Submarine Channel
With Sundance drawing to a close, we had a little dig around for other events that can distract/inspire us as we wait for summer. Our findings reveal that there’s all sorts to look forward to between now and May, not least the following acronym-tastic selection (apologies for the Northern Euro-centric bias):
Berlinale
Berlin (duh!) / 05-15.02.09
It’s a special year for Berlinners; exactly 20 years since the wall came down. As part of the Berlinale Film Festival, a dedicated program focusing on the end of the Cold War will commemorate this. Other highlights include the festival’s opening film: the world premiere of the British-German co-production The International, directed by Tom Tykwer (Perfume and Run, Lola Run), and Bigger than Life, a retrospective of 22 classic films from the States and the former Soviet Union, shot in double-wide 70-mm format.
IFFR
Rotterdam / 21.01-01.02.09
Pegged as one of Europe’s Big Five (alongside Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Locarno), this year’s International Film Festival Rotterdam boasts a refreshingly left-of-field program, such as the inventive live performances at Worm and the post-cinematic program Size Matters which explores the explosion of visual culture on building façades, mobile phones and other new visual vessels.
IFFB
Breda / 25-29.03.09
A brand-new filmfestival in the South of Holland with a strong focus on visual culture and the crossover between film and graphic design. Programme t.b.a., but confirmed highlights include programs by guest curators Pictoplasma and music video director Anton Corbijn and our very own Forget the Film, Watch the Titles program.
Pictoplasma
Berlin / 19-21.03.09
And for those with a shorter concentration span, a festival that celebrates contemporary character design (you know, those collectible toys for grown-ups, low-brow pop creatures, etc), Pictoplasma show-cases work by pioneers of the genre like Gary Baseman and Boris Hoppek and hosts a plethora of events and exhibitions that give kudos to 2D, 3D and animated character design.
STRP
Eindhoven / 2-13.04.09
The former industrial terrain of Philips in the Netherlands provides a fitting backdrop for this forward-thinking cross-media weekend. Now entering its third year, STRP proffers an impressive line-up which fuses cutting-edge technological installations and electro-tinged music, not to mention a SubmarineChannel lounge corner screening a program of Minimovies and Pretty Cool People Interviews.
