The brave new world of onedotzero.

Digital technology is changing film forever, and it’s production companies like onedotzero who are forcing the change. “People think Dogme was revolutionary, but it wasn’t,” says Shane Walter, head of onedotzero. “The only thing Dogme pushed forward was that everyone now accepts low-grade, handheld, one-chip images. That isn’t interesting. But manipulating those images and moving them on is.”

onedotzero have been biting at the heels of the film establishment since 1996, when Walter co-founded the company with ex-Dazed & Confused journalist Matt Hanson. Since then they’ve been stretching narrative and visual boundaries via promos and shorts, late-night onedottv on C4 and an annual film festival which is now the largest of its kind in the world. This year’s model, onedotzero7, is on now at London’s ICA until 25 May.

Nowadays you can do virtually anything onscreen at a fraction of the old cost, and the festival is a showcase for the most imaginative work in the field. “Most festivals just collect work then exhibit it,” says Shane. “But we also go to people and say, ‘Go on, make a film’. We really kick-started the whole scene.”

This year, onedotzero7 looks set to confirm the event as the premier gathering place for the new wave of digital pioneers ready to take on the old guard. As well as feature-length movies like My Beautiful Girl, Mari and The Stewardess, they’ll be showing 75-minute packages of the best work from the last 12 months.

Wow + Flutter 03 offers an international selection of genre-blurring work, spanning the full spectrum of motion graphics, from Unit9’s sinister animation Parasite to Ed Holdsworth’s lyrical take on Tokyo train stations in Arrive. The excellent Extended Play 03 strand features a strong line-up of digitally enhanced shorts, including Chris Morris’ award-winning My Wrongs and the hard-hitting Dad’s Dead from newcomer Chris Shepherd.

As with their DVD release, onedotzero have given Collective exclusive rights to stream four of the shorts being shown at the festival. Two this week, two next week. So you can see them here first, before the rush. Jonathan Carter 16 May 03

onedotzero 7 is on at ICA, London, 16 - 25 May 03. Contact the ICA box office on 020 7930 3647.

useful link: onedotzero 7 official site