For 90 young filmmakers representing 35 countries around the world, the first stop before reaching this year's exclusive film festivals like Sundance, Cannes, Toronto, Berlin, Venice, Clermont-Ferrand was New York University's Tisch School of the Arts International Student Film Festival (ISFF). The biennial event, held Oct. 25-31, 2003 in New York, is the only international film festival in the United States to welcome young filmmakers.
Curated by the international faculty from schools around the world, the program of films represented some of the best work from young film directors from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Latin America.
"It is so vital to honor and support young filmmakers for the accomplishments they make early in their careers. When we started this festival in 1993, one of our primary goals was to create an international platform where emerging filmmakers can be recognized for their skill and creativity. As our festival expands and evolves, this mandate remains central to our mission," Pari Shirazi, festival founder and vice dean, Tisch School of the Arts, said.
During the festival week, student directors and faculty guests attended screenings, plus complementary lectures and workshops. Raising Victor Vargas by Peter Sollett, a Tisch graduate, was spotlighted during festival activities.
The ISFF plenary panel focused on the theme of "Silenced: International Perspectives on Censorship," bringing students, artists, and faculty together for an international dialogue on film which has been categorized as "censored" according to various political, cultural, and or socio-political standards. Costas Gavras, acclaimed director of Z, Amen, Missing, Mad Dog City and The Music Box; Kathleen Cleaver, executive producerof the Black Panther Film Festival; Bruni Burres, director of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, and St. Clair Bourne, writer, producer, and director of A Great and Mighty Walk, Half Past Autumn, served aspanelistswho examined the role and impact of various types of direct and indirect censorship and the subsequent impact on audiences, the artist and the work.
The Tisch School of the Arts presented awards to international film directors at the closing night ceremony, Oct. 31, at the Cantor Film Center.
- First Prize, accompanied by a $6,000 cash prize and an opportunity to screen at the Kodak American Pavilion at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, went to Cristian Nemescu of Romania's National University of Drama and Film for his film C-Block Story.
- Second Prize, including a $3,000 cash prize and an opportunity to screen at the Kodak American Pavilion at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, went to JP Valkeapää of Finland's University of Art and Design for his film The Fall.
- Third Prize, a $2,000 cash prize and an opportunity to screen at the Kodak American Pavilion at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, was awarded to Yon Motskin of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts for his film The Cutman.
- Best Cinematography Award, Jason Toisher from the Australian Film, Television and Radio for his film, Ash Wednesday, won Kodak film stock.
- Best Documentary Film Award, a $1,000 cash prize, went to Melba Williams of Stanford University for her film, One Thousand Words.
- Best Animation Film Award, a $1,000 cash prize, went to Per Sveinung Larsen of Australia's Griffith University for his film, Rendezvous.
- Best Experimental Film Award, a $1,000 cash prize, went to Yee Man Caroline Hu of Hong Kong City University for her film, Remembrance.
