2ANNAS FORUM 2024: EXPLORING THE MAZE OF CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGH CREATIVITY, AI, AND NOSTALGIA

On Monday (08.04.), the Riga International Short Film Festival 2ANNAS Industry Days program, 2ANNAS FORUM: In the Maze of Consciousness, will begin. This year’s events will focus on the topics of mind, memory and the subconscious. All events are free of charge and open to everyone.

As every year, the Industry Days program aims to stimulate discussions among industry professionals on current affairs within the field, while also offering the broader public a glimpse into the inner workings of the film sector. This year, with artificial intelligence (AI) as one of the focus themes, we invite visitors not to be mere spectators but to actively participate by creating their own short film scripts in collaboration with AI via the interactive installation "AI Odyssey."

Installation creator Jurgis Peters explains, "The interactive installation was created as a homage to the iconic black monolith featured in director Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey. In the movie, a monolith placed on Earth by an ancient civilization serves as the catalyst of the evolutionary process. Similarly, today AI is often perceived as a catalyst for further human advancement, the direction of which remains uncertain. This installation prompts contemplation on authorship and human creativity, particularly as generative AI increasingly encroaches on various creative domains." The art installation will be unveiled to the public on Monday (08.04.) at 18.00 and will be available to all visitors of the Kaņepes Kultūras centrs until the end of the festival.

On Tuesday (09.04.) the lecture "In the Maze of Consciousness: Film as a Dream" will take place (17.00, Kaņepes Kultūras centrs), where anyone interested will be able to gain insights into the significance of dreams and symbols in visual storytelling within the framework of film theory. The lecture will be conducted in English by Czech film theorist and professor Tereza Hadravová.

On Wednesday (10.04.), we invite all those interested to the discussion "In the Maze of Consciousness: AI - Augmenting Creativity or Diminishing Originality?" (16.00, Kino Bize) where we will explore perspectives and limitations for the practical application of AI in creative work. 

Participating in the discussion are: Alina Manolache (Romania), film director; Pablo Nuñez Palma (Netherlands), artist; Niels Putman (Belgium), film critic and the chief editor of the online short film magazines Kortfilm.be and Talking Shorts; Antanas Skučas (Lithuania), film director and animator.

The discussion will be held in English and will be moderated by German screenwriter and producer Nira Bozkurt.

Following the discussion we invite you to stay for another engaging event. Starting at 18.00, at the same venue (Kino Bize), there will be a short film screening titled "In the Maze of Consciousness: Algorithmic Visions." For this showcase, we wanted to test the limits of AI's capabilities by asking it to curate a selection of the most interesting European short films of the last decade. We invite you to evaluate how artificial intelligence has tackled the given task and whether it has developed preferences in film.

For those seeking insights into making a successful short film, join us for a presentation "Navingating the Short Film Industry: Talent Building Opportunities" on Thursday (11.04.) at 14.30 at the National Film School of the Latvian Academy of Culture. The presentation will be held in Latvian and in English.

On Thursday (11.04.), join us for the discussion "In the Maze of Consciousness: Cinema, Memory and the 90s" (19.30, Kaņepes Kultūras centrs). The 1990s in Latvia marked a period of significant political, social, and artistic change. During our discussion, we will explore the characteristics of this era, reflect on how the films we watched as children influenced our identities, examine the enduring prevalence of 90s nostalgia, and consider whether a collective memory was established during this time. The discussion will be held in Latvian and led by director Jānis Ābele.

Later in the evening, at 21.30 (Kaņepes Kultūras centrs), join us for a nostalgic journey back to the 90s at the "Tape Art 90s" disco with DJ Roberts Gobziņš. 

2ANNAS Industry Days are organised with the support of the National Film Centre and the Creative Europe MEDIA Desk in Latvia.