Babelgum Blog

YoungCuts: a fresh new channel on Babelgum

Published by catherine on August 18, 2008 in . 0 Comments

Every August the YoungCuts Film Festival provides a platform for the current generation of independent filmmakers. Check out the new YoungCuts Film Festival channel for exciting short films from talented bright young things featured in the 2007 festival - on Babelgum from August 18th.

Here’s a selection of some of the most intriguing shorts on the channel:

Live Love Work Play - An animated comedy from Brazil: “you have the power to change”…
Tinkerers sharpening service - A documentary in which a couple reflect on their life as itinerant knife sharpeners. Nominated for Best Documentary at the 2007 YoungCuts Film Festival.
Good Night. Sleep Tight - Being a child can be dangerous if you have something a witch wants! Nominated for Best Animated Film at the 2007 YoungCuts Film Festival.
Avarice - A drama in which a paranoid man wins the lottery.
An Inconvenient Penguin Death March - Penguins seek revenge for Global Warming! Winner of Best Animated Film at the 2007 YoungCuts Film Festival.

Disappearing Worlds: August’s theme on Babelgum

Published by catherine on August 8, 2008 in . 0 Comments

“Disappearing Worlds” might sound a touch dramatic, but some of the stories we’ve uncovered this month are pretty alarming: whole countries at risk of drowning; villages literally crumbling into the sea; natural wonders ravaged for profit; tribal communities losing their way of life and homes too… all lost, forever. Some of these situations have to be seen to be believed. So to shed some light on the theme, and in view of International Day of the World’s Indigenous People tomorrow on August 9^th, we’ve put chosen a selection of fascinating documentaries that’ll take you to the heart of the issues, from Sweden to Mongolia: for more clips on the theme, see our Films & Festivals page.

Marcus Aurelius said “Loss is nothing else but change, and change is nature’s delight”. As the world continues to change at a dizzying rate, are these “disappearances” the natural price to pay for the advancement of civilization? Or should we be trying to limit the erosion of the world as we know it?

Q&A with BOFF nominees/6

Published by catherine on August 5, 2008 in babelgum online film festival. 0 Comments

In the last of the series we talk to one of the nominees in the Animation Category:

Andy London, nominated for A Letter to Colleen

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival (if you’ve made others)?

It seemed like we had a chance at large exposure and we liked the innovative way to show our film.

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?

Simply being online was something unusual and new. Also the unusual voting system. It was more democratic. Usually our films win awards and/or get recognition more randomly.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?

Yes, we will enter again next year. We will submit an excerpt to an animated feature we are working on. It will be the same world as A Letter To Colleen but a different technique - probably a combo of traditional hand drawn and cut out animation.

Q&A with BOFF nominees/5

Published by catherine on July 29, 2008 in . 0 Comments

They’re back again - this time we hear from the nominees in the Social/Environment category.

Emanuele Musarra - nominated for FILL

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival (if you’ve made others)?
FILL is my first important short. It’s not my very first one but it’s the one that I “felt” the most. Plus, FILL turned out to be pretty suitable for the web target (it lasts only 3 minutes but it’s very direct and loaded with meaning) even though the film wasn’t originally intended for this target.

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?
Babelgum is the first festival I entered by uploading the short to the server, without physically sending the DVD. It worked fine, even though the software was kind of a beta version. That was also the first festival that “forced” me to promote my film in order to make the shortlist. It was definitely an intense but important experience.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?
I will enter again next year with my new work, a gallery of video nude portraits called Digitalnudes. It’s definitely video-art and I hope there will be a festival section for that.

Matt Adams - nominated for What is Tragedy?

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival (if you’ve made others)?
I chose “What is Tragedy?” not only because I wanted to showcase my community, but found it interesting that so many people within the same zip code had such different definitions for the same word.

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?
Having an international audience was wonderful. The audience played such a vital role in determining the shortlist. When I found out about the contest it was awesome to be able to display my work online in a full screen format with excellent picture quality.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?
Of course I’ll enter next year! It was such a great experience and really enjoyed being a part of the festival. I won’t change what I do for next year…I’ll just add to and learn from what I’ve already done. I can only do what I do and hope that it strikes a nerve with somebody.

