Asvoff 12 WRAP Up
Paris: November 17, 2020 – A Shaded View On Fashion Film, the world’s first fashion film festival dedicated to fashion, style and beauty celebrated its twelfth edition on its newly branded A Shaded View on Fashion Film Channel on the FNL Network. The four-day festival went online October 6-9 and remains online until ASVOFF 13 in October 2021. The unprecedented partnership between ASVOFF and the FNL Network introduces an exciting new element to the 12th edition of ASVOFF. Everyone from all over the world can watch A Shaded View On Fashion Film by installing the free FNL Network on their smart device with this link HERE.
The four-day line-up counted 36 films in competition, 11 documentaries, 2 out of competition films, 6 student films, 15 films in a collaboration with Artsthread, the leading digital platform for emerging artists and designers representing 300,000 students in more than 100 countries from over 850 design schools, as well as the FNL Network, a fashion news and lifestyle network, along with and 68 Lockdown Home Movies about life in quarantine around the globe.
The opening day of ASVOFF 12 was the Paris premiere of the film Dos Fridas by Ishtar Yasin featuring Maria de Medeiros as the nurse of Frida Kahlo, preceded by interviews with both the director Ishtar Yasin and the actress Maria de Medeiros. The final day of ASVOFF 12 introduced the “Industry Tea’ Talk Series. Roger Avary, President of ASVOFF 12 directorial debut was Killing Zoe in 1994. He has drawn both universal acclaim (his Oscar-winning collaboration with Quentin Tarantino on Pulp Fiction) and ire (his latest effort, Lucky Day).
No matter what emotion he arouses in his audience, indifference is never it. Eric Daman, the Costume Designer of Gossip Girl welcomed us to his home and discussed life as a stylist working on films and the Gossip Girl tv series. He had such a strong impact on fashion that his past collaborator on Sex and the City references him in the current Emily in Paris series that is currently number one in France on Netflix. Maxime Plescia-Buchi is a world-renowned tattoo artist who has inked the likes of Kanye West and FKA Twigs. He is an expert at branding and creative direction and generously offers his advice.
Violeta Sanchez is an actress, model and muse. Her entry into the world of fashion was when she was discovered by Helmut Newton and Yves Saint Laurent at the opening of a play she was featured in Paris. Tim Yip is interviewed by performance artist Daniel Lismore on his upcoming two feature films Love Infinity. Yip was the first Chinese to receive an Academy Award for his work as art director and costume designer on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Ang Lee. In addition, Ishtar Yasin gives a talk about her latest film Dos Fridas and Maria Medeiros on acting. Director Gianluca Matarrese talks about the art of the documentary. All these masters in their fields stay online on the A Shaded View on Fashion Film Channel on FNL Network until October 2021.
Along with established names it is the discovery of a new generation of filmmakers, not yet on everyone’s lips but just about to be, that should perhaps be seen as ASVOFF’s greatest contribution to the industry, this year as much as the years that came before.
AWARDS
GRAND PRIX Everything is Fake Until It’s Real by Colm Dillane for KidSuper, USA
“Recalling Todd Haynes’ budgetary solution to making his Karen Carpenter story “Superstar”, Everything Is Fake is all that and more. Why not have the greatest fashion show of all time during a global pandemic?” Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
BEST ART DIRECTION Hymn to nonsense by Alice Fassi, Italy
“Art Direction is sometimes about being a chameleon and adapting to your background like I do when I go to an ASVOFF award ceremony. A transportive and stylish experience, it was beautiful.” Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
BEST ACTING Alex by Luca Spreafico Actress Silvia Bonavigo for Federica Bonifaci: Kappe, Italy
“A very well acted movie that hypnotized jury members, leaving one jury member agog and unable to pronounce anything else but, “actress with red hair”. Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Comfort Zone by Jordan Blady for Levau, Georgia
“Georgian drag turns out not to be a drag at all. A panopticon palette of colors bathes the traditional Georgian landscape in a new, stylish light.” Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
BEST SOUND DESIGN HoydeA A Fool and Idiot film by Lin Yu Feng for Beats by Dre, Fool and Idiot, Taiwan
“YELP REVIEW: Groovy music, cool atmosphere. Could they be any more fashionable? The music interleaves elegantly with sound effects. Be sure to order the chrysanthemum soup. It’s so good, you won’t be able to leave. Is there a valet? ★★★★★”
BEST EDITING Plum Flower Twist for Vogue Italia by Emma Tempest Editor Jobe Lowen, USA
“Tekken meets fashion. Exquisitely edited capturing the movement of the clothes in motion.” Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
BEST STYLING The Tournament by MAMIK A. BOEKAERTS Stylist Florentina Leitner for Antwerp Fashion Department, Belgium
“The Jury President’s favorite film of the festival. So stylish they don’t need a tennis ball. The surreal, appeal, a lobster meal.” Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
BEST BEAUTY Business as Usual by Monica Menez for Willems Eyewear Hair & Make-Up Suzana Santalab Sabine Nania, Germany
“Why is it that when I go to the optometrist, it’s not like this? And where is my catwalk instructor when I need him? Who is in charge of this?” Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
BEST SCRIPT Comfort Zone by Jordan Blady and Matt Shally for Levau, Georgia
“As delicious on the ears as it was to the eyes. Self discovery is always a beautiful thing.”
Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
BEST STYLING The Tournament by MAMIK A. BOEKAERTS Stylist Florentina Leitner for Antwerp Fashion Department, Belgium
“The Jury President’s favorite film of the festival. So stylish they don’t need a tennis ball. Surreal, appeal, a lobster meal.” Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
BEST BEAUTY Business as Usual by Monica Menez for Willems Eyewear Hair & Make-Up Suzana Santalab Sabine Nania, Germany
“Why is it that when I go to the optometrist, it’s not like this? And where is my cat walk instructor when I need him? Who is in charge of this?” Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
BEST BRANDED CONTENT Maree Noire by Rick Farin and Claire Cochran for Marine Serre, France
“Visually striking, mysterious, and compelling. It had all the elements we expect of a fashion film.”
BEST DOCUMENTARY Finding Oasis by CHOMWAN WEERAWORAWIT for Philip Huang, Thailand
“The origins of dye are explored thematically through the colors of indigo and orange. The simplicity and purity of the community of weavers, the incontestable elegance of the indigo fabrics and their simple patterns, and the ancestral yet efficient techniques at play are so refreshing. It’s an oasis.” Roger Avary, ASVOFF 12 President
BEST STUDENT FILM STYX by Nico Verhaegen, Belgium
“The film features a passage from one world to the next in an ominous yet beautiful atmosphere of melancholy and dread, reflecting, I guess, the preoccupation of our young about the world they are about to accost.” Violeta Sanchez, ASVOFF 12 Jury
BEST LOCK DOWN HOME MOVIES Cantautoma Rebirth -GIANLUCA MATARRESE & DAVIDE GIORGIO France/Italy
“I loved the use of mixed footage and soundscape.” Cori Coppola, ASVOFF 12 Jury
BEST ASVOFF X ARTSTHREAD X FNL NETWORK Mimicry by Grace Ling – Parsons New School of Design, USA .
RUNNERS UP: ASVOFF X ARTSTHREAD X FNL NETWORK ‘Home, a metaphor of the mind’ by Daniela Benaim Benhamu from Central Saint Martins, UK
RUNNERS UP: ASVOFF X ARTSTHREAD X FNL NETWORK ‘Wastopia’ by Qianhui Yu from Royal College of Arts, UK
JURY
Roger Avary, President – Roger Avary, President of ASVOFF 12
“A guy who loves movies”. That was film critic Roger Ebert’s instinctive characterization of Roger Avary upon watching his directorial debut Killing Zoe in 1994. What’s more is there is a reverence and an integrity to Avary’s work ethic which shines through in his consideration for the work of authors he chooses to adapt. After spending eighteen months trying to transcribe Neil Gaiman’s Sandman graphic novels to the screen, he walked away from the project when it became clear the producers’ vision would borrow from Gaiman’s work but not pay tribute to its specific esthetic sense.
Some may be baffled by the diversity of said adaptations – from Bret Easton Ellis’ The Rules of Attraction to Japanese horror games Silent Hill – but there is consistency in Avary’s dedication to using his knowledge of the cinematic form and understanding of the source material to find innovative ways to connect the former to the latter. He inaugurated Apple’s Final Cut Pro software to edit The Rules of Attraction, efficiently achieving tricky effects such as split screens, once again proving his resourcefulness in interpreting non-cinematic art forms in the language of film.
Mr. Avary always swings for the fences and so it is no wonder that he has drawn both universal acclaim (his Oscar-winning collaboration with Quentin Tarantino on Pulp Fiction) and ire (his latest effort, Lucky Day). No matter what emotion he arouses in his audience, indifference is never it. His is a strange, free, ungraspable career that keeps one guessing what he might do next. And whether the film in question turns out to be an audacious reinvention of a 7th-century Anglo-Saxon poem (Beowulf), or an adaptation of a surrealist play by Jean Cocteau (La Voix Humaine), it often turns out to be a film you never thought you needed but can never forget.
In alphabetical order:
Lillian Birnbaum- raised in Vienna and lives currently in Paris. From 1982 on Lillian worked as a photographer for magazines in Europe and the USA and exhibited her photography on a regular basis. From 1998 on Lillian got more and more involved with the film industry, developed and produced several award-winning film projects for legendary producer Arthur Cohn. In 2010 Lillian Birnbaum founded the film production company peartree-entertainment, based in Vienna, with a desk in Paris, which develops and produces content for Film and Television.
