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Antimatter 2021 media festival a hybrid model

More than 120 films to be presented
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The 24th edition of the esteemed Canadian media arts festival Antimatter will continue with a hybrid model of presentation in 2021.

From October 14 to 24, Antimatter will present more than 120 films in 20 curated programs on screen, as well as installations in public spaces and online. Hailing from 30-plus countries, 70 per cent of festival offerings are world, North American or Canadian premieres.

“Antimatter has always enjoyed receiving work from new artists internationally, and functions as an incubator for distributors worldwide,”according to festival director Todd Eacrett.“The response from a new international audience in 2020, especially programmers and curators, was heartening and inspiring, providing us with a genuine connection to the experimental media world from outside our region and transcending the limitations of the pandemic. The intimate nature of limited-seating, in-person screenings at Deluge Contemporary Art (636 Yates Street) proved a popular option for local film fans. Once again, IRL screenings will run nightly at Deluge with advance online ticket purchase, followed by 24 hours of free unlimited streaming access to each program. In 2021, this binary approach will continue grow our viewership as well as offer a safe and optimal viewing experience to local audiences. Ultimately, we have a duty to the artists making this work to present it in the way they envisioned—on an actual screen in shared public space. We have also redesigned and launched a new website to support our online programming platform.”

Dedicated to the exhibition and nurturing of diverse forms of media art, Antimatter is one of the premier showcases of experimentation in film, video, audio and emerging time-based forms. Encompassing screenings, installations, performances and media hybrids, Antimatter offers local, regional and international artists a noncompetitive festival setting committed to diversity and inclusivity, free from commercial and industry agendas.

Public installations this year include Generative Architecture (Colton Hash) at Legacy Gallery, TIMEQUAKE (2.0) (Tabor Tabori) at Ministry of Casual Living’s Window Gallery, Protest Etiquette (Adán De La Garza) in the Deluge transom window and Dreaming in Aspect Ratio (Gwen Foster) in the Deluge entry foyer.

Installations and online programs are free or by donation. The complete schedule and festival program guide is available online and throughout Greater Victoria starting October 1.