Kino Guarimba Film Residency

A LITTLE INTRODUCTION

Kino Guarimba is an international film training program in the form of a twelve-day artistic residency in Calabria, the wildest region of Italy.

The ninth edition will take place in Amantea (CS) from the 10th to the 21st of June 2024. The program includes training activities, such as masterclasses of film production, sound, editing and distribution, and networking activities.

The project aims to create a multicultural community, composed of the participants, the team, and the people who live in Amantea, exploring the local culture and promoting its traditions and natural and architectural beauties.

Calabria is a melting pot of cultures from Ancient Greek to Modern Italian, including Arbërëshë, Albanese, Sub-Saharan African and Latin American cultures. In the region, you will find dialects, folk music and dances, catholic and pagan rituals, culinary expressions, the mountain, and the sea among farmers and fishermen.

KINO GUARIMBA

A 12 days Cinema Residency in southern Italy where a group of international creatives who don’t know each other get together to write, shoot, edit, and screen short films.

The program is structured in a first part dedicated to socialization, aggregation, and training activities, where participants can get to know each other, present their ideas and form working groups. Playful-pedagogical activities, workshops on different aspects of film production, and moments of knowledge and contact with the history and culture of Amantea are planned.
The second part of the program is dedicated to the making of short films: the work teams organize themselves to freely decide the structure and production times, in compliance with the rules of the residence.
On the last evening, we organize a public screening of all the shorts made during the residency, where we invite the participants and the locals.

The goal of the residency is not to create masterpieces, but to give the opportunity to the participants to live a community experience where they can grow, learn and discover new cultures.

Despite this, some films made during the past editions of Kino have also distinguished themselves outside the residency, being selected in international festivals and winning prizes: the film “Amantea”, made by the Dutch director Laura Hermanides on Kino Guarimba 2018 won the “Best Dutch Film” award at Da Bounce Urban Film Festival 2019 and the “Best Short Film” award at Elba Film Festival 2020; the film “La Torta”, made by the Australian filmmakers Gabrielle Gregoire and Olivia Lawson on Kino Guarimba 2019, has been finalist at Roma Short Film Festival 2021 and Paris International Short Film Festival 2021, winning the “Best Editing” award at FlickerFest International Short Film Festival 2021 and the “Best Experimental Short Film” award at Berlin Short Awards 2021; the documentary “Long Live The Panda”, made by the Dutch directors Bo van der Meer and Roswitha de Boer on Kino Guarimba 2020, won the “Best Documentary” award at Shortcutz Amsterdam 2022 and “Best Italian Film” award al Reale Film Festival 2021.

TO WHOM?

This call is open to anyone, Italians or foreigners, who has already turned 18 at the time of their submission.

We are on the lookout for filmmakers, technical crew, and actors willing to learn and interact with others, to get stuck in even when communication becomes complicated.

We are not only looking for experienced professionals but also students and people who are approaching the audiovisual world with enthusiasm and a desire to help.

THE PROCESS

Kino Guarimba’s educational approach is based on the nonformal pedagogical theories of Cooperative Learning and Montessori Education, based on sharing, independence and finding creative solutions to problems.

Participants’ training also involves sharing living spaces, equipment and the people they work with.

The production of projects made during the residency takes place in complete autonomy and creative freedom, according to the Montessori principles of empowerment through clear rules, freedom to choose, to make mistakes and to develop their own path in a natural and spontaneous way. Participants work as a team in a safe environment where they challenge themselves and collaborate with others in complete confidence.

We will offer masterclasses that condense knowledge and practical information on the basics of fundamental aspects of filmmaking. The masterclasses are designed for those who want to learn how to work on a new role. The residency tutors will guide participants on this path, without interfering with their personal process of learning and making mistakes.

Our residency is inspired on the Kino method, which promotes the non-competitive development of different projects, with the various teams working together to achieve common goals. This method invests more in the process than the results, to move away from the anxiety of delivering a finished product and to make people understand the importance of teamwork and learning. The role of our entire team is limited to coordination and logistics, and we will not replace production and filming organization, empowering participants and making them more independent.

