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Every
festival has its special sections and fringe events revolving
around the official program. On this page we will focus on
these programs and events rounding out our daily coverage
of Rotterdam 2001.
On
the Waterfront
Filmmaker in Focus
FIPRESCI Trainee Project
On the Waterfront
 As
part of its celebration of its 30th anniversary and the selection
of the city (along with Porto, Portugal) as Cultural Capital
of Europe for the year 2001, the Festival presented a thorough
sidebar entitled, On The Waterfront.
One
of the highlights of the program included the commissioning
of video diaries by leading international filmmakers
that are world premiering here at the Festival. Ten film and
video makers, whose work has been presented at the Festival
over the years, were given a budget and a camera to shoot
a video valentine to the city of their choice.
In
addition, the Festival presented a number of world and international
premieres of feature films that fit very nicely into the
theme of the sidebar, including England!,
by German director Achim Von Borries.
Last
but not least, taking an affectionate look back at cinema
landmarks that pioneered the use of the waterfront as expressive
landscape, the Festival is presenting new 35mm film prints
of a truly eclectic mix of cinema classics, including
The Docks of New York by Josef Von Sternberg and Hamnstad
(Port of Call), an early Ingmar Bergman film.
With such a range of stories, subjects and styles, it is clear
that the power and symbolism of the open sea, as refuge or
escape, is a seductive, intriguing and universal theme from
silent films to the present.
more
Filmmaker in Focus
 Roy
Andersson Selecting the Swedish director Roy Andersson (Gothenburg,
1943) as Filmmaker in Focus, the International Film Festival
Rotterdam honours the artistic originality and unconventional
techniques employed by this unique filmmaker. Andersson films
without scripts, almost exclusively in his own studio in Stockholm,
Sweden. He has directed three features, short films, a documentary
and about 300 commercials. Andersson's latest feature, Songs
from the Second Floor (2000), is a prophetic, engaging
masterpiece of great beauty.
A
Ticket to Write
Trainee project for young film critics
The trainee project of the International Film Festival Rotterdam
in coordination with FIPRESCI offers three young, motivated
and talented film critics a chance to get acquainted with
the festival and the cinema of the world. In the past three
editions trainees were welcomed from Argentina, Australia,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Hungary, India, Sweden, and the
USA.
The three young film critics participate in a trainee period
of two weeks during the 30th International Film Festival Rotterdam,
The three selected receive press accreditation, hotel accomodation
and airline tickets at the expense of the festival. The trainees
are allowed to use all the press facilities and will have
time to explore all aspects of the festival, the film program
as well as the debates, conferences, etc. The trainees will
operate among hundreds of international critics, and are able
to meet filmmakers and industry representatives.
They will also contribute to the Rotterdam Daily (the
festival journal) and report their experiences on the website
of the festival. In addition, they will work on articles to
be published in their home country. The three trainees will
form a small team, supported by a media host and the press
officers.
What
is the FIPRESCI?
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