Our friends at Dotfest just posted an Interview with Thorsten Fleisch,

winner of the BEST EXPERIMENTAL award with  “Energy!”

Could you please introduce yourself?

I’m thorsten fleisch and I’ve been making experimental films for more than a decade now. currently I’m coproducing a feature film by phillip duncan that we hope to finish this year and I’m also playing in a band called malende. energie! has been my most successful film so far. it was shown at more than 150 festivals worldwide and even got me a few jobs in the industry. 

What do you believe has most shaped you as an artist?

having zero budget to work with but then having this convulsive urge to do films anyway. also I am always curious about things and this often directs me to potentially interesting themes for a film.

What according to you is the difference between ordinary festivals and online festivals?

on the practical front, I don’t have to send a physical medium like a dvd with the film. I can just upload it. apart from that I don’t have to get up to the stage and explain my film to the audience which is great. it can be funny though, depends on the mood I’m in. I think the biggest weakness for online screenings is that people can and will just skip through the film. I admit I do it. I like the theater situation where you’re forced to watch the whole program.

Please share with us your impressions about DotFest Festival Programme.

a mixed bag to be honest. I actually wanted to watch all the films but after watching a few I was discouraged to go on. I liked some of the winning films though like ‘the attack of the robots from nebula-5’ and ‘the last defeat’. I was pleasantly surprised by the professional organization and the picking of the members for the jury. also I think there was quiet some variety of themes and styles which I liked. 

What were your expectations for participating in the DotFest?

I wasn’t expecting much. there have been other online festivals I’ve participated and usually I didn’t find them that interesting or well done but with dotfest the presentation of the individual films as well as of the event itself was actually very nice and engaging.

Your closing message to DotFest audience.

no censorship!

Interview with Thorsten Fleisch | Dotfest

Thorsten Fleisch is among the artists of our forthcoming May screening Friends & Lovers, curated and presented by Alexei Dmitriev, May 7th, Meinblau, Pfefferberg