London Film Festival 2003

Date: 26 October 2003 | Season: London Film Festival 2003 | Tags:

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THE TIMES BFI 47th LONDON FILM FESTIVAL
22 October – 6 November 2003
London National Film Theatre

This year, the majority of the avant-garde programmes will be focused around the weekend of 1 & 2 November. The Experimenta “Avant-Garde Weekend” is a unique opportunity to survey some of the most vital films and videos made around the world in recent years, and our only annual chance to do so on such a scale in England. All the mixed programmes plus selected features will be shown over the two-day period, and several of the filmmakers will be present to discuss their work. This concentrated period of screenings will hopefully encourage the film/video community to gather together.

Three mixed programmes of new international short films feature works by Louise Bourque, Nathaniel Dorsky, Lewis Klahr, Guy Sherwin and Phil Solomon, “Video Visions” showcases recent tapes by artists including George Kuchar, Jeroen Offerman and Michaela Schwentner, and a new video by John Smith plays with two stunning collage works by Michele Smith (no relation), who is showing in the UK for the first time (as are many others). There are also documentaries on Jonas Mekas and Amos Vogel, two pioneering promoters of artists’ filmmaking.

The weekend before that, on Sunday 26 October legendary New York filmmaker Ken Jacobs returns to the LFF with his recently completed 6-hour video “Star Spangled To Death”, which has been a work-in-progress since 1957. Distinguished Professor Jacobs will also present a lecture on “failure” the day after the screening. The Experimenta section of the festival also includes new feature length works by Mike Hoolboom, Guy Maddin, Pat O’Neill, Wang Bing and much more.