RULES OF THE GAME

-All participants must go through a selection process that involves filling out a form and an interview with our team.

-Selected participants must arrive in Amantea on the 10th of June between 09:00 and 18:00.

-All shorts must have at least one outdoors shot in Amantea.

-The film must be shot in the town of Amantea.

-The maximum length of the film is 7 minutes. You are totally free to continue working on the personal project, after the Residency.

-All finished films must be handed in by 16:00 on the 21st with English and Italian subtitles.

-The apartments are available for the nights from the 10th to the 21st of June 2024 (included). You need to leave your room before 11 am on the 22nd.

-If you break it, you pay it. As in real life, you are responsible for your own actions.

-Office hours are sacred. Our team has the right to rest.

-Do your recycling. Take out the garbage bins every night.

-We will use a WhatsApp group during the days of the residency to communicate with the participants. Joining the group is mandatory.

-La Guarimba is a community of adults, not a summer camp. If you have a problem with somebody, talk to them. If you can’t solve the problem, come to us.

-Don’t commit to a project before you have arrived in Amantea. The script might sound amazing and the person too but wait until you meet everybody and get inspired by Calabria!

-Do not monopolize the equipment nor the organizational team. We are here to help and will try our best to satisfy your film needs, but we are not your production assistants. Remember: locals want to help you as well. Invest more time in building relationships, than demanding.

-Adapt and learn, don’t modify and impose. This is a growing experience. Amantea has a lot to offer to your personal trip. Don’t focus on what makes you uncomfortable about the locals but try to see what you can learn from them and their way of life.

APPLICATION

All applications must be submitted online by the 10th of April.

Your confirmation should happen before the 20th of April.

APPLY NOW

SELECTION

This is how the selection process work:

Form. Fill the form, we will read your application and contact you via email.
Interview. We will meet in a 15-minutes informal videocall on Zoom.
Selection. If you are selected, we will contact you again via email explaining all the next steps.
Confirmation. To confirm your place, you have to send us the participation fee.

There are 50 available spaces for participants which will be determined by a selection process based on portfolio, enthusiasm, and willingness to discover.

Don’t wait until the last day to send your application, because we usually fill all the places before.

Our main goal is to create a multicultural film community with professionals, students, and film enthusiasts. A community capable of engaging with the local population regardless of the language barrier. We use cinema as a tool to create an open society.

Candidates will receive confirmation of their application and information on the next steps via email.

PARTICIPATION FEES

-Participation fee + shared accommodation max 3 people per room (12 nights): €379

-Participation fee + private room (12 nights): €489

Important notes:

Participation fees must be paid after being selected and no later than the 20th of April.

The program does not cover travel expenses.

Each apartment is equipped with a kitchen and bathroom.

The apartments do not have air conditioning, nor WIFI.

WHAT DO YOU GET

-12 nights accommodation in an apartment in Amantea

-1 Welcome Dinner

-1 Speed Dating + Breakfast

-1 Social Lunch

-Bag

-Networking events with other participants

-A Masterclass on Short Film Distribution

-A Masterclass on Sound

-A Masterclass on Lighting

-An unforgettable experience

REFUND POLICY

In the event of a withdrawal of the participant who has already paid the registration fee, the organization can make a partial refund of € 150. The refund can only be made if the withdrawal is communicated within 30 days before the start of the residence and is caused by a valid reason.

INSURANCE

It is your responsibility to seek cover for yourself and your belongings. La Guarimba Cultural Association will not take responsibility for damage or loss of personal property before, during, or after KINO.

CREDITS

All films must include 5 seconds of the following text before the opening credits and after the closing credits:

Conceived, shot, and edited during
Kino Guarimba 2024

All films will have to include logos of partners and sponsors. These files will be supplied at the start of KINO.

LEGAL ASPECTS

-Filmmakers will have to ensure they secure rights for the use of music and the actor’s image and voice. We recommend using copyright.

