DONT KNOW WHAT 8 min, 2019 DCP-4K, 24 fps, dolby 5.1

Production format: RED video Techniques used: single frame editing of image and sound Screening format: DCP-4K Concept, Direction, Animation, Music, Actor, Producer: Thomas Renoldner Camera: Ludwig Löckinger Sound recording: Adnan Popovic Set assistent: Sophia Egger-Karlegger Sound-design, color grading: Andi Haller Financial support: Bundeskanzleramt (Federal Chancellery of Austria, Division for Arts and Culture) State Government of Upper Austria - Cultural Dept. Thanks to: Academy of Fine Arts Vienna Photo Laboratory - for the studio Media Laboratory - for camera and light Animation Laboratory - for editing equipment WORDS ABOUT THE FILM: Slogans, Synopis(es), Critics, etc. ...different versions for your choice... DONT KNOW WHAT a slapstick avantgarde film ...when art and entertainement clash... How much entertainement is possible in avantgarde film, and how much experimentation in animation ? version 1 - descriptive: Employing the method of single frame editing, primarily focused on sound, the realistic film image transforms into a surreal, structuralist and finally even abstract film. It creates a musical composition while experimenting with the human voice and transforming language into sound and music. DONT KNOW WHAT questions classical rules of different film genres by combining elements of avant-garde film / video art and entertainment cinema. version 2 - personal: In DONT KNOW WHAT I explore the possibilities of single frame editing of SOUND+IMAGE of a live action video. My voice and my body are the central tools for this exploration. I transform language into music, turn my voice into a drum machine, and my body becomes a surreal fantasy with a dozen of arms and impossibly wild movements. The main reason to make this film was to enjoy myself and to celebrate, that I can talk and move my body. version 3 - genre-analytic: DONT KNOW WHAT combines elements of mainstream cinema, like an entertaining dramaturgy or slapstick-like effects with strategies of avant-garde cinema or video art, like formal and aesthetic reduction of the imagery, extrem short-cut technique and sound experiments. The audience is then left to find their way between humor and seriousness in this strange "genre-hybrid". Max Hattler, Annegret Richter, Tomek Ducki Anifilm Festival Jury 2019 Justification for Special Mention The special mention in the abstract and non - narrative animation category goes to a film which dares the unthinkable, an pulls it off to surprising effect: The marriage of high-brow and humour, form and farce, amusement and avant-garde. Phil Mulloy, Vessela Dantcheva, Gerben Schermer Turku Animation Festival Jury, August 2019 Justification for TOUGH EYE AWARD For a film that returns to the original impulses of cinema, that of creating both magic and humour. For its boldness of concept and simplicity of means, the jury awarded the Tough Eye prize to Dont know what by Thomas Renoldner. Emily Pelstring, Piotr Bosacki, Eva Cvijanovic Ottawa Animation Festival Jury, September 2019 Justification for GRAND PRIZE for Short Animation For its impeccably executed, playful exploration of the animated form, but not only that - it also stands out as a piece of art. Piotr Kardas Justification for Special Mention STOPTRIK Festival Lodz, October 2019 Not often an experimental film can amuse an audience. Even more rarely, an artist experimenting with the medium has a distance to himself and his art. Thomas Renoldner did it perfectly! Captivating lightness and precision of workmanship. A friendly shake hands with the contemporary viewer, and at the same time an intelligent dialogue with the history of experimental cinema. Contrary to the title DON'T KNOW WHAT knows perfectly well what it is doing! Oliwia Nadarzycka, Michalina Majewska, Jakub Zawodniak Student Jury at STOPTRIK Festival Lodz, October 2019 Justification for Short Film Award – Borderlands Competition For maximum content with minimum material. For the minimal composition of the frame and the maximum creation of meanings. For exploring the boundaries of the medium and showing its