Inside the Lab

Blogging, social networks, mobile video and photo capabilities offer me many ways to more accurately express myself. These new tools also give artists and filmmakers new media for their creative arsenal. With one independent film festival (Sundance) just behind us, and another just ahead (SXSW), it is interesting to see how technology blurs the lines and changes the categories within film. The South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) is a three-pronged event that features music, film, and interactive conferences in Austin, TX. Although each category is separate, the fact that each of these events occur simultaneously shows how all of these expressions influence each other.  SXSW also sponsors an online and mobile film fest called SXSWClick!. As our media experiences intertwine video, audio, photography, interactive tools, and text, the categories of traditional festivals may fail to reflect the myriad of genres in the digital world. Where do concepts like this, or even this fit? Will there ever be category that could include real time mobile video performance via Qik?

While in Spain last year I noticed that film festivals were beginning to include categories that challenged our thoughts about the moving image. At the Punto de Vista International Documentary Film Festival in Pamplona, seven Spanish filmmakers were selected to create experimental documentary films with footage captured only on a cell phone. Europe seems to embrace the interaction of media with the proliferation of AudioVisual festivals. These events highlight anything from web design, mobile videos, animation, machinima, transmission art, to audio installations. As you attend festivals and conferences over the next few months let us know what new work stands out as pushing the boundaries of the moving image beyond the big screen. Which events acknowledge the importance of creativity accessed through mobile phones as well as the big screen?

Kate Dawson