CRAFT FILM FESTIVAL MANIFESTO
The Craft Film Festival is the first film festival in Barcelona dedicated exclusively to films with little or no industry support, self-produced and with little or no means for distribution, and we differ from other festivals in which these films are often relegated to a small section.
Our creative heart is fed by a large number of aspects and conditions: guerrilla cinema, counterculture, micro-budgets, DIY and crafts...all of them converging on a common denominator: the emergence of new languages and production models as a direct consequence of how the industry currently operates, fiercely and mercilessly and guided by purely economic data where there is no gap – apart from a few wonderful exceptions – for the enhancement of humanity, and even less for taking risks and being transgressive.
So, our artistic and moral principles are as follows :
FROM LOW COST TO SLOW COST:
Small budgets are the reality for craft filmmakers. However, we consider that the term low cost – generally treated with disdain nowadays – does not correspond to our films. It is usually related to low quality products, without personality and mass produced under the guidance of the most extreme capitalism. At Craft we’re betting on the transition towards slow cost: our films are created with care and perseverance, moving away from fast production with immovable temporary restrictions. Therefore, they are also designed so that their consumption is unhurried and thoughtful. We want to get away from the direction that the concept of cinephilia has taken, now almost becoming "cinephagia." Commercial cinema increasingly chooses to offer chewed up products that are easily digested, however the seventh art should not be swallowed compulsively, but thought about, reviewed, and thought about once again.
THE ECONOMIC CONTEXT MAKING ITS MARK IN THE ARTISTIC:
The existence of craft cinema could be considered forced by the exceptional moment in history we are currently in. The economic crisis is now the norm worldwide, the capitalist system is on the verge of collapse and financial instability is a permanent reality in our society. As always happens when the economy bottoms out, culture and humanities are the first forgotten and cinema, on the edge of its boundaries, reflects this reality at all levels as happened, for example, with Italian neorealism. Scriptwriters reflect the precariousness in their texts, directors resort to extreme formulas to be able to count the maximum with the minimum. In the words of Juan Cavestany, "serious cinema with a laughable budget". When you don't have anything, there's nothing to lose either. That's why craft cinema questions the viewer without fear, shakes them to the core and takes risks. It adopts the position of counterpower forgotten by the generalist media. Cinema is the resistance.
DIY OR DIE:
The conditions now exposed leave directors with only one alternative : do it yourself or die. The artist’s involvement in the film is manifested in all aspects, therefore works with personality are born, unique and differentiated by individual and original narrative and formal codes. They are audiovisual pieces that require excessive effort by the directors, but also allow them to deepen their personal imagery without limits or distortions, thus contributing to the creation of a rich and diverse cultural form. By offering these films from different parts of the world the loudspeaker they deserve in Barcelona, we managed to break the barrier of space by catapulting unaltered local creations into an international context.
COUNTING ON THE NEW TALENT OF THE FUTURE:
Our principles and conditions place us as an attractive festival for first-time directors. In each edition we receive more than one hundred feature films from different countries around the world, among which is a large majority of feature film debuts. This circumstance is evident in our programming, where such works predominate. It is not just a causal issue, and it is certainly not something casual. At the Craft Film Festival we consider supporting new talent a commitment and even a necessity. Cinema, like art in general, is in a process of continuing metamorphosis in which, without forgetting the great masters that precede our times, we must give way to new visions. For cinema to always be an updated mirror that reflects our time, it is necessary to count on its constant regeneration.
ABSOLUTE COMMITMENT TO SOCIAL CAUSES:
As an anti-establishment tool, cinema is an ideal medium for social struggle. The support for minority groups and the movements that defend them is, nowadays, almost an obligation. From feminism, the LGBT+ movement, the anti-racist struggle, the fight against classism and aporophobia, to ecology and environmental responsibility. At Craft, we value films that speak openly about key issues to achieve a fairer society, however uncomfortable they may be. In addition, we also value these commitments from the creative process itself, both from the works and indeed the festival, choosing products and models of eco production that are both artisanal and respectful of society.
All feature films compete with each other for the audience award and for the jury award.
The short films will compete for the jury award.
Winners will be given the possibility to be distributed in Europe via FILMIN platform ( number one european indie ) and soon via a worldwide platform.