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TechnographFilm festivals at Allen Hall bring creativity
By Jim Vorel
Posted: 2/21/08 Section: Diversions
Allen Hall's most recent guest in-residence likes to stencil. Quite a bit, in fact. So much so that his first book, "Stencil Pirates: A Global Survey of Street Stenciling," was devoted entirely to the subject. For Josh MacPhee, stenciling was a whole new artistic device, discovered at a time when he was trying to make sense of the world. By embracing the art world, MacPhee found his sought-after perspective.
Now MacPhee brings his perspective to University students. At 7 p.m. Thursday in Allen Hall's South Rec. Room, MacPhee will be presenting the first of two film festivals coming to Allen Hall this week. MacPhee's festival, titled "Create! Occupy! Resist!: Short Films From Around The World," is a collection of international films dealing with creative resistance and activism.
The program is also an extension of the new technologies that exist to make it easier now than it has ever been for film makers with no budget and no equipment to be able to create films and put them online to distribute them. These technologies have led to the prominence of Internet video-networking sites such as YouTube.
MacPhee believes that such film-making can be seen as art, and rankles under his perception of art in today's society.
"I think that too often art is treated like a side-show to the 'real' disciplines in life, whether it be economics or politics," MacPhee said. "Art is like the 'fluffy stuff.' I think art is just as integral to what it means to be human as anything else. So therefore, if you're interested in humanity, you should probably be interested in art."
To bring his art before interested student eyes, MacPhee travels the country, giving talks about stenciling, street art, posters and presenting his series of films.
One of the films to be shown during Thursday's event was created by MacPhee and is titled "United Victorian Workers." In it, MacPhee and some 40 associates dressed up for the day as a full Victorian-era working class to re-enact a day in the life of a Victorian society. Another short film, "Steal This Film," concerns the growth of Internet film-piracy.
Now MacPhee brings his perspective to University students. At 7 p.m. Thursday in Allen Hall's South Rec. Room, MacPhee will be presenting the first of two film festivals coming to Allen Hall this week. MacPhee's festival, titled "Create! Occupy! Resist!: Short Films From Around The World," is a collection of international films dealing with creative resistance and activism.
The program is also an extension of the new technologies that exist to make it easier now than it has ever been for film makers with no budget and no equipment to be able to create films and put them online to distribute them. These technologies have led to the prominence of Internet video-networking sites such as YouTube.
MacPhee believes that such film-making can be seen as art, and rankles under his perception of art in today's society.
"I think that too often art is treated like a side-show to the 'real' disciplines in life, whether it be economics or politics," MacPhee said. "Art is like the 'fluffy stuff.' I think art is just as integral to what it means to be human as anything else. So therefore, if you're interested in humanity, you should probably be interested in art."
To bring his art before interested student eyes, MacPhee travels the country, giving talks about stenciling, street art, posters and presenting his series of films.
One of the films to be shown during Thursday's event was created by MacPhee and is titled "United Victorian Workers." In it, MacPhee and some 40 associates dressed up for the day as a full Victorian-era working class to re-enact a day in the life of a Victorian society. Another short film, "Steal This Film," concerns the growth of Internet film-piracy.
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