Editor

Kass Thomas, director of AKAB SHORT MOVIE FESTIVAL, is pleased to announce the start of the 3° edition of this international festival of short films
The festival, which includes an international competition, will host over 70 films on the theme “ Vices & Virtues: ”.
The films, from 12 different countries, are in original language with subtitles in Italian or English, and many have never been screened in Italy before.

AKAB SHORT MOVIE FESTIVAL
Over 300 international shorts responded to call for entries for the third edition of the Akab Short Movie Festival, or ASMF .004. With this year’s theme “Vices & Virtues: ” the festival once again uses a timeless theme to explore contemporary social commentary.
For the organizers of the festival, Giovanni Capalbo of AKAB and Kass Thomas of KTVillage, Vices & Virtues represent a story, a description of changing ideas and different ways of looking at the world today.
Through a selection of audiovisual works coming from 12 countries including Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Northern Ireland, Switzerland, Iran, France, and Sweden, ASMF .004 examines reflections on pride, sloth, vendetta, charity, anger, greed or lust, but also happiness, melancholy, beauty etc.

“During the previous editions of the festival - with the themes ‘Encounters between different worlds’, and ‘Love & Hate’ - the non competitive section ‘From The Cave’ hosted spotlights on racism and war. ‘From The Cave’ is a section reserved for short films over 10 minutes long, docs and videos which give a different, more in-depth look at the chosen theme. The works that we received and eventually selected for this section reflected events and issues that (unfortunately) took center stage in the ‘real world’ during or immediately following the projects. Examples include the documentary on forgotten wars, Israeli and Palestinian conflict and a special event dedicated to the effects of Uranium on Soldiers during the first Gulf War. These events were right around the corner” – states artistic director Kass Thomas –
“This time as well we expect that the works we have selected for Akab SMF .004 will reflect something about the atmosphere that these authors breath and therefore feel motivated to express on the screen. Artist and authors remain the main thermometer capable of letting us know what is actually happening in Italy and in the world; their interpretations of the theme ‘Vices & Virtues’ will help open up our eyes to what is old, what is new and what is happening in the world around us.
This yea, for example, curiously enough, we find ourselves with many works in which the main character is a kamikaze. We selected only 4 of these (l Sogno Più Grande, 10 09, Kamikaze and Meeting Evil, which was also screened as part of the “spotlight on war” last year) but the references to our times is very strong in all the works included in the festival.”

Festival Sections, Spotlights & Awards:
Sections: CONCORSO AKAB & FROM THE CAVE

Spotlights: BASQUE PRINCIPLES & V.L.A.: VIDEO LINGUISTIC ALTERNATIVES

Awards: BEST SHORT FORMULA; BEST PHOTOGRAPHY: *value 750 euro *value 250 euro

BEST ACTRESS BEST ACTOR;

New Awards GRAN PREMIO AKAB PREMIO KTVILLAGE
*value 2000 euro

SPECIAL MENTIONS FOR EDITING & ARTISTIC MERIT

SHORT VILLAGE AWARD

For complete pregramme details please check our website after January 22 2004: WWW.KTVILLAGE.IT

We look forward to seeing you on January 29 atAKAB,
VIA DI MONTETESTACCIO 69, ROMA
Doors open 22.15 - Screenings start at 22.30
Entrance 5 euro
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info: KTVILLAGE +39 06-8183500 ktvillage@tin.it

Meetings with the authors, actors and producers of the films will take place during the screenings.
At midnight, Akab invites festival guests to enjoy a DJ set of Black Music upstairs in the club.

ENJOY SHORT FILMS, MUSIC & DRINK.

Sections
CONCORSO AKAB is the official competition section of the festival and includes 30 short films realized between 2000 and 2003 with a maximum length of 10 minutes, excluding credits. This year’s competition includes works from 6 countries: Italy, United Kingdom, Spain (Basque country), Czech Republic, Northern Ireland, and France. (See list of titles below)

The 5 member jury comprised of Marco Puccioni (director and script), Giulio Pietromarchi (cinematographer), Ivo De Sanctis (International Distributor VILLAGE SRL), Tommaso Casini (Cinema Critic) and Ginella Vocca (journalist, President MEDFILM Festival onlus) will award 6 prizes and special mentions for a total value of 1000 euro.
In addition, a “Short Village Award” will be assigned by www.shortvillage.com.

