The collateral competition CINIT Music Video Competition, organized in collaboration with CINIT – Cineforum Italiano, reaches its eighth edition this year, presenting a selection of the best music videos made by students of universities and film schools from all over the world. There are ten finalists selected, representing as many countries. The winner will be chosen by a jury of professionals composed of the producer and director Giovanni Bedeschi, the journalist Alice D’Este and the member of the CINIT board Giordano Giordani. The competition represents a unique opportunity to admire on the big screen works conceived for private reproduction, demonstrating how cinema can also be put at the service of music.
directors: Maria Gost
Russia, 3’28
Wordshop Academy
Synopsis: A girl assembles a still life of objects in a bright room. After completing the composition, she enters a gloomy ceramics workshop and steals a figurine. On the way, the protagonist meets strange characters, hides the stolen figurine and escapes obstacles. Then she gets into a bright red car and goes into a forest, where she will bury the figurine in the ground and end her journey.
Profiles: Maria, 25, was born in Moscow, she wondered about the eternal and observed with interest those around her with a camera in their hands. Her first education was as a graphic designer. After practicing the profession for several years, he decided to dedicate himself to photography at a professional level. After the experience with static shooting, he began to study short film directing to bring his stories to life. He tried to study the problems of anxiety and how people can't take the first step.
Directed by: Angelo Chiacchio, Walter Molfese
Italy, 4'45
La Sapienza
Synopsis: A musical and visual postcard of Basilicata, it depicts the heart of this land revealing landscapes, faces, local characters and villages off the radar with a fresh, honest and ironic approach, enriched by a funky and catchy soundtrack.
Profiles: The authors come from Southern Italy. Their music is influenced by many different sounds and styles: funk, rock, electronic, trip hop, psychedelia and 80s sounds. In 2009 they released their first album Rural Chic Revolution. Numerous reviews define it as one of the best debuts of Italian hip hop. In 2013 they return with their second album TrogloDigital. In 2016 they start a new music, a project inspired by travel, the Travel Experiment. This project reaches more than 1 million plays. Thanks to these albums and singles they have toured Italy and brought their music around the peninsula and beyond. They released the EP Travel Experiment in July 2021 and their new single Basilicata in July 2023.
Director: Jiajing Yin, 2’14
China/Japan
Tama Art University
Synopsis: The one who was born from chaos and abandoned chaos. Trying to create a safe planet for freedom and peace.
Profiles: Jiajing Yin /Marskasei was born in 1998, currently resides and works in Tokyo, Japan. Previously employed as a novice animator at Bandai Namco Studios. He is also an independent animator and illustrator. Through his artwork, he aims to convey a fantastic visual experience and express his imagination about space exploration.
Director: Aspen Chalusian
UK, 2’48
University of Hertfordshire
Synopsis: This music video, By Some Miracle by Philip Selway is a visual retelling of the ancient Greek myth of the unpredictable Theumesian fox and the inevitable Hound of Artemis. Amphitryon has placed the Hound on the fox after Dionysus sends it to terrorize the Greek city of Thebes. Stuck in a paradox, the two collide until Zeus hurls them into the sky, where they become constellations.
Profiles: He studied 2D Computer Animation at the University of Hertfordshire, which made him realise that his future career was to be an animator and that he really enjoyed responding to music as a visual artist. His final year film, By Some Miracle, was a fictional recreation of a song by Philip Selway, a member of Radiohead, who was kind enough to allow it to be used in his film. After graduating he started working as an animator in a large graphics studio, making animated commercials where he takes other people's static ideas and brings them to life.
Director: Çağla Irmak Badem
Turkey, 6’49
Ozyegin University
Synopsis: An experimental documentary about the impressions of encounters in Kadıköy, Istanbul.
Profiles: Çağla Irmak Badem was born (1999) and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. She recently graduated with honors in Communication Design from the Faculty of Architecture and Faculty of Design of Ozyegin University. She is interested in media arts, design and cinema. Believing in the deep connection between images ini and music, she is passionate about documenting and transmitting aspects of life by intertwining visual narratives with the emotional power of music. In 2022, her animation project Hawaii Upside Down, was successfully screened at several film festivals around the world.
