chance for distribution.
Further to the film programme Rotterdam also held a number of exhibitions. ‘Exploding Television’ enjoyed a run at the festival, this year in the form of an exhibition named ‘Satellite of Love’. An initiative created to expose the idea that expensive, modern technology, and hence financially secure television companies are closing down the area of television culture needed for public and independent creativity. The exhibition screened work by television and visual artists, bolstered by masterclasses and tv dinners (which we can only assume is a cosmopolitan way of saying ‘dinner in an art exhibition’). The exhibition was supported by a number of European television directors including Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth. The ‘Satellite of Love’ exhibition coincided with the ‘premiere’ of Exploding Televsion’s television station (shown via a website - www.explodingtelevision.net) which has attracted 15, 000 viewers since the beginning of the festival.
In another area of the ‘Capitalism vs. Independence’ debate is Rotterdam’s exhibition, ‘Exposing Cinema’, this year in the form of ‘What (is) Cinema?’. This element of the festival was created to increase debate around cinema, not only it’s industrial practices but also around it’s art and form. The festival bolstered this exhibition with talks by directors as well as press screenings. The most notable personality to attend the festival was Terry Gilliam, who presented his film: Tideland.
To the festival’s credit it certainly knows how to increase the variety of aspects of film explored in it’s short 11 days. The festival’s trainee project for young film critics is an appealing part of the festival’s website. A project which offers three people (under the age of 30) from outside the Netherlands to become acquainted with cinema outside of their native countries as well as to become familiar with the nature of festival reviewing. The project has been around since 1998 and was created on the basis that young film critics from countries as far afield as America do not have a chance to savour our European film culture. This year’s critics were Daniel Steinhart (USA), Adam Nayman (Canada) and Pawel T. Felis (Poland). A cunning project, it shows that although we Europeans can’t get to Sundance, the Americans can’t get to Rotterdam, or Cannes, or Venice... The festival also offers trainee projects for young film producers in the ‘Rotterdam Lab’, and for young filmmakers from Europe in a project called ‘Passions & Promises’.
On the 30th January the festival handed out three Tiger awards for short film. In the final ceremony on the 3rd February came the presentation of the final awards, with various alternative ceremonies for independent awards being held on the days in between. Saturday night’s event was followed by the festival’s closing film, George Clooney’s Good Night, Good Luck.
The festival officially closed the next day, but it is said that the festival is organising a summer version of the event together with the Holland festival (running from the 15th to the 18th June).
VPRO Tiger Awards
Fourteen films by first or second filmmakers competed in the VPRO Tiger Awards Competition 2006. The Jury gave awards to the following films:
WALKING ON THE WILD SIDE (LAI XIAO ZI) by Han Jie (China, 2006)
THE DOG POUND (LA PERRERA) by Manuel Nieto Zas (Uruguay/Argentina/Canada/Spain, 2006)
OLD JOY by Kelly Reichardt (USA, 2005)
NETPAC Award
The NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema).
THE LOST HUM (HANAUTA-DOROBOU) by Hirosue Hiromasa (Japan, 2006)
THE BLOSSOMING OF MAXIMO OLIVEROS (ANG PAGDADALAGA NI MAXIMO OLIVEROS) van Auraeus Solito (Philippines, 2005) .
FIPRESCI Award
FIPRESCI (Fédération Internationale de la Presse Cinématographique)
MADEINUSA by Claudia Llosa (Peru/Spain, 2005).
KNF Award
Awarded by the association of Dutch film critics for a film that has not yet gained Dutch distribution. The award comes with a grant to subtitle the film and has been created to promote distribution in the Netherlands.
LOOK BOTH WAYS van Sarah Watt (Australia, 2005).
Tiger Awards Competition for short film
Each filmmaker is awarded 3, 000 euros.
BEGINNINGS by Roy Villevoye (The Netherlands, 2006)
RABBIT by Run Wrake (United Kingdom, 2005)
WHO I AM AND WHAT I WANT by David Shrigley & Chris Shepherd (United Kingdom, 2005).
Prix UIP Rotterdam
The first Prix UIP award came with 2, 000 euros and a guarantee of a nomination of the ‘European Film Award For Short Film’.
MEANDER by Joke Liberge (Belgium, 2005).
MovieSquad Award
Awarded by a jury of young teenagers from Rotterdam. The award gives Dutch distribution within the MovieZone educational film progamme and 2, 000 euros to be spent promoting the film to young people within the Netherlands.
GLUE (HISTORIA ADOLESCENTE EN MEDIO DE LA NADA) dir. Alexis Dos Santos (Argentina, 2006).
Arte France Cinéma Awards
The two Arte France Cinéma Awards were awarded to the best 2006 Cinemart (a inititative supported by the festival) projects. Each were awarded 10, 000 euros. Both films were produced with the festival’s Hubert Bals fund. Cash is awarded to aid the film makers in further production. The award is intended to promote independent film making.
A MEXICAN STORY by Arturo Aristakisian (Mexico/Russia)
HEI TIE DE RI ZI (BLACK IRON DAYS) by Wang Bing (China/France)
Prince Claus Fund Film Grant
The Sixth Prince Claus Fund film grant of 15, 000 euros.
LASYA (THE GENTLE DANCE) By Anup Singh (India)
Amnesty International – DOEN Award
The jury consists of Human Rights and film minded people and the films are evaluated for their portrayal of human rights.
AVENGE BUT ONE OF MY TWO EYES (NEKAM ACHAT MISHTEY EYNAY) (Avi Mograbi, France/Israel 2005)
Tiscali Award
This award came with a prize of 7, 500 euros along with a guarantee of being shown later in the year on Dutch Public television.
EDEN by Michael Hoffman (Germany)
Report by Julia Smith
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