Cori Coppola – Writer and Producer – Cori Coppola is originally from Hollywood, California and part of a large, artistic and multi-talented family where creativity is both nurtured and encouraged. Now based just outside of Paris, Cori has lived in France for the past 19 years and has two children. Cori worked, both stateside and in France, as a visual effects coordinator and producer on feature films and commercials for high-profile, international clients. Cori is currently promoting her film, an authorized documentary about Pierre Cardin called “House of Cardin” as well as developing other high-profile documentary and fiction projects.
Maria de Medeiros – is an Actress, Director, Singer and Writer born in Lisbon. She spent her childhood in Vienna and had her first acting role at the age of 15 in the film Silvestre by João César Monteiro. She studied and acted in theatre and won the Gérard Philippe award in 1990. In 1994 she was in Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino, in 1990 in Philip Kaufman’s Henry and June playing Anais Nin across from Uma Thurman. The 4th film that she directed April Captains which was in the official selection at Cannes in Un Certain Regard. In 2003 she directed a documentary Je t’aime… moi non plus (2003) on the relationship between directors and film critics. She launched her first album A Little More Blue in 2007, she has launched a total of three albums. Medeiros is the first Portuguese woman to be designated a UNESCO Artist for Peace. Maria de Medeiros was awarded the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival for her performance in “Two Brothers, my sister” by Teresa Villaverde.
Rick Porras -Rick began his career working for Robert Zemeckis on films ranging from DEATH BECOMES HER to FORREST GUMP AND CONTACT. A lifelong fan of The Beatles, he worked on two music videos released during the Anthology series. Rick later became a Co-Producer and Second Unit Director on the LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY after working with Peter Jackson on THE FRIGHTENERS. In all, he has worked on productions that have garnered a total of twenty-four Oscars including two Best Picture Oscars.
Rick has helped develop independent filmmakers interested in socially conscious films and has worked as a story and drama consultant for Sony Interactive Europe, developing VR games as well as directing VR performance capture. Rick has lectured at USC Graduate School of Cinematic Arts, Stanford University, King’s College London and UC Santa Cruz.
Violeta Sanchez – Born and raised in Paris, acting was her first love. Along with acting for film and TV, she is a performer, model and muse. She made an appearance at the premiere of her first play, Succes wearing a Le Smoking tuxedo ordered from a tailor in the 8eme in Paris, both Saint Laurent and Helmut Newton were at the premiere and were enraptured by her. She continues to have the same effect on generations of creators from Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, Moschino. Alber Elbaz at Lanvin and was the muse for Helmut Newton, the illustrator Tony Viramontes, choreographer Guy De Cointet and Olivier Saillard. She has collaborated with the curator, Olivier Saillard on numerous occasions, the theatrical production, Models Never Talk was one of them.
Joanne Sawicki – is an award winning journalist, film maker, producer and executive producer with senior roles in News Corp, PBL Media, BSkyB, and BBC. She began her career as a fashion journalist for the Daily Mirror, Sydney Australia. She moved to London to produce Arts World, before joining the BBC. As Head News Features and Programme Development for Sky Television she was responsible for creating and commissioning thousands of hours of original content including the Book Show, Fashion TV and pilots for what is now the Sky Arts Channel. Joanne founded Channel Health- Europe’s first health website and television channel watched by 8million viewers a month. She sits on the board of French nutraceutical company Isocell that markets an anti-ageing nutritional supplement called Glisodin. Joanne is a strategic advisor to ethical fashion brands including Varana and Taylor & Thomas (vegan luxury shoes) and platform Aequem. She is an advisor to the Aegean Film Festival, Athens Fashion Film Festival and the Barnes Film Festival.
Cuba Tornado Scott – is an artist, an equestrian, model, director, Only by name (2020) and currently is working on directing her first feature film. Cuba is a descendent of Hollywood royalty; her parents are music video director Jake Scott and producer Rhea Scott her grandfather is Ridley Scott and her great uncle was the late Tony Scott. She was named for Mikhail Kalatozov’s documentary Soy Cuba.
Marine Serre – a French fashion designer, the youngest to win the LVMH Prize in 2017. She is known for her crescent moon motif – signature print infused sportswear and hybrid fashion. Her technologically-forward designs incorporate anti-pollution masks, regenerated garments and accessories. Prior to her interest in fashion her ambition was tennis. Serre attended La Cambre where she graduated with the highest honours in 2016 and After a string of affirming internships and jobs at Alexander McQueen, Maison Martin Margiela, Dior, and Balenciaga, Marine’s graduation collection, A Radical Call for Love was picked up by A Broken Arm in Paris, sold globally across Dover Street Market, SSENSE, H.Lorenzo, and other progressive retailers. The rest is history.
