International Video Creation Festival: CLOSE UP VALLARTA 2011

By Deborah Buley

3… 2 …1 … ACTION!

The Oscars might be but a distant memory and Cannes still a few weeks away but Vallarta film aficionados are getting ready for their own celluloid celebrations: CLOSE UP VALLARTA 2011. The brainchild of Angel Delgado, a renowned Cuban artists and curator living in Puerto Vallarta, CLOSE UP VALLARTA is set to bring a whole new dimension to our appreciation of moving image. It is the first international video creation festival of its kind to take place in Bahia de Banderas, and one that will not be forgotten in a hurry. So what can we expect from a video creation festival?

Unlike the Oscars, a video creation festival is more concerned with video art than full-length movies per se and the festival categories cover expertise such as video art, video performance, experimental shorts and dance, with most videos in the festival selection lasting between two and six minutes.

However, just like the Oscars, CLOSE UP VALLARTA will be awarding prizes for the best videos within each category, having an expert panel of judges casting their votes on the submissions of local, national and international contestants.

Projections in Teatro Vallarta
During the festival, videos of participating video artists, alongside invited national and international artists, will be projected for the public in Teatro Vallarta from 8pm on April 25 and 26, where tickets will cost just 60pesos. Each night will have a different selection of videos, while the closing ceremony will announce the winners for each category.

Free Events
In addition to the presentations in Teatro Vallarta, there are numerous free events in the festival program, such as the exhibition opening of artist Rubén Ortiz Torres in Haus der Kunst proyectos gallery on Sunday April 24, projections in the theater’s gallery and a comprehensive program of conferences taking place in the Centro Cultural Cuale on April 25 and 26. The conferences will be led by national and international experts in the field of video art creation. (See festival program below)

For more information please contact Angel Delgado, director of CLOSE UP VALLARTA Tel: (322) 2220325 • closeupvallarta@yahoo.com • www.closeupvallarta.com Be part of the first international video creation festival, be part of CLOSE UP VALLARTA 2011.

Program of Events
Sunday April 24
8:00pm
Exhibition opening of artist Rubén Ortiz: Como T.V.? Curated by Pilar Pérez at Haus der Kunst proyectos gallery, Guerrero 339, Col. Centro. Tel: (322) 2222662
Projection of video art: El Caminante by artist Miguel Pérez on the outside wall of El Patio de mi Casa restaurant.

Monday April 25
10:00am – 2:00pm
Centro Cultural Cuale Auditorium (Free Entry)
Lectures by national and international artists, art critics and curators related to video art.
4:30pm – 6:00pm
Centro Cultural Cuale Auditorium (Free Entry)
Presentation of videos and documentaries by invited national and international artists.
6:30pm – 7:50pm
Teatro Vallarta Gallery (Free Entry)
Make Up, a documentary by Pavel Cortés
8:00pm – 10:30pm
Teatro Vallarta Auditorium (60pesos)
Opening Ceremony
Presentation of videos by internationally recognized invited artists. Projections of videos by artists participating in the contest.
11:00 pm
BarAMERICAS, Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez 157 Col. Centro. Tel: (322) 222-0993
Festival Opening Party.

Tuesday April 26
10:00am – 2:00pm
Centro Cultural Cuale Auditorium (Free Entry)
Lectures by national and international artists, art critics and curators related to video art.
4:30pm – 6:00pm
Centro Cultural Cuale Auditorium (Free Entry)
Presentation of videos and documentaries by invited national and international artists.
6.30pm – 7:30pm
Teatro Vallarta Gallery (Free Entry)
Selection of videos from video dance festivals in New York.
Presentation of selected videos from the STROBE video festival, Amposta, Spain.
8:00pm – 10:30 pm
Teatro Vallarta Auditorium (60pesos)
Projections of videos by artists participating in the contest.
Awards and closing ceremony
11:00pm
Bodeguita del Medio, Paseo Díaz Ordaz 858-A, Col. Centro, Tel: (322) 222-31584

Festival closing party.
For more information please contact Angel Delgado, director of

CLOSE UP VALLARTA
Tel: (322) 2220325
closeupvallarta@yahoo.com
www.closeupvallarta.com