"Digital Film = live action material + painting + image processing + compositing + 2-D computer animation + 3-D computer animation. Manual construction and animation of images gave birth to cinema and slipped into the margins..only to reappear as the foundation of digital cinema. The history of the moving image thus makes a full circle. Born from animation, cinema pushed animation to its periphery, only in the end to become one particular case of animation."[Lev Manovich, ..The Language of New Media.., MIT Press 2001]In Greece there is a number of specialized festivals for films, commercials, animations and short films. Even though the filmmakers and artists often work at the same time in all of these genres it is very rare that we can see these works alongside and in comparison. The techniques and knowledge used in filmmaking today, are common in all of these genres. Technical knowledge and artistic creation progresses through a 'dialogue' between experiments and work, that could take place randomly in any of these subgenres of cinema. Especially in the age of digital cinema production the merging and unification of tools and techniques which takes place in modern digital equipment has brought us at a point that in order to observe and study film production and aesthetics, we have to study the tools and techniques that are the foundation of contemporary cinematic production. Synch Digital Cinema Festival focuses on Film and Video production which uses C.G.I. (Computer Generated Imaging, Animation) and V.F.X. (Visual Effects). Synch Digital Cinema aims to become a meeting place for filmmakers, producers, animators, VFX artists, students and film fans, an event that showcases the most challenging work from the greek Film and Television production and international selections in the same field. It is a non-competitive festival that will primarily focus on strengthening ties between production houses in Greece in order to nurture knowledge sharing and co-productions. At the same time, retaining close contact with universities and schools in Greece, Synch Digital Cinema Festival aims to create an educational ground for Special Effects and Animation through Seminars and Masterclasses with International Filmmakers and professionals. Synch Digital Cinema is a part of the Hellenic Festival and will take place in the Texnopolis of Gkazi in central Athens in the 22-23-24th of July 2007. The Application deadline for film submissions is the 25th MAY and the participation categories are: SHORT FILMS, COMMERCIALS, FEATURE FILM SPECIAL EFFECTS, MUSIC VIDEOS, EXPERIMENTAL VIDEOS, ANIMATED SPOTS, VFX and ANIMATION SHOWREELS. The films need to show an extensive use of Digital Special effects and/or animation. The official Synch website with additional info and application forms for the screenings and workshops will be online in mid-April. For additional info, application forms info you can contact Demitri Delinikolas at [email protected]
DEMITRI DELINIKOLAS, Festival Supervisor of Synch Digital Cinema, Filmmaker / PhD Canditate in University of Athens, Media Dpt.