The world of cinema is both tempting and challenging. In this podcast, film researcher and programmer Fatma Edemen talks with herself and others in the film industry and academia about their work and whatever comes to mind regarding film and the broader cultural industries.
Ep 6. Film Festivals 101: A Kinda History
In this episode of FilmFestTalk, we’re broadcasting from Berlin, Germany! The main focus of this episode is a glimpse into the history of film festivals. I’ll talk about the origins of film festivals, starting in 1932 with the Venice Film Festival, and explore their evolution through various geopolitical landscapes.
I’ll also talk about two recent rewatches: Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders, 1984), thanks to open-air cinema Friedrichshain Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (Fatih Akın, 2005), thanks to Mubi.
Films mentioned in the episode: The Grand Illusion (La Grande Illusion, Jean Renoir, 1937) Scipio Africanus: The Defeat of Hannibal (Scipione l’africano, Carmine Gallone, 1937) Luciano Serro, Pilot (Luciano Serra pilota, Goffredo Alessandrini, 1938) The Hunchback of Notre Dame (William Dieterle, 1939) The Strike (Karel Steklý, 1947) Tell Me Lies (Peter Brook, 1968) O.K. (Michael Verhoeven, 1970).
Books mentioned: De Valck, Marijke. Film Festivals: From European Geopolitics to Global Cinephilia. Amsterdam University Press, 2007. Wong, Cindy H. Film Festivals: Culture, People, and Power on the Global Screen. Rutgers University Press, 2011.
Ep 5. Try and come for my job: Film Programming & Print Traffic
In this episode of FilmFestTalk, I’m excited to be back after a two-year break to catch up with you all. I’ll be sharing updates on my work with the Flying Broom International Women’s Film Festival, including insights into being a print coordinator and film programmer. You’ll hear behind-the-scenes stories about the festival’s history and the art of curating film lineups. Plus, I’ll offer some film recommendations and discuss my journey in the film industry and academia. Join me for a casual chat about film festivals, film studies, and the film industry. Let’s dive into the world of cinema together!
Recommended podcast: [The Co-production Podcast by Cineuropa](https://open.spotify.com/show/4txOg0k6JHWgWKjRH7YaEI)
Recommended film: Sonne (Kurdwin Ayub, 2022)
The book mentioned: Bosma, Peter. Film Programming: Curating for Cinemas, Festivals, Archives. New York Chichester, West Sussex: Columbia University Press, 2015. https://doi.org/10.7312/bosm17459
Films mentioned:
• Dahomey (Mati Diop, 2024)
• La Chimera (Alice Rohrwacher, 2023)
• Milk (Stefanie Kolk, 2023)
• Mamifera (Liliana Torres, 2024)
27th Flying Broom programme: https://ucansupurgefest.org/en/anasayfa/filmler/
Ep 4. Interview with Darya Bassel, DocuDays UA
FilmFestTalk is back with a special episode on Ukraine. In this episode, you will hear a very short summary of the latest statements from the international film community on the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Then you will listen to our interview with the DocuDays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival’s head of the DOCU/PRO Industry Platform, Festival Programmer Darya Bassel. We are happy to share their perspective and voice with you.
Recommended films:
Infinity According to Florian (Oleksiy Radynski, 2022)
This Rain Will Never Stop (Alina Gorlova, 2020)
Sources of the episode:
Why We Need a Post-Colonial Lens to Look at Ukraine and Russia by Daria Badior: https://hyperallergic.com/716264/why-we-need-a-post-colonial-lens-to-look-at-ukraine-and-russia/
Letter From DocuDays UA Team: https://docudays.ua/eng/2022/news/kino/about-the-outbreak-of-war-against-ukraine-and-the-postponement-of-the-festival/
https://variety.com/2022/film/global/european-film-academy-ukraine-support-1235189185
https://www.berlinale.de/en/news-topics/news/detail_142408.html
Ep 3. Interview with the Radical Film Network Meeting Berlin Team
In this episode, you will hear Alexandra Weltz-Rombach, Julia Lazarus, Ursula Böckler, and Daniel Mutibwa from the Radical Film Network Meeting Berlin Team. We talked about their upcoming event and the book project Radical Film at the Dawn of a New Society.
Radical Film Network was established in 2013 in the UK, and today it contains more than 200 organizations in 37 countries. The RFN Meeting in Berlin is one of the events that come out of this network. The RFN Meeting in Berlin will take place between the 25th and 28th of August in Atelier Gardens Berlin. There will be night lectures, round tables, artist screening tables and more on the topic of radical film and film culture. For details, click the play button and listen! Also, check the links to learn more about the RFN and the RFN Meeting Berlin in particular.
Book recommendation: Contemporary Radical Film Culture: Networks, Organisations and Activists. (Edited by Steve Presence, Mike Wayne and Jack Newsinger. Routledge, 2021)
Ep 2. Interview with Weronika Adamowska, HER Docs Film Festival Warsaw
In this episode, you will hear Weronika Adamowska, founder and programmer of the HER Docs Film Festival, which is a female documentary film festival located in Warsaw, Poland. HER Docs was founded as a foundation in 2019. Since March 2020, they have been organising the HER Docs Film Festival, which is, as they stated, “the first documentary film festival in Poland presenting the rich creativity of female filmmakers to a wide audience.”
Ep 1. Interview with Pascale Fakhry, Artistic Director of the Arab Film Festival Berlin
In this episode, you will hear Pascale Fakhry, the Artistic Director of the Arab Film Festival Berlin (ALFILM). ALFILM is organized by the association makan – Center for Arab Film, Arts and Culture, founded in 2004 to promote and support Arab cinema. ALFILM was launched in 2009, and this year, its 12th edition was organized as a home edition. Now on July 14th and 15th, there will be an open-air edition in Berlin.