Monday August 15, 8 pm – 9.30 pm (Romanian time)

The International Portrait Film Festival (IPFF) presents short films from all over the globe. Its main goal  is to curate a program that explores what the ‘portrait’ in cinema can be – a philosophy, a phenomenon, a social cause. The films at the IPFF include a palette of genres and topics, ranging from documentary to fiction, from experimental works to animation and screendance. The festival’s 4th edition is planned for 9-19 November 2023 in four Bulgarian cities: Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna and Veliko Tarnovo.

For the first time in 2023, the concept and a number of films will be presented abroad at the Făgăraș Research Institute’s Summer School.

Part 2:  Landscapes and spaces as inspiration  

Key questions: How much do the landscapes around us and the spaces we inhabit define us as humans? Can there be ‘a portrait of a place’? Can a landscape become an inspiration for a film work? Can a space be recontextualised through cinema? Can space ever be anonymous?

1) Shadows in a Landscape (Edwin Miles, UK, 7’)

A filmmaker attempts to reconnect with his hometown during a walk to the Clent Hills where he is confronted by more than just picturesque views.

2) Noon in the cemetery (Benjamin Poumey, Switzerland, 8’)

When lunchtime comes, the “Cimetière des Rois” (“Cemetery of Kings”) in downtown Geneva, fills up with residents, workers, employees, students of the neighbourhood. People come alone, in pairs, with friends or colleagues, to have a snack on the grass or to take a break on a bench. The living and the dead share a same space-time. Mixing contemporary Super 8 footage of people in the cemetery and sound archives of personalities buried there, MIDI DANS LE CIMETIERE (NOON IN THE CEMETERY) is a short essay film, a kind of experimental documentary.

3) Shifting Landscapes (Parlour Collective, Norway, 9’)

“Shifting Landscapes” is a project which emerged from a residency in the small town of Surnedal, Norway. It weaves together poetic impressions of the Surnedal landscape, the activities of the town, and the mysterious elements which emerge between these spheres. The narrative contained in the finished film is one of scattered symbolic language translated into movements in space. At times terrifying, at times sublime, it encourages the viewer to drift through irresistibly.

4) A collective sacrifice (Pippa Samaya, Tara Jade Samaya, Germany, 7’)

There is something about the complete lack of human noise deep in a forest that is so peaceful and yet so jarring. The jarring element reminds us of how epic trees are. How far into the sky they reach and how low their roots anchor them. How many creatures they support. How many colours they change in a year. How bravely they dance. And how mindlessly they get hacked down. Slayed giants at the tiny axes of humans. This film is a bow to them with shame and deep apology. Their sacrifice is seen.

5) Summer Letter (Louis Heilbronn, USA, 6’)

On a summer’s day, the viewers are introduced to a young family on vacation. Time moves slowly as they partake in leisurely activities. A lone tree in their front yard is the soul witness to their happiness.

6) Feel India (Ion Sova, Moldova, 12’)

A collective portrait of the contradictory and multi-colourful world of India.

7) Munich (Iiro Holopainen, Finland, 17’) *awaiting to be confirmed by the filmmaker

A kino-novella about the city of Munich told from two perspectives: a German narrator with an оbjective outlook on the city itself and a Finnish narrator – a young, mentally troubled traveller who’s picked it as a good place to die. 

FACILITATORS

Ana-Maria Sotirova is the founder and director of the International Portrait Film Festival. This is the passion project she has been developing for the past four years. Ana-Maria has also worked at two festivals based in her hometown of Varna: RADAR Festival: Beyond Music and Moving Body Festival. Her education includes BA Film from the University of Reading and MA Film Studies from the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Ana-Maria’s MA thesis was focused on the field of screendance and the possibilities of it being an autonomous language rooted in the symbiosis between the mediums film and dance. She continues to be intrigued by this sphere and writes articles on screendance works at the Moving Body platform. Ana-Maria has taken part in various courses on cultural management in Sofia (2022) and Vienna (2023), and an upcoming one with the Festival Academy in New York City in January 2024.

Georgi Georgiev, Ph.D.

Ioana Hașu-Georgiev M.A.

Departments: Făgăraș Summer School 2023, Educational Programs Department

Regions: Global, Europe, Central and Eastern Europe

Topics: Visual Anthropology, History, Heritage, European Union