Finding Felix Project

My photo
Berlin, Germany
The Finding Felix Project is a work for screen and publication from Katy Kavanaugh, a curator and filmmaker (katykavanaugh.weebly.com). Funding from Stanford University, The Freie Universität- Berlin and DAAD allowed her to return to the Berlin Film Festival's 35 year-old Generation (formerly Kinderfilmfest) to collect evidence of the directive impact that international films seen in childhood can have toward shaping the breadth of a person's view of the world and the decisions they make. This investigation focuses on one eleven year-old film festival-goer whom Kavanaugh met while serving on the Kinderfilmfest's international jury in 2001. Ten years later, Kavanaugh wants to know how a childhood full of international films influenced Felix's life so far. Meanwhile, with help from Media Consultant Tina Toepfel and Gintare Malinauskaite, PhD History at Humboldt Universität, Felix has been found and is now in post-production. To help meet its completion goal, please consider contributing via our fiscal sponsor, Cinefemme.net. https://cinefemme.net/projects/finding-felix/

Monday, February 9, 2015

Sunday 8 Feb 15 LA MAS GRANDE CASA DEL MUNDO

Sunday 8 Feb 15

The German word stille is apparent this morning.  A Sunday morning in the middle of Berlin is stille as I ride through Mitte to the HKW for a 10am film, sunshine and blue sky after a stormy night. 
The Biggest House in the World, LA MAS GRANDE CASA DEL MUNDO
Two female co-directors and lead actress reflect the all female focus on screen.  “Where is the papa?” a girl asks during Q&A.  It is explained this is normal to have grandmother, mother and daughter since father is away working somewhere else. A knowing chortle ripples through the crowd.

Beautiful high desert landscape with hills, sagebrushed ravinesand rocky crags presented patiently as the young girl charged with tending family sheep enter the frame.
Economic casting served the film, reflecting the sparse population; three children, a mother, grandmother and an old medicine man lent themselves gracefully to the camera in this rugged landscape.

The film had been work-shopped in five or more festivals since 2009 a force of determination…and an encouragement for me and FINDING FELIX.           

Yesterday, I met Felix’s (Finding Felix) mother, Erica, as it seems magically regular that I do at the beginning of each festival.  Warmth and respect for her superceeded my unfinished film sheepishness (pun intended) as I greeted her.  She is an introverted mathematician who loves international cinema; the only artform, she said in our 2011 interview, that she likes.

I’ll go to the market to request a meeting at UniFrance…the leader in European film export of films for young audiences to the U.S.  

Later today, the Ukrainian film board will give a state of their nation presentation at their market stall.  I will attend.

The Americans at the IFP Stand gave an excellent panel on documentary markets.

I’ll attend Kulinarishes Kino for Gary Meyer’s new Eat, Drink, Films Festival.  The Korean film tonight is appropriately named OMNIVOROUS FAMILY. 

Was happy to see Berkeley’s Alice Waters receive an award recognizing her ten years of contribution to the Kulinarische Kino along with Carlo Petrini.  Waters in turn paid tribute to Tom Luddy who introduced her to French Cinema and Marcel Pagnol for whose film her Chez Panisse is named.



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