11th International Competition and Festival for Dance Films Videos
15 – 18 November

The major international 4-day film and video festival came to an end with the screening of the awarded films on Sunday 18 November. Out of 209 entries from 33 countries competing for the first prize, the dance screen Award 2007 (endowed with € 15,000.-) was given to "Les Ballets C de la B par ci par là" (60 min.) (Original title 110 min.: De balletten en ci en là/Les ballets de ci de là), directed by Alain Platel.
"The winning film is a daring, absorbing and intelligent dance film both in its form, composition and choices, and more specifically in its astute political commentary. This film crosses the divide between theatre and the real world, north and south, with vision and humanity." (Jury citation)

Further prizes were awarded in the following 6 categories:

The winner in the category A "Best Live performance Relay" is "Sleepless", created by Jiri Kylian, directed by Hans Hulscher, produced by NPS.
"The visuality, the fluent movements and a frail glass harmonica carries a message about the human body; its flexibility and fragility. Six young marvellous dancers interpret the beautiful choreography. The tender and attentive multi camera work reflects the spirit of the entire performance an turns it into an emotional experience for the viewer." (jury citation)

"Passage for Two from Jerome Robbins NY Export: Opus Jazz", directed by Jody Lee Lipes and Henry Joost, was designated the "Best camera re-work" (Category B).
"The category is called "camera rework" which really suits the piece – and the piece suits the idea of the category. The category provoked a great discussion between the jury members. It´s a camera draft or study on 35mm film; a past archive piece taken off stage which will provide a template for a future feature length dance film. The piece stood out for its simplicity and the relationship between camera and choreography. (Jury citation)

"Night Practice", directed by Susanna Wallin, is the winner in the category C1 "Screen choreography" (under 5 minutes).
"The winner in this category is a wonderful mix of cinema and minimal movement. A real choreography for camera, light, sound, music and intriguing young actors/dancers, that all fit together in an intimate and atmospheric portrait of nowadays urban young people. A film that leaves you behind with a smile and you wished it would go on much longer." (Jury citation)

In the category C2 "Screen choreography" (not longer than 15 minutes) the prize was given to "Insyn", directed and choreographed by Klara Elenius.
"The winning film is a fresh voice in screen dance making. It has stylish vision, a quirky treasure trove of sharply choreographed tableaux, oddly compelling performers and a tightly manicured filmic hand." (Jury citation)

In category C3 "Screen choreography" (over 15 minutes) the jury selected "Horizon of Exile" as winner.
"When the jury arrived at their nominations in this category they found themselves stuck in a panoptikum of satire, irony, absurdity and poetic exploration of self-consciousness. They focused on 3 films and none of them was comparable to the other regarding conception and realisation. Credits at the end of the film say this film is dedicated to all women from Middle-East living in London but it goes far beyond. It explores female consciousness under extreme circumstances and beyond actual political discussions. On their journey of exile across a time - and nameless desert two women explore a never known nor asked state of consciousness of physical and mental conditions between desire and violence. Choreographed body movements, nature as a metaphor in addition with close and at the same time distanced camera watching the women´s self finding create a singular piece of art." (Jury citation)

The prize for the best documentary went to "Krishna´s Dancer", directed by Dirk Hilbert.
"The jury spotted one of the real highlights of dance screen 2007 and certainly one of the favourites of this year´s jury. This is where true documentary making and dance film come together. With music and rhythm in the editing, the jury learned to know a touching and devoted young female dance artist. Emotional and playful, this film is like a small but beautiful little gift." (Jury citation)

Jury members were Liz Aggiss, performer, choreographer, film-maker, writer, artist and Professor of Visual Performance at the University of Brighton (UK); Gunilla Jensen Peyron, Head of Development Opera Dance SVT Fiktion; Christine Schöpf, Head of Culture and Science at ORF - Landesstudio Oberösterreich, Head of project Prix Ars Electronica, and member of the Directorate Ars Electronica; Peter Welz, visual artist; Hans de Wolf, film producer at Eyeworks Egmond.

Inviting to “Dance into the Future”, in the morning of 15 November, NPS's Head of Music and Dance/IMZ's President Henk van der Meulen kicked the festival off with his keynote address outlining the promises the festival programme as a whole was all set to keep.

“Digital Distribution on and offline” was the topic of the first of various panels, in the run of which a line-up of prominent speakers were scrutinising the various possibilities of how the video dance community can play on the platform of new media.

„Dance on TV“ was discussed and celebrated in a panel by Gunilla Jensen, Isabelle Mestre, and Henk van der Meulen by giving an insight into successful audiovisual dance projects for television.

In the panel „Teaching/Education of dance filmmaking“, theory and practical experience on the issue of an educationally unheard field were brought to light.

At the pitching session – its function was to foster the setting up of co-productions by creating a space for contacts, discussion and negotiation devoted to all actors and partners involved in the production of dance films and videos – eleven selected international projects were presented to TV programmers and film commissioners.

Offering a diverse view into contemporary Israeli video dance creations, and into the creative minds of young and up-coming artists experimenting with the possibilities embedded in this specific medium of art Avi Feldman presented a selection of works by Israeli artists culled from the 2005/2006 editions of Vdance Festival Tel Aviv.

The festival's first day climaxed in a “Carte Blanche to Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker” a sketch suite of film worlds from Samuel Beckett through Thierry de Mey to Fatboy Slim and Spike Jonze, composed by IMZ Honorary member Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker to define for us an imaginative base camp of both her artistic and personal live.

Another focal point was specially dedicated to a superstar of video clip making, Spike Jonze, of whom masterpieces as Weapon of Choice, Sky is the Limit or It´s oh so quiet were shown.

The presentation of Circuito Videodanza Mercosur introduced to video dance in Latin America with its second DVD compilation.

A Tribute to Dutch Dance Filmmakers, co-curated by Janine Dijkmeijer, Cinedans Festival, and Marion Mangeng showed outstanding films as Breathe Me, Mountain Air, Het Grote Gebeuren, Looking Forward, Car Men, Pork and Shake Off.

In addition, drawing a continuous programme line throughout the four festival days, the IMZ curated a series of dance screen Screenings & Talks, an elaborate compilation, scintillatingly witty, and specially conceived to allure to look into the variety of subjects currently turned into dance on screen: There were essays on Generations, Homes (Between East and West), and Roots (Ethnic Dance); specials dealing with Phantasy, Myths and Religious Tales, with Dance and Politics and other Strange Worlds, as well as the movie From Mambo to Hip Hop: A Bronx Tale, or the dedicated Youth programme dance screen Screening Youngsters' Life!