LIFE IN FILM [2024]
Movies that Matter is an activist film festival held annually in The Hague. Their goal is to broaden views on human rights by showing feature films and documentaries combined with Q&As, debates, and talk shows during this 9-day event.
As a second-year student at the Willem de Kooning Academy, I was commissioned to create a teaser for the Movies that Matter Film Festival. The objective was to attract a young audience (ages 18-28) to the festival. Although the festival has a very activist character and addresses many important issues, they did not want this to be too prominent in the trailer. They were looking for a very inviting, accessible teaser that was not too heavy or somber, despite the serious topics of the films. The teaser needed to be engaging for a young audience interested in arthouse films.
Being part of the target audience myself, I consulted people in my circle and reflected on my own preferences. My research revealed that young people tend to get easily distracted on social media. Striking colors and visuals are key to grabbing their attention, which led me to opt for a high-paced montage. This insight further inspired me to explore concepts like ‘life flashing before your eyes.’
I discovered that while young people do many things online—shopping, dating, playing games—partying is a significant offline activity. This realization led me to create a celebration of film, making the teaser as lively and inviting as possible to encourage young people to join the festival.
The films shown at Movies that Matter often touch on issues that are part of our lives, whether directly or indirectly. I wanted to reflect on this and weave the ‘human life cycle’ into the teaser, celebrating both life and cinema. Because film always reflects life, and it can feel like life flashing before your eyes.
CREDITS
CREW:
Concept Creation – Kjettil Gerritsen
Editor, Sound Designer & Colorist – Kjettil Gerritsen
Composer – Sourwah
CLIENT:
Movies that Matter
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Willem de Kooning Academy
Jarno Switzar
Pexels
Pixabay
