For 15 years, Victoria’s Antimatter Film Festival has screened the weirdest and most eclectic collection of short films. But those outside the short filmmaking circle (like, hello, 99 percent of us) might not realize that our little festival that could has made quite a name for itself, especially amongst participating filmmakers.
“Antimatter is the most important festival in western Canada for exposing and celebrating experimental media,” says participating filmmaker Alex MacKenzie, who is screening Intertidal, a 60-minute performance-based piece about BC coastal tides shot on Vancouver Island.
It’s this kind of praise that festival director Todd Eacrett didn’t quite expect when he started Antimatter a decade and a half ago. In fact, Eacrett didn’t expect the festival to even make it to the 15-year mark.
“We’ve managed to grow it into an event with a really good reputation within the international media arts community,” says Eacrett. “I feel quite proud of the work we do with the festival, and it’s especially nice to hear it from the artists.”
With a wide variety of short films screening over the eight-day festival, there really is, as they say, something for everyone: assuming those everyones are fans of off-the-wall short film and creative artistic expression (read: expect some major WTFs over the course of the fest).
Christina Battle, an Edmonton-born filmmaker who is screening two films in this year’s festival, chose to contribute to Antimatter because she’d been following it for a few years and really appreciates the care that’s put into the programming.
“It’s a rare treat to show short works within carefully constructed programs alongside other works that complement one another and, in the end, generate a greater conversation,” says Battle.
And although no form of art can truly escape the confines of modern society, the type of films screened at Antimatter might be the closest we’ll ever come to purity in art. “But nothing is pure,” says MacKenzie, “and that is a good thing.”
As for this year’s highlights, Eacrett says he’s looking forward to all of the programming, including a special screening of home movies in correlation with Home Movie Day. “There’s so much good work in this year’s program,” he says. “I’ve seen them all already, but it will be even better to see them again on a big screen in a room full of people.”
Antimatter Film Festival
October 12-20, $5-8 suggested donation
Vic Theatre (808 Douglas) and Deluge Art (636 Yates)
antimatter.ws