Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media , 2019
Film festival curation and programming remain highly individualistic practices, that negotiate se... more Film festival curation and programming remain highly individualistic practices, that negotiate several discourses/tensions, including the responsibility of the curator to others (artists and audiences) and the creative independence of the curator. Much remains to be written about the creative process of curation, and how aesthetic judgements are articulated by those who practice it. While progress in this direction has been made in relation to some festivals (LGBT, African), human rights film festivals have only recently started to be part of academic scholarship, which tended to focus on the main functions and spectatorship roles that they encourage (Tascón; Tascón and Wils; Davies). This article focuses on the creative process of programming human rights film festivals using the case study of Document Human Rights Film Festival in Glasgow. Part of a practice-led collaborative research project between the Universities of Glasgow, St Andrews and the festival, this article is based on my reflections and experience as a co-opted member of the programming team for the 2016 and 2017 editions. Drawing on practice-led ethnography, I argue that this festival adopted a form of ethical programming, sharing authorship and responsibility towards the audience, the filmmakers and the profession, as well as a form of emotional labour.
This thesis studies the extent to which Glasgow-based Document Human Rights International Film Fe... more This thesis studies the extent to which Glasgow-based Document Human Rights International Film Festival became a key cultural institution in Scotland, by challenging social and political issues through the persuasive voice of documentary films and practices, in accordance with cultural democracy. The festival will be analysed through several concept areas such as: cultural democracy, the use of film festivals, the use of documentary films, human rights issues, activism and urban regeneration through cultural policy. By discussing and explaining these aspects, the thesis looks at the ways in which Document continues to exist at the contingency of sometimes conflicting tensions between commercial interests over local community and political activist considerations, mainstream media discourse versus alternative positioning. Thus, this thesis will explain how Document Film Festival (henceforth named ‘Document’) contributes to maintaining a coherent culturally democratic society and, while still a small-scale, alternative cultural event, it represents a significant player in promoting Scotland’s image as a politically engaged, tolerant and multicultural society.
Alphaville: Journal of Film and Screen Media , 2019
Film festival curation and programming remain highly individualistic practices, that negotiate se... more Film festival curation and programming remain highly individualistic practices, that negotiate several discourses/tensions, including the responsibility of the curator to others (artists and audiences) and the creative independence of the curator. Much remains to be written about the creative process of curation, and how aesthetic judgements are articulated by those who practice it. While progress in this direction has been made in relation to some festivals (LGBT, African), human rights film festivals have only recently started to be part of academic scholarship, which tended to focus on the main functions and spectatorship roles that they encourage (Tascón; Tascón and Wils; Davies). This article focuses on the creative process of programming human rights film festivals using the case study of Document Human Rights Film Festival in Glasgow. Part of a practice-led collaborative research project between the Universities of Glasgow, St Andrews and the festival, this article is based on my reflections and experience as a co-opted member of the programming team for the 2016 and 2017 editions. Drawing on practice-led ethnography, I argue that this festival adopted a form of ethical programming, sharing authorship and responsibility towards the audience, the filmmakers and the profession, as well as a form of emotional labour.
This thesis studies the extent to which Glasgow-based Document Human Rights International Film Fe... more This thesis studies the extent to which Glasgow-based Document Human Rights International Film Festival became a key cultural institution in Scotland, by challenging social and political issues through the persuasive voice of documentary films and practices, in accordance with cultural democracy. The festival will be analysed through several concept areas such as: cultural democracy, the use of film festivals, the use of documentary films, human rights issues, activism and urban regeneration through cultural policy. By discussing and explaining these aspects, the thesis looks at the ways in which Document continues to exist at the contingency of sometimes conflicting tensions between commercial interests over local community and political activist considerations, mainstream media discourse versus alternative positioning. Thus, this thesis will explain how Document Film Festival (henceforth named ‘Document’) contributes to maintaining a coherent culturally democratic society and, while still a small-scale, alternative cultural event, it represents a significant player in promoting Scotland’s image as a politically engaged, tolerant and multicultural society.
Uploads