[artinfo] EMAF 2009 award goes to Istvan Kantor

[anna balint]

Ladies and Gentrification,

we are happy to announce that
(The Never Ending) OPERETTA, video, 35min, 2008,
lived and captured by ISTVAN KANTOR,
won the EMAF 2009 Award at the European Media Art Festival in Germany.
The award ceremony took place on april 25th in Osnabrueck, at 8pm,
with Kantor's participation via Skype from Toronto.

Produced in Toronto in 2007, Kantor's autobiographical semi-fiction
comments on socio-political resistance in the age
of gentrification and broadcast imperialism.

http://www.emaf.de/
www.istvankantor.com

EMAF-Award für eine richtungsweisende Arbeit in der Medienkunst
Jury: Sophie Ernst, Christine Rüffert, Shinsuke Ina
Istvan Kantor: "(The Never Ending) Operetta"

“Nothing happened to me by chance, I was shaped by the experience”.  
This sentence is the reoccurring motto of Istvan Kantor in his film  
“(The Never Ending) Operetta”. In his personal Operetta he takes up  
the problem of the housing situation in Toronto. By recounting  
episodes from his life Kantor addresses a global phenomenon in the  
beginning of the 21st century. We consider the work exceptional  
because it shows a high command of using different audiovisual  
languages and aesthetics. The powerful impact the references to  
Hollywood, Kino Pravda, propaganda film, and underground cinema, have  
in the film derives from his personal involvement. What sets the work  
apart from others is its roughness and aggression and at the same time  
sensitivity. This allows for an intimate view without being  
exhibitionist that makes it authentic and convincing. Kantors own  
Tongue-in-cheek performance makes this a highly entertaining musical;  
we therefore give the EMAF award 2009 to “(The Never Ending) Operetta”.