EFS Film School, in collaboration with the Tehran Contemporary Sounds festival, presents:
Experimental and Personal Filmmaking
(A Two-Day Masterclass)
As part of the Cinematic Synesthesia program
Masterclass Details
Title: Experimental and Personal Filmmaking
Location: Berlin, Germany
Dates: 15–16 November 2025 (10:00–16:00 each day)
Tutor: Rouzbeh Rashidi
Language: English (EN-GB instruction)
Eligibility: Ages 18 and above (all experience levels welcome)
Format: Intensive on-site workshop (condensed from the original five-day course),
combining theory and hands-on practice
Outcome: Collaborative short film project, The Exquisite Project, to premiere at
Cinematic Synesthesia on 23 November 2025
Overview
This two-day masterclass is a collaborative initiative between EFS Film School (Experimental Film Society) and the Tehran Contemporary Sounds (TCS) festival. Adapted from Rouzbeh
Rashidi’s acclaimed five-day course, it offers an intensive, immersive engagement with experimental and personal cinema. Participants will examine the history of alternative
film/video, explore diverse artistic practices, and develop innovative methods to initiate or expand their own experimental film work.
Through curated screenings, poetic lectures, group discussions, and critical readings, participants will encounter filmmakers and artists who have expanded the boundaries of moving images and redefined the possibilities of cinema. The programme analyses seminal works and techniques—focusing on both image-making and sound design—to illustrate the creation of lyrical, idiosyncratic, and radical films. These insights provide a stimulating foundation for the collaborative production of new work.
The masterclass emphasises personal and lyrical expression, treating the moving image as a medium of “memory” and “perception,” continuously reframed by lived experience. Eschewing conventional technical instruction, it privileges intuitive and philosophical approaches to filmmaking. Over the two days, participants will absorb the ethos of experimental cinema and immediately apply these concepts in practice through the creation of a collaborative film.
At the workshop’s centre is The Exquisite Project—a group filmmaking experiment in which each participant contributes an individual segment to a collective short film. By the conclusion of the course, attendees will have co-created and received a copy of the completed film: an artistic record to inspire their future audio-visual work. This highly practical structure ensures that, even within a compressed timeframe, participants can internalise key concepts and realise them creatively in the field.
Day 1: Foundations of Experimental & Personal Cinema
The opening day introduces the philosophical, historical, and aesthetic underpinnings of experimental filmmaking. Morning sessions feature an in-depth lecture on contemporary
cinematic concepts and a discussion of the Experimental Film Society manifesto. Curated screenings present diverse artistic strategies, followed by group analyses linking theoretical ideas to practical applications. The day concludes with collaborative planning for The Exquisite Project, during which participants establish a shared thematic direction and outline their
individual contributions for the following day’s production.
Day 2: Collaborative Filmmaking in Practice
The second day is devoted to the creation and assembly of the collaborative film. Participants will shoot their segments in the morning, guided by intuitive and poetic methods. In the afternoon, the group will reconvene to edit the material into a unified short film that embraces the aesthetic contrasts of its parts. The day ends with an in-class premiere and reflective critique, consolidating the learning experience in preparation for the public screening.
Post-Masterclass – Public Screening
Although the formal workshop concludes on Day 2, the process extends beyond the classroom.
The collaboratively produced film will premiere publicly as part of Cinematic Synesthesia, a special programme co-organised by EFS Film School, Experimental Film Society, and the TCS festival. On 23 November 2025, the participants’ film will be presented alongside other curated works of experimental cinema, allowing them to share their creation with a broader audience in a festival setting.
Participants are invited to attend the screening (held in Berlin under the TCS festival) and to take part in any post-screening discussions or Q&A sessions. This final event reinforces the collaborative ethos of the masterclass and situates the work within a professional context, culminating in a public celebration of the newly created film.
Call for Entries – Registration Details
Registration is now open for Experimental and Personal Filmmaking – Two-Day Masterclass.
To apply, applicants should send an email expressing their interest, accompanied by a short paragraph outlining their background and their objectives in undertaking the course.
Applicants should also provide links (please avoid sending video files) to examples of their previous work—such as films or other artistic projects—that reflect their creative experience.
The masterclass itself is offered free of charge; however, a handling and processing fee of €30 will apply to selected participants.
All submissions will be assessed, and a select group will be invited to participate based on the
strength and originality of their proposals.
This selection process ensures a motivated and engaged cohort ready to fully immerse themselves in the intensive workshop.
The opportunity is open to emerging and established filmmakers, artists, and creative practitioners worldwide (aged 18 and above). Spaces are limited, and early application is strongly advised. Successful applicants will receive an invitation with further enrolment instructions.
Join us in this unique collaborative endeavour to expand the possibilities of personal cinema—we look forward to discovering the voices that will shape The Exquisite Project this
year.
Send applications to:
info@tcsberlin.com & info@efsfilmschool.com
TCS is funded by Hauptstadt Kulturfonds and Goethe Institut im Exil!