Alternative Film/Video13-17 December 2017, Belgrade

Perhaps the most referenced statement on politics in cinema is Jean-Luc Godard’s notion that the ideal is not to make political films, but to make films politically. Godard proclaimed this at a turning point in his career – when he turned to alternative forms of cinema, alternative forms of authorship, alternative aesthetics. The consequences of such a shift in thought and action have continued relevance and demand further investigation. Is alternative film and video the preferred foundation for a political cinema to flourish? What are the modes and economies of expression that support a political critique of the status quo in cinema? How to assess the political qualities of the work of producers, distributors, exhibitors, curators, academics, critics? From radical to subversive to anarchic, the Alternative Film/Video Research Forum 2017 will explore all questions of a political nature as they relate to experiments in cinema across the globe.

This one-day event (on the 15th of December) running concurrently with the festival will assemble a group of curators, critics, artists, and researchers for an intimate encounter where presentations will be delivered and discussions held concerning alternative works of film, video, and new media art. We are accepting abstracts of 300 words along with short biographies of 150 words for consideration. Selected participants will be given support toward their accommodation in Belgrade but are asked to cover travel expenses on their own. The festival is a non-commercial event that is free and open to the public. Please forward inquiries and submissions to Greg de Cuir Jr, selector for Alternative Film/Video, no later than 30 September 2017 at [email protected].

Alternative Film/Video (Belgrade, Serbia) is an international festival for new film and video tendencies and one of the oldest manifestations of its kind in Europe. It was founded in 1982 as an antidote to commercial film and video-making and to support unconventional practices while celebrating moving image cultures. Alternative Film/Video is organized by and hosted at AFC Belgrade, which was established in 1958 as Academic kino club and where many iconic filmmakers worked, including Tomislav Gotovac, Živojin Pavlovic, Radoslav Vladic, and others. Visit the website at www.alternativefilmvideo.org/.