ABOUT ASVOFF
ASVOFF (A Shaded View on Fashion Film) is the world’s first film festival dedicated to fashion, style and beauty. Since its launch in 2008, ASVOFF has gained critical acclaim for encouraging both emerging and established artists to reconsider the way that fashion is presented and for challenging the conventional parameters of film. ASVOFF tours the globe with screenings at prestigious institutions and events like the Centre Pompidou, the Guggenheim, the Barbican, Art Basel Miami, CaixaForum Barcelona, the Franz Mayer Museum and the Cannes Film Festival in a host of creative capitals such as New York, London, Tokyo, Milan, Moscow and Mexico City. ASVOFF is not only a competition of short fashion, style and beauty films but also a travelling international event showcasing feature films, documentaries, conferences, performances and installations – making it a must-see on both the fashion calendar and the film circuit for its genre-bending and groundbreaking programme
ABOUT FNL NETWORK
Based in the beating heart of Los Angeles, California, the FNL Network (Fashion News Lifestyle Network) is proud to broadcast the exciting worlds of fashion, travel, beauty, health, and reality TV. True stories, spotlights on dynamic industry professionals, and original series made exclusively for the FNL Network transport the viewer’s couch straight to the catwalk. Insightful and incisive, the network’s programming remains on the cutting edge of trends and glamour, as its award-winning films, documentaries, and original titles stream by clicking this link HERE. www.FNLNetwork.com
ASVOFF ALUMNI
ASVOFF has brought together trailblazers and legendary figures such as Chris Cunningham, Tilda Swinton, Nick Knight, Erwin Olaf, Róisín Murphy, Nobuyoshi Araki, Steven Klein, Mike Figgis, Chloë Sevigny, Max Vadukul, Bruce Weber, Dita Von Teese, Ryan McGinley, Larry Clark, Serge Lutens, Steven Meisel, Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin, Charlize Theron, Lisa Eisner, Bettina Rheims, Anna Dello Russo, Mark Borthwick, Bip Ling, Ellen von Unwerth, Kristen McMenamy, Bryan Adams, Walter Pfeiffer, Rossy de Palma, Daphne Guinness, Yi Zhou, Cara Delevingne, Sean O’pry, Irina Shayk, Drew Barrymore, Jim Jarmusch, Edmonde Charles-Roux, Lara Stone, David Agbodji, Faye Dunaway and Ultra Violet as well as fashion heavyweights Chanel, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Comme des Garcons, Maison Martin Margiela, Lanvin, Stephen Jones, Gucci, Prada, Miu Miu, Dries Van Noten, Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Yohji Yamamoto, Rodarte, Charlie le Mindu, Gareth Pugh, Dior Homme, Haider Ackermann, Pierre Cardin, Armani, Opening Ceremony, Gieves & Hawkes, Terry de Havilland, Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf, House of Holland, Balmain, Undercover, Sergio Rossi, Agent Provocateur, Fabergé, Gianfranco Ferre, Manish Arora, Christian Dior, Christopher Raeburn, Diesel, Richard Nicoll, Cassette Playa, Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Iris van Herpen, Hussein Chalayan and Mr. Pearl. ASVOFF Global Champion Award Winners include: Loic Prigent, Ian Rogers, Kim Jones, Angelo Flaccavento, Federico Marchetti and Alessandro Michele.
ABOUT DIANE PERNET
Diane Pernet is a world-renowned fashion critic and video journalist based in Paris. Previously a photographer and fashion designer, she now acts as documentary filmmaker, talent scout and fashion blogger. Pernet was one of the earliest fashion journalists to embrace the power of the internet, first through a column in online editions of Elle and Vogue and later through her own site, A SHADED VIEW ON FASHION (www.asvof.com) which since its inception in 2005 has become a ‘must-read’ in fashion and creative industry circles. Pernet was recognised in 2008 for being a pioneer in digital media when she was chosen as one of three influential bloggers to take part in a panel celebrating a seminal fashion exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
As one of the most recognisable faces in fashion, she has also been captured on the other side of the movie camera through cameo appearances in Robert Altman’s film ‘Prêt-à-Porter’, Ben Stiller’s ‘Zoolander 2’ and in Roman Polanski’s ‘The Ninth Gate’. Pernet launched ASVOFF in 2008. As the founder of the world’s first film festival dedicated to fashion, style and beauty, she is widely considered to have incubated the ‘fashion film’ from its infancy to the popular genre that it has become today. “Diane has never ceased to amaze me with her amazing curiosity about things, her ability to synthesize arcane information and make it palatable for everyone else,” says Tim Blanks, editor-at-large for The Business of Fashion. “So actually, Diane is a conduit between now and what’s to come.”
Concept & idea: Saif Rahman Sozib
Contributor:
Diane Pernet, ASVOFF Founder & Director,
[email protected]
