INTRODUCTION TO DARKLIGHT

Darklight is Ireland's premier festival for filmmakers, animators and artists whose work explores the convergence of art, film and technology.

Digital filmmaking techniques have become increasingly universal, they have revolutionised contemporary filmmaking practice and contributed hugely to the liberation of animation. In response to this the Darklight programme has become focused on work that challenges; concepts, visual aesthetic, narrative, access, methods of production and dialogue through these contemporary filmmaking techniques.

Darklight exhibits work that pushes these boundaries and displays creative excellence. Our mission is to nurture new talent and to create new possibilities for the imagination.

Darklight began as an opportunity for artists and filmmakers working with new technologies to show their work and share their ideas and has grown to become one of the most important arts events of the year. Darklight encourages the contribution of local Irish filmmakers while also featuring international work. Over the years Darklight has gone from strength to strength. The festival now encompasses an online presence, a newsletter, year-round touring programme, a biennial film and video festival, regular exhibitions, workshops, conferences and seminars initiating debates on all aspects of digital art and filmmaking, from practice and technology to copyright, distribution and education.

In 2002 Darklight broke away from its previous format of a traditional cinema setting and took over a 20,000 square foot warehouse located in the Digital Hub area of Dublin. This unique and exciting urban venue is transformed for the duration of the festival into two cinemas, an art gallery and a lounge area hosting music, refreshments and round table discussions.

DARKLIGHT FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Screenings: As digital filmmaking becomes increasingly universal our programming has become more focused on work that challenges concepts, visual aesthetic, narrative, access, content, methods of production and dialogue. Darklight supports work that pushes technological boundaries and displays creative excellence. We hope to inspire and stimulate by juxtaposing celebrated commercial creations with highly expressive artistic projects. This union of film, art, technology and industry provides a festival that is essential, offbeat and fun.
Screenings include short film, feature film, animation, mobile film and documentary. The programme includes student films as well as films from world class directors and animation houses and everything in between.

Kids Programme: Darklight includes matinee screenings aimed at youth audiences.
Darklight Tour: Darklight are delighted to bring you the Darklight Touring Programme, bringing the best in innovative and cutting-edge film to a national and international audience. Screenings so far in 2005 include The Millennium Court Arts Centre of Portadown, Northern Ireland (August 5th) and the Enso event organised in association with the Galway Arts Festival (20th July), November 2005 included Letterkenny Arts Centre and An Grianán theatre.
Straylight: is a visual art exhibition whose curatorial vision promotes work that connects with us on levels that represent technology's wide influence on our culture. In previous years this exhibition has taken the form of an on-line exhibition or a large scale projected exhibition in urban surroundings such as warehouses or onto the facades of inner city buildings.

Symposium: Invaluable seminars exploring themes of practical, creative and conceptual interest, the series acts as a forum for filmmakers and artists, informing and initiating debate on all aspects of contemporary art and filmmaking, from practice and technology to copyright, distribution and education.. Experienced directors, theorists and digital gurus, share their experiences with filmmakers, musicians and artists.

The Darklight Symposium 2005 explored issues relevant to anyone involved in cultural production, creative industries, journalism, broadcasting, technology and the opportunities our ever increasingly networked society offers.

Workshops: Each year Darklight research and produce an essential workshop series during the festival and also for the tour where we design and facilitate programmes in consultation with venues and arts organisations.

Salon/Networking/Festival Club: The Darklight Salon hosts artwork appropriate for ambient consumption as well as impromptu screenings, talks and performances, networking opportunities food and drink for filmmakers, sponsors, press and attendees.

Website: Films and artworks are featured on the Darklight website year-round. This resource for artists to connect and exhibit their work online builds on relationships made at the festival, and promotes the growth of digital arts in Ireland. We also host an archive of the festival programmes and an audio archive of the symposia.

Pocket Cinema: Darklight is committed to promoting new genres and the recent evolution of mobile phones into entertainment devices has opened up an exciting new market and platform for short film which we call 'Pocket Cinema'.

Lecturing: As a Darklight representative, festival director Nicky Gogan regularly lectures in a number of Irish Universities and national Institutes of Technology.

Music/Launch Party: Darklight programme includes many music performances throughout the festival, we also host one main music event with usually acts as our launch party, this has become a major annual social event for the creative and cultural community in Ireland.

Research: Darklight engages in year round research both for new films and art projects, exciting advancements in technology and software relative to our contributors and audience as well as researching funding and collaboration opportunities.

Virtual activity: Our virtual activity is very important, we post to a 4500 strong mail-list, our Blog and website are a source of information and discourse.

Fundraising/Sponsorship: Darklight have been in receipt of public money since 1999 and have each year of a major event secured a main sponsor from the private sector.

DARKLIGHT HIGHLIGHTS 1999-2006

• World Première of Glen Dimplex Award winning artist Paul Rowley's feature film AS LÁTHAIR
• Award winning animations by AARDMAN - the makers of Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run
• Rob Nilsson's SCHEME 6 -digital feature by San Francisco based film director and previous winner of both the PALME D'OR at Cannes and theGrand Jury Prize at the SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
• DATA : BASE conference, symposium and exhibition exploring the theme of "Democratisation of Technology" presented in association with the Dublin Art and Technology Association
• Screenings of Irish OSCAR Nominees GIVE UP YER AUL' SINS and FIFTY PERCENT GREY
• European première of Harmony Korine's JULIEN DONKEY BOY
• George Lucas' INDUSTRIAL LIGHT AND MAGIC selection
• OSCAR winning short film BUNNY from Blue Sky StudiosSeminar on BBC Television's ground-breaking WALKING WITH DINOSAURS, presented by its Director of Computer Animation
• Mike Milne Conference on media copyright featuring prominent Stanford University lawyer Lawrence Lessig
• Launch of IRISH FILM BOARD new funding scheme, IRISH FLASH.
• Exciting music-led exploratory films and live performances from Warp Records, Decal, Cold Cut, Delicious 9 and D.A.D.D.Y.
• Darklight Touring Program 2002: DIGIDANCE (Sundance), New York, Washington D.C. and Sofia
• Irish Premier of MY WRONGS by Brass Eye's CHRIS MORRIS
• PARANOIA AGENT, celebrated Japanese animation by Satoshi Kon
• DUBLIN 1 - Award winning animation by Ireland's Monster Animation
• Public interview with BJÖRK video directors LYNN FOX
• Seminar on the revolutionary new video format HDV
• BAFTA award winning animation JO JO IN THE STARS by Marc Craste
• Emmy award winning cartoon series STAR WARS CLONE WARS
• Special screening PET PROJECTS featuring short films by top music video directors.
• 2004 discussion forums on funding, distribution and implications of wireless technology public access to creative content, held in collaboration with IRISH FILM BOARD, CITY ARTS CENTER, ARTS COUNCIL
• DARKLIGHT SYMPOSIUM 2005, exciting and informative event, exploring issues relevant to anyone involved in cultural production, creative industries, journalism, broadcasting, technology and the opportunities our ever increasingly networked society offers
• Participation of internationally renowned artists AL and AL in STRAYLIGHT section of the Darklight Film Festival 2006
• Public interview with John Thomson of Electronic Arts Intermix,New York
• Irish premiere of Jan Svankmajer's LUNACY,
• Workshop and screening from BEN FRY of Processing.org,
• Public screening of EAI catalogue including the late video artist NAM JUNE PAIK.
• Showcase of work from KRAKOW FILM FESTIVAL, ONEDOTZERO AND BANGKOK EXPERIMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL
• Childrens film workshop in conjunction with RTE Young People's Programmes.