FRED Film Radio - English Channel

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Alejandro Bachmann, head of education and curator of the Austrian Film Museum, from the 2016 FIAF Congress

The Austrian Film Museum has a reputation in Europe that speaks for itself. FRED goes one step further and allows its listeners an insight into its activities and operations. Having interviewed the head of its film collection Oliver Hanley, we took the opportunity to meet up with its head of education and curator Alejandro Bachmann.

In terms of film education, Bachmann explains that it is a very organic endeavor that extends to all ages, from the younglings to the older folks. There are activities that introduce people to filmmaking itself but also, as Bachmann tells us, treasure the “passivity” of the cinema going experience, particularly relating to understanding and treasuring the personal impact that a film can have upon viewing, and even more particularly, relating to experimental filmmaking. Speaking of experimental filmmaking, Bachmann also happens to be a curator of such films at the Austrian Film Museum and he shares with us some series of screenings and special events that recently took place there, as well as some very interesting upcoming ones.

For more information on the Austrian Film Museum, go to https://www.filmmuseum.at/en

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews David Francis and Joss Marsh, co-creators and co-curators of The Kent Museum of the Moving Image, from the 2016 Il Cinema Ritrovato

How can anyone not get excited about a project like this? The Kent Museum of the Moving Image – at the time of the interview yet to officially open – aims to immerse visitors and researchers in the history and pleasure of the visual spectacles of the past, not only cinema but the “moving image as a whole.”

The project is co-created and co-curated by David Francis O.B.E., who was for 15 years Curator of the British National Film Archive, where he was one of the two co-founders and builders of the Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) on the South Bank in London, and Joss Marsh, archival scholar and, until June 2013, Associate Professor of Victorian Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington. Both are qualified for the ambitious task at hand, but what really drives this vision and makes it unique is their passion, excitement and determination – all of which can be heard in this interview; all they need is an initial question to share as much information as they can for the benefit of our listeners. From its aforementioned vision, to their personal background and previews of ideas of upcoming exhibitions as well as the design of the museum, how it will aim to become an interactive experience for all of its visitors, how it relates to

From its aforementioned vision, to their personal background and previews of ideas of upcoming exhibitions as well as the design of the museum, how it will aim to become an interactive experience for all of its visitors, how it relates to Kent (UK, little over an hour away from London by train) and much, much more. The Museum is currently scheduled to open in the early part of 2017 and fans of film and the “moving image” in general, after listening to this interview, might want to keep an eye on their official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KentMOMI/?ref=br_rs

For more information, go to https://kentmomi.wordpress.com/

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Jay Weissberg, director of Le Giornate del Cinema Muto (Pordenone Silent Film Festival), from the 2016 Il Cinema Ritrovato.

A delightful and fascinating conversation with the newly appointed director of Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, the Silent Film Festival in Pordenone, considered to be the most important of its kind. Jay Weissberg, long-time respected film critic for Variety as well as other publications, gives us an overview of the festival and even anticipates some of the things that we can expect at its upcoming edition (which will take place from the 1st to the 8th of October later this year).

Mr. Weissberg also shares with us the importance of some elements relating to the exhibition of silent films, such as music and in more general terms a reflection on whether he considers silent cinema seperately from cinema in general, a reflection on a provocative question on the fact that silent cinema may have been a form of art in its own right, rather than an incomplete era in cinema awaiting the coming of sound. Finally, given the fact that this interview was conducted during Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna, we also ask him about the films he watched so far and some stand-out titles of this year’s program.

For more information on Le Giornate del Cinema Muto, go to http://www.cinetecadelfriuli.org/gcm/default.html

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Kate Guyonvarch, managing director of The Chaplin Office, from the 30th Il Cinema Ritrovato.

Charlie Chaplin, to this day, remains one of the most beloved figures in cinema. Thankfully, unlike some of the greatest cinema stars of his time, he has also left a wealth of films, documentation and other items for the world to keep enjoying his work and revel in his legacy, hopefully, forever.

The Chaplin Office is in Paris represents the Chaplin rightsholding companies, as well as the Chaplin family managing its archive the Chaplin archives, approve certain Chaplin-related projects, and sometimes help out on such projects. We caught up with Kate Guyonvarch, its managing director, to talk about it as well as some of its most recent projects. One of these is Chaplin’s World, a museum – but more than a museum as you will hear from Guyonvarch herself – dedicated to the creator of The Tramp, located in Vevey, Switzerland. Another one is the ongoing collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna on The Charlie Chaplin Archives.

Furthermore, during this 30th edition of Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna, a number of Chaplin screenings are planned. One of these had taken place at the time of this interview, a screening of his masterpiece Modern Times in Piazza Maggiore, attended by approximately 7,000 people. Another, which was yet to happen, was a very special screening of another one of his greatest films, The Kid. With so much to talk about, we also find time to ask Guyonvarch on her opinion on Chaplin’s legacy and what makes him such a timeless and beloved icon all over the world.

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Martin Koerber, head of the film archive at Deutsche Kinemathek, from the 2016 FIAF Congress in Bologna.

As a major film archive in Germany, the Deutsche Kinemathek boasts one of the most impressive film archives in the world, preserving film and film related items in its homebase. Its activities go beyond that, however, and this conversation with Martin Koerber, the head of its film archive enlightens us on its various activities and areas of interest. Besides preservation, which as Koerber tells us, is quite demanding and precise work, the Deutsche Kinemathek restored films. Moreover, it has a museum which hosts a permanent exhibition on the history of Germany cinema and constant temporary ones.

