Supernova Cinema wordt een safer space cinema in Amsterdam, met liefde opgericht door het team van het jaarlijkse International Queer & Migrant Film Festival. Bij Supernova Cinema ontdek je een alternatieve en inclusieve programmering met indie film, debat en workshops gericht op actuele nieuwe perspectieven, queer topics, migratie, diversiteit & identiteit. Supernova Cinema biedt een platform aan opkomende filmmakers, organiseert uitwisselingen met internationale kunstenaars en bijzondere festivals en werkt vanuit artivism, waarin kunst en activisme samen bijdragen aan onze wereld.

Wie zit er achter Supernova Cinema?

Het team achter Supernova Cinema bestaat voor een groot deel uit het team van art.1 en de programmamakers van International Queer & Migrant Film festival en er zijn verder mensen bij betrokken die zich vanuit hun professionele bestaan bezighouden met onderwerpen als representatie, dekolonisatie en herdenken. Wij zijn een zeer divers team ondersteund door een groep van enthousiaste vrijwilligers en cinema-lovers. Het bestuur van de stichting bestaat uit leden met een achtergrond in cinema, de academische wereld en de kunsten.

Link naar crowdfunding campagne: https://www.voordekunst.nl/projecten/12579

Link naar Supernova cinema video: https://vimeo.com/584185299

We hopen je snel te kunnen begroeten in Supernova Cinema!

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Soura Film Festival – Berlin is the only film festival focusing on queer films from the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA region).Lab 111 is a long-time partner in our hometown, Amsterdam, showcasing a clever curation of classics, retrospectives and repertoire.  For the occasion we are screening a program with queer shorts from the MENA region, and the main film at 21:00 is a chronic by Lebanese film maker and IQMF academy alumni, Mohamed Sabbah. 

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The project takes place in four different countries in the Western Balkan: Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, and Kosovo, through the alliance of seventeen organizations working within arts, culture, gender equality and Human/LGBTQ+ rights. This alliance connects young people with different cultural backgrounds through activities such as the launch of LGBTQ+ film festivals, photo exhibitions, debates and multiplier events to disseminate the results of the project.

In every country there have been trainings in film, podcast, storytelling, and human rights/LGBTIQ+ rights advocacy. Furthermore, the initiatives also contemplate the launch of safe art spaces where young people can work on their projects with safety and support. This aims to make a significant contribution to the understanding of human rights and understanding of democratic EU principles which might lead to a smoother transitioning for the collaborating countries in their quest for EU membership.

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The opening consisted of the film ‘I am Sofia’, which told the story of a young transgender woman from Rome and the challenges she faced. The protagonist herself, Sofia Qyvalar, was present at the event and, after the film, she took part on a debate about the importance of art for LGBTQ+ activism. Alongside her, sat Marriët Schuurman (the Human Rights Ambassador for the Netherlands), Chris Belloni (filmmaker and founder of art.1), and Erblin Nushi (a filmmaker from Kosovo who emigrated to the USA), for a conversation moderated by Sudeep Dasgupta, a professor from the University of Amsterdam. All of them shared their experiences and engaged with the audience in a discussion which touched multiple topics such as the clash of different realities, emigration, the creation of communities and the importance of film
festivals.

The program went on with films such as Consequences – our Queer Film Days selection – from the Slovenian director Darko Štante, which later won the prize of Best European Film, awarded by the festival jury.

Alongside the screenings and the debates, it was also time for the first filmmaking workshop to take place in Prishtina. The Dutch trainer Nienke Eijsink and the local trainer Gazmend Nela introduced the group of young participants to the primary notions of documentary making and how they can be used to talk about Human Rights, LGBTQ+ issues and Gender Equality. The workshop was hosted in the Drop In Center, managed by Centre for Equality and Liberty (CEL), another partner of the project. The group of young people took great advantage of the safe space to talk about things that really mattered to them, such as asexuality, the process of coming out, fetishes and activism. By the end of the training, they all had produced short films, some were documentaries, while others were animation pieces or stories created from past experiences that they had had.

On Saturday, 20th of July, we all gathered in CEL’s safe art space to watch their work being screened. Donarta and Raven worked on a piece about bullying and fat shaming, while Valza created an animation alerting for violence. Bjeshkë made a documentary about the protests which had taken place in the previous day, regarding the police discrimination towards the Roma community in Kosovo. Gentrit created an animation about feet fetishism, and about the taboos and prejudices it involves. With Donarta’s help, Alba also told the story of how a friend of hers commited suicide due to an unexpected pregnancy which would not be tolerated by her family. On top of all of this, there was still time for an animation about being asexual, developed by Vernesa, and an animation about coming out of the closet as a lesbian, created by Alba. Raven also produced a short film where he interviewed everyone and made a summary of the workshop that showcased how much fun everyone had had (especially when they had to get very crafty and creative to find ways to overcome the absence of tripods

The festival continued until the 21st of July, when art.1 left Prishtina with a bittersweet feeling and looking very much forward to see more of what these young artivists are going to do in the future.

