Umeå (Sweden)
The EU selects “Culture Capitals” of Europe every year, often two cities.
In 2014 it is Riga, capital of Latvia, and the northern Swedish university city of Umeå.
The Horror and Art Festival is a part of activities from Umeå as European Capital of Culture program. Between 14th of February and 28th of March Profilteatern (“The Profile Theatre”) will host theatre plays, lectures, literature readings, films, music, workshops, etc.
For six weeks Umeå will be a meeting place for horror aficionados. Discover, if you dare, a festival that takes the performing arts as its starting point and continues, via film, to music, art and science.
During the Horror & Art festival the organizer Profilteatern will stage its own performances of Utbrott (Outbreak) and the now classic En kvinna i svart (A woman in black). Also in the program are a horror version of Hansel and Gretel by Danish Gruppe 38, as well as the premiere of Factor 9, produced by Dogstar Theatre Company in Scotland.
Horror & Art will also be offering chilling storytelling evenings, explanatory lectures, workshops, locally produced horror film and art.
All shows are held at Profilteatern, Umestan Företagspark.
http://umea2014.se/en/project/horrorandart/
The general program in English is at http://umea2014.se/en/
3D SF Films in Riga
During the Culture Capital year Riga has invited film makers:
“Six short science-fiction films to be produced in 3D or stereoscopic technique, examining the process of creation and attempts to execute futurist projects in Rīga. Competitors will be invited to consider what would happen, if a great discovery, e.g., artificial intelligence, were made in Riga.”
The films will be shown in November.
A filming in test run regime of the stereoscopic 3D sci-fi film about future Riga to be created by six local and foreign filmmakers proceeded last week-end in the capital of Latvia. The premiere of the film is planned for the end of 2014.
Test filming in Riga with motorized RIG and RED cameras brought together around thirty film art professionals, who, coordinated by cinematographers, stereographs and two project directors Kārlis Vītols and Pēteris Rozītis (Latvia), carried out filming of frames of varying complexity.
‘This is the technology, in which such major blockbusters as ‘Avatar’ and ‘Hobbit: Unexpected Journey’ were created.’
The filming crew was joined by Yoanna and Vladek Popinsky representing the Polish foundation ‘3D Image’, which is the only producer of 3D equipment in Poland and can talk of extensive experience of participation in s3D projects of different scale allaround the world.
Stereoscopic technology affords spatial dimension to films, producing maximally realistic three-plane visual image of the story. Thus, the film screen presents a view reminiscent of normal human perception, and the fable of the film turns into a lived experience.
‘Project ‘Riga – six versions’ is a science fiction film in stereoscopic 3D format in six parts.’
The European producing team of ‘Riga – six versions’ includes directors from Latvia Kārlis Vītols and Pēteris Rozītis, Jacob Arevarn (Sweden), Yoanna Popinska (Poland), Marc Alberti (Spain) and the romanian Adina Istrate (UK based).
The events of the film take place in near or more distant future in Riga, and the characters of the film engage in time-travel to find their early love; steal dreams from children in order to be successful in advertising business; robots replace human beings in this tale; drugs simulating perfect reality are created, underground activists fight the domination of SpEnglish language, and undetermined objects land on Earth sent from Cosmos.
‘Riga – six versions’ is a project of the year of European Capital of Culture.
“Riga in year 2041. The city has been taken over by the happiness cult. The ads are promoting all the newest scientific discoveries in a naively silly way. They promise to solve all the problems that the people of Riga have. In hopes to be happy, people are using the new technologies that allow them to travel in time and have virtual partners. They even the happiness pills. However, can you scientifically ensure happiness ?”
Creative Team : Directors: Didzis Eglītis, Kārlis Vītols, Pēteris Rozītis, Adina Istrate
Director of Photography: Kārlis Jaunzems
Stereograph: Guntars Graikstrs
Creative director: Astra Zoldnere
Producers: Viesturs Graždanovičs, Simona Kļaviņa
The full Riga program is here, in English:
http://riga2014.org/files/pdf/R14-AVIZE-PROG-ENG-JUN2013_PRW.pdf
http://www.2annas.lv/eng/rigaversions/
