Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1292560
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 SEPTEMBER 2020 6 FILM Resilient reels WHEN cultural organisation Kinemastik decided to splinter the 16th edition of the annual international short film festi- val (KISFF), normally held over three consecutive days in July, it was with the intention to bring 'indie' film to a local audience in a way that was tangible, and at the same time compliant with the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. On 2-3 October, the final instalment of this year's festival, the competition sec- tion, will take place at cinemas across Malta and Gozo. Kinemastik NGO is focused primarily on independent cinema and music. Founded sixteen years ago, the ethos behind the organisation is to galvanise independent crea- tive activity outside of the con- straints of mainstream com- mercial entertainment. Using organic methods, Kinemastik established its firm place with- in the local cultural scene, and as a festival has put Malta on the map of independent cine- ma. In order to exist, subsist and thrive, Kinemastik was motivated by the feedback of all those who attended events, and participated in workshops; it relied on the perseverance and drive of its members, and a loyal following established along the way. The NGO has come a long way since 2004, and is now able to operate through the support of the Arts Council Malta, through the Investment in Cultural Organisations fund. Yet it is important to note that the NGO is run as a collective and is kept buoyant but its members. This throws light on a key issue in local in- dependent cultural activity; it remains largely voluntary, as well as supported by funding, in order for its survival. The headline of an article published last Wednesday, 23 September, on Screen Daily, written by Wendy Mitchell, read 'Pandemic intensifies need for platforms to invest in local indie content, say Euro producers'. The article out- lines the European Producers Club's wish list of industry support measures unveiled during the online European Film Forum presented by Cre- ative Europe at the San Sebas- tian International Film Fes- tival in Spain on Tuesday, 22 September. They called for support at the European level, especially during the pandemic; inde- pendent production, output and exposure has always been a challenge, now its future is threatened, the crisis is real, urgent solutions are required. Over the first weekend of October, Kinemastik NGO, in collaboration with Eden Cinemas in St. Julian's, Spazju Kreattiv Cinema in Valletta, and Citadel Cinema in Rabat, Gozo, bring the final instal- ment of the Kinemastik Inter- national Short Film Festival to cinemagoers and film lovers. The decision to take the fes- tival indoors into a controlled environment went against the grain of the usual artistic di- rection, where over the years overlooked and unused spaces have been central to the expe- rience of coming together to watch films, but it was essen- tial to finding a way to bring the festival to its conclusion. The decision not to go digital was based on this ethos, that watching films is a collective activity, and that even if cine- mas are currently limited to no more than 30 persons per cin- ema, it is still an act of agen- cy and support towards the institutions who enable us to partake in cultural consump- Kinemastik strives to bring international and local short film to cinemas across Malta and Gozo 'Money Honey' directed by Isaac Knights-Washbourn "The decision not to go digital was based on this ethos, that watching films is a collective activity, and that even if cinemas are currently limited to no more than 30 persons per cinema, it is still an act of agency and support towards institutions"