Filmmakers, apply for a residency at LIFT in Toronto 

The call for alumni residency at Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (Canada) is open 1-28 February 2023. The residency is a three-month working period in autumn 2023.

Photo: Britt Al-Busultan

Our residency programmes, aimed at the alumni of the Academy of Fine Arts, support post-graduate studies of visual artists in high-quality residences abroad in periods ranging from 3 to 12 months. The residencies are part of the joint project of Uniarts Helsinki’s Academy of Fine Arts and the Saastamoinen Foundation, fostering the dialogue between fine arts education and the international art community.

LIFT – The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers is an artist-run production and educational media arts organization dedicated to celebrating excellence in the moving image. The programme is designed to support the selected artist in an individual production residence to create a film or installation using analog processes in Toronto, Canada. LIFT supports a wide range of production formats including regular 8mm, Super 8mm, 16mm, Super 16mm, 35mm and HD; film and digital editing; optical printers; contact printers; animation stands; a darkroom and more. Toronto offers a range of lab facilities, a large pool of experienced technicians and talent, a vibrant film community and a dynamic arts environment.  

Experiences of LIFT residence: Britt Al-Busultan, alumni residency grantee at LIFT in summer 2022 

The Liaison of Independent Filmmakers provided me with a private artist suite and accommodated all my needs and wishes for learning and technical assistance. LIFT has various unique machines that allow for extensive experimenting and manipulation of film material. During the 12 weeks residency, I got to learn and work with an Oxberry animation stand, a JK optical printer, an Oxberry 1700 optical printer and an Uhler contact printer. Because these machines are unavailable in Finland, I decided to make full use of the unique possibilities of these machines and experiment with and explore their possibilities rather than focusing on an end product. Even though there is a professional film processing lab close to LIFT, all film material was hand processed. Being the first time for me to work with an optical printer, I recognised the vast options that it can give in the manipulation of film material. 

My professional development gained immensely from the 12 week residency period at LIFT. Because of the length of the stay, I had the amazing opportunity to focus and really learn, work, explore and develop new techniques with the machines at hand. The possibilities of re-shooting, printing, masking and multiple exposures has led me to new ways of making my films. Thanks to the film making community in Toronto surrounding LIFT, more people have come in contact with my work and I feel that my work has become part of a larger community. 

LIFT has specialized in production of different type of analogue films and it provides full equipment for post-production. LIFT has 500 members in Toronto and surroundings and together they possess all the knowledge on film making and moving image one can possibly need. Mentors may be hired when needed, in consultation with the artist. LIFT will also provide the artist access to workshops according to their needs.