WHAT'S THE DAMAGE by Heather Phillipson

47st International Film Festival Rotterdam

24 January- 4 February 2018

Rotterdam, 21 December 2017

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) presents the complete line-up of its Ammodo Tiger Short Competition, among which 14 world premieres. 22 films from all conceivable genres, from 18 different countries, and varying in length from 7 to 52 minutes, compete for 3 equal awards each worth €5,000. 

Several of the selected filmmakers this year also feature in other IFFR sections. The world premiere of The Worldly Cave is a new work by Chinese artist Zhou Tao, to whom IFFR also dedicates an artist profile in its Deep Focus section. In the world premiere of his film Glimpse, Polish artist Artur Żmijewski allows images of refugees speak for themselves; IFFR also presents a comprehensive retrospective on Żmijewski’s often thought-provoking films. Tree Identification for Beginners by Yto Barrada seamlessly connects with the PACT theme programme focusing on Pan-Africanism in cinema. And filmmaker Maryam Tafakory is represented with Absent Wound, but also screens a short film in IFFR’s Bright Future section.

Absent Wound (left), The Craft (right)

This year’s line-up seems decidedly politically engaged. Kuwaiti filmmaker Monira Al Qadiri combines childhood drawings, aliens and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in her imaginative The Craft. And British filmmaker Heather Phillipson takes on the patriarchy in her dazzling and provocative animated film WHAT'S THE DAMAGE.

The jury

The jury for the Ammodo Tiger Short Competition consists of Chinese filmmaker Ying Liang, Dutch graphic designer Mieke Gerritzen and Kenyan filmmaker Jim Chuchu, founder of The Nest Collective. IFFR’s Tiger Short Competition was recently renamed after its new partner Ammodo, an organisation supporting art and science; read all about it here. The awards will be presented on Sunday 28 January 2018.

More short films at IFFR

The Ammodo Tiger Short Competition isn’t the only place at IFFR to get your short film fix. The Bright Future Short and Voices Short programmes also contain a wide variety of short films. They are screened ahead of feature films, in short film compilations and in the annual short film marathon in KINO. A complete overview of short films at IFFR 2018 will be released later this week.

Full selection Ammodo Tiger Short Competition:

Absent Wound, Maryam Tafakory, 2017, Iran/UK, international premiere

Between Relating and Use, Nazlı Dinçel, 2018, Argentina/USA, world premiere

The Craft, Monira Al Qadiri, 2017, Kuwait, Lebanon

Dangerous on the Way, Mel O'Callaghan, 2018, Australia/Indonesia, world premiere

The Drift, Maeve Brennan, 2018, Lebanon/UK, world premiere

Eight Images from the Life of Nastya Sokolova, Alina Kotova/Vladlena Sandu, 2018, Russia, world premiere

Glimpse, Artur Żmijewski, 2018, Poland/Germany, world premiere

Interregnum, Adrian Paci, 2017, Albania

Je suis un monstre/I Am a Monster, Tanguy De Donder, 2017, Belgium, international premiere

Maskirovka, Tobias Zielony, 2018, Ukraine/Germany, world premiere

Mirage My Bros, Diogo Baldaia, 2017, Portugal, international premiere

Momentum 142310, Manuel Knapp, 2018, Austria/Japan, world premiere

more than everything, Rainer Kohlberger, 2018, Germany, world premiere

Mountain Plain Mountain, Araki Yu/Daniel Jacoby, 2018, Spain/Japan/Netherlands, world premiere

Outpost, Wim Catrysse, 2018, Belgium, world premiere

Painting with History in a Room Filled with People with Funny Names 4, Korakrit Arunanondchai, 2018 USA/Thailand/South Africa/UK, world premiere

The Remembered Film, Isabelle Tollenaere, 2018, Belgium, world premiere

Rose Gold, Sara Cwynar, 2017, USA, European premiere

Tree Identification for Beginners, Yto Barrada, 2018, USA, world premiere

View from Above, Hiwa K, 2018, Germany, world premiere

WHAT'S THE DAMAGE, Heather Phillipson, 2017, UK

The Worldly Cave, Zhou Tao, 2017, China, European premiere