YARAT! presents new short film extravaganza in Baku
By Nigar Orujova
YARAT! Contemporary Art Space, an organization dedicated to the promotion and popularization of contemporary art worldwide, presents the 10th Future Shorts event, the biggest pop-up film festival, covering 90 countries and 325 cities, and announces the new 2013 season in Baku on June 21-22.
The Azerbaijani capital will witness four screenings out of the 1,700 presented all around the world on June 21 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. at Park Cinema, and on June 22 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. local time at Metro Park.
Over 10 years of showcasing electrifying short films and filmmakers from around the world in stunning venues, Future Shorts has built the world's largest community for short film fans - from Finland to Mexico, via Mongolia and Kazakhstan: Future Shorts are screened on six continents, before 40,000 short film enthusiasts yearly. Moreover, plans for the future do not stop there.
Future Shorts Founder Fabien Riggall reflects on the past 10 years, saying, "From the idea to offer a platform for both short filmmakers and short film lovers, Future Shorts has evolved into an emergent phenomenon, surpassing itself with every new season. We are proud to work with an increasing network of international screening partners, who are the heart of Future Shorts Festival: this outstanding global movement is fuelled by love, passion, ambition and a groundbreaking creative force. We can't wait for the next 10 years."
Future Shorts Festival connects over 25,000 attended screenings during the Winter Season 2012/13, in spaces as diverse as submarines, snowboarding huts, art galleries, ice cream parlors, cafes, exhibition spaces and bars.
From April to June 2013, the Spring Season will feature six short films exploring the grief, the joy, and the memory of living and breaking with the familiar.
Redefining conventional screenings, Future Shorts Festival will showcase Grainger David's SXSW Jury Award-winning The Chair (USA, 2012), an insight into small-town life with a short-lived but unstoppable enemy; Grzegorz Zariczny's The Whistle (Poland, 2012), on the dreams and hopes of a lowly football referee; Kangmin Kim's animation short on the relationship of father and son, 38-39°C (USA/South Korea, 2011).
Moreover, Frida Kempff's Micky Bader (Sweden/Denmark; 2009), Winner of the Cannes Festival Jury Prize for Short Films - the account of centenarian Micky's daily swimming sessions at the local bathhouse; Dogs are Said to See Things (Brazil; 2012) by director Guto Parente, as well and Damien Chazelle's Whiplash (USA, 2012), Winner of the US Fiction Award at Sundance 2013 will be shown at the Baku screening.
Future Cinema, the creators of Future Shorts and Secret Cinema, create large-scale cinematic experiences, fusing feature film with music, theatre and live performance.
Conceived in 2005, Future Cinema is famed for taking audiences on multi-sensory rides that have become genuine 'don't miss' events. Future Cinema also operates as an agency, bringing talent to creative projects and developing innovative experiential campaigns for brands, new releases and other third parties.
Future Shorts is the product of 10 years of audience development, experimentation and of reacting to the demand for another way of experiencing film. Since 2003 Future Shorts has built a new audience for film across the globe and developed a platform for filmmakers that allow millions of people worldwide to engage with their work.
YARAT! aims to provide educational initiatives including lectures, seminars and master classes on a variety of related topics of contemporary art. Besides exhibitions and master classes, YARAT! traditionally brings the Future Shorts film festival seasons to Baku.
A great number of spectators at the festivals, which have become traditional in Baku, shows that movie lovers in the city are fond of short films.