Quickie History of Kino


If you are yet to encounter the movement of Kino, let me offer you a brief introduction. Though I must point out that the story may be more myth now than fact, perhaps it all simply came from a short film I saw at a Kino screening at sometime, but I feel it is the best introduction I can offer. Additionally, to reluctantly steal from 'The Matrix', you can't know what Kino is until you have experienced it for yourself.

Let us start with the word Kino firstly, the word is not to be confused for the German word for cinema, but this is an interesting happening, and can cause German people to be perplexed. The word 'Kino' in the context for this movement is inspired by the Greek word, kine, meaning 'movement'. You can see that kino, kine, and cinema are alike, but different.

Kino is a short filmmakers' movement that sprang up in 1999. The word 'short' here applies to the length of the films that are being produced. It started in Montreal in the Quebec region of Canada and I will relate the origins story as I have been told but is mostly likely a myth - French-speaking Canadian filmmakers banned together in 1999 in fear that the world was going to end as the clock ticked into 2000. With a rising level of dread, the filmmakers decided that they should make short films for every month until the end of the world.

Much to their relief/disappointment, the world did not end but these monthly screenings continued. Not only did they continue but they spread to other parts of the world in the form of individual cells, each following the monthly screening format. Cells were founded across North America, in Europe, Africa and Australia. It has even been reported of a short term cell in Peru, and if the rumoured Kino cell in Istanbul goes ahead, that will mean, depending on which side of the city it is based, a cell in Asia.

The nature of the movement believed in collaboration, providing a space to screen films without worries of pre-selection and competitiveness. Anyone could be a filmmaker and everyone would work together to complete films and get them screened. This is nowhere more ture than during Kino Kabarets.

Kino Kabarets is an annual event done by each cell, in which the host cell brings local filmmakers (and often international guests) together to work to produce content for a screening in forty eight hours. Often with 3-4 consecutive forty-eight hour sessions and screenings.

The newest cell is Kino London.

If this was a poor introduction, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kino_(movement)
or: http://www.kino00.com

Samuel Hilton, Kino London organiser (formerly of Kino Sydney)

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1 comment:

  1. another group has come into existence:

    Kino eS in Bratislava!

    http://www.kinoes.szm.sk/

    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=85291915782

    Hurray!

    Greetings from Kino Gieno in Dresden

    ReplyDelete