DARKLIGHT FESTIVAL 2006 HIGHLIGHTS & RECOMMENDATIONS :::::
INTERNATIONAL Visiting Guests 2006 (also available for Interview):
VISITING ARTIST::: JOHN THOMPSON (USA) Director of Distribution at New Yorks
Electronic Arts Intermix. HYPERLINK "http://www.eai.org/"www.eai.org
Public interview in IFI with John Thomson by new media Irish artist John
Gerrard plus a selection of EAI catalogue ? IFI, Saturday June 24 - 2.45pm
Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI) is a leading nonprofit resource for video art
and interactive media. Founded in 1971, EAI's core program is the
distribution and preservation of a major collection of new and historical
media works by artists. EAI also offers educational services, viewing
access, exhibitions and public programs. The Online Catalogue is a
comprehensive resource on the 175 artists and 3,000 works in the EAI
collection. The searchable database includes artists' biographies, QuickTime
excerpts, research materials, artists' Web projects, and online ordering.
VISITING ARTIST::: BEN FRY PROCESSING.ORG (USA)
www.benfry.com
Workshop & public interview with Dennis McNulty at Filmbase, Saturday June
24, 11am ? 1.30pm
Ben Fry received his doctoral degree from the HYPERLINK Aesthetics + Computation
Group at the MIT
Media Laboratory, where his research focused on methods of visualizing large amounts
of data from
dynamic information sources. His current work is split between consulting
and the visualization of genetic data for Eric Lander at the Eli
& Edyth Broad Insitute of MIT & Harvard.
His work has shown at the Whitney Biennial in 2002 and the Cooper Hewitt
Design Triennial in 2003. Other pieces have appeared in the Museum of Modern
Art in New York, at Ars Electronica in Linz, Austria and in the films
?Minority Report? and ?The Hulk.? His information graphics have also
illustrated articles for the journal Nature, New York Magazine, and Seed.
With Casey Reas of UCLA, he is developing Processing, an open source programming
environment for teaching computational design and sketching interactive
media software that won a Golden Nica from the Prix Ars Electronica in 2005.
VISITING VISUAL ARTISTS::: AL and AL (UK)
www.alandal.co.uk
Installation in St. Michael & Johns Church, Temple Bar ? Fri 23 June 7.30pm
plus artist talk with Mark Cullen, Pallas Studios, Sat 24 June Filmbase 5pm.
Since graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2001, AL and AL have embarked
on a journey into the mysterious heart of technology. Building their own
blue screen special effects studio in the east end of London, AL and AL have
substituted reality with a computer generated simulation. From this blue
screen void AL and AL probe the infinite possibilities this technology
offers and investigate the political, psycho, sexual and mystical
consequences of this seduction. AL and AL perform all the characters,
program all the computer simulations and create all of the sound in order
for the works to contain an authorship which no other computer generated
moving image desires to acquire. AL and AL occupy an innovative space in the
development of this new form and how it may be applied to the language of
contemporary Fine Art. AL and AL have received numerous awards from the
Arts Council England, Channel Four TV, Film London, ACAVA & ACME.
SCREENING::: HEAD TRAUMA by Lance Weiler ? IFI - Sunday 25 June, 2.30pm,
followed by live Q&A with Lance Weiler direct from L.A.
HEAD TRAUMA is the story of George Walker, a down and out transient, who
travels back home after a 20-year absence only to find the house where he
spent his summers, condemned and slated for demolition. George initially
wants to fix up the house and sell it quickly, but after he takes a header,
he begins to experience a series of disturbing nightmares. The nightmares
depict the murder of a girl by a strange hooded figure. Slowly elements from
the nightmares begin to cross over into George?s reality until he comes face
to face with the hooded figure and discovers the true identity of the dead
girl.
Lance Weiler is a critically acclaimed award winning writer/director. His
digital feature, THE LAST BROADCAST , is currently distributed in over 20
countries. It recently finished a run on HBO and is now airing on IFC. Lance
has been featured in Time and Forbes and on television programs such as
Entertainment Tonight and CNN. Wired Magazine called Lance ?One of
twenty-five people helping to re-invent entertainment and change the face of
Hollywood.? Currently, Lance is prepping his newest feature entitled HEAD
TRAUMA for distribution. In addition, he is developing a number of
television and film projects.
SCREENING::: FROM HELL TO HEAVEN
(feature/doc) by Khaled Abu Ajamia
(Palestine). Filmbase, Sat 24 June, 8pm.
Ajamia has risked his life in order to bring this story to the world. A
Palestinian girl, 17 years of age, wear?s an explosives belt, she arrives at
a large shopping mall in Israel, but at last minute she decides not to press
the button. How did she manage to persuade a military group to prepare her
for a suicide operation? What lies behind her decision to be suicide bomber?
And what makes her change her mind?
The Filmmaker, Khaled Abu Ajamia, 43, worked as a camera man for local and
international media in Bethlehem until 2002 where he was given an
opportunity to leave his refugee camp. He decided to travel around Europe &
document how Palestinians how were exiled after the siege. Khaled is now
in asylum in Ireland and at risk from both Israel & Palestinians extremists
after making this film.
SCREENING::: FIGHT OR FLIGHT (Feature/Doc) by Shane Sutton & Peter
McCarthy (IRE) IFI, Friday 23 June, 5.30pm
Violence is widely experienced in our society today. Many people experience
aggression and violence throughout their lives, in schools, growing up, in
the workplace and at home. These experiences lead people to react in many
different ways. In this documentary, Peter McCarthy reacts to his life?s
circumstances. This in turn, leads him on a precarious journey through
Thailand where he explores the world of ring fighting, Thai style. Here he
is faced with some of his greatest fears. ?This true story explores the
experiences of an Irish man from Dublin who through social difficulties
ventures into the world of Muay Thai in Thailand.?
SCREENING::: In This Way (Short) by Andrew Keogh (IRE)
In this Way is a macabre love-story about a deeply traumatized couple trying to
rebuild their
lives in the numbing aftermath of a car crash. Unbeknownst to the husband, however,
his former
surgeon wife is working on an unsettling plan to bring them closer together again.
Produced by Sasha King of Princess Pictures Ltd and Written by Jamie Hannigan and
Directed by
Andrew Keogh.
Andrew Keogh is also a director with Dogmedia Productions who are an independent
film production
collective formed in 2003. Working primarily in digital format, Dogmedia have made
numerous
productions to date including documentaries, short fiction films, radio work, sketch
comedy,
animations and model making and are also involved in live music/visual performances
with two
Dublin-based groups.
***CHECK NEW WEBSITE FOR UPDATES HYPERLINK
"http://www.darklight.ie/"www.darklight.ie ***
Special thanks to our festival sponsors; The Arts Council, British Council,
Dublin City Council, Critical Voices, LASER, Nokia, Krombacher.
Awards Sponsors; Nokia, Adobe, Lap Top Shop, IFTN, Krombacher.
Media and Design Partners; Entertainment.ie,IFTN, One Touch Ireland,
Micromedia, Delicious 9, GRAMMU, Piranha bar and SINK Digital Media, RTE
Supporting the Arts.
Darklight Festival Partners; Fast Forward, Gruel, DEAF, Wildlight, Screen Training
Ireland,The Bulter Gallery, Cultivate, U:MACK, Eurotek, Weblink, Buddabag,
Pallas Studios and Slattery Communication.
Thanks to everyone for all their help and support.
Karen Walshe
Publicity & Marketing
Darklight Festival - June 2006
087-9754 101
karen@darklight-filmfestival.com
www.darklight.ie
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