Up Yours @ Kran Film, Brussels

Should've posted this earlier, but my one-minute video, Up Yours, has been screened at the Kran Film Collective in Brussels in the space's window display on the days of 19, 20, and 21st of November, from 7pm to 11pm.

So yeah, if someone reading this is in Brussels then its obviously too late for you to see it, but stop by Kran Film Collective's space anyway, they got another nice street screening coming up:

Street Screening: The garden scene from Sarajevo Film Festival Film
Video by Johan van der Keuken (1993)

November, 26-27-28, 7pm-11pm

In 1993 Sarajevo had been under continuous siege for 20 months, and was about to face a second long, harsh winter. In the midst of this turbulent situation Sarajevo organized a film festival. What is the importance of film during war?

Day 2: Push Play, Habibi

So I reach the school at exactly 12:00 PM, the time the workshop should start, and the minute I open the door to the studio where the workshop takes place, 11 students instantly pour into the room. I guess having an announcement in Polish in Poland is important. Duh.

The minute I played the song (no, just a 1-minute version MP3, not the video), participants already started getting ideas. Some thought an abstract mishmash of colors, others thought Bollywood, and one person thought the old Polish ladies at the market place. I'm really interested in the results. Should be exciting, and I'm considering taking a go at it myself. Try and use this Polish atmosphere with a Nancy Ajram song and see what happens.

Day 1: Push Play, Habibi

So only one girl showed up, followed by a couple others, who took it upon themselves to postpone the workshop for today to spread the good word around the school and hold the first session for tomorrow instead. They translated the workshop announcement to Polish, made copies and hung 'em all over the school, made calls, and would mention the workshop to every single person they would run into, including the nude models in drawing class - who I'm hoping will be the first to show up - har har.

Seriously though, I was very impressed by their spirit. They would bounce all kinds of ideas back and forth to try and make the announcement more noticeable to the students who generally don't really look at these type of things. Funnily enough, one suggestion involved including my picture, which in my mind got me thinking about the covers of Dr. Phil's books... so I passed.

In other exciting news, I started experimenting with my first ever lino cut and totally fucked up my fingers.

Ahhh, the joys of art.

Up Yours Nominated

So I found this in my email box today:

Dear Mohammed

Congratulations!!!!!!!!

You are nominated for a TOMMIE (award) in the category Small News with the one minute Up Yours.

I would like to know if you are going to be there on the presentation night 30 November. If you are coming make sure you’re on time. Be at 19.45 at the side entrance of Paradiso. There you will be welcomed by Sophie.

For any other questions you can mail to info@theoneminutes.org

Regards from,

Nancy van Vooren
Administration the One Minute Foundation

Also congratulation from
Ineke Bakker
Coordinator the One Minute Foundation

and

Jos Houweling
Director the One Minute Foundation

Paradiso

Weteringschans 6-8

1017 SG Amsterdam
Nederland / The Netherlands



So I obviously won't be there because the 30th is when I fly back to Cairo from Poland, but hey; woohoo.

wip: Anthihistamine Suite by Kupek

I've always liked the stuff Bryan O'Malley does; whether its his comics or his music. One particular song: Anthihistamine Suite, which he recorded back... like around 8 years ago or something, I have always liked and never could get bored of, so I decided to mess with it and do a little music video thing out of it over the weekend. 1- Because I felt like it. 2- To demonstrate what video editing can do with very few images. Not done with it yet, but here's what I did so far.

wip: Anthihistamine Suite from ganzeer on Vimeo.

Push Play, Habibi

So starting tomorrow I will be setting up an intensive 7-day workshop at the Academy of Fine Art in Lodz on music-video-making focusing mostly on the interpretation of foreign sound while faced with a limitation of imagery.

Participants will be asked to create 6 to 8 shots they think best represent a popular Egyptian tune (chosen by Ganzeer). These shots can either be video-based, or static illustration or photography-based which will later be turned into basic animations and edited accordingly to the soundtrack.

Prior editing and animation knowledge not required. Participants will be taught basic editing and animation/motion-graphics techniques using Final Cut Pro and Adobe After Effects.

Workshop begins in room 208 on the second floor of the Academy on Tuesday 18/11/2008 at 12:00 PM

For questions or inquiries email mofa@ganzeer.com or call 513 621 857

City of Silent Noise

Oh right, and I uploaded some footage from the video installation I set up at Kiel. Was really nice working on it while having German MTV on the television set in the background, with Quantum of Solace commercials running over and over again... in German, which makes bond tens more time macho. Time was so slim making this, I almost didn't have it done on time, was rendering the video while on the bus to the exhibition space right before the opening. Fun, fun, fun!!


City of Silent Noise from Mofa on Vimeo.

Photo-Diarying in Kiel/Salzau

So I'm back from Kiel and so much has happened beyond the point of writing about it, so I'ma just post some pictures from there and Salzau and the bus ride back to Lodz.