Darryl Nepinaks’s short film Zwei Indianer Aus Winnipeg has been selected for the Berlinale
The WFG is pleased to announce that Darryl Nepinak’s short film Zwei Indianer Aus Winnipeg will be screening at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) held between 05 -15 February 2009 in Berlin, Germany.
The film, commissioned by the imagineNATIVE festival for their Culture Shock program, is about two ersatz “Indian warriors” who chase a beautiful Indian maiden through the streets of Winnipeg. Based on the 1964 German song, “Zwei Indianer Aus Winnipeg”, our heroes are in for a surprise when they reach The Ancient Lake of Schwinestieger.
Curated by Steven Loft (Mohawk), Culture Shock is a program of video works by Canadian Aboriginal artists Bonnie Devine (Ojibway), Keesic Douglas (Ojibway), Darryl Nepinak (Saulteaux) and Bear Witness (Cayuga) commissioned by the imagineNATIVE festival in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Toronto and V tape. Curatorial participation for the project was supported by the National Gallery of Canada, and production was supported by Charles St. Video, SAW Video and the Winnipeg Film Group.
For the program, four artists were selected to respond to two films from West and East German film collections, provided by the Goethe-Institut Toronto. The films represented classic German cinematic interpretations of Indigenous North Americans from the 1960s, such as the infamous Winnetou films based on Karl May’s novels popular in West German cinema and the so-called “Red Westerns” created by East Germany’s legendary DEFA studios. The artists created four new video works in response to the two films that had their world premiere at imagineNATIVE in October 2008. The Culture Shock program was accompanied by a publication provided by V tape with essays by curator Steven Loft and guest writer Stephen S. Foster.
The Berlinale, one of the world’s leading film festivals and most reputable media events, is celebrating its 59th edition in 2009. It is considered the largest publicly-attended film festival worldwide and up to 400 films are shown in several sections, representing a comprehensive array of the cinematic world.
Read imagineNATIVE’s full Press Release here
And congratulations to WFG member Aaron Graham who will pariicpate in the 2009 Berlinale Talent Campus, 07-12 February
The Berlinale Talent Campus is an international summit of the most talented up-and-coming filmmakers. The six-day programme is designed for young directors, producers, screenwriters, cinematographers, set designers, sound designers/composers, editors, visual artists and film critics/journalists from all over the world.
The Campus is an annual event that takes place parallel to the Berlin International Film Festival. The Campus and its participants benefit greatly from their proximity to the main festival centre and the European Film Market (EFM). The 350 young students or graduates from film schools and/or film professionals early in their careers are invited to learn from top experts through lectures, seminars and workshops, and have the opportunity to build international networks.
Former experts include Sandrine Bonnaire, Park Chan-wook, Frances McDormand, Stephen Frears, Andrzej Wajda, Dennis Hopper, Jia Zhangke, Mike Leigh, Charlotte Rampling, Julie Delpy, Walter Salles, Shah Rukh Khan, Ridley Scott, Raoul Peck, Gustavo Santaolalla, Wim Wenders, and many more.
For more information please contact:
Monica Lowe
Distribution Services Coordinator
Winnipeg Film Group
925-3452
monica@winnipegfilmgroup.com