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Between the 24th and the 29th of January, our trainers Lotte van Gaalen and Saleem Salameh headed to Pristina in order to carry out the first radio/podcast training as part of our Youth Artivists for Change project in the Balkan. There, a group of participants which consisted mostly of people from the LGBT community, awaited them, eager to start learning. 

Some of them mentioned how open-minded their families were, but others made evident that the safe art space has been very important in making them feel at home. It soon became clear that they were all very outspoken about their passion for human rights and they were eager to tell stories that concerned mental health issues, homophobia and violence against women.

After the icebreaker games, some stories had already been shared and the participants had become acquainted with each other, immediately showing a lot of empathy for one another. Soon enough, important questions started being raised: “what can we expect from the generation of our parents who were raised with a different mentality?” and “Should LGBTQ+ people have to come out?” The workshop rapidly proved to become a safe space and it was evident that a very strong sense of community was beginning to take shape.

Afterwards, it was time for a bit of theory regarding storytelling. The trainers explained how through the techniques of storytelling one can engage the audience in such a way that their opinions are challenged and their minds open up.

It was with a lot of emotion that on the third and last day they finished their recordings and made the edits of their stories. Some of the stories will be released on our podcast platform art.1 radio, available here.

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QFD has been organised by Open Mind Spectrum Albania (OMSA), headed by Arber Kodra, and in collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana, the EU delegation, Stitching Art.1 and the International Human Rights Film Festival Albania (IHRFFA).

The events are also a part of the Youth Activists for Change (YAC) project which is supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. YAC aims to empower filmmakers, storytellers, artists, and activists in creating art and performances focused on human rights/LGBTIQ+ rights and gender equality.

The festival opened on 18 September with a second showing of the award-winning exhibition ‘Culture of Humiliation’ by Macedonian artist and human rights activist Antonij Karadzoski. Through his artwork, he aims to break down stereotypes and raise awareness of important human rights issues such as bullying in the LGBTI community. The event kicked off at Europe House.

A number of films were shown over the days of the event, the first of which is ‘I Am Sofia’. This film was screened 19 September at Kinema Millenium and a Q&A with the director took place afterwards.

On the 20 September, there was a screening of a film called ‘Until Porn Do Us Part’ at the Academy of Film & Multimedia. The protagonist of the film, Sydney Riviera was also in the attendance and he was answering questions from the audience after the screening.

On 21 September it was a matinee of films ‘Scar Tissue’, ‘High Tide’, and ‘Up Close and Personal’ which was shown at Europe House.In attendance were Dutch LGBT police officers Marja Lust and Abdel Late, and a Q&A will take place.   

The last day of event 22 September took the shape of a presentation of the final results of the filmmaking training undertaken by Youth Artists for Change Project including individuals from both Albania and Kosovo.

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The filmmaking training in Skopje happened between the 18th and the 22nd of April, and it was given by the Dutch trainer Nienke Eijsin and the local trainer Hanis Bagashov. We were received by a group of 9 participants, with ages varying from 17 to 26 years-old, who were very excited to gain more experience in filmmaking and particularly to use it to engage with matters of gender equality and human and LGBTQ+ rights as they told us that it was common for young people within their circles to have to deal with struggles related to these topics.

On the first day, inspired by the first bits of theory and some films made by the trainers of the workshop, they immediately went on to filming their first short movies, consisting of only five shots. The challenge was to create and advertise a product related to gender equality or LGBTQ+ issues that they wished already existed. The final products included a lipstick to be used by anyone regardless of their gender; a necklace which functioned as a whistle that women could use to scare off anyone chasing them down the street and a smelly chewing gum which had the same effect.

The following days were spent learning some more theory and watching practical examples, whilst also debating ideas for their individual final projects for which they can get a mini-grant for. Besides, the Dutch filmmaker Claire Zhou, who was present in Skopje for the screening of her film as part of the Queer Film Days, also joined the workshop by giving a lecture about character development and storytelling.

On the last day of the workshop, the participants delve into the adventure of an eight-hour film project. They started with concept, writing and pre-production, followed by shooting and then editing.

At the end of the day, all the films were screened in the Public Room, a creative space in Skopje. The first film to be presented was directed by Sofjia and Igor, who told the story of a woman who quit her job after being mistreated by her boss, and decided to go on an adventure with a friend. In the end, the audience realizes that they are actually in love with each other unlike what would be commonly assumed at first sight. In another film, Ivana, Kristijan and Antonella portrayed a universe where being gay was the norm, and presented the dynamics of a family where a son has to come out as straight to his two mothers. On the other hand, Andjela, Iskra, Angela, and Kris made a short film about an alien who lands on Earth and tries to take up a human form as he goes. As the alien isn’t aware of society’s gender roles and stereotypes, they end up breaking them, showing how much those are just a social construct.

