Conference Fascinations

Fascinatons: conference on the distribution and presentation of experimental films at the 25th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival

The 25th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival will feature the seventh edition of the Conference Fascinations, which focuses on the distribution and presentation of experimental films. This annual meeting meeting is traditionally attended by distributors of experimental documentary film, gallerists and festival representatives.

Conference Fascinations 2021 follows up on the six previous editions – Conference Fascinations 2015 that brought together and introduced representatives of major experimental film distribution companies from all over the world, the Conference’s 2016 edition focusing on the curatorship aspect in relation to specialised festivals and the presentation and ways of providing, evaluating and presenting works in gallery spaces, and last year’s programme (Conference Fascinations 2017) where film industry and gallery representatives discussed the institutional-commercial aspect of presentation and dissemination of this type of works in relation to seeking and promoting new talents (with one of the debates dedicated to art in VR environment), the 2018 edition of the conference that explored the ways works are presented using various technologies and media types – from the film reel to interactive films and VR art works, and last year’s conference focusing on the creation and presentation of audiovisual works commissioned by galleries, festivals and other institutions, and the 2020 conference, which concentrated on issues of territorial permeability and dominance and the presentation and promotion of audiovisual works in virtual space.

This year's conference will take place in an intensive working mode and will be devoted to the creation of comprehensible manuals for effective communication between filmmakers and institutions of various types that present experimental films and moving image.

In 2015, notable international distributors became acquainted with the Czech experimental scene, whereas 2016 provided a lead-in into the historical era of totalitarian communist regime and the underground and experimental cinema in Eastern Europe. In 2017, gallerists, distributors and festival programmers got to know experimental production of the Balkans from the same period while the 2018 edition showcased experimental works produced in the Baltic region under totalitarianism. 2019 edition introduced the participants to underground experimental films created in this period in Ukraine and in 2020, experimental films originating during the communist era in Poland were in focus. This year's screenings are devoted to Romanian experimental work in times of totalitarianism.

Representatives of distribution companies, festivals and galleries will also be introduced to Czech experimental documentaries (Exprmntl.cz competition section). The Ji.hlava IDFF has become the first platform enabling a systematic presentation of Czech experimental films (notably works referring to reality and including documentary features), at the same time continuously focusing on Eastern European cinema; the festival’s ambition is to promote Czech and European films internationally and to facilitate collaboration between Czech filmmakers and distributors, galleries and festivals and those active abroad.

CONFERENCE FASCINATIONS PROGRAM 2021
moderator: Andrea Slováková

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

3:00 – 3:10 pm | welcome speech

3:10 – 5:00 pm | closed working groups

Each working group will have a moderator (one of the participants) and a recorder (a student, an intern from the organizer). The working group has 2–3 experts and 1–2 creators. One of the experts will be presenting.

In the first part, the working group discusses the assigned questions, and other questions that its members choose in relation to the main topic of concern.

In the second part, they will jointly prepare a document that will provide instructions and recommendations on the topic to be addressed in 10 brief points. This document will be presented in the final part of the conference (publicly accessible part) and will also be published on Dok.revue.

Working group 1 – How to get experimental films distributed worldwide

How to choose which institutions/distribution companies to offer the films to? How to proceed – how to approach them, what materials to send, who to address specifically (position in the hierarchy of the institution, expertise)? In case there is no answer, how to remind or urge them and when? If the film is selected, what are the materials typically required for distribution purposes – what should the filmmakers have ready? What legal aspects should they be prepared for, i.e. what are the typical issues to consider (e.g. exclusive license). Should they continue to actively distribute their own film? Should they promote their film or does the distribution company take care of everything? Do the filmmakers typically get any income from distribution (should they insist to obtain some)? Are the filmmakers informed when the distribution company arranges for the screening of their film?

