WHAT IS URBAN GARDEN CINEMA?
UGC was created
to cultivate the making of short films, educate and inspire communities, and
activate open spaces in urban settings. In an age of on-demand downloads,
youtube uploads, and vimeo social clubs, UGC
attempts to re-energize a vacant space by bringing community together to sit on
the grass in concert with the businesses and general public that live and work
nearby. At the same time our first annual screening celebrates Delaware by
showcasing what independent moving image-makers are doing in our state.
History: In
recent summers, University of Delaware art professors Colette Gaiter and Amy
Hicks co-organized the outdoor film screening event Garden Cinema, hosted at the Wilmington home of Chris Johansen and
Herman Boyd. The event began in 2006 with friends getting together to watch
films outdoors, evolved in 2008 to include a few short student videos before the feature film, and by summer 2011 grew into
an all out short video festival with nearly 100 in attendance.
Although Garden Cinema
outgrew its backyard origins, we saw the potential for combining the intimate
feeling of friends gathered outdoors to watch movies with a more active
approach to art and public space. Ultimately UGC aims to nurture emerging talents who work with moving images in
all its formats. We plan to bring these works to the public through social
action film projects, new media workshops, and educational programs throughout
the year.
2012 Jurors are Colette Gaiter, Amy Hicks, Herman Boyd, and Shawn DiCriscio. Attendees will also be able to vote on People's Choice Awards.