By the end of the day, everyone felt very pleased with the happenings of the last few days and we all left very excited to see what the participants will do in the near future with their individual documentaries.

Participants: Ivana, Kristijan, Antonella, Andjela, Iskra, Angela, Sofjia, Igor, Kristijan

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Stefan, 21.
Bitola – North-Macedonia

“THE STORY COMES FROM INSIDE OF THE FILMMAKER. BUT IT HAS TO GET OUT. IT’S THEN UP TO THE COMMUNITY TO ACCEPT THE STORY AND THE COMMUNITY IS WHERE THE EFFECT TAKES PLACE.”

Go-to cinema: The work of Alfred Hitchcock and Krzysztof Kieslowski.

21-year-old filmmaker Stefan Bozhinovski spoke to Art.1 about his
motivation for participating in the Youth Artivist for Change filmmaking
training. “I love film, theatre and the arts. I’d definitely like to work in the film industry. But it does depend on how things turn out. That’s why I want to learn more and more about it.
 
My project is a short film that focuses on the family situation of an ambitious young person. But he has issues with his parents related to his sexual orientation; they can’t really accept it, as they fear the community reaction and how his life will turn out.
 
I think it’s important that LGBTIQ+ stories are told because you’re displaying them for people who haven’t witnessed them. It uncovers [these identities] so they won’t be perceived as a taboo.”
 
According to Stefan, telling queer/LGBTIQ+ stories is important to the filmmaker and their community: “The filmmaker tells a story from their own perception and experience. I don’t think you can tell a story if you do not relate with it in a way or have knowledge of it. I think the story comes from inside the filmmaker. But it has to get out. Once it’s out, it can affect the community into acceptance.”

Ana, 21.
Tetovo – North Macedonia

“In our country cinema’s not that developed.  But maybe some of us are the pioneers of the future. So we have to start everything from scratch. We have great directors, but we need more visibility. The training helped me make connections and build my network with other aspiring filmmakers across the region.”

Tetovo-native Ana lives breathes and eats cinema, that’s why she enrolled.
 
Go-to cinema: Martin Scorsese

“Filming, editing, everything. Making movies is the dream. I like to have [my films] finished up but I also really love the process. I can’t get enough of it; no matter how hard it is, no matter how hard the director is screaming during production days. It’s always a pleasure to do it. It ignites a passion in me, like painting a picture. The director is yelling. That’s the way they make their art… and I love it.
 
In our country cinema isn’t that developed.  But maybe some of us are the pioneers of the future. So right now, we have to start everything from scratch. We have great directors, but we urgently need more visibility. The training helped me to establish connections and build my network with other aspiring filmmakers across the region, so when opportunities come up, we can collaborate. Its great to see in what stage other people are at in their creative growth.
 
My story is an animation made on a computer. It’s about a little girl who is trapped in basement, she’s been neglected, since she was a baby and has never seen anything in the world except for four walls and a bed and food. And then she sees herself in the mirror. It’s very strange.”

Balša, 23.
Belgrade – Serbia

“Filmmakers have a responsibility to tell the stories of oppressed groups –such as queer stories – but I think it’s crucial for the stories to be told from the perspective of the person who’s living them.”

Go-to cinema: probably Gaspar Noé

“I think the best stories are the ones that make a difference. The stories that come from personal experience. I can’t tell a story about how I kissed my boyfriend in the street because that wasn’t my experience. I can, however,  tell a story in which I was hiding with my boyfriend so nobody could see us. I could tell a story about hiding my relationship from my parents because that’s my experience. I’m not intentionally trying to carry out activism. My experience isn’t openly accepted in my country or the region, so it becomes activism because I’m going to fight for the things that I want and believe in. I think the stories are important just because it’s a real experience authentic of gay people and LGBTIQ+ people.

My film is about my relationship with my father. I wrote a poem about my dad and the T-shirt that I inherited from him. I’m going to get in drag wearing his shirt. I will read the poem in the background. I want to explore what he would think if he saw me wearing it.

Filmmakers have a responsibility to tell the stories of oppressed groups –such as queer stories – but I think it’s crucial for the stories to be told from the perspective of the person who’s living it.”

Nikola, 24.
Skopje – North-Macedonia

“My background is as an actor, never as a producer or a director. My reason for getting involved in Youth Artivists for Change was to see how things worked from behind the camera: all the processes behind filming and storytelling.”

Go-to cinema: Definitely Stanley Kubrick.