Speakers
Eleni Gioti / Co-director, in charge of client and filmmaker relations and coordination of the organization, LightCone / France
Genne Spears / Director, CFMDC / Canada
Koyo Yamashita / Director, Image Forum / Japan

Artist
Richard Tuohy

Working group 2 – Festival and event distribution strategy for experimental films

How should filmmakers/producers of experimental films prepare their festival and premiering strategy? Do festivals also show films older than one year? When they finish a film, should they do a "carpet raid" of submissions across the board, or carefully choose a world and international premiere and then phase the festivals? Are there development or co-production forums that are appropriate for experimental films? How to think about event distribution, not only in your own country but also in international projects? If a filmmaker wants to be proactive, what advice would experts give on types (or examples) of event distribution?

Speakers
Edith van der Heijde / Distributor, Eye Experimental / The Netherlands
Leslie Raymond / Director, Ann Arbor Film Festival / USA
Samuel La France / Director, IMAGES FESTIVAL / Canada

Artists
Mike Hoolboom
Peter Lichter

Working group 3 – How to get experimental films shown in a gallery

How should the creators choose the right galleries to offer their work to? How to proceed – how to approach them, what materials to send, who to address specifically (position in the gallery hierarchy, expertise)? In case there is no answer, how to remind or urge them and when? If the work is selected, what are the materials typically required for presentation purposes – what should the creators have ready? Do the creators usually provide the technical equipment needed for the presentation, or do galleries provide it? Who contributes to the installation costs and how much? What legal aspects should authors be prepared for, i.e. what are the typical issues to consider (e.g. exclusive license, period of validity). Do the filmmakers usually get any income from distribution (should they insist to obtain some)? What materials are usually needed for promotion?

Speakers
Anna Horák Zemanová / Curator, production of exhibitions, Gallery of Modern Art in Hradec Králové / Czech Republic
Mira Keratová / Curator, Central Slovakian Gallery, Bratislava City Gallery / Slovakia
Sophie Cavoulacos / Associate Curator, MoMA / USA 
Zsófia Kókai / Curator assistant, Museum of Fine Arts – Central European Research Institute for Art History – Artpool Art Research Center / Hungary

Artist
Filip Pudlo

Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Industry Hub | streamed on festival's channels | moderator: Andrea Slováková

2:00 – 3:00 pm | 5-Minute Presentations of distributors, festivals and galleries

Representatives of galleries and festivals, and experimental film and video-art distribution companies.

Ann Arbor Film Festival / Leslie Raymond, Director / USA, www.aafilmfest.org
Central Slovakian Gallery, Bratislava City Gallery / Mira Keratová, Curator / Slovakia, www.ssgbb.sk/en/, www.gmb.sk
CFMDC / Genne Speers, Dicerctor / Canada, www.cfmdc.org
Eye Experimental / Edith van der Heijde, Distributor / The Netherlands, www.eyefilm.nl/eyeonart
Gallery of Modern Art in Hradec Králové / Anna Horák Zemanová, Curator, production of exhibitions / Czech Republic, www.galeriehk.cz
IMAGES FESTIVAL / Samuel La France, Executive Director / Canada, imagesfestival.com
Image Forum / Koyo Yamashita, Director / Japan, www.imageforum.co.jp
LightCone / Eleni Gioti, Co-director, in charge of client and filmmaker relations and coordination of the organization / France, https://lightcone.org
MoMa / Sophie Cavoulacos, Associate Curator / USA, www.moma.org
Museum of Fine Arts – Central European Research Institute for Art History – Artpool Art Research Center Center / Zsófia Kókai, Curator assistant / Hungary, www.mfab.hu, www.artpool.hu

3:00 – 4:00 | presentation of outcomes of individual groups

Participants of the Fascination Conference will present the results of their working group sessions held the previous day. The three groups focused on the ways experimental films are distributed around the world, different festival distribution strategies related to experimental films, and on the presentation and installation of these works in galleries.

Partner of Conference Fascinations

HISTORY