Prizes & Special Mentions: 1. Best Short Formula: best international short: value 750 euro
2. Best Photography: value 250 euro
3. Best Actress 4. Best Actor
5. Special Mention for Editing
6. Special Mention for Artistic Merit

FROM THE CAVE is a *non competitive, international review of audiovisual works of particular artistic merit that conflict in some way with the requirements for the official competition section “Concorso Akab”: they include short films that either last longer than 10 minutes, were produced by the organizers, jurors or authors who already have works in the compitition, or are non fiction works, video projects or documentaries.

Four of the works were co-produced by KTVillage in the spring of 2003 in collaboration with Cinesophia of Ostia, the Region of Lazio and the Ministry of Education. All of these enrich the festival by giving an in-depth look at the theme.
*This year, the authors of this section as well as those in Concorso Akab will be candidates for the GRAN PREMIO AKAB & THE PREMIO KTVILLAGE. (See list of titles below).

Spotlights:
V.L.A.: VIDEO LINGUISTIC ALTERNATIVES is a collage of experimental audiovisual art projects. “V.L.A.” .will probably become its own section in future editions of the festival but this year are hosted within the non competitive section FROM THE CAVE. The addition of this special spotlight review comes from the continuous proposal of shorts that refuse to be defined. Are they video art? Video clips? Collages? Political babble? The public will decide for themselves.

This spotlight review is curated in collaboration with Claudia Schiazza, a.k.a. “the nose”, journalist, video editor as well as media consultant for KTVillage and MC for the festival screenings and debates. Claudia had this to say about them: “This is a collage of over 25 works, apparently playful in style, but with curious content: in some of these videos we see a series of political commentary that passes in blobs of virtuous digital editing presenting themselves almost as a unique ‘new satire’”.

BASQUE PRINCIPLES is a selection of 6 short films from the Basque area. These films, selected for their beauty and for their adherence to the theme “Vices & Virtues: infinite” are some of the best short films to come out of this area in the last 3 years. The works in this spotlight review appear in both Sections.

New Awards:
In addition to the 7 awards reserved for the official competition section CONCORSO AKAB, this year the festival organizers will assign two additional Awards authors of the festival.

GRAN PREMIO AKAB for Production is an award assigned by the Festival President Giovanni Capalbo and will permit the winner to realize a new short film produced by Akab in collaboration with KTVillage. The award has a value of 2000 euro and will be presented by Abel Ferrara.

KTVILLAGE CRITICS AWARD will go to one of the authors in the V.L.A. spotlight. This award is actually an invitation for a young author to participate on next year’s jury for the international competition Concorso Akab, allowing new authors to debate, side by side with seasoned professionals from the field, the artistic merit of their peers.

N.B.: Winners of both awards will be announced at the award ceremony
March 25, 2004 10.30 p.m. AKAB – via Montetestaccio 69

- Concorso AKAB -Shorts in Competition:
1.Candy Bar Kid Shan Khan 2003 UK 4’
2.Il Sogno Più Grande Raffaele Bleve 2003 Italy 5’
3. La Caduta di Nino Walter Nenci 2003 Italy 4’30”
4.Belarra Koldo Almandoz 2002 Spain 10’
5.La Sagoma Federico Mazzi 2003 Italy 9’
6.Kamikaze Fabrizio Ancillai 2003 Italy 10’
7.Killer Con Signora Fabrizio Colucci 2003 Italy 7’
8.Bianco Roberto Di Vito 2003 Italy 2’
9.La Donna Che Adottò Suo Figlio Giacomo Maia 2003 Italy 10’
10.Chihuahua Phil Crothers 2000 N. Ireland 10’
11.This Different Night Joseph Pisano 2003 UK 10’
12.La Primera Vez Borja Cobeaga 2001 Spain 10’
13.Cose Che Ritornano Alessandro Garilli 2002 Italy 10’
14.Unfair Filippo D'Antoni 2003 UK 10’
15.French Fries Francesco Pape 2003 Italy 10’
16.10 09 Michele Maier 2003 Italy/UK 8’
17.Ex - Position Mira Fornay 2001 Czech Rep./Slovakia 10’
18.Dark Lady Bruno Buzzi 2003 Italy 8’
19.Fenomeni Paranormali Tony D'Angelo 2003 Italy 7’43”
20.L’Occasione Alessandra Questa 2003 Italy 7’23”
21.Intermezzo Angela Cosentino 2003 Italy 3’
22.Giusto in tempo! Antonio Petti 2002 Italy 6’
23.Clean Man Alessandro Palazzi 2003 Italy 8’
24.Non Funziona Barbara Camerini 2003 Italy 8’
25.Rosso di Sera Barbara di Sarno 2003 Italy 10’
26.Happy Birthday? Nunzio Caponio 2003 Italy/UK 6’58”
27.Evasioni Giuseppe De Vita 2003 Italy 7’
28.Domani Piero Cannata 2003 Italy 4’26”
29.L’apparenza Davide Dapporto 2003 Italy 10’
NB: another short will be announce upon authorization from the authors.

