Canadian experimental movies to be in focus at Kolkata-based movie pageant

A nonetheless from We Are What We Eat by Natalia Ehret which might be showcased as a part of the EAEFF.
| Photograph Credit score: Particular Association

It doesn’t matter what diplomatic relations with it are in the intervening time, Canada might be in particular focus at a five-day pageant of experimental movies to be held in Kolkata beginning Wednesday (November 6, 2024).

The Emami Artwork Experimental Movie Competition (EAEFF), into its third version, will display screen greater than 50 movies and is supported this yr by organisations such because the Canada Council for the Arts, Coventry Biennial, Embassy of Switzerland and Goethe Institut.

“Canada has grow to be a significant a part of EAEFF by means of a number of editions. In our final pageant, Canadian filmmaker Solomon Nagler curated a session on Canadian experimental movies and served as a juror. This yr, he returns for a masterclass with collaborator Alexandre Larose, enhancing our highlight on Canada’s distinctive contributions to experimental cinema,” Ushmita Sahu, director and head curator of Emami Artwork, stated.

“Our give attention to Canada this yr celebrates the nation’s legacy in various moving-image practices. Influential figures like Nagler have made Canada a frontrunner in non-narrative movie, inspiring EAEFF to showcase this wealthy custom and introduce audiences to new views in cinema,” Ms. Sahu stated.

She stated that EAEFF, held on the Kolkata Centre for Creativity, started as a modest screening mission however has since grown right into a distinguished pageant inside South Asia, particularly for these invested in avant-garde cinema, video artwork, and various movie varieties.

“What units it other than conventional movie festivals is its distinctive presentation method: fairly than specializing in common type of screenings, it embraces the white-cube gallery format. It seeks to introduce Indian audiences to the reflective and craft-oriented dimensions of experimental cinema — a style that has been an integral a part of Western cultural discourse for many years,” Ms. Sahu stated.

This yr, she stated, the pageant had taken a major flip by increasing its scope to incorporate a wider vary of important productions, from video artwork to artists’ shifting pictures, together with experimental movies. “Our curated screening programme will characteristic a few of the most important experimental movies from South Asia. Moreover, we’re partnering with famend experimental filmmakers and up to date artists, together with Alexandre Larose, Solomon Nagler, Riar Rizaldi, Nicole Bachmann, Thomas Kern, Elodie Pong, and Reetu Sattar,” she stated.

Mr. Nagler and Mr. Larose will current experimental movie programmes exploring themes of reminiscence, displacement, and the cinematic medium. Mr. Nagler’s movies are marked by fragmented varieties, evoking historical past and loss; whereas Mr. Larose’s movies give attention to the materiality of the medium and private reminiscence by means of multi-layered exposures.