The Cinematheque

Tiger Tiger

A sense of foreboding arises across brooding landscapes, embracing you in a susurrating murmur and a seductive pixel caress. The ingenuity of small-file aesthetics glimmers darkly in these velvet-pawed, sharp-clawed experimental works. —Laura U. Marks

No/​Know
Canada 2022 | Clara Laratta | 1 min. | 1.3 MB

Jealous
China 2022 | Jingyu Li | 1 min. | 1.29 MB

CUNTST
Germany/​Canada 2023 | Kimberly Cleroux | 5 min. | 6.8 MB

Sinking Under the River, a Family Is Waiting
Canada 2020 | Hue Nguyen | 2 min. | 2.34 MB

the cost of the cloud
Ireland 2023 | Adrian O’Connell | 3 min. | 4.1 MB

The Hollowed Stone
Canada 2023 | Ockert Greeff | 2 min. | 3.2 MB

Nightfall
Croatia 2020 | Erik Loncar | 4 min. | 5.80 MB

Aramidek ti Bagik
Canada 2023 | Sophia English | 5 min. | 4.3 MB

Night Tender
Canada 2023 | Dag Davidge, Bernice Chau | 12 min. | 17.2 MB

Total running time: 35 min.

—Intermission—

Small File Filmmaking Workshop Showcase 

In May 2023, The Cinematheque’s Learning & Outreach team hosted a two-day workshop on small-file filmmaking practices. All levels of experience were welcome, and participants went through the entire process, from storyboarding to shooting to editing to compressing, in one weekend. —Chelsea Birks

City in Bloom
Canada 2023 | Anastasia Samkova, Sunoj Subhagan, Heller, Jay Parnell | 2 min. | 2.48 MB

When Were We Going?
Canada 2023 | Samuel Albert, Winona Gillera, Ningzi Xu, Weijun Zhu, Mickey Semera | 3 min. | 2.57 MB

Present Connections
Canada 2023 | Anker Vanderkuip, Chelsea McNamara, Maddie Wahl, Robb Cannon | 2 min. | 1.86 MB

Standoff
Canada 2023 | Lucy Layton, Emilie Paco, Josiah Belchior | 4 min. | 3.85 MB

A Tale of Two Lives
Canada 2023 | Anastasia Samkova | 1 min. | 1.8 MB

Total running time: 12 min.

—Intermission—

Small File Filmmaking, Political Sustainability, and Resistance Guest talk by filmmaker and researcher Mehvish Rather

Governments and repressive regimes that wish to limit communication in their regions often restrict internet access. Rather than cutting the internet off entirely, they sometimes provide only 2G bandwidth internet access, which makes communication incredibly difficult, if not impossible. Low-resolution artwork has the potential to provide an outlet for expression and resistance in conflict zones where the state implements internet restriction as a form of political suppression. This talk by documentary filmmaker and researcher Mehvish Rather (Queen’s University) will outline her research and fieldwork to explore the viability of small-file filmmaking in internet-suppressed regions. The primary message of small-file media is environmental sustainability; however, as Rather’s efforts demonstrate, it also holds major potential for political sustainability and resistance.