| Venues: | Podewil |
|---|---|
| Date: | 10.02 – 20.02.1994 |
| Organisation: | Mediopolis Berlin e.V. |
The VideoFest in its seventh year, the year of that infamous "itch" - which isn’t the case with us.
The interconnections between video and television had become ever more important in the programme. VideoFest ‘94 showed uncommon television productions and tapes that, critically speaking, went against the grain of commercial media. This year, we introduced a new section of the programme, Spot, to reflect and discuss on the issues of TVideo, exploring the borderline between video and television. In the past one wondered how to get more video on television – a question which today is only marginally interesting. More important to us now is an analysis of TV-Design and TV-Art.
festival catalogue preface
This year's program is put together from more than 1300 submitted videos from 41 countries. Our Main Program, of the usual high quality, is a selection of the last two years' best works. As usual, to satisfy those with a more eccentric taste in videos, there is the Nightflights series. To make it easier to translate we have changed the name of our Akzente program into Focus. Emphasis is put on single areas of interest, countries or personalities of the video world, and that with an addition – besides the presenting of videos we are offering information by way of talks with professionals, in more space than before. Each event lasts four hours. This year special attention is given to the situation in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Spain.
With our new series, Spot, the word is in the foreground: Reflections and discussions concerning video viewed socially and from the media's standpoint. This year, too, we are continuing with the approach of TVideo (see VideoFest 1991), exploring the borderline between video and television. In the past one wondered how to get more video on television – a question which today is only marginally interesting. More important to us now is an analysis of TV-Design and TV-Art. We expect twelve experts from six countries. The interconnections between video and television has be come ever more important to us over the last years. We have always presented uncommon television productions and tapes that, critically-speaking, go against the grain of commercial media. For 1994 we have invited two authors that work exclusively for television: Gert Monheim from the network WDR, who we consider to be one of the most courageous and dedicated German television-journalists, and Stefaan Decostere from the network BRTN (Belgium) who – an uncommon attribute – can only be called a TV-artist. With this program, clearly in connection with the Spot series, we hope to show how lively and creative television - with its eyes firmly fixed on the ratings – can really be.
Connected with this the Retrospective on the History of German Video will certainly be exciting: The development of electronic art from its beginnings to today, the era of polit-videos ("Guerilla TV") and the stories of the videomakers themselves who, in part, now work for television. One such pioneer will be given special notice: the Berliner, Gerd Conradt The Berlin Chamber is a special showing made up of selected tapes by some 50 Berlin videomakers in a current vidéothèque from which the viewers can make up the program for themselves. Again the key-word is Berlin: The DFFB (German Film and Television Academy) explains its curriculum for the subject of video, showing tapes from the archives of the academy, as well as works by new talents. The HdK (College of Art) also presents its education program, along with its new talents.
For the first time the video installations can be seen on the festival location. Artists from Croatia, Germany, Holland and the US elucidate the integration of the video medium with the visual arts. Besides that, it was again possible for us to organize the construction of a unique work in the Gallery am Pariser Platz. The artists' group TODT (USA) will show their multimedia installation. And so, like every year, lots video at the VideoFest.
A few more news about us: The program's team was added to, welcoming Bea Wölfling of the Babylon Cinema in Berlin-Mitte. The prize money to be awarded this year has increased to 37.000.-DM by sponsors. In March the network Premiere will air awarded tapes. The regional Berlin network, IA, will give more than an hour of daily coverage to the VideoFest. On the 27th of February NDR is sending a report for the fourth consecutive time. On the 10th of February the network arte is airing a 3 1/2 hourlong feature on video that was produced by Mediopolis (formerly Medien-Operative). Since December of 1993 the MedienOperative goes by the name of Mediopolis. This organization, founded in 1977, has widened its goals and activities in agreement with developments in the field of video technology as well as a change of perceptions and the meaning of the medium. The new name, Mediopolis, stands for a strengthened and versatile organization, a.o.:
The production of ambitious videos for television and other institutions has increased. The VideoFest is an element of the landscape of international festivals that cannot be ignored.
The VideoFest Tour (a selection from the year's program) toured 12 countries in recent years, including Argentina, Brasil, GUS, Italy and the US.
Weekly video presentations at the Volksbühne (Theater, in Berlin-Mitte) occur in cooperation with our office.
VideoFest/ Mediopolis will soon host a monthly television report that covers our private news. We wish our visitors a fun-filled, contemplative and irritating time – the usual VideoFest mixture.
