HEY EVERYONE!

OUR 1ST DAY AT “SPACE O” EVENT SPACE IN THE OMOTESANDO HILLS SHOPPING COMPLEX STARTED OUT WITH SOME EXCELLENT CROWDS. 

OUR 1ST PROGRAM OF THE DAY HAD A NEAR FULL HOUSE TO SEE THE CINEMA FIGHTERS PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM IS OUR 2ND COLLABORATION WITH JAPANESE SUPER GROUP EXILE & THEIR PRODUCTION COMPANY LDH. EACH OF THE 6 SHORTS FEATURE A MEMBER OF THE GROUP OR ONE OF THE OFFSHOOTS & OF COURSE, THE THEME MUSIC FOR EACH IS TAKEN FROM THEIR EXTENSIVE DISCOGRAPHY. 

THE 2ND PROGRAM OF THE DAY, THE SAVE THE EARTH! PROGRAM ALSO SAW A FULL HOUSE & WE WELCOMED 3 DIRECTORS, 2 OF THEM AWARD-WINNERS, TO TAKE PART IN THE POST-SCREENING Q&A.

1ST UP WAS DIRECTOR GUILHERME GEHR FROM BRAZIL FOR HIS CG ANIMATED FILM “PLANTAE” WHICH WON THE BEST SHORT,  AWARD FOR THIS COMPETITION. GUILHERME TOLD THE AUDIENCE THAT HE WAS ABLE TO ENLIST THE TALENTS OF FELLOW CREATORS THAT HE HAD WORKED WITH IN PREVIOUS EFFORTS WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE OUTSTANDING SOUND, LIGHTING & CAMERA WORK IN HIS ANIMATED SHORT.

NEXT WAS DIRECTOR SYLVAIN RENOU FROM FROM SWITZERLAND WHO BROUGHT HIS DOCUMENTARY “FARMER” TO THE FESTIVAL. HE WAS ASKED ABOUT THE USE OF MODERN THERAPEUTIC METHODS USED FOR THE CARE OF LIVESTOCK AS WAS DEPICTED IN HIS FILM. HE TOLD THE AUDIENCE THAT THE MOVEMENT TOWARDS SMALLER FARMING & MORE MODERN METHODS OF FARMING IS STILL IN EARLY STAGES IN EUROPE & IN FRANCE FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE “MODERN” METHODS ARE ILLEGAL!

THE FINAL GUEST WAS DIRECTOR PALOMA BAEZA FROM ENGLAND WHO REPRESENTED FOR HER STOP-MOTION ANIMATED SHORT “POLES APART.” THIS HUMOROUS SHORT FEATURED TWO AMAZING VOICE ACTORS IN THE ROLES OF A POALR BEAR & A GRIZZLY WHO ENCOUNTER EACH OTHER IN THE FROZEN ARCTIC. ACTOR JOSEPH MAY, WHO PALOMA HAD KNOWN SINCE HER ACTRESS DAYS, IMMEDIATELY VOLUNTEERED HIS SERVICES AFTER READING HER SCRIPT. AND FOR THE ROLE OF THE POLAR BEAR, NONE OTHER THAN HELENA BONHAM CARTER LENT HER TALENTS TO THIS WONDERFUL PROJECT. A BIG LESSON FROM PALOMA TO YOUNG FILMMAKERS; IF YOU HAVE A GOOD SCRIPT, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET IT TO THE ACTOR YOU WANT IN YOUR FILM. THEY JUST MIGHT SAY YES!    

DJ JOHN

Directors Paloma Baeza, Sylvain Renou, Guilherme Gehr