capabilities. Edmunds Jansons Justification for Special Mention ANIMATEKAFESTIVAL, Ljubljana, November 2019 The playful way in which the author observes such fundamental things as time, space and movement gives me a feeling that we as humans still have some hope. Michelle Koch Catalogue / Film Archive - DIAGONALE, Festival of Austrian Film, 2019) A man gazes into the camera, breaths, speaks, and blinks. In playfully formal austerity, Thomas Renoldner explores the borders of the cinematic genre. Real film becomes stop-motion, language a hammering noise staccato. The film draws comical and intellectual potential from the transformation of organic movements and sounds into mechanical ones, from the dissolution of the world into abstraction and rhythm. Die Nahaufnahme eines Mannes, der frontal in die Kamera blickt, atmet, spricht, blinzelt. Mit minimalistischem Setting in Schwarz-Weiß und reduzierter Handlung lotet Thomas Renoldner die Grenzen zwischen Unterhaltungs- und experimentell-strukturellem Film aus. In spielerischer Formstrenge werden Bewegungen und Töne angehalten, rückwärts abgespielt, in einzelne Segmente zerteilt und im Kurzschnittverfahren neu synthetisiert - auf den Kopf gestellt. Es ist die technische Transformation von organischen Bewegungen und Lauten in mechanische, aus denen DONT KNOW WHAT sein komisches wie intellektuelles Potenzial bezieht: Aus Realfilm wird Stop-Motion und schwarz-weißes Flickern, aus Sprache hämmerndes Klangstakkato, das an das Rattern eines Filmprojektors erinnert. Die Auflösung der Welt in Abstraktion und Rhythmus.. FESTIVALS & AWARDS DIAGONALE - Festival of Austrian Film - March 2019, Graz (A) - Competition: Innovative Cinema GLAS - Int. Animation Film Festival - March 2019, Berkeley (USA) - International Competition CROSSING EUROPE - Filmfestival - April 2019, Linz (A) - 'Local Artists' Competition FLATPACK Festival - April/May 2019, Birmingham (UK) - International Competition: (programme: Sound Bite) ANIFILM - Int. Animation Film Festival - May 2019, Trebon (CZ) - International Competition: abstract and non-narrative animation      SPECIAL JURY MENTION - (Jury: Annegret Richter, Max Hattler, Tomek Ducki) ANIMAFEST - World Festival of Animated Film - June 2019, Zagreb (HR) - International Competition ANNECY - Int. Animation Film Festival - June 2019, Annecy (F) - International Competition: Off Limits      OFF LIMITS AWARD - (Jury: Dean Deblois, Antonio Canobbio, Virginia Mori)      "Best of Annecy 2019" - tour FEST ANCA - Int. Animation Film Festival - June 2019, Zilina (SK) - International Competition ANIMATOR - Int. Animation Film Festival - June 2019, Poznan (SK) - International Panorama ANIMA MUNDI - Int. Animation Film Festival - July 2019, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo (BR) - International Competition INSOMNIA - Int. Animation Film Festival - July 2019, Kaluga, Moscow (RU) - International Competition ANIMAFEST CYPRUS - Int. Animation Film Festival - July 2019, Salamiou, Platanistia (CYP) - International Competition TAFF - Int. Animation Film Festival - August 2019, Turku (FIN) - International Competition      TOUGH EYE AWARD - (Jury: Vessela Dantcheva, Gerben Schermer, Phil Mulloy) LINOLEUM - Festival of Contemporary Animation and Media Art - September 2019, Kyiv (UA) - Experimental Animation and Video Art Program PIAFF - Paris Int. Animation Film Festival - Sept. 2019, Paris (FR) - International Competition TIRANA - Int. Film Festival - Sept. 2019, Tirana (AL) - Int. Competition - Video Art & Experimental ENCOUNTERS - Int. Short Film & Animation Festival - Sept. 2019, Bristol (UK) - International Competition OIAF - Ottawa Int. Animation Festival - September 2019, Ottawa (CAN) - International Competition - Abstract & Non-Narrative      THE NELVANA GRAND PRIZE FOR INDEPENDENT SHORT ANIMATION - (Jury: Emily Pelstring, Piotr Bosacki, Eva Cvijanovic)      "Best of Ottawa 2019" - tour BIT BANG FEST - Int. Animation, Videogames + Digital Art Festival - Sept. 2019, Buenos Aires (AR) - International Competition BOLTON - Film Festival - Oct. 2019,Bolton (UK) - International Competition - Experimental STOPTRIK - Int. Animation