Reel Artists Film Festival 2011, Feb 23-27

The Canadian Art Foundation kicks off the 8th edition of the Reel Artists Film Festival tonight in Toronto with its selection of 17 documentaries on top contemporary art and artists. Tonight's gala screening is the world premiere of KOOP, Katherine Knight's portrait of Wanda Koop.

It takes place at Koerner Hall at the Royal Conservatory. The director and artist will be present and will participate in a Q&A after the screening with Jane Perdue, critic and urban planner. The evening also includes a pre-screening reception and an opening night celebration.

The rest of the screenings will take place at the festival's new home, the TIFF Bell Lightbox on Reitman Square, 350 King Street West. Two other films will be having their world premieres -- Nam June Paik: Open Your Eyes and Picture Start.

Many of the filmmakers and featured artists will be in attendance, including for the films Sol LeWitt: Wall Drawings, Aakideh: The Art & Legacy of Carl Beam, Ghost Noise and Picture Start.

The Reel Artists Film Festival travels to Calgary next month.
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Reel Artists Film Festival 2011 Schedule

Wednesday, February 23
OPENING NIGHT SCREENING AND CELEBRATION
7:00 pm
KOOP
WORLD PREMIERE
Post-screening Q&A with director Katherine Knight, artist Wanda Koop and critic Jane Purdue

Thursday, February 24

7:00 pm
Sol LeWitt: Wall Drawings
CANADIAN PREMIERE
The screening will be followed by a conversation between director Edgar B. Howard and Sarah Robayo Sheridan, Director of Exhibitions and Publications at Mercer Union – A Centre for Contemporary Art

9:00 pm
William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible
CANADIAN PREMIERE
Introduced by Alexander Neef, Director, Canadian Opera Company

Friday, February 25
AFTERNOON SCREENINGS FREE TO STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS WITH VALID ID

1:00 pm
KOOP
Director Katherine Knight and artist Wanda Koop will be present.

3:00 pm
Aakideh: The Art & Legacy of Carl Beam
TORONTO PREMIERE
Directors Robert Waldeck and Paul Eichhorn will be present.

5:15 pm (double screening)
Ghost Noise
Director Marcia Connolly will be present. Introduced by Nancy Campbell, curator.
Ai Weiwei: Sunflower Seeds
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Introduced by Nancy Campbell, curator

7:00 pm
The Colour of Your Socks: A Year With Pipilotti Rist
CANADIAN PREMIERE
Introduced by Sarah Milroy, critic

9:00 pm
About Jenny Holzer
TORONTO PREMIERE
Introduced by Joanna Householder, artist, Professor, Faculty of Art and Chair, Criticism and Curatorial Practice, Ontario College of Art & Design University

Saturday, February 26

1:00 pm (double screening)
Notion Motion – Olafur Eliasson
CANADIAN PREMIERE
Introduced by Catherine Dean, curator
Damián Ortega: Do It Yourself
CANADIAN PREMIERE
Introduced by Catherine Dean, curator

2:45 pm
The Possible Lives of Christian Boltanski
TORONTO PREMIERE
Introduced by Sara Angelucci, artist

4:30 pm
The World According to Ion B.
Introduced by David Balzer, Assistant Editor, Canadian Art magazine

7:00 pm
Nam June Paik: Open Your Eyes
WORLD PREMIERE
Introduced by Heather Keung, Artistic Director, Reel Asian International Film Festival

9:00 pm
China, the Empire of Art?
TORONTO PREMIERE
Introduced by Yi Gu, Assistant Professor, Art History & Global Asia Studies, University of Toronto

Sunday, February 27

1:00 pm
This Not That: The Artist John Baldessari
CANADIAN PREMIERE
Introduced by Lisa Steele, artist, co-founder of Vtape, and Associate Chair, Visual Studies Program, University of Toronto

3:30 pm
Picture Start
WORLD PREMIERE
The director Harry Killas and producer Ric Beairsto will be present

5:30 pm
Andreas Gursky: Long Shot Close Up
CANADIAN PREMIERE
Introduced by Sophie Hackett, Assistant Curator, Photography, Art Gallery of Ontario

http://www.canadianart.ca/microsites/REELARTISTS/schedule/


KOOP the art of Wanda Koop from Site Media inc on Vimeo.