The International Experimental Film Festival 2023 was a blast of art projects and enthusiasm about the experimental cinema. This year, 60 films presented in the festival including the video art zone.
The Institute for Experimental Arts would like to thank all the participators, filmmakers, artists and the warm audience of Athens.
Golden Arrow for BEST FILM
“Brutal Moods” Marta Bisbal – Spain 58’
The Golden Arrow for Best Film goes to “Brutal Moods” directed by Marta Bisbal. MARTA BISBAL succeeds to transmit the effect of modern architecture on a physical, mental and emotional level. A genius experimental film. A story based on found material, unfolds from the dystopian scences of a hige number of films, including Gattaca by Andrew Niccol in 1997 to the american film Columbus by Kogonada in 2017. Marta Bisbal leaves us speechless with her skill in making a film using footages from cinematic masterpieces and finally creates her own masterpiece. A film without specific characters, without specific story and yet you can not move your eyes from the screen, an extraordinary experience based on your own traumatic experiences living in capitalist alienation.
From monumental and robust constructions, symbols of domination and control, to destroyed social relations and decadent, labyrinthine housing blocks located in poor neighbourhoods. Different forms of architecture act as mechanisms of oppression and alienation, leading to states of confusion, disturbance, and an inevitable loss of individual and collective identity.
Based on found footage, Brutal Moods explores how cinema has represented Brutalist buildings in its fictional stories, and to what extent it has contributed to generate the different dystopian imaginaries with which this architectural movement is associated today.
Golden Arrow for BEST DIRECTOR
“The Journey” Max Belmessieri – France 24′
The Golden Arrow for best director goes to “The Journey” directed by Max Belmessieri. Max Belmessieri stands out for his aesthetic and political aspect of view in his movie. His fiction character, a photographer who has remained isolated after the painful death of her husband, observes the world and she narrates us her feelings, thoughts and conclusion about life. MAX BEMLESSIERI has a political impact in his movie THE JOURNEY that invite us to follow. The cinematogrpahy of Max Max Belmessier opens new ways to see the world, combining not only the experimentation on the form but also on the meaning of the reasons we create and we watch cinema today.
Golden Arrow for BEST SCRIPT/ CONCEPT
“Black Pen” Moein Hasheminasab – Iran 70′
The Golden Arrow for best script/concept goes to “Black Pen” directed by Moein Hasheminasab. BLACK PEN is the story of some so-called “intellectuals” and writers who go on a trip and cause an unfortunate incident for a teenage boy and also for themselves. It is a drama psychological thriller that grabs your attention from the start and holds it until the closing credits. BLACK PEN stands out because its originality. Black pen is a fresh and innovative story that offers a unique perspective on intellectualism.
Golden Arrow for BEST ACTRESS
from the film “The Exile of the Sea” Mauricio Brunetti – Colombia
The Golden Arrow for Best Actress goes to DAYANA BERMUDEZ in the movie “The Exile of the Sea” directed by Mauricio Brunetti. Dayana Bermudez embodies the role of a victim of sex trafficking with simplicity and originality in every movement. Her eyes radiate the fears, the disappointments and the hopes of each thought that we listen to her narration.
Golden Arrow for BEST ACTOR
JUAN SOLER
from the film “JUAN” – Koratge – Spain
The Golden Arrow for Best Actor goes to JUAN SOLER for his detailed performance at “JUAN” by Koratge.
Juan Soler magnetizes the curiosity of the audience and follows the atmosphere of the film in a deep esoteric monologue. His absolute seriousness and melancholy characterize his performance in a high level of honesty.
OFFICIAL MENTION EXPERIMENTAL PROJECTS
“ANA (I AM) the series” Muriel Aboulrouss by The Intuitive Film Lab – Lebanon 4’
Muriel Aboulrouss is an award-winning cinematographer from Beirut, Lebanon. She is the first woman to actually work as a cinematographer in the Arab world. She has designed and established the first intuitive Film Lab in the Arab World and Middle East area, The Intuitive Film Lab. Her philosophy induces self-awareness via cinematographic procedures. She is a passionate filmmaker and extremely initiative artist.
ANA (I AM) is a series. Every episode is directed by different filmmaker. ANA (I AM) by Walid Yazbek episode #8 is an experimental documentation that explores the power of loss and the importance of memory with poetic rhythm and a confidential voice.
“Film Rosa” Silvia Bertocchi- Italy 15’
Silvia Bertocchi was in the International Experimental Film Festival and she made a brief talk about Cinema & Performance. Her movie “Film Rosa” characterized by its pink color and a humorous approach of psychology and queerness. When human body and human sounds can describe feeling and reality the words are left over.
