The Ca’ Foscari Short Film Festival celebrates its twelfth edition, which will take place in Venice from 4th to 7th May. With the coordination of the artistic and organizational director Roberta Novielli, the Short is the first European festival entirely organized by a university. As every year, the event offers a rich proposal, with important guests and numerous side activities, including workshops and retrospectives. After two successful editions, the Short will also take place again in a “widespread” way. While the historic Santa Margherita Auditorium remains the main location, the whole city will turn into a beacon for film lovers, with the opportunity to enjoy the festival’s activities in museums, art galleries and cultural institutions throughout the city of Venice (and Mestre). The internationally acclaimed artist Lorenzo Mattotti (director of The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily who also worked on Neil Gaiman’s Hansel and Gretel, published by Bloomsbury) also returns creating the festival’s poster for the third year in a row. This edition’s artwork is a tribute to both cinema and women, recalling renowned Chinese actress Gong Li, whose gaze also recalls the students’ hope to see a bright future.
The International Competition is still the beating heart of the festival, bringing together the most promising talents of international filmmaking. This year, 30 short films have been selected from the over 2,500 films that have been submitted by students of film schools and universities from all over the world. The competing short films will be judged by a technical jury composed of three international personalities from the world of cinema: Coline Serreau, French director whose Three Man and a Cradle (1985) won the César Award for the best picture; young Francesco Montagner, winner of the Best Documentary award at the Venice International Film Festival with his Animata Resistenza; Marina Mottin, curator and programmer for some of the most important European cultural institutions, from the Venice Film Festival to the Locarno Film Festival.
The two side competitions’ rich proposal is no less. The festival will light up once again to the sound of music thanks to the Music Video Competition, which is dedicated to music videos made by students of universities or film schools. Among the eight music videos competing is Australian Wallflower by Kyra Bellamy, a young director from Brisbane who has been in the industry since she was 17 years old, working music videos as well as TV shows. The music video, made for the homonymous song by SUNBEAMS (featuring Erin Jarrett) takes the audience to a dance floor surrounded by nature, with an ethereal duet danced to the sound of a captivating electronic beat. Also returning is the “Olga Brunner Levi” Award, organized in collaboration with Fondazione Ugo and Olga Levi, which opens the door to brilliant projects focused on the theme of women in music.
Of course, the festival would not be the same with its countless special programs, masterclasses and retrospectives. Furthermore, the event’s internationality is highlighted by the many special guests, starting with Yukiko Mishima, Japanese director known for acclaimed films such as Dear Etranger (2017) at the center of a special program and whose latest work, Shape of Red, will be screened during the festival pre-opening on May 3. Italian cinematographer Luca Bigazzi will also join the festival, holding a masterclass to talk about his career, made of collaborations such as the one with Paolo Sorrentino, director of La grande bellezza (The Great Beauty).
After last year’s masterclass, Tsukamoto Shin’ya will make his return. The Japanese cult filmmaker (Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Vital) returns to present a preview of his novel A snake of June, based on his 2002 film of the same name awarded in festivals all around the world. Animation will also be on the spotlight, with American director Peter Lord (Chicken Run, The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists) from Aardman Animations being interviewed at the Auditorium and British stop-motion master Barry Purves presenting his latest short film, No Ordinary Joe.
Sound designer and electronic music composer Simone Arganini will close the festival with Chasing, a beautiful dance and light show performed during the last night, during which the winners will be rewarded with original glass sculptures crafted by glass masters from the “PRIMOVETRO – Vetro Artistico di Murano” consortium
