Mimesis 2023 - In Review
Artist-focused, community-oriented, and committed to showcasing the infinite potential of nonfiction media, the fourth annual Mimesis Documentary Festival, August 15-20, 2023, in Boulder, Colorado, was an immersive theatrical and virtual slate of movies, workshops, and more with artists, producers, and scholars from around the world. Presented in conjunction with Boulder’s Dairy Arts Center and the B2 Center for Media, Arts, and Performance, the festival brought together six days of screenings, installation-based documentary art pieces, workshops, and conversations with some of the most dynamic voices in documentary media exploring contemporary culture.
Featuring an Opening Night presentation of Carolina Arias Ortiz’s debut feature Rebel Objects (2020, USA) and Leonardo Pirondi’s short Visão do Paraíso (2022, Brazil/USA/UK), Mimesis 2023 highlighted more than 60 projects selected from open submissions in traditional, ethnographic, docufiction, experimental, documentary arts, and emerging artist categories.
Jessica Beshir presented her debut feature Faya dayi (2021) as this year’s Artist in Focus, and held a masterclass illuminating her approach to cinematography entitled To dance with reality. Featured Mimesis Artist Saeed Taji Farouky shared his latest feature A Thousand Fires (2021) and delivered a unique and inspiring performance-lecture entitled Soon We Will All Be History Here at the abandoned Caribou Town Site, located 10,000 feet above sea level in the Rocky Mountains. He also presented a special pre-festival screening of There Will Be Some Who Will Not Fear Even That Void (2013) at the Backdoor Theatre in Nederland, Colorado.
Programming at Mimesis 2023 was lauded by participants, the press, and the community. Described by attendees as “truly a wonderful environment” with “great and diverse programming spanning all facets of documentary filmmaking” that is “one of the best around”, Mimesis continues to build a strong following in the world of documentary media art.
This could not have been accomplished without the tireless work of our dedicated programming team who meticulously crafted programs to amplify artists’ voices and challenge dominant trends. Thank you, Sarah Biagini, Luiza Parvu, Curt Heiner, and Jerónimo Reyes-Retana. Your work is deeply appreciated. The technical and administrative execution of the festival was made possible by the unflappable Festival Director Curt Heiner, Documentary Arts Coordinator Jerónimo Reyes-Retana supported by Roberto Azaretto and Docents Jason Sanford, and Jamie Chihuan, Administrator Lori Wichhart, B2 Staff Ondine Geary, Bret Mann, and Chris Petillo, Advisory Board Member Toma Peiu, Moderators Emilie Upczak, Hanna Rose Schelle, and Laurids Andersen Sonne, and Assistants Anel Villalobos and Sarah Klewes. Thank you so much for all your work.
Thank you to all the staff at the Dairy, with a special mention to Glenn Webb and Shay Wescott.
Thank you to our generous sponsors. Their support and your individual donations are the only way that Mimesis can continue to serve this wonderful community. 2023 sponsors included The Brakhage Center, the Colorado Office of Film, Television, and Media, the College of Media, Communication, and Information, the Department of Critical Media Practices, the Mountain Forum for Peace, and The Negative Space.
And most of all, thank you to Mimesis artists, who contributed their work to our community and who traveled to Boulder, either virtually or in-person, to be together. Your work and your presence are what makes this event so special.
Jury Awards
Audience Awards
The Mimesis 2023 Jurors were Che Applewhaite, Emett Casey, Pat Clark, Adán De La Garza, Sean Hanley, Jenna Maurice, and Tiff Rekem. Read more about the jury here. Thank you for all of your care, time, and consideration in recognizing these important projects.
Congratulations to the 2023 Festival winners!
The winners of the Mimesis 2023 Jury Awards were:
Best Documentary
A Common Sequence
by Mary Helena Clark & Mike Gibisser
2023, USA/Mexico, 78’
Best Short Documentary
A Movement Against the Transparency of the Stars of the Seas
by Esy Casey
2023, USA/Philippines, 30’
Best Emerging Artist
Chadariya
by Nimisha Srivastava
2022, India, 25’
Best in Documentary Arts
Our Non-Understanding of Everything 08
by eteam (Franziska Lamprecht and Hajoe Moderegger)
2023, USA, 17’
The winners of the Mimesis 2023 Audience Awards were:
Best Feature Documentary
Holding Back the Tide
by Emily Packer
2022, USA, 81’
Best Short Documentary
EN AVANT [about a year in MPLS]
by Dan Schneidkraut
2023, USA, 37’
Best Emerging Artist
Section 59
by Yasaman Baghban
2022, Iran, 15’