The AVIFF 2015 programme: http://art-film-festival.com/programme-2015/

Designed in 2008 as a contemporary art fair or all Art-galleries were only obliged to submit the works of Artists in visual art, “Art show Cannes” becomes the “AVIFF-Art Film Festival” in 2010 with an initial selection of movies authors assigned to Camillo Racana, “curator” for a “carte blanche” in Marrakech in 2010, during the 10th edition of the film festival in December and in 2011 in Cannes during the 64 edition of the film festival in May.

The “AVIFF-Art Film Festival” Cannes has since become one of the preferred places of promoting contemporary art in the field of video art film associated with a changing art market and a legendary film festival: the “Cannes Films Festival”

Artists such as Tracey Moffatt, Motomichi Nakamura, Rouzbeh Rashidi, Pacôme Thiellement & Thomas Bertay, André Senra, the Villemin brothers, Osorio Suarez, David Kagan, Majid Ma’soomi Rad, Shahar Marcus, Pascale Lafay, Lerato Shadi, Christy Walsh and recently Cayetana Vidal, David Law, Juan Carlos Zaldivar, Mahmood Nouraie , Simon Poole Andersson, Ines von Bonhorst, Hiresh Kheirabadi, Thomas Dorman § Ronnie Belcher………..have presented their art-video films in the AVIFF official selection at Cannes since 2011.

Matthew Toffolo interviews Christian Pouligo:

1) What is the goal of your film festival?

The AVIFF is promoting promoting video art internationally and around the world

The official selection of the AVIFF made in Cannes travel the world and is presented in contemporary arts centers, partner festivals and cultural institutions abroad (South Africa, China, Vietnam)
Every year new partners are envisaged (Lebanon, USA)

In 2014 the AVIFF has invited off official selection the Chinese artist Yang Zhenzhong videographer who came from Shanghai to present 7 video art works from his filmography and has received the “Special Jury Prize” for his career

This reinforces and legitimate the AVIFF in its international dimension

2) How has the festival changed since its inception until your upcoming 2015 festival?

The AVIFF became more specific over time more focused on the art cinema as the film.

The jury this year’s is composed of academics, researchers, writers and artists. The selection was this severe year with 27 films chosen from over 1800 films submitted

Also the AVIFF in partnership with the master office “Wepler Drouot” in Paris organizes each year an auction in Paris ( France ) of some films from the previous official selection of Cannes

From the promotion is now added the estimate of the works of authors and their estimation validated by an
auction

3) How many films are you showcasing at your Film Festival?

We have 27 films in competition and 22 films in a program “jury”

In fact the jury this year 2015 has decided to do more, taking the risky initiative to propose himself fifteen films, out of competition, showing for some of the milestones of what would fall from his point of view of another cinema. (Raymond Bellour)

Time will tell if the message has been received.

4) Can you give us a sneak peak of what to except for the 2015 Festival?

For this very selective year will be awarded 3 Prize AVIFF Cannes 2015 and a special “jury prize” awarded unanimously. The trophies are original creations and are given to the authors at the festival closing on May 20 at 15.00. The Prize “special jury” which, without revealing it, tells the story of a well-known group of women activists, will be the date of our festival in 2015

5) Is there going to be an overall theme for the 2015 festival?

NO

6) Where do you see your festival in 5 years?

We received the official support of the city of Cannes this year and those of the University of Paris Sorbonne, CNRS and the Institut ACT. Our AVIFF festival has become a festival for Research and creativity ..

We expect to open the next call to artists with specific categories. One of which will have a category of student trained in schools and universities ensuring high levels of video art training in France and abroad.
Then our festival shall evolve according to new partners which will joining us this year in the field of Culture & Art

We passed the five first year and we now begin an easier time, cause we are known and exposed, but meantime very difficult for the same reasons.

7) What’s the current status of the Film Scene in your city?

Cannes is primarily a city of festivals and professional meetings. Over 17 per year

Cannes is also the place where takes place the most legendary film festival: the “Cannes Film Festival”
Maybe Cannes will become in 10 years as the privileged place of Video Art in France. We are working on this dream with the people of the City of Cannes and their representatives

8) What film have you seen the most in your life?

I love the cinema of Lynch, Wenders, Jarmusch ..

So as I look over 2,000 video art films by year I have to admit my love for this kind ..lucky me!

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Matthew Toffolo, Interviewer BIO

Filmmaker of over 20 short films and TV episodes, Matthew Toffolo is the current CEO of the WILDsound Film and Writing Festival. He had worked for the organization since its inception in 2007 serving as the Short Film Festival’s moderator during the Audience Feedback sessions.

Go to http://www.wildsound.ca and submit your film, script, or story to the festival.

Go to http://www.wildsoundfestival.com and watch recent and past winning writing festival readings.