Film Festival - Oct. / Nov. 2019, Maribor (SL) / Lodz (PL) - International Competition - The Borderlands     MARIBOR AUDIENCE GRAND PRIX - The Borderlands Competition     MARIBOR STUDENT JURY AWARD - The Borderlands Competition     LODZ AUDIENCE GRAND PRIX - The Borderlands Competition     LODZ STUDENT JURY AWARD - The Borderlands Competition     SPECIAL MENTION - from Piotr Kardas SITGES - Int. Festival of Fantastic Film - Sept. 2019, Sitges (ES) - International Competition ANIMATOU - Int. Animation Film Festival - October 2019, Geneva (CH) - International Competition - Best Experimental Short INTERMEDIACIONES - Muestra de Videoarte y Video Experimental - Medellin (CO) - International Showcase ANIMA - Cordoba Int. Animation Film Festival - October 2019, Cordoba (AR) - International Competition TAICHUNG - Int. Animation Film Festival - October 2019, Taichung (TW) - Special programme: Music in Animation BIG CARTOON FESTIVAL - Oct. / Nov. 2019,Moscow (RU) - Special audience award programme: Winners KUANDU - Int. Animation Film Festival - October 2019, Kuandu (TW) - International Competition REANIMANIA - Int. Animation Film & Comics Art Festival - Oct. 2019,Yerevan (AM) - International Competition     SPECIAL JURY MENTION INTERFILM - Int. Kurzfilmfestival - Oct. 2019, Berlin (DE) - International 'EJECT' Competition & Program 'Experiments' NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT Int. Animation Film Film Festival - Nov. 2019, Chitose (JP) - International Competition CINANIMA - Int. Animation Film Festival - Nov. 2019, Espinho (PT) - International Competition ISTANBUL EXPERIMENTAL - Int. Film Festival - Nov, 2019, Istanbul (TR) - International Competition KABOOM - Int. Animation Film Festival - Nov.2019, Amsterdam (NL) - International Competition     BEST OFFBEAT SHORT AWARD ETIUDA & ANIMA - Int. Film Festival - Nov, 2019, Krakow (PL) - International Competition PÖFF - Black Nights -Int. Short Film & Animation Festival - Nov, 2019, Tallinn (EE) - International Competition FLENSBURGER KURZFILMTAGE - November, 2019, Flensburg (DE) - International Panorama LONDON - Int. Animation Film Festival - Nov./Dec. 2019, London (UK) - International Competition ANIMASIVO - Int. Animation Film Festival - Nov./Dec. 2019, Mexico City (MX) - International Competition TINDIRINDIS - Int. Animation Film Festival - December 2019, Vilnius (LT) - International Competition ANILOGUE - Int. Animation Film Festival - Nov./Dec. 2019, Budapest (HU) - International Competition     SPECIAL MENTION - from Janno Pöldma ANIMATEKAFESTIVAL - Int. Animation Film Festival - December 2019, Ljubljana (SL) - International Competition     SPECIAL MENTION - from Edmunds Jansons MUMIA - Int. Animation Film Festival - December 2019, Belo Horizonte (BR) - International Competition PALM SPRINGS - Int. Animation Film Festival - December 2019, Palm Springs (US) - International Competition     JURY AWARD - ABSTRACT ANIMATED SHORTS STUTTGARTER FILMWINTER - Festival for expanded media - January 2020, Stuttgart (DE) - International Competition COURTmaisTRASH - Brussels Independent Short Film Festival - January 2020, Brussels (BE) - International Program 47th ASIFA HOLLYWOOD - ANNIE AWARDS - January 2020, Los Angeles (US)     SHORT SUBJECT NOMINATION ANIMAC - Int. Animation Film Festival - February 2020, LLeida (ES) - International Program BLACK MARIA FILM FESTIVAL - Tour 2020, different places (US)     JURY'S CHOICE AWARD VIDEOFORMES - International Digital Arts Festival - March 2020, Clermont Ferrand (FR) - International Competition ROANNE - Int. Animation Film Festival - March 2020, Roanne (FR) - International Competition ANN ARBOR - FILM FESTIVAL - March 2020, Ann Arbor (US) - International Competition FESTIVAL D'UN JOUR - March 2020, Valence (FR) - Presentation MEKNES - Int. Animation Film Festival - March 2020, Meknes (MA) - International Competition MONSTRA - Int. Animation Film Festival - March 2020, Lisboa (PT) - International Competition GO SHORT - Int. Short Film Festival - March 2020, Nijmegen (NL) - International Competition REGARD - Int. Short Film Festival - March 2020, Saguenay (CA) - International Competition