Photo by courtesy of Adrian Melis
Enroll now as seats are limited:
Min. seats: 5 | Max. seats: 30 | Language: English
- Analyze key approaches in experimental filmmaking within contemporary art contexts
- Identify aesthetic and ethical choices in works shaped by different production conditions
- Apply practical methods for developing an experimental film/art project with a clear concept and structure
Build a toolkit for working with limited means while maintaining artistic intention
Online Course FRAMES OF RESOURCEFULNESS: Experimental Filmmaking in Contemporary Art Practices by Adrian Melis
This four-session online course explores how contemporary artists and filmmakers develop experimental moving-image works in relation to socio-economic realities and everyday material conditions. Focusing on artistic strategies such as DIY production, collaboration, and inventive use of available tools, participants will examine how constraints can shape form, aesthetics, and storytelling in compelling ways.
A central reference point is the work of César González (Argentina), whose films offer a distinct perspective on contemporary urban life and self-representation. Alongside González, we will consider a wider range of international examples—from artist films and independent cinema to collectives and community-based initiatives—to understand how artists create meaningful work when access to resources, visibility, and institutional support varies widely.
What we’ll explore
Across case studies and guided discussion, the course looks at:
- Experimental filmmaking as an artistic method (structure, montage, voice, rhythm, sound, and image)
- DIY and low-budget aesthetics as creative decisions (not just technical limitations)
- Collaboration, collectives, and community-based production models
- Ethics and choices of representation: who speaks, how, and through which images
- How distribution, exhibition, and the art market shape the reception of work made in different contexts
- Practical approaches to developing your own short experimental project
Your BAI Online Course Instructor
Adrian Melis (Havana, Cuba, 1985) develops artworks and film projects that engage with socio-economic realities and the ways institutions and everyday systems shape individual lives. His practice often integrates third-party experiences and stories into the production or activation of his works, combining conceptual rigor with irony and subtle absurdity. Melis also experiments with models of temporary work and production formats that reflect on motivation, labor, and the organization of daily life across different contexts.
Save the dates in your calendar
The live sessions for this course will be given on Tuesday October 13, 20, 27 and November 03, 2026, each day from 4 – 6 pm (Berlin time). You will also receive an email reminder for each video conference before it takes place.
Recording of Live Sessions
We record the live sessions so that they remain available for a logged in course participant until one week after the last session. Please check before booking a course the technical requirements as listed below.
Access to content
You will get access to the course content and lessons in our learning management system once you are enrolled.
Technical requirements
We will use the Zoom Meeting application for the live sessions. You need a stable internet connection. There are two ways to access the live meeting:
1. Via the Zoom app
Before joining a Zoom meeting on a computer or mobile device, you can download the Zoom app here: https://zoom.us/download
or on: https://apps.apple.com/de/app/zoom-cloud-meetings/id546505307
Otherwise, you will be prompted to download and install Zoom when you click our join the zoom meeting link.
2. Via Google Chrome Browser on https://zoom.us/join
If you are using Google Chrome to join a meeting, you will see a dialog box to launch the Zoom application.
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362593-Launching-Zoom-from-a-web-browser
Here you find more info: https://youtu.be/hIkCmbvAHQQ
We will provide the Zoom Meeting ID before each meeting. BAI will record the live sessions.
For Windows, macOS, and Linux:
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362023-System-requirements-for-Windows-macOS-and-Linux
In addition to the Online Program, the Berlin Art Institute offers an international Studio Program, a Residency Program, Portfolio Courses, a Spring Academy, a Summer School, an Arts Incubator, a Friends Program, and the presentation and exhibition display 404 | BAI.
If you have any questions, please contact us at ecourses@berlinartinstitute.com