Micky Kwella, VideoFest & Hartmut Horst, Mediopolis
Our Main Program, of the usual high quality, is a selection of the last two years' best works. To satisfy those with a more eccentric taste in videos, there is the Nightflights series. To make it easier to translate we have changed the name of our Akzente program into Focus. Emphasis is put on single areas of interest, countries, or personalities of the video world, and that with an addition – besides the presenting of videos we are offering information by way of talks with professionals, in more space than before. Each event lasts four hours. This year special attention is given to the situation in Eastern Europe, Latin America and Spain. With our new series, Spot, the word is in the foreground: reflections and discussions concerning video viewed socially and from the media's standpoint. This year, too, we are continuing with the approach of TVideo (see VideoFest 1991), exploring the borderline between video and television. Connected with this the Retrospective on the History of German Video will certainly be exciting: The development of electronic art from its beginnings to today, the era of polit-videos ("Guerilla TV") and the stories of the videomakers themselves who, in part, now work for television.
VideoFest award
Main Prize of DM 4.000 for an outstanding production which makes congenial use of the electronic possibilities of the medium. Two special mentions each worth DM 1.500 for videos whose characteristics are creativity and originality.
PREMIERE award
The PayTV-channel Premiere grants a prize of DM 5.000 to an outstanding short work of video art and acquires the broadcasting rights for 6 videos altogether which will form a VideoFest-Program to be broadcast on the 2nd of March.
Koppfilm award
Tragically, last year's winner Radek Pilar ("Yes, No, Yes") died in 1993. The Berlin studio, therefore, grants again the prize for one week of post-production (Betacam) in their studio worth DM 10.000. Notice: The Czech Center Berlin honours the czech video pioneer Radek Pilar with a show of his works. The 60 minute program will be screened on Feb. 17, 21.00; Feb. 18., 17.00, and Feb. 19, 14.00 and 23.00.
IA award
For the first time, IA - Neues Fernsehen für Berlin/ Brandenburg grants two prizes for an experimental and for a documentary production plus a third prize chosen by the public, each prize worth DM 5.000.
The festival catalog includes information of all film and video works shown in the course of the VideoFest '94. With the help of the included program plan it is easy to reconstruct the whole festival structure.
team
Mediopolis Berlin e.V. Organizer, Hartmut Horst Board, Micky Kwella Artistic Director, Johannes Lenz-Hawliczek Organizational Director, Rudolf Frieling, Knut Gerwers, Bea Wölfling, Micky Kwella Program, Rudolf Frieling Video Installations/Press, Ellen Bickmeier, Imke Schwärzler, Kerstin Rautenberg Office, Sonja Becking, Ate Fischer, Geli Wieland Assistant, Klaus Meier EDP, Matthias Behrens (responsible), Hannes Ickert, Peter Stricker Technical Support, Eva Resch Festival Realization, Kerstin Rautenberg Counter, Armgard Meyer Counter, Margit Eberlein, Jan Jaksiewicz, Ole Klingemann, Bodo Müller, Martina Müller, Andrea Nienhuisen, Josef Plank, Michael Rusert, Nicolai von Schweder-Schreiner, Philip Wiechert Festival Support, Raimund Schlie Coordination Podewil, Andreas Keßler Technical Support Podewil.
supporters
Supported by: Senator für Kulturelle Angelegenheiten Sponsors: JVC Professional, VideoVox Thank you to the following institutions and individuals: Air Liquide; Akademie der Künste, Berlin; Amerika-Haus, Berlin; Amerikanische Botschaft, Bonn; Inke Arns, OSTranenie Dessau; Carl Solway Gallery, Cincinnati; internationales forum des jungen films; Contributed Software; Deutsches Historisches Museum; European Media Art Festival, Osnabrück; Esotronlc, Berlin; Foro Artlstlco, Eisfabrik Hannover; Goethe-Institut Buenos Aires, Gabriela Massuh; Goethe-Institut Montevideo, Martin Schumacher; Goethe Institut Moskau; Goethe Institut San Juan; Herr Hageneuer, Ehern, Staatliche Schauspielbühnen Berlin; media base; Neuer Berliner Kunstverein (NBK); Provinzregierung San Juan, Argentinien; Sanyo; Trimaran, Madrid; VEROsonic; Video International, Barsinghausen; Video Vision; Volksbühne, Berlin, Dirk Nawrocki Westdeutscher Rundfunk, Köln; Gerhard Wissner, Videofest Kassel; WRO Open Studio, Plotr Krajewski 235 Media, Köln