1. Jenny Chamarette j.chamarette@qmul.ac.uk Anat Pick a.pick@qmul.ac.uk
FLM5205 Film Curation
Jenny Chamarette
Anat Pick

2. Intro to the course
Builds on Visual Essay materials in some ways, adds to it in others
Exploring other forms of film: avant garde, experimental, documentary, essay films, artist’s moving image, public information films, amateur footage, internet-based moving image
Moves towards other modules at level 6: Ecocinemas, Cinemuseology, Film Archaeology, Forms of Film Practice
Increasing no’s of Masters programmes in Film Curation: Birkbeck, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Westminster
And towards being a curator/programmer: BFI, Barbican, ICA, Tate, Film Festivals, Film Education, etc

3. What you’ll learn… Theories of curation
Models of film programming (via theme, content, research concept)
Case study - The Personal is the Political: contemporary non-fiction filmmaking by women
Introduction to film archives – June Givanni’s Pan-African Cinema Archive
Audiences, screening rights, programme development: guest sessions lead by professional curators
Develop your own research into particular concepts or themes explored via film

4. What you’ll do…
Commit to attending all classes, including ones that take place off-campus
Commit to viewing as diverse a range of films as possible in your own time: in archives, libraries, online, cinemas, streaming. Think especially of watching films and film forms that you would not normally be attracted to.
Develop an understanding of the conceptual processes and pragmatic demands of film curation and programming
Develop your research skills related to film programming, including conceiving and designing a themed curatorial programme
In small groups, develop your own programme of films, ‘pitch’ your ideas, produce a teaser/trailer, and curatorial portfolio

5. Module outline Week 1: Intro to curation
Week 2: Performing selves 1: Gillian Wearing
Week 3: Performing politics 1: Anja Salomonowitz
Week 4: Guest speaker: Dr Gali Gold, Film Curator, Barbican Centre
Week 5: Field trip/guest speaker: Pan-African Cinema Archives
Week 6: Guest speaker(s): Maria Cabrera and Grace Barber-Plentie, Reel Good Film Club
Week 7: READING WEEK
Week 8: Performing politics 2: Simone Bitton
Week 9: Performing selves 2: Chantal Akerman
Week 10: ‘Pitching’ your programme
Week 11: workshopping your film programme ideas
Week 12: presentation of teaser/trailer and final programme concept

6. What is Curation? Curare: Latin verb From Tate Website:
To arrange, see to, attend to, take care of, ensure
To heal or cure
To govern, command
To undertake, procure
From Tate Website:
“Museums and galleries typically employ numbers of curators whose role it is to acquire, care for and develop a collection. They will also arrange displays of collection and loaned works and interpret the collection in order to inform, educate and inspire the public.
In the past twenty years the role of the curator has evolved: now there are freelance or independent curators who are not attached to an institution and who have their own idiosyncratic ways of making exhibitions. Such curators are invited to curate, or themselves propose, exhibitions in a wide range of spaces, both within and outside the established gallery system, and online.

7. Group questions What do you collect or curate? How do you do it?
What are you thinking when you put together your collection?
What is the difference, do you think, between curation and programming?
What kinds of curated film programmes/exhibitions have you visited recently? What did they make you think about? Why?

8. Curated programmes by Anat and Jenny
Screening Nature: Flora, Fauna and the Moving Image
Anat Pick and Silke Panse
18-19 May 2013, Whitechapel Gallery, London
Short film, artist’s moving image, documentary
WATER, LOVE RUNS DOWN
Jenny Chamarette
29 October – 2 November 2012, Bonington Gallery, Nottingham
Artist’s moving image, public information films, installed moving image
runs-down