2024 FILMS
Curtain Raiser - Monday Sept. 23rd, 7:30pm
Film Block #1 - DANCE, Monday Sept. 23rd, 8:00pm
Film Block #2 - NARRATIVE, Tues Sept. 24th, 8:30pm
Monday, Sept. 23rd, 7:30pm
CURTAIN RAISER
RHYTHMIC FEVER
Directed by Alex Horner
We are all one in a way. A people regularly digesting rhythm from the sounds of life, but we all express what we hear or witness differently. Tap connects sound and movement on that natural level, like our existence on this earth. A community of human beings living rhythmic lifestyles.
Jumaane Taylor, a Chicago native tap dancer, performs throughout the streets of Chicago in A Rhythmic Fever, directed by Minneapolis-based director Alex Horner with sound design by Nick Mihalevich.
Monday, Sept. 23rd, 8:00pm
DANCE BLOCK
Wild Ice
Directed by Kayla Jeanson, (5:31)
There are few ice skating circus aerialists in the world. One among them, Emmanuelle Balmori, merges figure skating with cerceau in a way that is totally unique, even hanging from her skate blade. On the frozen marshes of her hometown of La Prairie, Quebec, Emmanuelle practices her craft to the music of Claude Lamothe and connects with a forest whose ailing trees have fallen - perhaps one of the last true winters of our generation.
A reflection on the passage of time in a suspended snowy forest, Wild Ice (I) offers a glimpse into a rare art form through a practitioner whose decades of experience glow on film.
FRAINTENDIMENTI
Directed by Alexandre Manuel, Jimmie Santoni, (3:55)
FRAINTENDIMENTI (MISUNDERSTANDINGS) / Fra · in · ten · a · to · mén / masculine noun Incomplete, arbitrary, fallacious interpretation of someone's words or even actions FRAINTENDIMENTI is the investigation of the extended meaning of the word "phantasmagoria" or "a series of unfounded assumptions that excessively affect the imagination".
Our communication with others is also built on incommunicability, misunderstandings. FRAINTENDIMENTI moves on this subtle rope invisible as well as tangible of the sense of incomprehension of bodies and minds.
A deviated or incomplete interpretation of an action or a word, the misunderstanding moves according to one's point of view, according to each person's socio-psychological background and inevitably affects the strings of our imagination. The imaginary that at that juncture overwhelmingly takes possession of the most rational part.
The investigation of the movement of bodies takes us to the most introverted plane of incomprehension, the moment in which we are no longer in phase with the surrounding world; when an internal phase shift is created, a confusion in the mind where multiple parts, rational and irrational, coexist. In the non-communicability, there is a superposition of the points of view between the parts, a space-time overlap in reading the same event that perhaps creates in each of us this confused feeling towards the other: staying close or far so as not to disappear?
"To love is to misunderstand" Fernando Pessoa
CATS
WHY DO WE NEED THEM?
Directed by Liudmila Komrakova, (8:38)
Bankrupt businessman tries to commit suicide while a cat appears on his way.
OMBRECRISTALLO
(Crystal Shadow)
Directed by Stefania Alberti, (4:41)
Reflected, now in one world, now in the other. In the deep darkness the color appears and then disappears, precious as a decoration made of silver, garnet and other crystals. Immersing yourself in this deep space, in this abyss, you come in contact with your shining core, made of bright dreams. This dance-matched make-up project is a succession of linked images aimed at showing the work of makeup through a quality of movement - quoting the five rhythms of Gabrielle Roth - the "detached-immobile". The video footage is elaborated with effects that make the concept of the color appearing and disappearing as part of the story. The active color, wonder, amazes the dancers' bodies, the core lights up through the crystals. Then everything slips away and the bodies fade out … waiting.
OFFSIDE TRAP
Directed by Sivan Chriqui, (3:14)
"Offside Trap" is a narrative-driven dance film which delves into the gap that often exists between our perception of reality versus actuality. As complex individuals , we frequently interpret reality through our individual prism, shaped by our past experiences, traumas, and memories. Blinded by her triggers, our protagonist is hijacked by her distorted perception. She makes quick assumptions and jumps to conclusions, intensifying her detachment from actual reality.
gEARS
a factory fairy tale
Directed by Carlo Magrì, (2:11)
A factory, if safe, can be transformed into an "enchanting" place. The noise of machinery becomes, for the little protagonist, real music and the movement of gears suggests light dance steps to her. gEARS is a fairy tale that transforms workspace into the most beautiful place.
DISCONNECTED
Directed by Roger Bayerri, (4:34)
Smartphones have undeniably transformed the way we live, impacting nearly every aspect of our daily lives. While they bring convenience, connectivity, and access to information at our fingertips, their pervasive presence has also brought about significant changes and challenges to society and also lead to a sense of always being "on," blurring the boundaries between work and personal life and contributing to stress and burnout. In this film project I have focused on the negative part of connectivity, using an abandoned and cold location, as well as a dark concept. The idea was to give a lot of input to the viewer, both choreographically and visually. As a result we have something similar to the present and social networks, where we have a lot of information and most of the time we do not have time to digest it.
Commercial Dance Choreography by Kike Granero
Tuesday, Sept. 24th, 8:00pm
NARRATIVE BLOCK
THE BATTLE FOR SWAN LAKE
Directed by Joan Carol Gratz, (2:30)
Cats, a dog, and a fish head perform the classic ballet, Swan Lake.
MISS PATTI
Directed by Kate Hamilton, Grasie Marcedes, (10:41)
Patti, a seemingly deferential cleaning woman, cheerfully endures the passive-aggressive condescension of her hipster employers Lauren and Lily… that is, until Patti is left alone in the house and her secret profession is revealed.
PAYBACK TIME
Directed by Takashi Miyatani, (14:01)
At work, Sada reunites with Kataoka, who used to bully Sada in the past. Kataoka reveals Sada’s past as a pathetic victim. Their colleagues drive Kataoka into resignation, calling him a monster. But Sada, unable to bear the guilt, confesses he was the one who had been bullying Kataoka. Kataoka fulfills his revenge.
DINNER INTENDED FOR TWO
Directed by Bahram Akbari, Zarin Ghabaei, (1:40)
A young couple who have agreed to separate and divorce. Their only child is challenged on the subject.
Who Will Walk You
Down the Aisle?
Directed by Kim Reese, (4:41)
A personal documentary exploring unstable relationships with fathers and stable relationships with partners.
LITTLE ORANGE FLAGS
Directed by Julianna Gelinas Bonifacio, (17:00)
Twelve-year-old Iris is sent to live on a farm in rural Pennsylvania after an encounter with her mom’s boyfriend. There, she is required to follow the rules set by Nana and enforced by Nana’s twelve-year-old granddaughter, Pruey. As the two girls form a friendship, Iris struggles to reclaim the childhood that was taken from her, while Pruey recognizes her own impending womanhood.