ZIZ.NEWSIFFR 2024: Focus Programs and Immersive Art Directions revealed

ROTTERDAM, Dec 5 (ZIZ): The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) gears up to showcase groundbreaking filmmakers, immersive experiences, and boundary-pushing art in its much-anticipated 2024 edition. Highlighting the medium-defying works of Hong Kong’s Scud, Scottish visionary Rachel Maclean, and the revolutionary Colectivo Los Ingrávidos, alongside a spotlight on Chilean cinema in exile, the festival promises an exploration of cinematic frontiers. Additionally, the Art Directions segment will challenge the traditional definition of cinema through installations, audio-visual performances, and immersive media scattered across Rotterdam.

**Key Highlights:**

• **Scud’s Swan Song:** Celebrating a provocative career, Hong Kong filmmaker Scud’s final opus, “Naked Nations – Tribe Hong Kong,” will debut at IFFR, marking the culmination of an audacious cinematic journey.
• **Rachel Maclean’s Retrospective:** Scottish artist Rachel Maclean’s retrospective will unveil her latest film and installation, “DUCK,” offering a gripping traverse through the realms of the adorable and the eerie.
• **Immersive Experiences:** From Tibor de Jong’s “8 miljard ikken” with a captivating score by renowned Dutch artist Spinvis to Sergio Caballero’s “Lolo & Sosaku” The Western Archive, accompanied by a unique performance by the Argentine-Japanese duo, the festival promises immersive encounters.
• **Art Directions:** Anne Fehres and Luke Conroy’s futuristic yoga installation, “Unfolding,” at Rotterdam’s Central Station, and Phumulani Ntuli’s animated collage-style reflection, “Cloud Migration,” are among the diverse artistic endeavors featured in the festival’s Art Directions program.

**Focus Programs:**

**Scud:** A dedicated Focus program honoring Scud’s audacious contributions to queer Asian cinema, showcasing all ten of his impactful films in a retrospective of his career.

**Chile in the Heart:** Commemorating the 50th anniversary of Chile’s cinema in exile, IFFR presents a comprehensive overview comprising 25 features and shorts, blending revered classics with rarely-seen works from the first decade of production.

**Colectivo Los Ingrávidos:** The radical Mexican collective’s Focus program explores themes of political resistance, land, myth, and trance through eleven of their groundbreaking films.

**Rachel Maclean:** Renowned for her captivating blend of cute and sinister, Rachel Maclean’s program includes film showcases, immersive media, and installations.

**Art Directions:** Beyond the traditional screening spaces, Art Directions invites audiences to explore cinema in unconventional forms, addressing critical issues and offering utopian visions of the future through immersive media, live music, visual art, and more.

From installations by artist Phumulani Ntuli to immersive media works by Charlotte Bruneau, Floris van Laethem, and Aay Liparoto, the festival promises a vibrant dialogue challenging norms and envisioning the multifaceted future of cinema.