Covid-19 Conversation, an inspiring short documentary about American artist Linda Karshan’s creative rebirth under Covid-19 lockdown, is setting records on the international festival circuit.
It has won three major Awards, two trophies, and an unprecedented number of nominations from prestigious film festivals from Europe, India, America, and Latin America.
Directed by London-based Ghanaian poet/filmmaker Ishmael Fiifi Annobil, the film’s festival tally so far includes Winner, Best Short Documentary Award, Mykonos Film Festival (Greece); Winner of the Best Covid Special Film Award at Luleå International Film Festival (Sweden); Winner of the Diamond Award for Best Covid-Documentary Film, Nawada International Film Festival (India); Finalist, French Riviera Film Festival (Best Documentary).
Others are Nominee, Florence Film Awards (Italy); Nominee, Hollywood Blvd Film Festival (USA); Finalist, the Sweden Film Awards; Shortlisted, ARFF Berlin Film International Awards (Germany); Nominee by Five Continents International Film Festival (Venezuela); Nomination by Cinalfama International Film Screenings and Awards (Portugal. More laurels are anticipated by the director.
THE STORY: While under Covid-19 lockdown in New York, Linda Karshan recalled her father’s crippling polio affliction in the 1952/53 epidemic, the social alienation, and his gallant battle against it. This inspired her to “push back” by producing her most prolific body of work to date, “…because I can stand, and he could not.”
Covid-19 Conversation shows Linda Karshan at her most eloquent, offering a rare insight into her inner and outer impulses during her “channelling” of the unique art pieces, and the influential, ‘dowsing’ role played by her agent, Jill Silverman van Coenegrachts, throughout that process.
Shot on a single day and on a single camera, Covid-19 Conversation features poignant anecdotes, rich family family photography, and offers a mesmerising tableau of the actual Covid Works Linda created during her lockdown epiphany.
Central to this lyrical film is the heroic figure of Linda’s father, Roger E. Joseph, a decorated World War II hero, who outlived his doctor’s pessimistic prognosis by sixteen years, resuming his legal practice in his family’s law chambers, and championing many humanitarian and human rights causes.
“Covid-19 Conversation is a testament to human resilience, and to the role of memory in the mark making of artists. It is Linda’s requiem for her father,” says Director Ishmael Fiifi Annobil.
Linda Karshan: Covid-19 Conversation is a product of the dynamic London film collective, Stonedog Productions, and it is part of a wide suite of films on Linda Karshan by director Ishmael Fiifi Annobil.
TRAILER: https://youtu.be/kaS_NHSi4YA
WEBSITE: www.covid19conversation.info
Producer/Director/Editor: Ishmael Fiifi Annobil
Associate Producer: Jill Silverman van Coenegrachts
Cinematography/Sound: Max Mallen
Audio Post-Production: Nick Kulukundis
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES SO FAR:
WINS:
1. Best Covid19 Documentary Award, Luleå International Film Festival
2. Diamond Award for Best Covid Documentary, Nawada International Film Festival 2nd Season
3. Best Short Documentary Award, Mykonos Film Festival
NOMINATIONS:
1. Finalist, Best Documentary, French Riviera Film Festival
2. Finalist, Best Covid-19 Film, Sweden Film Awards
3. Shortlisted, Best Short Documentary, ARFF Berlin International Awards
4. Nominee, Hollywood Blvd Film Festival (Best Documentary)
5. Nominee, Florence Film Awards, (Best Short Documentary)
6. Nominee, Five Continents International Film Festival (best Documentary Short)
7. Nominee, 2021 ARFF Berlin International Awards (Best Short Documentary)
8. Nominee, Cinalfama Lisbon International Film Awards (Best Medium or Feature Length Film)
9. Nominee, Best Short Documentary, San Francisco Indie Short Festival