LOW-FI VIDEO festival (1997-1999)

This project was started with the idea and need to imbue cinema amateurism in Serbia with a new life. Since the non-professionals here, under the existing circumstances, do not have the opportunity to record their work on the film tape, and since video technology advances daily, LOW-FI VIDEO project is designed to be a stimulus to all the interested to use their video cameras in a creative way. Although the LOW-FI VIDEO project is primarily concerned with the works recorded on the video tape, this project does not deal especially with video art, but is primarily specialized for short feature and documentary films, shot in non-professional and semi-professional conditions. Besides, LOW-FI VIDEO project is especially interested in trash, low-budget and B-production film. During the first two years of its existence, LOW-FI VIDEO project operated in Belgrade’s Cinema REX. It organized monthly video programme, screening domestic and foreign short films. Encouraging young domestic authors to expose their film work on these screenings, LOW-FI VIDEO soon moved on to support them by providing production services. By spring 1998 LOW-FI VIDEO project has already been organizing host screenings in all major towns of Serbia. In summer 1998, it effected a cooperation with Subotica’s KLJUN to help organize The Yugoslav Cheap Film Festival. After the work of Cinema REX was discontinued in March 1999, LOW-FI VIDEO has organized screenings at various Belgrade locations. LOW-FI VIDEO programmes have so far shown 278 films by more than hundred domestic authors.