Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1275149
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 AUGUST 2020 6 FILM Rethinking how we meet THE spring of 2020 represented a shock to the system of many local industries, not least those involved in the islands' cultural output. Concerts, exhibitions and live music all had their production jeopardised with the onset of COVID-19 and the ensuing pandemic. This represented cancellations and changes for many, and shifts from phys- ical spaces to virtual experiences for others. During this period the organ- isers of the Kinemastik International Short Film Festival had to figure out their response to a virus that threatened to make their annual festival into a non- event. Moving online was always an option, and was a tactic adopted by many of the world's leading festivals. However, with the saturation of online content, and Malta moving toward some pos- sible form of 'new normal' in summer, the team took to the drawing board to reinvent their film festival in uncertain times. The Kinemastik team share back- grounds in art, architecture and film production, and have a history staging film festivals, concerts and happenings in unusual and overlooked venues (this edition of the festival is their 16th con- secutive year). The challenge of react- ing to concerns brought about by the pandemic were approached as a cre- ative rethinking of what a film festival could be. The result? An 'exploded' fes- tival, broken down into its constituent parts and stretched over a much longer period than the three or four days in Ju- ly/August. Slavko Vukanovic, the organisation's president, explains the early stages of this process: "Over a series of Zoom meetings our team quickly realised we couldn't re- sponsibly bring together that many peo- ple. Our audience is family, and we care about their safety. It was then that the idea of an exploded festival was floated and we knew it was the way forward. So we had the what and the why, but we didn't have the how." Our festival consists of three distinct elements: the main screen showing our in-competition films, Neck of The Woods, an intimate low-key section screening out of competition oddities we think are of interest, and the after parties and live music we include to cel- ebrate the end of each festival evening. These were then translated by the team into three parts. Screenings of the inter- national and national short films that would normally fill the main screen, are set to take place in the islands' main cinemas at the beginning of Autumn. A site-specific outdoor installation for Neck Of The Woods, which is current- ly running now until Sunday 2 August, and a flexible approach to bringing live music and DJs in a way that would meet any demands that may be in place at the time. Three months later and you can visit the first stage of the exploded Kinemas- tik International Short Film Festival at a kiosk in Pietà. The Neck of The Woods has moved from its usual setting to a roundabout, where mature trees pro- vide much needed shade. In collabora- tion with the local council, seven mon- itors have been wrapped around the historic kiosk replica that has sat unused for over ten years. Sandra Zaffarese, one of Kinemastik's Creative Directors, had her eye on the structure for a while and knew it was a perfect home for Neck Of The Woods following the festival's COVID reinvention. The decision was made to produce a public event lasting ten days, that would screen short films non-stop for the duration of the event. Given the characteristics of the space, festival programmer Emma Mattei re- sponded by putting forward collabo- ration with The One Minutes, a glob- al network devoted to distributing one-minute videos produced from an artistic point of view, with a series of films showing, curated by established filmmakers such as Ana Vaz and Sa- lomé Lamas, as well as artist Jesse Dar- ling and collective BarNone. After weeks of detective work and ne- gotiations with the local council, the team finally had the keys to the kiosk and set about transforming it. Making a structure like a kiosk into a self-suf- ficient movie provider is not a straight- forward undertaking. The building has no power and limited space inside. Af- ter a thorough clean, the shutters and windows were removed and replaced with panels to receive the screens. A computer system installed to control the film program and provide remote access in the event of a glitch. Power was brought from the opposite side of the road, and the kiosk flickered into life. Reactions to the event have been ex- tremely positive; locals are happy to see the space being used. Other members of the public are welcoming a cultural event that allows the audience to dic- tate when they attend and how they choose to use the space while there. Outside of those sitting down with the films themselves, the kiosk is a beacon in the centre of one of Malta's busiest roundabouts. Attracting curiosity from the thou- sands of drivers that pass by daily, it's hoped that some will take time to stop and relax under the shade of the trees and enjoy a historic public structure that is happy to be the centre of atten- tion once more. You can find out more about Kinemas- tik and follow their work at www.kine- mastik.org. The One Minutes is inviting participation in a series of themed sub- missions, visit www.theoneminutes.org to find out more Short film festival reinvents itself in response to COVID-19 pandemic