Small File Media Festival 2023

Small File Media Festival Partners with The Cinematheque to Present its Fourth International Ecomedia Showcase

October 20 – 21, 2023
Opening Night: Friday, October 20, 2023 | 7:00pm
Celebration & Awards Ceremony: Saturday, October 21, 2023 | 4:15pm
The Cinematheque, Vancouver

Streaming online at www.smallfile.ca, October 22 – 30, 2023

The Small File Media Festival returns for its fourth iteration of eco-conscious moving-image artistry on October 20 and 21. This year’s festival takes place in person at The Cinematheque, and showcases over sixty jewel-like works from artists and filmmakers across the globe. Characterized by their small digital footprint and huge environmental impact, small-file ecomedia embraces the aesthetics of file compression and low resolution and lay the groundwork for a new experimental film movement in the digital age.

The festival kicks off on Friday, October 20 starting at 7:00pm with the opening night program, followed by a drinks reception in the lobby and a dance party in the cinema, featuring music by Vancouver electronic artist SAN. The winners of the coveted Small File Golden Mini Bear and other bespoke awards will be announced during the award ceremony following the final program on October 21. The festival programs will stream online on the Small File Media Festival website October 22 – 30.

Stefan Naravich, Still from ARCMAPS, Canada, 2023

Small files are important because the internet, including the impact of streaming media, is responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions – the same as the airline industry! – and rising fast. Small-file ecomedia are not just good for the planet, but essential for people living with intermittent electricity and low bandwidth. This year’s festival includes a collaboration with filmmaker and researcher Mehvish Rather, who will share her research on how small-file media can be utilized for political sustainability in the face of state suppression that takes the form of internet blockade and restriction.

Dag Davidge, Still from Night Tender, Canada, 2023

Those looking to whet their small-file appetite can enjoy a series of Small File Media Retrospective vignettes, which will play before the first regular screening of each night at The Cinematheque from September 18 through October 19. Curated by Abede Mohammadi, these retrospective selections explore the affective power of experimental ecomedia through a curated selection of green and artful small films.

Founded in 2020, The Small File Media Festival (SFMF) responds to the environmental and ecological impact of streaming media. The festival proposes alternative solutions for media practice, as well as modes of thinking otherwise in media theory, which converge in an annual festival of sustainable experimental media.

Li Jingyu, Still from Jealous, China, 2022

The Cinematheque, founded in 1972, is a film institute and media education centre devoted to understanding the art and history of Canadian and international cinema and the impact of moving images and screen-based media in our lives. Their public activities include a year-round calendar of curated film exhibitions devoted to important classic and contemporary films and filmmakers, as well as an array of community outreach programs.

For more information about the Small File Media Festival visit www.smallfile.ca
Instagram @smallfile
Facebook @smallfile

To learn more about The Cinematheque, Small File Media Festival tickets, and Small-File Media Retrospective details, visit www.thecinematheque.ca.

Small File Media Festival programs at The Cinematheque are unrated and 18+ screenings.

The Cinematheque
1131 Howe Street
Vancouver, BC
Canada V6Z 2L7

The Cinematheque is accessible.

Community partners: The Cinematheque, SFU School for the Contemporary Arts, VIVO Media Arts Centre, Cairo Video Festival, The Hmm Amsterdam, UKRANATV, The Canada Council for the Arts, Social Science Humanities Research Council