Rushes Soho Shorts 2008: watch now on two new channels on Babelgum

Published by catherine on July 23, 2008 in . 0 Comments

The 2008 Rushes Soho Shorts Festival kicked off today in London (23rd July - 1st August). Over the past decade Rushes has become known as one of the most exciting, thought-provoking short film festivals on the international circuit. It places equal emphasis on emerging and established talent in categories for animation, music videos, short films, documentaries, newcomers and broadcast design. This year the festival is also showcasing the films that won the BOFF - a great opportunity to see them on the big screen if you happen to be in Soho (see here for details of screenings).

But there’s no need to venture as far as London’s West End to enjoy the best of Rushes 2008: for the second year running, a selection of the “short but sweet” films in competition (all under 12 min.) are being screened on Babelgum on the Rushes Soho Shorts 2008 channel.

What about all the films which didn’t make it onto the shortlist but are nonetheless creative and deserving of visibility? You can watch a selection of them on the brand new Rushes Soho Shorts Fringe 2008 channel on Babelgum and judge for yourselves.

Q&A with BOFF nominees/4 part 2

Published by catherine on July 22, 2008 in . 0 Comments

Davide Pepe - BOFF nominee for Am ende des gartens sind zwei kinder in the Looking for Genius category

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival?
There are no particular reasons why I entered this short film. Actually I also entered 3 other short films: Little boy (presented in Panorama at the 56th Berlin film festival), Soluzioni di continuità and Body electric #1.

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?
The main difference is that most of the power is in the hands of the audience! Usually festivals have a first selection jury. [...] In this case the audience’s judgment, by the law of large numbers, is more reliable. It’s like a mathematical function: the more audience members cast a vote, the more you get an average close to the actual value of the work.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?
Of course I will enter new work! Actually I would like to continue working in my own style. I need to make my short films the same as they appear in my mind.
I think it’s wrong to create a work to fit in better with the spirit of a festival. That’s why I hate most of the new filmmakers who are making films just because it’s cool and because it’s so easy to buy a new camera nowadays.
[...] Making interesting work today is very hard. We are close to a point in which everything has been said. So I think now there are a couple of options. You can try to say something by experimenting with [...] the language of cinema; or you can speak about yourself, about your feelings. There could have been 1,000,000 people who have already talked about your same story, but this is YOUR story and for this reason it is original and if you really feel you need to talk about it you should just do it.

Wanted: the Rarest Animals

Published by catherine on July 18, 2008 in Nature&Conservation. 0 Comments

This summer, catch a glimpse of some of the world’s rarest animals in our Nature & Conservation Community.

Animals such as the white lion, the rhino (white and black) or the white elephant have become rare and in some cases technically extinct due to over-zealous hunting or removal to zoos or circuses. Conservationists are keen to protect these elusive creatures and reintroduce them to their natural habitat when necessary.

As always, we’ll be talking to experts about the issue. The first is Jason Turner of the Global White Lion Protection Trust. We interviewed him about the highly prized big cats, last spotted in the wild in 1994.

We also have George Kampamba, coordinator of the WWF African Rhino Programme telling us about how Africa’s rhino populations are being conserved and managed; and Mahendra Shresthra, director of the Save the Tiger Fund, discussing endangered tiger species and what can be done to protect them.

Meanwhile take a look at some rare animals in action such as the giant spiny anteater; an abandoned black rhino calf; a baby white rhino being bottlefed; and - surprise - the cute and fluffy white lion cubs born in Germany just a few weeks ago!

Babelgum bites the Big Apple (with 2 new Execs)

Published by catherine on July 16, 2008 in . 1 Comment

If you’re in New York City and the sky’s taken on a greenish tinge, don’t be surprised…

Babelgum has landed Stateside: we’ve just opened our first US office on 5th Avenue, in the heart of Manhattan.

