BA (Hons) Film and Screen Studies students launch FASE 22

At London College of Communication, our BA (Hons) Film and Screen Studies course celebrates the significance and impact of cinema and the wider screen industries.

With a focus on introducing historical, theoretical, cultural and critical analysis to the next generation of filmmakers and influencers, students are supported to explore the rich, global history of the moving image. Together, they consider the importance of areas such as narrative, interactivity, programming, distribution and exhibition through a combination of contextual units and practical workshops, working across a range of media such as podcasting, video essays and written reviews.

For the first time, Year 3 students have programmed their own festival, FASE 22, as part of the Major Project unit, bringing together their critical and creative skills to celebrate the power of screen. Working in groups, their interlinked series of events has been specially curated to explore themes as diverse as commercial advertising, guided meditation and hybrid open-calls to the power of Bulgarian film, the enduring surrealism of David Lynch, and the contemporary landscape of Black filmmaking.

The festival is further complemented by a website which aims to enhance audience accessibility in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic. Designed to host online screenings and talks alongside articles, podcasts and other related editorial content, the site is also underpinned by the students’ skills and vision having been developed in collaboration with graphic and web designers as part of their Year 2 Collaborative Project unit.

FASE 22 events programme

Friday 28 January

The Definition of Art and Commerce (10am - 5pm)

Curated across 3 collections of advertising films – Sensory Experience, Aesthetic Desire, and The Future and Responsibility – this event considers work which constructs sensations and meanings that exceed the materiality of the featured products, signifying potential progression of the medium. With insight from guest speaker Albert Moya, audiences and directors are provided with a space to discuss how advertising can evolve into a force which improves both the social and cultural aspects of life.

Do You Mind? (10am – 5pm)

Inspired by Matt Haig’s Notes on a Nervous Planet, this screening event invokes themes of mindfulness and mental health through an hour-long programme of guided meditation and reflective short films. By connecting with the growing popularity of meditative services and a nostalgia for previous wellbeing practices, Do You Mind? has been designed to resonate with audiences who have particular interests in digital detoxing, experimental film and photochemical practices.

One Pound Super Short Film Festival (6pm – 8.30pm)

Showcasing a variety of short moving image works from a broad range of creatives, this hybrid open-call aims to dissect more established structures of film festivals across the globe to encourage the emergence of a more diverse range of contributors. With submission fees totalling just £1, each filmmaker is guaranteed a place in the final programme, and will also be in with the chance of winning the sum of all entry fees via a live polling system taking place on the day.

Monday 31st January

Polish School Animation (2pm – 3.30pm)

In this screening, audiences will have the opportunity to explore a range of 20th and 21st century contemporary work situated between the lines of fine art and cinema. With themes stretching across comedy, surrealism and fairy tales, the featured films explore universal themes, using visual art and music in tandem to demonstrate the critical role of film in evoking the histories of a communist reality.

Blood Manifesto (3.30pm – 5.30pm)

This event introduces Bulgarian art to international audiences through a focus on the work of Academy Award-nominated animator, Theodor Ushey. Renowned for drawing on Bulgarian folklore, tradition and the wider cultural canon, Ushey recently received major recognition for his short, Blind Vaysha (2016), which follows a girl who's only able to see the past out of her left eye and the future through her right – making it impossible for her to live in the present. This event will feature a screening of Ushey’s selected filmography followed by a Q&A session over Zoom.

David Lynch: Zine-Making Workshop and Short Film Collection (4pm – 8.30pm)

Recognised as one of the most distinct and prolific filmmakers of the past 60 years, the filmography of David Lynch extends far beyond his iconic feature films to the shorts which form the body of his filmography.

This event explores the themes, ideas and techniques that have inspired some of the key, frenetic elements of Lynchian cinema. Beginning with a zine-making workshop led by UAL’s Zine Collection team, audiences will then be invited for a screening of Lynch’s short films which demonstrate his signature absurdity, uncanniness, surrealism and experimentalism through the lens of shape, light, texture, form and sound.

Wednesday 2 February

Bulgarian Bliss (5pm – 7pm)

As the next generation of Bulgarian creatives explore new and untouched artistic grounds, this event explores the evolving boundaries of filmmaking in a country with steadily advancing concepts of visual culture.

With a focus on 3 short films themed around the search for belonging and uncertain realities, the screening will be followed by a Q&A session with director Chris Zahariev where he’ll discuss his 2019 work, Wild Garlic, as well as his experience as an emerging artist in a country influenced by its Soviet past.

Friday 4 February

Back to Black (5pm – 7.30pm)

Highlighting the work of established Black artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien, this event will showcase Young Soul Rebels (1991) before highlighting a number of films produced by Black students at UAL – celebrating rich cultural history while also providing a voice for up-and-coming creatives.

The screening will be complemented by a panel discussion hosted by climate and food activist, Christina Adane, and offers an opportunity to raise money for external organisation, African Rainbow Family.