Dutch Film and Panel Sessions @ SXSW 2018

During the SXSW 2018 Film Festival in Austin, TX, the Netherlands will be represented with a music video, a film and IDFA panel sessions. Thessa Meijer‘s music video “Sue the Night – ‘Mind Dear'” was nominated for the SXSW Film Awards, which will take place on March 13. “More Human Than Human”, a film co-directed by Femke Wolting, will be screened three times at Alamo Lamar. Finally, the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) will host an IDFA DocLab and a mentor session. For a complete overview of SXSW films, check out the Film Lineup.

“More Human Than Human” by Femke Wolting

“More Human Than Human” explores what it means to live in the age of intelligent machines. In this personal, playful and at times dramatic quest, the filmmaker finds out how much of his creativity and human values are at stake as he builds his own robot to replace himself as a filmmaker. More than just an exposé on the pros and cons of new technology, the filmmaker’s journey takes him to the world’s leading AI experts and robot pioneers confronting them with existential questions such as: will AI, infinitely smarter, interconnected and possibly self-aware, render humanity obsolete?

About Femke Wolting

Femke Wolting is managing director of Submarine, an independent film and interactive production company, spanning feature films, television series and animation productions. Together with Bruno Felix and Tommy Pallotta she also founded a sister company in Los Angeles, SubLA.

IDFA DocLab: How to Dance or Die with Technology

As tech addiction is disrupting the human condition, interactive art has become more than just mesmerizing and cool. But could it also disrupt our own behavior and help us redefine our relation to technology? The 10th annual IDFA DocLab Showcase at SXSW invites you to find out, by playing, dancing and dying together with technology.

Bring your smartphone and join co-founder of innovation studio LavaLab Klasien van de Zandschulp for a physical round of DuoDisco dancing (don’t forget your headphones!), and hear the crazy story of digital surveillance artist Dries Depoorter and his latest work “Die With Me”. Created with David Suprenant and presented with IDFA DocLab, “Die With Me” is a chatroom app for people with less than 5% battery life. Launched in January, as tech was once again proclaimed ‘the new smoking’, this interactive artwork has become one of the biggest viral hits of 2018 so far. This session is moderated by Ingrid Kopp (Electric South) and Yorinde Segal (IDFA), curated by IDFA DocLab, the New Media program of the International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam.

Mentor Session With Jasper Hokken

Films are finding success abroad today – how do you make your film viable abroad, find the right distributor and capitalize on International markets? Jasper Hokken is a jr. programmer at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and curator for IDFA’s Music Documentary section and Short Documentary Competition. He also runs the festival’s online video-on-demand collection, which currently offers a curated online catalogue of around 650 documentaries that previously screened at the festival. Before Hokken started working at IDFA in 2011 he studied Media & Culture Studies at University of Amsterdam. In 2012 he got his Master’s degree in Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image, specializing in online distribution.

“Sue the Night – ‘Mind Dear'” by Thessa Meijer

While nervous owners and strict judges are doing their utmost at a dog show, the dogs themselves teach us how to deal with life’s ups and downs. Before the big winner is even announced, the dogs lose interest: “Never mind dear, it comes and goes”. Sue the Night is the stage moniker of Dutch artist Suus de Groot. The sultry sound of Sue’s melodies is guaranteed to get you hooked to its spiralling layers of melancholy with a shimmering feel-good summer vibe. Since the release of debut album “Mosaic” (2015) the six-piece band has been on a ride. With the release of the successful second album “Wanderland” (2017), Sue the Night has created her signature sound and crystalized it on the spot.

Agenda

March 10, 1:45pm – 3:03pm | “More Human Than Human” with Femke Wolting | Vimeo Theater

March 10, 3:30pm – 4:45pm | Mentor Session with Jasper Hokken | Stephen F Austin (Ballroom A)

March 11, 6pm – 7:29pm | “Sue the Night – ‘Mind Dear'” with Thessa Meijer and Sue the Night | Alamo Lamar (Alamo Lamar E)

March 12, 11am – 12:29pm | “Sue the Night – ‘Mind Dear'” | Alamo Lamar (Alamo Lamar D)

March 12, 4pm – 5:18pm | “More Human Than Human” | Alamo Lamar (Alamo Lamar D)

March 13, 8pm – 9:30pm | SXSW 2018 Film Awards | Paramount Theatre

Mar 14, 3:30pm – 4:30pm | IDFA DocLab: How to Dance or Die with Technology with Dries Depoorter, Ingrid Kopp, Yorinde Segal and Klasien van de Zandschulp | Austin Convention Center (Room 6AB)

March 15, 6pm – 7:18pm | “More Human Than Human” | Alamo Lamar (Alamo Lamar A)

Mar 17, 11am – 12:29pm | “Sue the Night – ‘Mind Dear'” | Alamo Lamar (Alamo Lamar A)