Two new Execs are also on board with us, and we warmly welcome them.

Ethan Podell (Pic here) has been appointed President of Babelgum US.
(Podell founded and managed several successful start-ups, including Orbis Communications and All American Orbis. Earlier in his career, Podell also worked for HBO and CBS.)

Michael Rosen (Pic Here) as Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer.
(Michael joins Babelgum from WeatherBug where he was Senior Vice President and General Manager, leading the transformation of the company to a preeminent interactive property. Previously, he held senior positions in sales, marketing and distribution at Bloomberg L.P., News Corporation’s New Digital Media Group and Showtime Networks.)

For more details, see today’s press release.

Bastille Day storms onto Babelgum

Published by catherine on July 14, 2008 in and Featured. 0 Comments

Today, “le quatorze juillet“, the French commemorate an event that marked the uprising of the modern French nation and led to the First Republic: the storming of the Bastille.

The French Revolutionary motto “Liberté, egalité, fraternité” represents ideals that we support wholeheartedly. Babelgum gives you the freedom to watch what you want and when; the egalitarianism of a free service on the Internet; and the cameraderie of interactive online communities.

To celebrate the occasion we’ve put together a special list of videos celebrating various aspects of the multi-faceted “Hexagone”, from couture to cuisine. So get an Eiffel of these:

French Paradox investigates just how it is that the French indulge in rich, fatty delicacies and stay slim and healthy
Yves St. Laurent: The King of Fashion looks at the legacy of the recently deceased couturier
A selection of bizarre ideas are to be found…Only in France
On a more serious note, the documentary France - Tale of an Occupied Town looks at daily life under the Nazis in Vichy France during World War II.
One of France’s most famous actresses, Juliette Binoche, has a tête-à-tête with Christine Ockrent

Parlez-vous français? Non? Not to worry, here’s a selection of stylish French language shorts, complete with English subtitles:

A travers d’elle - a girl lives her life through TV genres, from sci-fi fantasy to a reality show
Water Closed - Maude’s first day at work turns into a bit of a nightmare
Warning - a gritty, modern-day gangster tale
C’est comme ça - inside the mind of a man condemned to death

Et voilà - Vive la France!

Q&A with BOFF nominees/4 - part 1

Published by catherine on July 12, 2008 in . 0 Comments

Frédéric Monpierre, BOFF nominee for Les Anges Malicieux in the Looking for Genius category

1) Why did you choose to enter this particular film for the Festival?
I chose to enter this film because of its universal character. [...] It’s my most interesting movie I think, with something I have inside me. The others are films I just make just to make films while waiting for the chance to make another interesting one. As a filmmaker you make movies because you have a voice inside you telling you to tell the world about a subject inside you; or you make movies just because you love it. “Les Anges Malicieux” had both these motivations behind it. So that’s why I chose this film. It’s my most honest movie. Not because of the subject (love and tolerance), but because of these two reasons combined.

2) How did the Babelgum Online Film Festival differ from other film festivals that you’ve entered in the past?
The other film festivals that I have entered were not on the internet. The Babelgum Online Film Festival was my first online festival ever. The BOFF differs in that it’s accessible to everyone all over the world at the same time. “Les Anges Malicieux” is a film that can be watched by everyone no matter their language. So, for me, festivals like the BOFF are the best type of festivals for films like mine - or for any film [...]. Obviously, festivals like Clermont-Ferrand, Cannes, Venice or Berlin have greater visibility, but they don’t give the audience the same chance to watch the movies as the internet does.

3) Will you enter again next year? If so, what will you do differently in terms of format, subject, style, now that you’ve seen the other films in this year’s festival?
I’d like to. I have a script, but I don’t have a producer yet. It’s a movie which requires slightly more special effects. [...] So if I’m ready in time for next year’s BOFF, I will enter with pleasure. The fact that I’ve seen the other films in the BOFF doesn’t influence me in terms of subject or style. I write and do what I have inside me, no matter what others filmmakers do, although I can appreciate their work.