As a take-home point, we also take the opportunity to ask Koerber about various pressing issues regarding film archiving; some talked about, such as the issue of digitization of film and other which people are less aware of, such as the neglected practice of storing new films in film archives – which the Deutsche Kinemathek is also involved in prominently – and an insightful observ ation about film exhibitions, and the danger of fewer projectionists being properly trained to handle the film archive copies with care.

Find out more about the Deutsche Kinemathek at https://www.deutsche–kinemathek.de/en

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Oliver Hanley, head of the film collection at the Austrian Film Museum, from the 2016 FIAF Congress in Bologna.

Two years ago, around this time, FRED met one of the founders of the venerable Austrian Film Museum – the legendary experimental filmmaker Peter Kubelka. Now, it is only fair, as our interest in film archiving, preservation, exhibition and more grows, to take a first-hand look at the present and future of the very same institution. We meet the head of its film collection, Oliver Hanley.

We ask him about the collection, the wide variety titles as well as the conditions required for these artefacts to be preserved properly and respectfully. The description is revelatory and insightful, particularly for those not aware that film archiving is incredibly hard work that requires a certain skill, meticulousness and care. The titles included in the collection cover a wide range of films from different eras, and Mr. Hanley goes through the different sections in which they could be divided.

Aside from this, we talk about some recent pressing issues in terms of film archiving. One of these, of course, is digitisation. The issue of digital conservation is certainly a delicate and pricey one. “The tools are a little different,” he tells us. “Better?” we ask. “Well…” is the word that marks the start of his reply.

For more information on the Autrian Film Museum, go to https://www.filmmuseum.at/en

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Sandra Den Hamer, CEO of EYE Film Museum, from the 2016 FIAF Congress in Bologna.

Amsterdam’s EYE Film Museum is a truly admirable place. Not only does it preserve the cultural patrimony of cinema, nationally and internationally, but it also looks at cinema less in a traditional sense and more in a wider scope of visual (or audiovisual) art. Even saying this is only scraping the surface of all of the activities that it is involved.

At the 2016 FIAF Congress, which took place in Bologna this year, we had the pleasure of talking with its CEO, Sandra Den Hamer. Along with talking about the museum, with a brief mention of its beautiful new building, and fascinating exhibitions that exceed the expectations of what would be expected from a venerable museum in general, we talk about the EYE Film Museum’s cinemas and, of course, its archive, with its vast range of contents. Interesting to note, she quotes the word “collections,” which carries passionate implications with it; in this case, a passion for cinema. Along with this, we ask about the pressing, recent theme of digitisation of cinema, the importance of storing modern films as well as older ones and much more.

For more information on the EYE Film Museum (Amsterdam), go to https://www.eyefilm.nl/en

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Nikolaus Wostry, managing director and head of archive of Filmarchiv Austria from the 2016 FIAF Congress in Bologna.

The Filmarchiv Austria is one of the major film archives in Europe. Nikolaus Wostry, the managing director, and head of its archive could not be missed to represent it. The status of this film archive allows us an insight not only in the Austrian film archive but also on the practice of archiving in general. The use of the word “collectors” that Wostry himself uses, is symbolic and reveals the passion that lies behind it.

Besides the various activities that the Filmarchiv Austria is involved in, with a brief mention near the end of the interview regarding a project to counter the “death of analog,” we talk about exhibitions and Wostry also offers an enlightening comment on his position in relation to the project of digitization. Besides this, we also squeeze in an overview of the Metro Kinokulturhouse, a historic, heritage-listed cinema auditorium dating to 1893, which was converted into a theater in 1924 and today ranks as one of the most beautiful, a s well as the oldest, cinemas in Europe.

For more information on Filmarchive Austria, go to http://filmarchiv.at/

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PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Eric Le Roy, president of FIAF (International Federation of Film Archives) from the 2016 FIAF Congress in Bologna, Italy.

Since its creation, in 1938, FIAF recognized the importance of film as an art form and as something to be preserved and protected, but also exhibited and shared to the wider public. The admirable job well done by FIAF is almost too difficult to narrow down. One only needs to hear this interview of ours with Eric Le Roy to truly understand the global scale of its work, for instance.

FIAF helps establish archives all over the world, in countries where film preservation is a near alien concept, in developing countries that do not have the resources to get it to come together. We also ask Mr. Le Roy about the most pressing, recent issues among film archives – that is, almost predictably, digitisation. We are lucky enough to get his viewpoint on it and much more, such as the long-lasting relationship with the Cineteca di Bologna, his personal fascination for Il Cinema Ritrovato and a final twist on the anticipation of next year’s FIAF congress, which will take place in Los Angeles.

For more information on FIAF, go to http://www.fiafnet.org/

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PODCAST | FRED’s Matt Micucci interviews Esteve Riambau, director, and Mariona Bruzzo, head of the archive of the Filmoteca de Catalunya from the 2016 FIAF Congress.

The Filmoteca de Catalunya is one of the chief cultural centres of Barcellona, and could not be missed at this year’s FIAF Congress. We caught up with its director Esteve Riambau and the head of its archive Mariona Bruzzo. Along with an overview of the Filmoteca’s activities, particularly relating to film preservation, archiving, cataloguing and exhibition, and the activities that it is involved with and particularly interested in, we ask more specific questions. One of these is an outline of the differences between Catalonian cinema and the majority of the rest of Spanish cinema. Another, for instance, is a story of how films that are currently in the archives might be found, or how they are then used for collaborations.

For more information on the Filmoteca de Catalunya, go to http://www.filmoteca.cat/web/

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