Film still from One Life, One Work, 2011. Directed by Sapija Andrzej. © Sapija Andrzej
FIFA’s 30th anniversary program packed in impressive audience numbers, with screenings of no less than 232 films from 27 countries. From 15 to 25 March 2012, art lovers and film buffs shared the projection rooms of the International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA), held in nine of Montreal’s most established cultural institutions. Between the Fine Art Museum, the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the Goethe Institute and more, here the filmic genre highlighted all artistic activities, from architecture to contemporary music, dance and of course visual arts.
The 11 day screening program was again enhanced with a series of meetings and performances, this year with pianist Marika Bournaki, film directors Alain Fleischer, Jennifer Alleyn, Anne-Marie Tougas, as well as choreographer Margie Gillis, to name just a few. The distribution of prizes awarded in the FIFA competition attested to this year’s rich mix of editing skills as much as to the program’s vivid portrayal of some of today most relevant artists.
Film still from One Life, One Work, 2011. Directed by Sapija Andrzej. © Sapija Andrzej
Spearheaded by Carole Laure, one of this region’s most recognized film celebrities, the jury presented their Grand Prize to Sapija Andrzej’s portrayal of Roman Opalka (One Life, One Work, 2011), a stunning black and white narrative which offset the painter’s obsession of numbers with the surroundings of his everyday life. The Jury’s Prize was also won by Lynn Hershman Leeson’s ! W.A.R. Women Art Revolution (2011), illustrating how feminist art movements have transformed today’s western art and culture.
Other laureates included Jill Sharpe snatching the Best Canadian Film honor for Bone Wind Fire (2011) as well as Matthew Springford’s Best Film Produced for Television award for his BBC Scotland documentary of Ai Weiwei (Without Fear or Favour, 2010). From his early life as the son of a dissident poet to his own struggles with the Chinese authorities Ai’s story also features many seminal works including the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall commission, which accumulated 100 million sunflower seeds, hand-crafted in Chinese porcelain.
The movie selection outside of the competition program was also plentiful, with news worthy items such as La bataille des museés (2011) by French director Philippe Tourancheau and Trafic au Musée (2010) by Italian director Adolfo Conti, both criticizing the dodgy dealings of some museums, under the increasing pressures of a booming art market. Could this be a trending topic for the art world’s watchdogs? Moreover, in laying out his oeuvre as a continuous stream from Fluxus to video art, Maria Anna Tappeiner’s Open Your Eyes (2010) reasserts Nam June Paik as one of the 20th century’s most memorable creators. FIFA’s 2012 edition offered a special tribute to TV channels dedicated to art such as ARTV, TFO and particularly ARTE France, which celebrated its 20th anniversary by providing about a dozen films to this festival’s screening.
Film still from Without Fear or Favour, 2010. Courtesy FIFA and BBC
FIFA recently expanded by introducing a world tour of its 2012-2013 program, between Boston (US), Washington (US), Tourcoing (FR) and the National Museum of Fine Arts in Québec City. Montreal audiences may once more view this year’s winning films as part of the Art Film Matinées program, presented next fall at the Museum of Fine Arts. More FIFA screenings in Montreal will be announced through the Discoveries of Films on Art tour, supported by the Arts Council of Montreal.