A new curatorial section dedicated to international archival short films produced within academic and university contexts, workshops, or residencies.
Curated by Enxhi Noni, Milana Tsakaieva
It is somehow both coincidental and cheekily intentional that the Open Frame program materializes in this 18th edition of Archivio Aperto’s Time of Liberations. The need for a dedicated space that brings together short films made in educational, university, or art residency contexts has been on our minds (and hearts, believe it or not) for some time now – especially with the exhilarating spread of archive fever that has gripped the film industry and the broader cultural landscape.
Born from a need and desire to witness the emerging generation of filmmakers in a raw, maddening form, this recent novelty within the festival also happens to shed light on an angry and unapologetic youth, a youth that is hungry for transparency, reparations, and moving forward. With films from different cultural and educational backgrounds, found footage here is heightened with political and intimate sensibilities, especially in terms of hybrid forms and singular approaches. Giving space to up-and-coming filmmakers also means fostering a form of testimony born from free, often urgent dialogue, one that refuses to separate past wounds from present struggles.
The seven films in this category address contemporary tensions and heavy inheritances: from decolonization and post-colonial legacies to intergenerational gaps and shifting identities; through stories of systemic oppression, cultural expression, and collective memory; exploring queer voices, marginalized communities, and the fragile bond between humans, time, and nature. In this futile frontline that are the current visual battles in times of media literacy, struggle with collective memory, and emotional archeology, Open Frame is a starting point for conversing with the images in a way that doubt-riddled youth can muster. As a consequence, it is also a way for hope-impregnated youth to flourish.
While it is difficult (and somehow counterproductive) to promise an experience of the experimental cinema within the experimental cinema, this program is presented with the understanding that we won’t be able to terminate the evils of this world through ecstatic creations, but we can at least let ourselves be carried along, drawn into the flutter that these films set in motion.
