300 performances, almost 100 films from four continents, among others: Andy Warhol's and Paul Morrissey's films. In the Cracow cinema "Kijow" finished yesterday the I International Festival of the Independent Film "Off Camera".

The jury under the leadership of Zbigniew Preisner chose out of twelve competitive films an American production "Momma's Man". Its director Azazel Jackobs received the Cracow Film Award - 100 thousand Euro endowed by the president of Cracow. The journalists' award went to Aleks Holdridge for "In search of a Midnight Kiss".

"A large-scale event" and "independent cinema" seem an unlikely combination. But still – quite possible! At the beginning of October, the International Independent Cinema Festival, "Off Camera 2008", held as part of the "6 senses" project. It was certainly an impressive cinematographic event, due both to its monumentality and diversity.

The winner was selected by a panel of judges presided over by Zbigniew Preisner, a Polish composer of scores to movies such as The Decalogue and The Double Life of Veronique directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski. The other jury members were Hector Babenco (director; Pixote, Kiss of the Spider Woman), Michael Almereyda (film and TV director; Twister, Another Girl Another Planet), Petr Zelenka (Czech playwright, director and screenwriter; Buttoners, Loners), and Bahman Ghobadi (Iranian director, screenwriter, actor and movie producer; A Time for Drunken Horses).

The festival events also included "Take and Roll," a competition for movies made with cell phones, open to all amateur filmmakers.

Alongside movies, Off Camera abounded in concerts, meetings and lectures on the history of cinema. Among special guests invited by the organizers was Drag Queen Holly Woodlawn, the internationally famous muse of Andy Warhol.

www.offcamera.com.pl

Ich dachte ich kenne dieses Lied. Ich dachte es sei ein kitschiger Klampfensong, von Jugendlichen an allen Lagerfeuern der Welt, die drei Akkorde und eine akustische Gitarre ihr Eigen nennen, bis zum Erbrechen zum Besten gegeben.

Da kommt Nina Simone und treibt am Klavier ihre Band hart und unerbittlich vor sich her, singt mit leerer kalter Stimme und eben solchem Gesicht, so dass einem eisige Schauer über den Rücken laufen. Und man hört den Text wie zum ersten Mal und begreift ihn. Simone steigert das Tempo und den Puls des Liedes bis es einen hypnotischen Rhythmus bekommt, keuchend im Kreis rennt, stolpert und taumelt.

Deswegen vermutlich hat der Regisseur Michael Almereyda den Trailer seines neuen Films New Orleans Mon Amour, der im kaputten New Orleans nach Katrina spielt, mit Nina Simones Version des Folksongs The House of the Rising Sun unterlegt.