April 9-18, 2015
Billed as "the largest festival in North America for experimental and independent moving image culture", Images brings a full slate of screenings, installations, talks and more each time spring rolls around. Experimental film isn't always easy or fun — sometimes you walk out wondering what you saw, but then you'll find yourself still thinking about it a day or two further along. If the films and TV you've been watching have been leaving a bored seen-it aftertaste in your mouth, some non-narrative cinema might be just the palette cleanser you need.
The features include the opening night selection Tomorrow Is Always Too Long, a "remarkable love letter to Glasgow" and "a channel-surfing city symphony for the twenty-first century." (It's also noteworthy to readers of this blog for the fact that it was scored by Barry Burns (of Mogwai) and features a song cycle by the amazing Welsh singer-songwriter Cate Le Bon.) There's also a rare 35mm screening of Barbara Loden's Wanda (Sat., April 11th, 5:00 p.m. at Jackman Hall) a key piece of experimental and feminist cinema from 1970, and one of the first American features written and directed by a woman. (And if you're especially dedicated, you could also spend eight hours following a typical workday in a factory.)
The real meat (or, um, soy patty if you prefer) of the screenings are the shorts programmes, and for someone looking to dip a toe into these waters, this is definitely a great place to start. The Influence of Anxiety (Friday, April 10th, 9:00 p.m. at Jackman Hall), which features recent works by Toronto artists is one good entry point (more on this in tomorrow's review). But if instead of celebrating local film you want something from further away, you could check out The Kalampag Tracking Agency, a chance "to navigate the uncharted topographies of Filipino alternative and experimental moving image practice from the past 30 years." (It would pair well with the longer Storm Children: Book One.) There's also the Canadian Artist Spotlight on Iris Ng, cinematographer for films like Stories We Tell as well as creator of her own experimental works, plus a chance to get in on the next wave with a PWYC screening of international films from emerging student filmmakers.
Away from the screenings, the festival is presenting its first artist-in-mall residence at Chinatown Centre presenting mahjongg, all day karaoke and more. In the installations, I'm especially intrigued by the drones from drones soundscapes of Rehab Nazzal's Drones Over Gaza, and I'm an easy mark for anything whose name appears to be a Yo La Tengo homage.
TICKETS + MORE INFO
Tickets for most screenings is an affordable $6, and you can grab 'em online if you're planning ahead. Except for the opening and closing events, screenings take place in the lovely Jackman Hall at the AGO. You can make all your plans at the festival's calendar page.
CONTEST
Thanks to the festival, I have a pair of tickets to give away to the opening night screening of Tomorrow Is Always Too Long, playing Thursday night (April 9th) at The Royal.
To enter, shoot me an email to mechanicalforestsound@gmail.com, with "Images" in the title and your name in the body — or if it's easier, you can enter with a retweet on twitter or a "like" on facebook. I'll randomly draw a winner on Thursday, April 9th at noon.
N.B.: Hitting the "Like" button below is appreciated — and encouraged! — but does not constitute contest entry, given that I have no way of knowing who pressed it.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment