The Godard Project was designed to inspire artists to create and exhibit film and video art which pays homage to French New Wave film in honor of the 80th birthday celebration of Jean-Luc Godard, December 3rd, 2010. The Filmpool hopes to inspire Saskatchewan artists, as well as other Canadian and International artists, to create film and video projects which contextualize moving art historically, within the New Wave tradition. We are seeking film and video work under 10 minutes to be created for the purpose of exhibition in December 2010. Artists selected will be paid artist fees for their work.
Purpose: The creation and exhibition of film and video art paying homage to French new wave films in honor of the 80th birthday celebration of Jean-Luc Godard, December 3rd, 2010.
Mission Statement: To exhibit Saskatchewan, Canadian and International artists, contextualizing moving visual art historically within the New Wave tradition.
Visit http://www.filmpool.ca/?s=thegodardproject for details and submission forms.
Brief History about the New Wave in relation to Godard –
The New Wave (La Nouvelle Vague) was a term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s & 1960s, which were influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Not actually an organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of classical cinematic form and their spirit of youthful iconoclasm and is an example of European art cinema. Many also engaged in their work, the social and political upheavals of the era, making their radical experiments with editing, visual style and narrative part of a general break with the conservative paradigm.
Many of the French New Wave films were produced on tight budgets; often shot in a friend's apartment or yard, using the director's friends as the cast and crew. The cost of film was also a key concern, as a result, efforts to save film turned into stylistic innovations. Aspects of French New Wave filmmaking include: location shooting and available lighting, use of long takes, hand held camera, use of jump cuts, actors looking and talking into camera, ambiguous character motivation, and actions being disconnected or omitted.
Some of the most prominent pioneers, including François Truffaut, Jacques Rivette, Éric Rohmer, Claude Chabrol, and Jean-Luc Godard, began as critics for the famous film magazine Cahiers du cinéma. Many of Godard's films challenge the conventions of traditional Hollywood cinema as well as the French equivalent, namely the "tradition of quality". He is often considered the most extreme or radical of the New Wave filmmakers. His films express his political ideologies as well as his knowledge of film history. In addition, Godard's films often cite existential and Marxist philosophy. Godard’s stylistic approach can be seen as a desperate struggle against the mainstream cinema of the time, or a degrading attack on the viewer's naivety. Either way, the challenging awareness represented by this movement remains in cinema today.
French New Wave was popular roughly between 1958 and 1964, although New Wave work existed as late as 1973. Deferrals – Available only to current Members of the Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative
Submission Guidelines –
We are looking for work with a maximum running time of 10 minutes. There are no restrictions regarding the year in which work is/was created, although we are seeking work relevant to all project guidelines.
FORMATS: All submissions should be NTSC, DVD or VHS accepted (region 1 or no region code please). We are not set up to preview BLU-Ray, PAL or HDV. To submit your screening copy digitally, you must first contact Production Coordinator Berny Hi at the Filmpool. Please call 306-757-8818 for details on acceptable digital formats.
Complete the “Film & Video Submissions Form” (attached) and include this along with your submission. Please do not email stills or submission information of any kind.
The Filmpool pays artist fees for works exhibited. These fees are In accordance with the IMAA recommended fee schedule.
Submission Deadline: October 1st, 2010. Your work must be received by this day.
Entry Fees –
All submissions must be accompanied by a $10CAD per entry, $10USD for international submissions. Fees can be paid by international money order to The Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative or The Filmpool. Canadian residents only may pay by personal or company cheque. We also accept cash from drop-in applications, but please do not send cash in the mail.
Shipping Guidelines –
Submissions from outside of Canada must be accompanied with an invoice attached to the outside of the package. Label as follows: DVD for film festival preview- No commercial value. Value the package only at the replacement cost of the blank media (i.e. $2). The Filmpool will not pay any charges/duties for any mislabeled or improperly shipped submissions. If shipping by courier, we suggest you keep your copy of your waybill until you confirm that the Filmpool has received your submission. Please do not ship by UPS from outside of Canada, as this will result in charges that the Filmpool cannot pay, and your submission will be returned. Preview materials or submissions copies will not be returned. Submission results will be sent out to successful applicants via email, by October 30, 2010. Please ensure your email address provided is current and clearly legible.
If your work is selected, your exhibition copy will be returned by snail mail (regular post) by January 31, 2011 unless prior arrangements are made. The Filmpool is only responsible for the return shipping costs of exhibition copies and, while all entries are treated with care, The Filmpool is not responsible for damages or loss during shipment.
Screening / Exhibition Guidelines –
EXHIBITION FORMATS: All film and video submissions MUST be available in one of the following exhibition formats: 16mm film (with or without optical sound), Super 8mm, Betacam SP, miniDV or DVcam (all NTSC). We do not screen work on DVD.
Entrant’s Authorization –
The entrant’s signature on the entry form constitutes an agreement between the entrant and the Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative, amounting to, that if the entrant’s work is selected for exhibition, the Filmpool will receive the exhibition copy, by no later than November 19th, 2010. This also certifies that the entrant is the legal owner of the work selected and that any copywrite material included within the work have been legally permitted for inclusion. The entrant agrees not to hold the Filmpool or The Godard Project responsible for any expenses or incidence resulting from the public screening or successive promotion of this work.
Send Submissions to:
Submissions Telephone: 306.757.8818
The Godard Project Fax: 306.757.3622
The Saskatchewan Filmpool Cooperative www.filmpool.ca
# 301 - 1822 Scarth Street
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4P 2G3 Canada
Please do not attempt to email submission information. Successful applicants will be notified by late October 2010. Please ensure of accuracy of email address and contact information provided.