-Free music. If the filmmaker decides to submit the film to festivals, it will be the filmmaker’s responsibility to ensure they have not infringed any law pertaining to intellectual property.

-By participating, directors take legal responsibility for their films.

-By participating, filmmakers give rights to La Guarimba to use the finished film for promotional activities, on the understanding that this use will not damage or interfere with any festival strategy previously agreed with the filmmaker. However, if the film gets an award, it will go to the filmmaker.

During the residency, a photographer and a videomaker from our team will take photos and videos of the activities. By participating in Kino Guarimba, participants consent to be captured in photos and/or videos, to the reproduction and publication by any technical means of their images for journalistic and institutional-promotional use of the activities related to the event.

Individual portraits will also be taken. In case you do not want to be filmed, we advise you not to take part in the residency.

INFORMATION

For further information, you can contact the organizers directly: via email info@cinemambulante.com

F.A.Q.

How many participants will there be?

The residency accepts a maximum of 50 participants per edition. You can tell your friends and colleagues about the project and invite them to apply. Take into consideration that the inhabitants of Amantea can also be part of your projects.

What kind of equipment do you provide?

We can lend lights, reflectors, sound recording kits, gears, and some laptops for editing. The rest is up to the participants to bring. Keep in mind that this experience values the idea and the learning process more than the equipment. We’re not a professional studio and we believe in the “doing more with less” philosophy.

I want to shoot a film, but I don't own a camera. Can I participate anyway?

Ideally, those who want to shoot their own film should bring their own camera, but you can also find a cinematographer to help you with your project and shoot it with theirs. In the past, some very good movies have been made with mobile phones.

Are you deciding the teams?

Not at all. We help all the participants to meet each other, based on their needs and talents. But you will have the last word on who you want to work with. We will organize a speed dating, a casting and a pitching session, allowing you to find the perfect team for your project.

How many projects will be made?

It depends on the participants, in each edition we have different numbers. If you are curious to know them in detail, you can read the reports of previous editions on our website.

Can I bring a friend/partner/colleague?

Those who want to participate in the project must go through the selection process. You will not be able to host external people in the apartment. If you know other people who might be interested, please share this call with them.

Can I apply with my friend/partner/colleague?

The entire selection process is made individually, including the interview. There may be a possibility that we will only select you, and not your friend/partner/colleague.

Should we arrive with a finished script?

It’s totally up to you. Some people prefer to come with an idea, some with a ready script, and others prefer to get inspired by Amantea and its wonders. We don’t have a particular preference. We do recommend you to come with an open mind. Remember that everything can change.

How many projects can I be part of?

We don’t have limits on this aspect. You can direct your own film and then help other participants to make their own. You can even make more than one film, if you want.

Does my film have to be a specific genre?

Nope. All formats and all genres are accepted. We only have something to say about the length of the film. Considering the tight schedule and the fact that on the last day we will be screening all the films, we ask you to make films under 7 minutes.

Can the films participate in La Guarimba?

As you might know, we also organise La Guarimba International Film Festival in August. This is a separated project from the residency.
In the past, we had screened a selection of short films from Kino in a non-competitive program of the festival. If you don’t want to be included, just let us know.

How much money will I spend for food?

If you know how to cook, you could go to the supermarket and with €50-70 be set for the entire residency.
If you prefer to go outside every day, you should calculate at least €25 per day to be completely safe, depending on what you eat.
Consider that a breakfast (cappuccino & croissant) cost around €2,50 and a meal can cost around €15-20. A pizza is around €7

I would like to come to Amantea some days before, can you host me?

If you want to come to Amantea (or Calabria) before, there’s no problem, but our apartments will be available only on the days indicated.

You can find your accommodation independently, and here are some suggestions:

B&B La Spagnola
B&B Villa Mariotta
A’Mantia Hotel
B&B U Casinu Da Scala (if you’re coming by car)

In alternative, you can look for a place on Airbnb or Booking.

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