Specials, Artist in Focus, Installations, Workshops & More
There’s more to Pluk de Nacht than outdoor film screenings. Besides the spectacle on the big screen, there are a lot more to things to be enjoyed on the festival site:
Artist in focus: Brent Hoff (Wholphin)
He researched contagious diseases, contributed to Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show and wrote about squid. These days Brent Hoff is best known for co-founding Wholphin DVD, one of the world’s best loved platforms for short films (named after a cross between a dolphin and a whale). But Hoff also makes films, about drunk bees for example, or political beach volleyball and crying competitions. Pluk de Nacht honours Brent Hoff with a retrospective of his work and a programme revolving around Wholphin DVD. On Saturday August 14th, Hoff will organise a public crying competition with audience participation. (see: Live: The Wholphin Crying Competition)
Artist in focus: Randall Munroe (webcomic xkcd)
Following the retrospective of web artist Ze Frank, Pluk de Nacht is putting the spotlight on another modern internet legend this year. Randall Munroe, scientist by trade, started the webcomic XKCD.COM seven years ago on a sheet of gridded paper – drawn with childlike simplicity, but tackling grown up subjects like maths, sarcasm and romance. Seven years later XKCD has grown into one of the world’s most popular webcomics. Pluk de Nacht will display the best comics of the past seven years on and around the festival grounds.
Special: This American Life (Ira Glass)
This American Life, founded by master storyteller Ira Glass, is the most successful documentary radio show in the world. Every week millions of listeners download the newest podcast full of unexpected stories, distilled by Glass and his team from American reality. Less well-known is the television version of This American Life. Pluk de Nacht will broadcast highlights of the television show on Thursday August 12th, and continuously broadcast the best radio documentaries around the theme of love.
Theme: Love is in the Air
Apparently something starts itching in relationships after seven years, so it seemed a good idea to organise a special evening with only films about love for the seventh edition of our festival. Take your loved one (or aim to meet your next love around the campfire) on Saturday, August 14th. Besides films on the big screen, there will be This American Love (the most romantic radio documentaries from the archives of This American Life and webcomics from xkcd) in the Vedett caravan. The emotional highlight of the night will be the Live Wholphin Crying Competition.
Live: The Wholphin Crying Competition
True emotion, that’s what it’s all about in television. America’s Next Top Model, X-Factor – their success seems directly related to the amount of tears that flow. And you have to admit, nothing is as pure, vulnerable and touching as an actual person in tears. ‘But what happens when you bring TV competitions back to their true essence?’ That’s what Artist in Focus Brent Hoff was wondering, right before he invented the concept of the Crying Competition. The only thing participants in this game have to do is to start crying on camera as quickly as possible – without the aid of slick presenters, a nasty jury or long lost family members. Pluk and Wholphin invite you to the first official European Live Crying Competition on Saturday August 14th. Participants can win eternal glory and a free subscription to Wholphin DVD (!).
Installation: Gluurhuisjes - Dienke Groenhout
‘Gluurhuisjes’ (‘peep houses’) is an interactive installation, which artist Dienke Groenhout created especially for Pluk de Nacht 2010. ‘Gluurhuisjes’ are wooden cabinets with a peephole, perfect for shamelessly peeking inside. Groenhout graduated from the Minerva Academy of Arts in Groningen in 1998 and previously made the installation Pocket Garden for Pluk de Nacht (together with Gigja Reynirsdottir), which then went on to be shown at RoboDock, the Kunstvlaai and the Witte de With.
Installation: Video Cube
A 2x2x2 meter cube made from four video screens on which short films, animations and video arts by the different Artists in Focus of Pluk de Nacht 2010 will be shown during the entire festival.
xkcd Animation Workshop (in cooperation with Klik! Amsterdam Animation Festival)
Take part and make your own animation, guided by the professional animators of the Klik! Amsterdam Animation Festival. During the workshops (on Monday 9/8 and Wednesday 11/8) various animation techniques will be used to bring the webcomics of Artist in Focus xkcd to life. The results will be shown on the big screen afterwards. There is a limited number of available places, so make your reservations at workshops@plukdenacht.nl.
Daily Pluk, Debates and Interviews
Each year we delve deeper into the programme and spotlight current developments in the film world. On Saturday 14/8 there will be debates with Artist in Focus Brent Hoff (Wholphin) and the filmmakers Thomas Korthals Altes (Vera) and Joern Utkiler (Little Red Hoodie) among others. Organised in cooperation with the NFTVM. Besides that, Daily Pluk (sorry, only in dutch) has festival news, interviews and background stories about filmmakers, artists and the festival itself.
PLUK TV
All year round Pluk de Nacht (in cooperation with Kamer114 and others) collects short films and webvideos on the online festival channel PLUK TV. A selection of the best, most ridiculous, most brilliant and bizarre films will be shown outdoors during the festival. See www.plukdenacht.nl/pluktv
