The 6th edition of ‘Ekrani i Artit’ comes with some novelties, but also some returns. For the first time, the festival will have a whole day dedicated to film and video art from Sweden. This year, the screenings will be back to the space of “Kinema Millenium”, the place where EA started its journey 6 years ago, with the purpose of emphasizing the need that the film has for the movie theater as its natural home, likewise the need of it for the audience. EA continues to nurture its attention towards experimental film and video art and it’s delighted to continue for the seventh year now its longstanding collaboration with the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
‘Art House’ is pleased to present the artistic director of this edition, the well-known curator and art critic, Edi Muka, who has expressed his enthusiasm for the invitation and commitment to ‘Ekrani i Artit’ 2023. ‘The program is a result of a dialogue process among the selection group. The films included within the program run through a common thread that emerges through two main features: the power of film as a narrative tool, and a special attention to ‘alternative perspectives’ that are all around us, and exist beyond what is conveyed as the dominant narrative on the world and society.’ said the artistic director of EA 2023, Edi Muka.
Narratives inspire, inform, but also build a process of reflection by introducing us to the past and enabling us to imagine the future. Narratives can also be misused, manipulated and turned into propaganda for power, whatever its form is. The program of this edition brings films and videos of artists from all over the world who convey untold or overlooked stories. They tell us about the legacy of colonialism on the world that we live in, about the marginalization of communities, the rise of racism in the system as well as the negative impacts on the environment. Also, the films disclose the hopeful efforts and achievements of various popular movements in search of social justice, giving way to the ‘poetry of the image’ and the fascination with the non-human world that surrounds us. The films of this edition will see the light in different venues such as ‘Kinema Millenium’, ‘Art House’ and ‘Civic Gallery of Shkoder’. While the magical power of song and dance unfolds in a special program which will be realized in ‘Bed Corner Station’, where the artists will collaborate with well-known singers of pop, hip-hop and electro music, who will be directly involved in the interpretation of the musical videos.
‘Ekrani i Artit’ will continue with its irreplaceable role as a meeting point for young Albanian artists, curators and professionals from around the world through the presentation of artistic portfolios as well as educational activities and workshops with children, carried out in collaboration between schools: ‘Ismail Qemali’ in Shkodër, ‘Istituto Schweizer’ in Termoli and ‘Istituto Comprensivo Costantino Nigra’, in Turin, which, under the supervision of the ‘Merz Foundation’, have worked around the creative poetics of the artist Marisa Merz.
Focus: Sweden
For the first time ‘Ekrani i Artit’ tries a new format – a program day dedicated to film and video from a specific artistic scene. Through the collaboration with the artists film archive, ‘Filmform’ and the Swedish Embassy in Tirana, EA will present a rich selection of historical and contemporary, experimental films and artistic documentaries by Swedish artists and filmmakers.
For this 6th edition, ‘Ekrani i Artit’ will hold two press conferences: on May 30, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at ‘Art House’ in Shkodër and on May 31st, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at ‘Bazament Art Space’ in Tirana.
‘Ekrani i Artit’ 2023 is supported by:
European Delegation to Albania, Municipality of Shkoder, Italian Institute of Culture, Goethe-Zentrum, Italian Embassy, Swedish Embassy, Film Form, Art Nexus, Art House, Kinema Millennium , Civic Gallery of Shkoder, Bedstation, Oberhausen Film Festival, Arka Youth Center, Merz Foundation, Coca Cola, Intesa San Paolo Bank, Atelier Youth Center, Ministry of Culture, Swedish Film Institute, Marubi Film Academy, Anima Pictures, Chantal Crousel Gallery, GR Gallery.