The Otolith Group, Anathema, 2011 (film still). Courtesy the artists.

This inaugural edition of Birkbeck’s Essay Film Festival, featuring a varied programme of screenings, discussions and special guests, will be held at Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image and the ICA, London.

Featured artists will include Thom Andersen, Esfir Shub, The Otolith Group, Peter von Bagh and Constanze Ruhm.

This first Essay Film Festival places a strong emphasis on found footage and the compilation film, as well as recent essay films from around the world.
As part of the festival, the ICA will be showing a series of works by major practitioners of the essay film. These will include a tribute to Peter von Bagh, with a programme featuring Helsinki, Forever (2008) and Remembrance (2014); an evening devoted to The Otolith Group including In the Year of the Quiet Sun (2013) and several works by Thom Andersen, including a new version of Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003), and the UK premiere of his latest film, The Thoughts That Once We Had (2015).

Daytime screenings and discussion events at Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image will complement the evening sessions of the Essay Film Festival to be held at the ICA. More

Select programme events and screenings:
Friday 27 March
ICA, Cinema 1, 6.30pm Book here
A special presentation of three essay films by The Otolith Group.
In the Year of the Quiet Sun, 2013, 33 minutes
Anathema, 2011, 37 minutes,
People to be Resembling, 2012, 21 minutes.
Introduced by Kodwo Eshun.

ICA, Cinema 1, 8.30pm. Book here
The Otolith Group presents:
The Three Disappearances of Souad Hosni, Rania Stephan, 2011, Lebanon, 70 minutes. Introduced by Kodwo Eshun.

Saturday 28 March
ICA, Cinema 1, 5.00pm. Book here
Thom Andersen screening: Olivia’s Place, Thom Andersen, 1966/1974, USA, 6 minutes, Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer, Thom Andersen, 1975, USA, 59 minutes.
Following the screening, Thom Andersen will be in conversation with Kodwo Eshun.

Travel
By tube: The nearest underground stations are Charing Cross (District, Bakerloo and Northern lines) or Piccadilly Circus (Piccadilly Line).
By bus: Routes 3, 6, 12, 13, 23, 88, 94, 139, 159, 453
By train: The nearest mainline station is Charing Cross.