Directed by: Valeria Alzate
Colombia, 4’44
Andean Area University Foundation
Synopsis: Camila wakes up in her bed in a calm river. Following a path, she comes across a mysterious door. When she crosses it, she finds herself immersed in a film in which her loved ones act without recognizing her. Collecting objects that remind her of home, Camila repeats this journey through different cinematic worlds. After exploring each film and collecting the objects, she leaves the doors with a collection of memories. Upon returning home, Camila carefully reconstructs her house, step by step, starting from the objects she collected.
Profiles: Valeria Alzate Rivera, 21 years old. She is currently in her final year of Audiovisual and Digital Communication in Pereira, Risaralda. During her university career, she participated in several projects as an artistic director, director of photography and editor. Since she was a child, she had an attraction for the world of cinema and the possibility of telling stories and arousing emotions in the audience has always fascinated her. She has already had the opportunity to work in television commercials and advertising campaigns, working as an artistic assistant.
Directed by: Santiago Vitale
Argentina, 3’14
UNA
Synopsis: A found footage film worked with corrosive material. Animated and intervened with bleach and manually applied masks. It recalls the innocence and illusion of childhood, play and limitless imagination. The title is a play on words between the technique used on the material and the images of the emulsion. Set to Black Diamond by Kiss and performed by The Sostituziones.
Profiles: Santiago Vitale is an audiovisual editor, he studied Audiovisual Conservation, Restoration (DiPRA) and Sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences (UBA). He investigates photography, live images, video and experimental cinema. His short films have participated in festivals and cycles such as La Semana del film sperimentale S11, Dobra, Curta 8, Cine hidden, Animation Volda Festival, Super off, Linoleum, among others.
Director: Ekaterina Nikiforova
Thailand/Russia, 3’32
Saint-Petersburg School of New Cinema
Synopsis: A collaboration between Thai and American musicians with Russian independent filmmakers. “Let me have peace” is an anti-war song that describes the exploitation of workers after COVID-19. Issues such as the exploitation of labor rights laws, the recruitment of people to fight in wars they do not want, and overwork in both children and adults in modern society. The music was inspired by the book of Isaiah and cases of child abuse in Russian society.
Profiles: Ekaterina Nikiforova was born in Karaganda, Kazakhstan in 1998, the same year her parents moved to St. Petersburg, Russia, where she spent her childhood and adolescence. She was a shy and isolated child. Her ideas required more than a static image, and one summer she decided to watch more films, some of which inspired her to attend film school. She studied film with Professor Konstantin Lopushansky, Andrei Tarkovsky's student and successor.
Director: Nefeli Dimakea
Greece/UK, 3’48
Middlesex University
Synopsis: Lolla, a prostitute struggling with financial difficulties, finds herself in a dire situation. The music video delves into her emotional struggle as depression takes over. Will she give in to despair or will inner strength and hope light a path through the darkness?
Profiles: Nefeli Dimakea, a filmmaker born and raised in Athens, where the world of art and cinema has always surrounded her. At 18 she decided to follow her dreams and ventured to London. Since then, she has consistently created documentaries that shine a light on sexual assault, music videos that explore mental health issues, and short films that address police brutality. Her portfolio reflects her dedication to using film as a powerful medium for social advocacy. Each project is a deliberate step ated towards starting conversations and raising awareness on important social issues.
Directors: Simeon Lumgair, Elena Zacharaki
UK, 5’42
University for the Creative Arts
Synopsis: Shayò Levy’s captivating music video for her debut single, Disconnect, explores the profound theme of disconnection within relationships. Taking viewers on an emotional journey, Shay meets a series of captivating characters, each embodying a distinct form of love. Yet she finds herself trapped in a relentless state of disconnection. Shay delves into the intricate layers of love throughout this film, showcasing its many different expressions.
Profiles: Elena Zacharaki is an emerging Greek filmmaker currently based in the UK. She is best known for the films The One You Were Before, Custodian and Sympatheia. Elena is very enthusiastic about her projects and has an exceptional ability to inspire and energise her crew. She is drawn to stories that explore complex social issues, encouraging audiences to think deeply about topics that are often overlooked or ignored. Simeon Lumgair is an award-winning writer/director based in London. After completing a BA [Hons] Film & Video at the University for the Creative Arts, he has worked for a number of film companies. Simeon’s professional portfolio includes numerous music videos, documentaries and commercials for a range of clients. Alongside his own production company he has worked successfully as a freelance director.
