The 41st edition of the largest art film festival in the world, which will kick off on March 14 in Montreal, stands out with an eclectic program, focused on openness and unlimited creativity. Meeting with Philippe U. del Drago, its general and artistic director.
“FIFA reinvents itself every year, and the 2023 version will be no exception to the rule, says Philippe U. del Drago straight away. The indoor screenings will take place not only in Montreal, but also at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Quebec, and they will be followed by an online deployment intended to reach as many people as possible. »
FIFA, it should be remembered, has undergone a major overhaul since the arrival of its new general and artistic director in 2018. One of the first objectives that Philippe U. del Drago set himself, in addition to to revitalize the festival, was to democratize it. “I wanted the festival to be neither Montreal-centric nor elitist. This year, theatrical or online passports cost less than $50, which is quite accessible to be able to watch more than 220 films that are rarely shown and which are practically never shown on television! »
Another wish, this one post-pandemic: to reconnect people after these last years of isolation. “More than 100 filmmakers will come to present their films and participate in discussions, which I hope will be lively and lead to good exchanges. In addition, we have put on the program events such as the Nuit de la danse at the Théâtre Outremont, and even a rave lasting 15 hours! »
Break the shackles, open the borders
What exactly is a film about art? Philippe U. del Drago’s response may surprise you. “I refuse to define what a film is, what art is. In Italy, filmmakers present “files”, not films to juries. For us, the definition of art is very broad, it also includes fashion, architecture, ancestral practices, ancient cultures.
Everything is open, and that’s what’s fascinating. The repertoire for the 2023 edition will therefore be eclectic, and it will be available in documentaries, recordings of shows, artistic performances and videos.
Quebec films represent more than a third of the programming. “Not out of favouritism, but because our documentary culture is simply excellent! That said, we have selected films from Japan, Korea, Mexico, Uruguay, the Middle East and the African continent. And while the big producers, like Canada, finance fewer documentaries because TV buys so few of them, emerging countries, thanks to access to cameras and digital editing systems at lower cost, produce more films. . Result: a global balance is established. »
Focus on creativity
In their entirety, the works selected with the support of partners established in a hundred countries testify to the infinite variety of human experience. “What we present at the festival must be part of a contemporary vision, and it is essential to put forward not only diversities, but also different points of view that can inspire, shock and collide. Philippe U. del Drago cites as an example three films not to be missed: inside my heart by the Danish Saskia Boddeke, who directs a theater group made up of actresses and actors living with intellectual disabilities, Close to Vermeer by the Dutch Suzanne Raes, who analyzes the essence of the master’s masterpieces on the eve of the great exhibition at the Rijksmuseum, and finally Stinking Dawn by British artist Liam Gillick, who does not hesitate to criticize the art world. “We can say that we have abolished silos, that we are varying perspectives and that we are going to reach film buffs and art lovers alike! “, concludes the general and artistic director.
FIFA 2023 will be held indoors from March 14 to 26. Online viewing, available from March 24 to April 3, can be done on phone, tablet, via the FIFA platform or Apple TV.
For information and ticketing: lefifa.com
The International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) is dedicated to the promotion and international influence of films on art and their creators as well as to increase knowledge and appreciation of art. art to the public. FIFA pursues this mission through a choice program of more than 200 films from more than 40 countries each year, but also through unique events, meetings and a platform for films on art: ARTS.FILM, available year round.
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