PROFILEA four-day festival of film animation and modern art (held annually in December in Olomouc)
Yearlong dramaturgical and production activity
Curatorial exhibitions, projections and workshops at home and abroad
Publishing and editorial activities
Attendance and presentations at conferences, symposia and festivals at home and abroad
The festival of film animation deals with a wide conception of animation phenomena in the context of cinematography, media studies and visual arts. Here are the terms that rank among the key words and the leading topics: animation, archiving, audiovisual art, database, design, digital culture, experimental film, intermediality, cinematography, presentation, motion picture, remediation, video art.
The festival of film animation came into existence in 2000 and takes place in the university city of Olomouc. Since 2008, the organization team's activities have lasted throughout the whole year. It is a unique platform in the Czech Republic within which new technologies and the traditions of film animation are functionally combined in modern art and in film production. The festival of film animation is, in the long term, open to collaboration with international film festivals, galleries and museums, archives and digital databases.
PAF is put together by a professional team and every year students of film, theatre and media studies, who have the opportunity to enforce their own curatorial programmes, are challenged to cooperate. The uniquely European atmosphere of the festival is supported by the academic background. The festival has its own editorial series and a database of films and videos supported by the production.
The aspects of the festival and the organized events which are most valued by audiences and guests are the high curatorial standards and the interpretational overlap. The audience consists mostly of Czech and international high school and university students, professionals and the general public. Through the festival echoes, the programme is also presented in other Czech and foreign cities, and the programme is intended for the general public (including presentations, lectures and presentations at universities and high schools).
Many renowned European organizations (Forma London, Filmmuseum Vienna, Re:Voir Paris etc.) support the festival. PAF Graphical design was present at the International Biennial of Graphic Design Brno (2010) and at various European book festivals.
PAF – CURATORIAL SERIES
PAF CULT
(lectures, screenings, workshop)
A personality of cinematography or motion picture art will personally introduce his work. A workshop or series of lectures will be part of the section. Among those who have introduced their works here, some for the first time, are Prit Pärn (2002), Georges Schwizgebel (2005), Peter Kubelka (2008), Piotr Dumala (2006), Břetislav Pojar (2003), Daniel Szczechura (2006), Gerrit van Dijk (2007), Ivan Ladislav Galeta (2009) etc.
MAJOR THEMES
(screenings, lectures, discussion forum)
The major theme introduces the interpretation of film animation phenomenon in the context of its history, social-political changes and the overall transformation of audiovisual media (used and presented themes: Ideology of animated film, Adult film animation, Animated film and fine arts, Non-fiction animation).
SURVEYING NATIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHIES
(screenings, discussion forum)
National choice cinematography. A presentation of historical digression and current trends of a certain cinematography accompanied by the personal presence of delegations from participating countries (in recent years for example Ireland, Holland, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia).
COMPETITION: OTHER VISIONS
(screenings, exhibition, discussion forum)
The platform for experimental films' authors using animation principles. The competition aims to ensure distributive conditions for selected films and to thoroughly map out annual Czech productions. The final selection of ten competition works is chosen by the curator. So far Viktor Takáč (2007), Martin Kohout (2008) and Daniel Pitín (2009) have won the Other Visions Award.
PHENOMENON: LIVE ANIMATION
(screenings, performances, lectures)
The programme examines the phenomenon of new animation techniques being used within various audiovisual projects. New technologies enable those animation techniques to originate in the real time of the screening or of the performance. PAF has organized, for instance, performances by Ryoji Ikeda (2008), Carpets Curtains (2007), Burstscratch (2008), Mia Makela (2009), Iris Piers (2006), Živá partitura (Floex & Tomáš Vaněk) (2007), Phoenix Perry (2006).
EXHIBITION: KONVIKT RESIDENT
(exhibition, presentations)
The building of the former Jesuit residence is the place for an exhibition of a selected filmmaker or artist. There are special screenings and installations intended for the festival: Tomáš Moravec (2008), Ondřej Vavrečka (2009), Anymade (2009), Martin Arnold (2010).
APORT ANIMATION
(presentations, lectures, screenings)
Aport animation offers presentations of products and audiovisual work, workshops dealing with animation principles and hardly classifiable limiting projects. At the same time it introduces a production background for new animated films, visualizations, used design and graphic concepts, all in various stages of implementation. Aport animation also helps to make these projects known.
ANIMATION TECHNIQUES
(workshop, lectures, screenings)
Animation technique (e.g. pixilation, motion capture), which will be introduced to the audience during a workshop with a selected artist, is the subject of the section. The entire presentation of the technique is extended to a historical digression of screenings and lectures.
LATE HARVEST
(screenings)
A selection of world-famous works that have come into existence over the last two years and are intended for Czech distribution.
MIDNIGHT FEVER
(screening)
For their popularity with the audience, night projections have become a tradition at PAF. The animated feature films focus on distinctive genres (horror, sci-fi, erotic movies etc.).