- FROM THE CAVE -Shorts in Review:
1.Gix Monica Zullo 2002 Italy 15'30"
2.Agostino Michael Zampino 2002 Italy 12
3.Primera Persona Gorka Merchant 2001 Spain 18
4.Tercero B Jose Mari Goenaga 2002 Spain 18
5.Terminal Aitzol Aramaio 2002 Spain 12
6.Supposta Esatta Gino Nardella & Enzo Verrangia 2003 Italy 4'50 x 2
7.L'uomo Che Amava Gli Ascensori Tony D'Angelo 2003 Italy 14'37"
8.Homologato Matteo Minno 2003 Italy 11'
9.Sei Quello Che Mangi Stefano Russo 2003 Italy 12
10.Wings Maria Sadowska 2002 Poland 14
11.Amore Al Verde Roberto di Vito 2003 Italy 4
12.L’Uomo Più Buono Del Mondo Edo Tagliavini 2003 Italy 8
13.La Voglia Di Piacere A Tutti Riccardo Meli e Fabrizio Pascale 2003 Italy 11'
14.Alice Angela d’Esposito e Giorgia Monti 2003 Italy 5'
15.La Strategia Del Nulla Dafne Mauceri 2003 Italy 9'
16.Music For 1 Apartment and 6 drummers Johanas Nilsson & Ola Simonsson 2001 Sweden 11'
17.Meeting Evil Reza Parsa 2002 Iran 12'

- FROM THE CAVE –part II - V.L.A. - . 004
1.Il Testamento Alex Pierotti 2002 Italy 4'
2.God-me Tony D’angelo 2003 Italy 3'
3.Appunti di viaggio in una stanza vuota Andres Arce Maldonado & Elisabetta Sgarbi 2003 Italy 6'
4.Final Cut Mancini e Pavoncello 2003 Italy 4'30
5.Incontro d'amore con Bela Lugosi Federico Sartori 2003 Italy 4
6.Il volo Federico Ferraresi 2003 Italy 5
7.Godot non arriverà Stefano Nisti 2003 Italy 7'20
8.Little Lake Ethem Ozguve 2003 Turkey 4
9.Women, sport and violence Ethem Ozguve 2003 Turkey 5
10.il mio Mondo Personale parte II Daniele Carrer 2002 Italy 2
11.Downward Fabrizio Nigro 2002 Italy 6
12.Foto Francesco Apolloni 2003 Italy 1'
13.Lunaria Cionini e Camerini 2003 Italy 3’
14.Mica Lucia Antinori 2003 Italy 3
15.Alpha e omega Maurizio Morucci 2002 Italy 8
16.Vortice M. Mirabella & M. Stella 2003 Italy 6'54
17.L'ottavo vizio Claudio Stirlani 2003 Italy 3x10
18.La coop sei tu Massimiliano Mazzotta 2003 Italy 7'15
19.6 x 9 Massimiliano Mazzotta 2002 Italy 3
20.Virus Flavio Sciolè 2003 Italy 4'48
21.Topeka Asier Altuna 2002 Spain 3'30
22.Buffone! Anatol Kraczyna 2003 Italy 1
23.Touch Antonio Petti & Roberto Sciotti 2003 Italy 1