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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 24 JULY 2016 31 This Week 'That little piece of total freedom' Ahead of the 12th edition of the Kinemastik Short Film Festival, TEODOR RELJIC spoke to two of its programmers – Bojana Dimitrovska and Emma Mattei – about what makes this long- standing summer cinephile appointment so endearing, enduring and unique… How would you rate the viability and relevance of film festivals in the contem- porary cultural climate, what with the internet becoming a source of worry for many filmmakers and distributors? Emma Mattei: The internet has changed the way shorts films are distributed and I believe filmmakers now have more control and more reach. It also enables the short film community around the world to con- nect more easily and inspire each other, and it has boosted short film and made it relevant and current to a wider audience. All major film festivals have a strong short film sections, but often audiences at festivals are connected to the industry, so the internet allows for films to each audiences they previously would never have been able to. The internet is only a concern for films with heavy commercial pressure upon them. Short film is liberat- ing in that you rarely expect to get your budget back. It also makes it easier to pro- duce films with contentious subject mat- ter, and be more experimental in the way you shoot your film. Are there any particular highlights in this year's programme? What kind of vibe were you looking for when it comes to putting the programme together? EM: The programme always reflects whatever is going on within the contem- porary short film circuit – we then mix these films up with the Maltese films sub- mitted and that's the essence of Kinemas- tik's ethos. Highlights this year include the highly original Batrachian's Ballad, a Portuguese film by Leonor Teles, which won the Golden Bear for best short film in Berlin, Oustaz about a friendship between an American boy growing up in Chad and an enigmatic character called Oustaz, an amusing documentary from Myanmar about an entrepreneurial fish trader ob- sessed with Chelsea FC, a mesmerising ex- perimental short called Ego from Belgian director Nicolas Provost, a heartwarm- ing documentary called Pickle about an American couple who run a very unusual menagerie, and a sailing saga called Head by Maltese director Winston Azzopardi. How would you say KISFF has evolved over the years? What were some of its most significant developments and ad- justments? Bojana Dimitrovska: One of the best things about Kinemastik is that it has kept pretty faithful to its roots. We never wanted the festival to become too big or too commercial – it's not an event for the masses and we like it that way. KISFF go- ers know that this is their home outside home for one weekend in summer, a place where they can meet likeminded folk, have a few drinks in a beautifully hand- dressed venue, watch some weird and not so weird shorts and party till the break of dawn. The venues change, the programme changes but the concept remains the same and that for me has a certain nostalgia to it, a comfort that people like coming back to. What has developed over the years is KISFF's network. Many of Kinemastik's founding members do not even live in Malta any longer but they remain dedi- cated to the festival and spread the word wherever they are. They have made the festival very interesting to filmmakers from all over the world who happily sub- mit their work directly to KISFF program- mers. Further, since Kinemastik set up on Reelport – where filmmakers can also submit their work online – over a 100 sub- missions landed on the KISFF account just this year and we are becoming increasing- ly aware of how sought-after the Kinemas- tik Golden Dot award is. Would you say the Festival is an exten- sion of the Kinemastik Film Club, which runs throughout rest of the year. How are the two connected? BD: I'd say it's vice versa. The Kinemas- tik Film Club started as a natural exten- sion of the festival. The concept is pretty much the same, except for Film Club we curate the curators rather than the film programme. This came also as a conse- quence of the wide network of film-loving friends that Kinemastik has made over the years. Some great people put together even greater monthly film programmes for the Film Club including Ben Russell, Basma Alsharif, Bonnie Prince Billy and many others. The Film Club is like a mini- KISFF minus the partying till the break of dawn (although sometimes we do). How does KISFF distinguish itself from other cinematic celebration of the sum- mer – the Valletta Film Festival? BD: Speaking personally, as someone involved with both festivals, there is a world of difference. VFF is a festival that is meant for large audiences and it aims to become a commercial event that will attract the big guns, both in terms of fes- tival guests, sponsors and attendees. This means that the image and content of the festival is somewhat determined by all of these. While I'm looking forward to seeing the VFF grow in all the ways it aspires to, Kinemastik remains my first love for rea- sons I will try to describe below. With KISFF, it is the Kinemastik team that determines and decides everything for better or worse. KISFF is in many ways a reflection of the many personali- ties making up Kinemastik's team. All our knowledge, passion, relish go into it. And we come from various backgrounds and have various tastes so KISFF can be a lit- tle schizophrenic sometimes but we like to keep it horizontal and self-ruling so that's ok. Kinemastik is everybody's festi- val, no seats assigned, no preference given (except to films of quality). This is what makes the festival such an unconventional and unexpected experience for many that keep coming back for that little piece of total freedom called KISFF. This year's edition of the Kinemastik Film Festival, which will be taking place at the Garden of Rest, Floriana, will fea- ture a selection of 20 films, which will be screened over three nights: July 29-30. Doors open at 21:00 on each night and en- trance is at €7. More information: http:// www.kinemastik.org/ They toured extensively during the 1980s and were much respected as supporting acts for Rush, Judas Priest and Def Leppard Still from Strudel Sisters by Jaina Kalifa Still from 'Rate Me' by Fyzal Boulifa