Sprouts Film Festival is back! After a successful launch in June of last year we are returning for our 2nd edition May 10-14 with a program that is bigger, greener and more diverse than our inaugural edition; we added a new Ekodis Eco Shorts Program, there is a wider variety of side programming on offer and we managed to bring in a larger amount of Dutch premieres. Check out our complete film and side program in our festival booklet right here.
Everyday our lives are flooded by crises, not least of all a seemingly ever-growing climate crisis. It is therefore no surprise that Dutch society has seen a proliferation of protests. Sprouts wants to make the cinema a site of protest by addressing these crises at hand through fiction film, because the power of the imagination can help us battle polarization and foresee effective ways of living together harmoniously with one another and the more-than-human world.
French philosopher Gaston Bachelard wrote of our imagination as being botanical. Like a rooted tree that can connect the sky and the earth, the real and the dreamed. At Sprouts we could not agree more. Fiction makes up our festival DNA. That many of our selected eco films are also first works attests to the importance felt by a new generation of filmmakers to better take care of what we have. Sprouts wishes to nurture these brave trailblazers. We hope that you too will give them your full support these coming five days.
SproutsFF23 showcases cinema of the future by focusing on two fiction feature film competitions.
Firstly, our Eco Competition consists of works with a strong environmental focus. As young adults we find it hard to accept how slow the fight against climate change is progressing. It is through ecocinema that we hope to strengthen our voices and motivate people to start acting now. The following six films are competing in the Eco Competition:
Secondly, our Debut Competition is made up of first works that have a strong socio-political message at their core. As students and aspiring system changers we know how difficult it can be to get your foot in the door. Through presenting fresh and unreleased gems to Amsterdam’s international audience we hope to help further kickstart new talent. The following six films are competing in the Debut Competition:
All the Colours of the World Are Between Black and White
The different starting points of these competitions converge at our new Eco Shorts Program. Many of the loudest eco-conscious voices start with limited financial means and exposure. We feel compelled to get their efforts out there:
Additionally, there are several out of competition films that are also included in this year’s edition of Sprouts. These films are:
How to Blow Up a Pipeline (closing film)
– Jury Award: Eco Competition
– Jury Award: Debut Competition
– Ekodis Jury Award: Eco Shorts Program
– Audience Award