“My background is as an actor, never as a producer or a director. I recently graduated from studying acting. My reason for getting involved was to see how things worked from behind the camera: all the processes behind filming and storytelling. So I can make my own movie in the future. If there is no relationship between the actor and the film crew, then that will be seen in the film. Both the film and the crew must know what the other is doing at all times. They need to understand each other so they can tell the same story. The actor’s job is to show the inner world of the character, while the film crew’s job is to capture that on film. Filmmaking is a collaborative art, so the relationship can be a difficult one, but also a great one. I would encourage anyone who wants to enter the film industry, or would like to know how to produce their own movie to join this kind of workshop because it’s a great introduction to filmmaking and maybe tomorrow they’ll be able to produce their own films.“

Sofja, 23 
Skopje – Macedonia

“I’m a law student and I like trying out new things. I enrolled in the course because I always wanted to try filmmaking. During the course, I realized I could do this 24 hours a day; I wouldn’t have a problem with that.”

Go-to cinema: Christopher Nolan

“I’m a law student and I like trying out new things. I enrolled in the course because I always wanted to try filmmaking. During the course, I realized I could do this 24 hours a day; I wouldn’t have a problem with that. With regards to queer story telling, I think that people need to be more open-minded and spread their horizons. People shouldn’t judge, like, we’re all humans and I think that’s important to realize we’re all the same. I don’t think that some people should have more or fewer rights because of who they are. They should be able to do whatever they want to do.”

Boki, 25. 
Skopje – North Macedonia

“I was diagnosed with cancer recently, and the connection I see with that and telling the story of minorities – or the LGBT community –  is that we can be misunderstood and the best way to battle that is by telling your story. My goal with my short film is to give people hope and raise awareness that there is a life after cancer.”

Go-to cinema: YouTuber Peter McKinnon

“I have a great love of photography and video and when a friend sent me the application for workshop, I immediately jumped at opportunity because I really want to understand the process behind filmmaking.

It’s important to tell your story or express how you feel because its empowering and builds confidence.

I think every story is important. When people are educated about a subject, there is less fear.  I was diagnosed with cancer recently, and the connection I see with that and telling the story of minorities – or the LGBTQ+ community –  is that we can be misunderstood and the best way to battle that is by telling your story. My goal with my short film is to give people hope and raise awareness that there is a life after cancer.

Workshops like this are important because in the age of social media, content is king. You need to know how to tell you story. To educate other people about your experience and what you’re feeling”

Dafina, 30. 
Skopje – North Macedonia

“I work as a high school physics professor. Sadly, one of my students committed suicide. When I heard about this workshop, I saw it as an opportunity to learn about using film to send a message to young people.”

Go-to cinema: Tom Tykwer

“I work as a high school physics professor. Sadly, one of my students committed suicide. When I heard about this workshop, I saw it as an opportunity to learn about using film to send a message to young people. According to statistics, every third person is going through mental health issues in some point of their lives. That means from a classroom full of 30 children, 10 will have to deal with mental health issues. I think it’s very important that they get psychological health education.

In my country its taboo to go to the psychologist, and we don’t speak about mental health. My film is about a 15-year-old girl, in the time before she commits suicide. It explains what could have happened to her if she spoke to a psychologist.

I made it partly with stop motion, partly in real life with real scenes.

If you look closely at the school scene, I’ve put some equations on the board. They are taken from American mathematician and meteorologist Edward Norton Lorenz’s, butterfly effect theory (the Lorenz attractor), which basically says that little changes in the initial conditions of a function can bring with time, very big changes. So I think that small initiatives like the project ‘Artivists For Change’ can bring big changes.”

Darko, 22.
Skopje – North Macedonia

“I’m making a documentary about internalized sexism, racism and homophobia. I think these issues are not often presented in the media.”

Go-to cinema: Stanley Kubrick

“I’m doing a gap year in my university studies and I decided to open my perspectives into other fields, and I want to do more stuff in a non educational part of the of my being, becoming. And as I wanted to learn new things, this is a great new experience, as I can use my previous knowledge in the political and the political science. I’m making a documentary about internalized sexism, racism and homophobia. I think these issues are not often presented in the media. I’m telling my story through three characters. Looking at the problems within their community and the problems when they go outside of their community and they still encounter an internalized oppression, from within.”

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The four days of the festival were filled with film screenings, live performances, educational talks, exhibitions and parties, which put queer topics under the spotlight in order to celebrate inclusion and diversity.
The festival took place in Salaam Cinema, a community-driven safe art space which is located in a beautiful historic Malokan prayer house built in 1913. Besides the focus in promoting creative movies, audio-visual and performing arts, Salaam Cinema offers a wide program of exhibitions and workshops. Their mission is also to support local filmmaking and film history and make sure that the audience has the chance to discover new Azerbaijani films and rediscover movies which have written the Azerbaijani film history. The creation of this safe art space is part of the project Youth Artivists for Change in Azerbaijan.

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