Mark Leckey’s “Dream English Kid 1964-1999 AD, ” Yto Barrada’s “False Start” and Daichi Saito’s “Engram of Returning” nabbed the Tiger Awards for short films at the 45th Rotterdam International Film Festival on Sunday.
Using film excerpts, pop music, personal footage and ads, “Dream English” chronicles Leckley’s memories and experiences as a teen, notably a Joy Division gig.
“The mood (of ‘Dream English’) oscillates between joy and paranoia, escalating through the leftovers of cold war politics, giving us autobiography for a media overload age, ” said the short film jury which comprised British helmer Ben Rivers, Bangladesh helmer and activist Naeem Mohaiemen and Netherlands Film Academy professor Mieke Bernink.
“False Start, ” by French-Moroccan artist Barrada sheds light on the fossil industry in Morocco’s arid region.
“Engram of Returning, ” from Canadian artist/director Saito, in a 35-minute epic travelogue using anonymous found footage. His 2009 short “Trees of Syntax, Leaves of Axis” played at Rotterdam.
The three shorts will receive a cash grant of 3000 Euros each as well as a voucher from Canon.
Keana Espineira’s “We All Love The Seashore” won the jury nod while Randa Maroufi’s “The Park” nabbed a Special Mention. “Seashore” was also selected by the jury to compete at the European Film Awards. The jury described “Seashore” as a “participatory, collaborative script (that) travels between bleached seas and golden forest, merging mythical fragments, colonial memories and migration realities.”
“The Park, ” meanwhile, addresses the impact of social media on the public lives of young Moroccans.
A Rotterdam veteran, Daichi Saito previously won with “All That Rises” in 2008, “Trees of Syntax” and “Leaves of Axis” in 2010 and “Never A Foot Far, Even” in 2012.
The 23rd Academy Awards Ceremony awarded Oscars for the best in films in 1950. The nominations were notable this year, as All About Eve was nominated for fourteen Oscars, beating the previous record of Gone with the Wind.