A free online event for film artists based in Mayo featuring a presentation and discussion with award-winning filmmaker Venus Patel

This two-hour event is designed for artists living in Mayo who are working with the moving image and looking for information and guidance around developing their experimental film practice.

In the first session from 11am to 12pm aemi co-directors Alice Butler & Daniel Fitzpatrick will introduce the field of artist and experimental film and the various supports offered by aemi to film artists through advisory sessions, Rough Cut events and information clinics. Discussion will also cover funding opportunities primarily through the Arts Council as well as the distinction and overlap between moving image work made for the cinema and visual arts contexts.

In the second session from 12pm to 1pm award-winning artist and filmmaker Venus Patel will give a short presentation about the trajectory of her work as a film artist which will then be followed by a discussion between Venus and aemi’s co-directors. The session will conclude with plenty of opportunity for questions and comments from the attendees.

To book your place to attend this FREE online session email [email protected] with your name and a short description of your artistic practice.

Biography, Venus Patel
Born in Los Angeles with a BA in Fine Art from TU Dublin (2022), Venus Patel is an experimental film and performance artist. She uses her work to talk about her experience as a trans femme of colour, trying to navigate the world. Through the use of clothing, makeup, and loose gender expression, she encaspulates the campy blend of her queer identity. Coming from a theatre and film background, her art ties into these vast tropes from the past. Venus questions the heteronormative society we live in, why the need to conform is so heavily enforced, and how that affects the perceptions of ourself, others, and the world around us. Although her work deals with serious subject matter, she utilizes a unqiue mix of humor, absurdity, and abjection to create multi-faceted performances and experiences.

She has recently performed and collaborated in the making of “Privilege: The Musical” (2022), and “Hive City Legacy: Dublin” (2022). Her experimental short film “Eggshells”  was selected for the Gaze International Film Festival and won the Taylor Art Award at the RDS Visual Art Awards.