Ricardo Leite – Spring 2016 Artist in Residence – Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto

Ricardo Leite – Spring 2016 Artist in Residence

LIFT ANNOUNCES SPRING 2016 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
RICARDO LEITE

Toronto, May 26, 2016—The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is pleased to announce that Portuguese filmmaker Ricardo Leite has joined us in Toronto as an artist in residence from May 16 to July 4, 2016 to work on his on-going project in advancing ecological alternatives to the industrial chemicals used to develop film. He will be teaching a workshop on June 25 and June 26 revolving around his research into the “photographic garden”—using plants as the main ingredients for processing analogue film—and presenting a screening and artist talk on June 29 at CineCycle (129 Spadina Avenue, down the lane).

Ricardo Leite was born in 1978, in São Paulo, Brazil and lives in Porto, Portugal. In 2006, he founded Atomo47, the first and only independent film lab in Portugal. Atomo47 is part of an international independent film laboratories network, with 35 laboratories all over the world (of which Toronto’s LIFT and Niagara Custom Lab are members, www.filmlabs.org). In 2012, after his second son was born, worried about the carcinogenic properties of some chemistry used, he started to research biodegradable and low toxic film developing processes. His films focus on experimental and documentary genres, with political, artistic and anthropological reflections.

At LIFT, Leite will be using our darkroom and facilities to finish two organically processed 16mm films and a 35mm film, all of which have been in progress over the last few years. He will be further exploring his processing practice, expanding upon his use of caffenol and spearmint as developing agents and investigating recent successes with hyacinth and other similar molecularly structured flowers and berries. He will help plant a small garden of suitable plants at LIFT for future non-toxic explorers.

On Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26, Leite will lead a workshop, Silver Images, Green Alchemy, that will teach participants about the possibilities of non-traditional film development. This “photographic garden” workshop focuses on the use of plants as the main ingredients for photosensitive film processing, replacing most of the conventional toxic chemistry with biodegradable or low toxic alternatives.

This workshop will introduce recipes for processing negative and reversal black and white film, which normally implies the use of highly toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic chemistry. Using ingredients from the “photographic garden” other aesthetic possibilities, like tinting and staining, will be explored. The final product is less precise than chemically processed film but opens up new tools and possibilities for making analogue images. To register for this workshop, call 416-588-6444, starting May 24. Participants are limited to 4. The cost of the workshop is $140 for members, $165 for non-members.

On Wednesday June 29 at 8:00pm at Cinecycle (129 Spadina Avenue, down the lane), Leite will present a screening of his work and a talk on his process. Leite will show the films he is completing at LIFT, including Caffenol, his film celebrating the processing technique, which includes an interview with Rochester scientist, Dr. Scott Williams, who invented the process. Other works-in-progress and recently completed films will be shown.

Ricardo Leite started making videos with a JVC video8 camera as a child. Later he thought about studying painting in the Fine Arts University of Porto. At the last moment he decided to study cinema instead. That’s when he felt in love with film, 8mm, super 8, 16mm and 35mm. He bought his first lomo spiral tank in 1999 in Ukraine, and started to develop his films at home. In 2002, he started to work in associative photography labs that he adapted for cinema film formats. In 2006, he funded Atomo47, the first and only independent film lab in Portugal. In 2012, after his second son was born, worried about the carcinogenic properties of some chemistry used, he started to research biodegradable and low toxic film developing processes. His films focus on experimental and documentary genres, with political, artistic and anthropological reflections. www.vimeo.com/ricardoleite

Ricardo Leite’s visit is made possible by a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts through their Visiting Foreign Artists program.

Silver Images, Green Alchemy Workshop

Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26, 2016
Both days 10:00am – 6:00pm
Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT)
1137 Dupont Street (at Gladstone Avenue)
Cost: $140 LIFT members, $165 non-members
Pre-registration Required. Enrolment limit to 4.
Register: 416.588.6444

Screening and Talk with Ricardo Leite
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
8:00pm
CineCycle
129 Spadina Avenue (down the lane)
Admission: $5 LIFT members, $8 non-members

The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) is Canada’s foremost artist-run production and education organization dedicated to celebrating excellence in the moving image. LIFT exists to provide support and encouragement for independent filmmakers and artists through affordable access to production, post-production and exhibition equipment; professional and creative development; workshops and courses; commissioning and exhibitions; artist-residencies; and a variety of other services. LIFT is supported by its membership, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Arts Foundation, the Government of Ontario and the Toronto Arts Council.

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For additional information please see http://lift.ca

or e-mail Executive Director Chris Kennedy at office@lift.on.ca

Monday 16 May 2016 –

Non-members:
Members:

Location:
Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT)
1137 Dupont Street
Toronto ON Canada