FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press contacts: MUSE Film and Television – Cathy Price; 212-688-8280; [email protected] AIA New York/The Center for Architecture – Daniel Fox; 212-358-611 4; [email protected]
MUSE Film and Television and the Center for Architecture, in collaboration with the Montreal International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA), Present Architecture on Screen, March 1-2, 2013
New York, NY — On March 1 and 2, MUSE Film and Television and the Center for Architecture will present a program of selections from the Montreal International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA). This popular event has become a prominent feature on the winter calendar of New York cultural activities.
Karl Katz, director of MUSE, observed that “Architecture and cinematography are perfect partners. The camera's lens allows us to see spaces and perspectives that the naked eye cannot always see. We are delighted that our partnership with FIFA and the Center for Architecture makes it possible for New York audiences to see these productions.” Rick Bell, AIA New York executive director, noted that “The Center for Architecture is a place for international exchange of ideas about design and urbanism. This year’s AIANY presidential theme is “Global City, Global Practice.” The Architecture on Screen FIFA selections reflect this global perspective.”
The program features films about master architects of the 20th century, as well as contemporary architects. The untold story of German-born architect Erich Mendelsohn is revealed in Duki Dror’s Mendelsohn’s Incessant Visions, which opens the program on Friday, March 1. In tribute to legendary Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who died in 2012 at the age of 104, Marc-Henri Wajnberg’s prize-winning 2000 documentary, Oscar Niemeyer, An Architect Committed to His Century, will be shown on Saturday, March 2. Also on Saturday, Finnish director Rax Rinnekangas will be present to introduce two films from his series of studies of houses: Luis Barragán’s Casa Estudio and Alvar Aalto’s Villa Mairea.
The Saturday program opens with a screening of Colouring Light: Brian Clarke—An Artist Apart, a profile of the British stained-glass artist who has collaborated with many noted international architects. The documentary was awarded the Liliane Stewart Award for Design Arts, sponsored by the MacDonald Stewart Foundation, at the 2012 FIFA.
Contemporary architects and their works are documented in profiles of Robert A.M. Stern’s 15 Central Park West apartment building, directed by Tom Piper, and British architect David Chipperfield’s master plan for Pisa, by Michael Blackwood. Both filmmakers will be present on Friday, March 1, to introduce and discuss their films. Pierre Maillard’s Interior Landscape, also shown on Friday, documents the design and building of the Rolex Learning Center in Lausanne, by SANAA architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa. On Saturday, Jean-Louis Cohen will introduce Christian de Portzamparc: An Architect in Movement, directed by Daniel Ablin.
To register for the programs, go to www.aiany.org/calendar. Admission is $10 for AIA members, $15 for non-members. Complimentary press passes are available with RSVP; please email [email protected], or call 212-358-6114.
A complete schedule is attached below.
Sponsoring Organizations:
The Montreal FIFA has earned international acclaim as the premiere film festival for the arts. Taking place over ten days in March 2012, the 30th FIFA attracted more than 35,000 visitors. Following the Montreal showings, the award-winning festival entries tour to other cities in Canada and abroad. The 31st FIFA will take place March 14-24, 2013. For more information: www.artfifa.com.
MUSE Film and Television is a leading nonprofit company dedicated to creating films on art and culture. Founded in 1992, MUSE’s mission is based on the belief that film is one of the most important ways to appreciate and understand art. Many MUSE productions have been included in the FIFA over the years. For more information: www.musefilm.org.
The Center for Architecture is home to the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter and the Center for Architecture Foundation, vibrant nonprofit organizations that provide resources to both the public and building industry professionals. Through exhibitions, programs, and special events, the Center aims to improve the quality and sustainability of the built environment, foster exchange between the design, construction, and real estate communities, and encourage collaborations across the city and globe. For more information: www.aiany.org.
The ARCHITECTURE ON SCREEN: FIFA IN NEW YORK series gratefully acknowledges the support of the Québec Government Office in New York, the Consulate General of Finland, and the Consulate General of Switzerland.
MUSE Film and Television and the Center for Architecture present ARCHITECTURE ON SCREEN Selections from the 30th Montreal International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA)
Friday, March 1, 2013
2:30 Mendelsohn’s Incessant Visions Director: Duki Dror (Israel) 71 min. / 2011 / English, German, Hebrew, Polish; English subtitles
3:45 Interior Landscape (Rolex Learning Center at the École Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne) Director: Pierre Maillard (Switzerland) 82 min. / 2010 / French, English, Japanese; English subtitles
5:15 Reception (Sponsored by the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York)
6:00 * Robert A.M. Stern: 15 Central Park West and the History of the New York Apartment House Director: Tom Piper (USA) 24 min. / 2011 / English
7:00 * David Chipperfield: Form Matters Director: Michael Blackwood (USA) 58 min. / 2011 / English
Saturday, March 2, 2013
1:00 Colouring Light: Brian Clarke--An Artist Apart Director: Mark Kidel (U.K., Netherlands) 58 min. / 2011 / English, French, German; English subtitles Liliane Stewart Award for Design Arts, sponsored by the MacDonald Stewart Foundation
2:15 Oscar Niemeyer, an architect committed to his century Director: Marc-Henri Wajnberg (Belgium) 60 min. / 2000 / Portuguese, French; English subtitles Grand Prize at the 19th FIFA in 2001
3:15 Christian de Portzamparc, an architect in movement Director: Daniel Ablin (France) 52 min. / 2010 / French, English; English subtitles
4:45 * Casa Estudio / Luis Barragán Director: Rax Rinnekangas (Finland) 60 min. / 2010 / Finnish; English subtitles
6:00 Reception (Sponsored by the Consulate General of Finland in New York)
7:00 * Villa Mairea / Alvar Aalto Director: Rax Rinnekangas (Finland) 50 min. / 2009 / Finnish; English subtitles
* = Filmmaker present