THE EDUCATIONAL IMPACT ON THE PARTICIPANTS
This film residency follows the pedagogical methods as laid out by Non-Formal Education, Cooperative Learning and the Montessori School. These twelve days of conceiving, shooting and editing films are a compact and intensive learning journey. Therefore these teaching methods are used as they encourage collaboration, sharing resources and spaces, and it gives them freedom and agency over the creative process.
In the selection process, we aim to choose applicants with diverse artistic profiles, from directors, cinematographers, foley artists to editors. Each applicant has a different motivation for applying. Some want to try their hand at a new role, or practice a new skill, and Kino Guarimba provides the perfect opportunity for this creative experimentation. We choose applicants that are all in different points of their lives and their careers. Some are just beginning their studies or starting their career in film, some are seeking to reinvigorate their creative side, and others are looking for a respite from the demanding routine of a nine-to-five job. In Amantea, the participants have the chance to explore and reflect on their creative sides.
Before the filmmakers begin with their creative collaboration, we organise events for them to meet and socialise. From the Meet and Greet dinner, to their shared housing, this is key for making connections and establishing bonds with one another. Although some may have varying, and sometimes opposing, points of view we encourage the participants to open a dialogue and try to understand one another.
The focus of this film residency is on the process rather than the outcome. The goal is for the participants to take advantage of this opportunity to experiment, try out different roles and to allow their creativity to emerge. Making mistakes and learning from them is integral to this process, and we encourage the participants not to look at failure as a negative, but as an opportunity for learning and reflection.
THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
Amantea is a small town of 14,000 people on the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria in Southern Italy. This June forty-eight filmmakers arrived in our little town for Kino Guarimba, where we encouraged them to explore the town and its people. We want the film residents to engage with the locals, the places and stories Amantea has to offer, transforming the streets, squares, historic center and beaches into large open-air sets. It is important that they accept Amantea as their host, and do not form an isolated bubble in which to operate. By directly involving Amanteans in the making of their short films, they are not only empowering themselves as filmmakers, but they are helping to empower the community. The skills they hone in order to organise a production team, communicate with their local actors in Italian and create bonds with them, is something that the filmmakers will carry with them forever.
Throughout the Kino, Amantea undergoes the process of urban revitalization. The filmmakers explore the town and see beauty in it, transforming even abandoned and degraded locations into the backdrop of their films, inviting Amanteans to view their home in a different light. These places become active protagonists in their narratives and give new meaning to these locations.
Kino Guarimba helps to re-establish a connection between locals, culture and art through film. This creates a sense of belonging and pride in the community as people from all around the world come to Amantea for the experience of making a short film. This process allows the people of Amantea to see their town and their stories presented on the big screen.
The arrival of filmmakers from around the world allows for increased social and cultural capital of Amantea through the promotion of cultural and artistic diversity. During the 12 day residency, Amanteans share their home with the filmmakers; some of them actors while some open their businesses for filming.
American director Ayana Francois invited young Venezuelan-Italian singer/rapper Vincenzo to record an original song for her film Passport.
