Here are the results of our 2023 TikiKiti International Film Festival. The most important takeaway we came to realize that we can no longer rely on any precise grading. There will always be ties. Why? You may ask. We’re not sure if there’s any satisfactory answer to that. Relying on precise grading meant we needed to break the grading down the 1000th of a point. For example, a grade of 92.578. That just isn’t going to happen. So we got more judges instead. Well, here are the results from that.
We started with 54 submissions. Our judges and staff — over various rounds of voting — got the final videos down to 16. Since we are giving out two awards this year, one for a traditional, or in-real-life (IRL) video; and one for AI animation, the final 16 included eight from each category. With that established we still ended up with the ten final videos you see here.
What we came to believe is that the quality of the music video productions is so much better than in the past, it was more difficult for our judges to make a decision. Our judges came from all over the world so their varied backgrounds led to the same conclusions — it was a difficult job.
Here are the Faces of TKIFF 2023: The award for the #1 video in each category belong to:
The first #1 video comes from West Virginia, US, by MasleriNK, who is Austin Siegler. This video to Sam Barber’s song, “Straight and Narrow” was taken from his film called “Don’t Stop Riding.” There is something very familiar here. In fact, familiarity is something our judges kept commenting on—all the videos seem so relatable to them, reminding them of something personal. It is this sense of empathy that makes this video, and all of MasleriNK’s work, successful is this empathy. He has a way of bringing us into a place that is familiar, and immediately getting us to understand the main character.
In his video we see a young bicycle rider in their world, riding to a place hear a highway, watching the traffic go by. What young teenager, or adult for that matter, seen this same place and wondered what it would be like to be on that road going someplace else. Who has not dreamed of escaping their world and exploring some place beyond the horizon. This is a desire that is practically universal with teenagers, or any one dreaming of a better life. When watching this video and listening to Sam Barber and his incredibly soulful voice, we are all drawn into this sense of place and longing for adventure. This is something that Austin Siegler explores in all his videos. And we think this is something this young filmmaker will continue to explore, taking all of us along with him.
The #1 video in the AI category is from the Monyo Project, from Hungary. We see so many AI music videos. The best we have seen are those that start with completed and traditional video, possibly even editing into a final form. The Monyo Project includes Monyo himself along with Endre Baba who helps compose the lyrics and sings. All of their videos credit Future Underground for the AI, however, we have been unable to get any response from them about who this would be. Maybe it’s them. We don’t know.
The Monyo Project makes their original videos to their original music. On their YouTube page they have a lot to say about their music and themselves. All of it more than a bit mysterious. For example, they quote Bugbearbookings from the UK describing their sound, "Monyo Project—Redolent of Garbage maybe, though with a grimier, grindier, slack rock context—and a nigh on Lee Anne Rimes [sic] country tinge too…brassy, sassy female fronted pop rock. Cool."
They describe themselves as a “Cold Rock band from Transylvania founded in 1999. The band members are Monyo (guitar, analog instruments, vocal), and Baba (lead vocal, analog instruments), they are a songwriter couple. The other members, drummer, keybord, bass player are always changing around. Sometimes just the two of them are playing, on analog instruments. They had many tours in London, big philharmonic concerts, a documentary about them and many gigs in Budapest and Transylvania.”
It is Monyo’s incredible guitar work that originally got our attention. Just watch some of his videos where he shreds his guitar and you will likely drop a jaw. One of their songs was reminiscent of Marc Bolan and T-Rex. It seems much of their music harkens back to the 70s and 80s with the heavy guitar leads.
It pleases this writer to see so many talented guitarists these days. And to see their music enjoying a new found popularity.
From Russia we have Anastasia Volkovskaya. Here is an amazing filmmaker who choreographed every single shot, editing them perfectly together to one of rock musics most popular songs, “Take It As It Comes” by The Doors. In the process, she created a video that will forever be associated with this song. They are now inseparable.
The secret to her successful video is she had fun making it. For so many producers making a video becomes something like a challenge, or even a chore. What many producers seem to forget is this attitude will show in the final version of the music video. If making a video is a chose, it will look labored. But Anastasia proves the opposite. It can be fun. And when it’s fun the video will shine and be remembered for this.
Try listening to this song after see this video, and not seeing this video every time. It is infectious.
This AI video by Wicked AI, aka Gregory Mandarano (formerly known as Dope Music Video). With all the advancements within the AI community this video will be around for some time. The reason is two-fold: first, it’s simplicity—the flowing dancer and the brilliant color palette using Mondrian aesthetics ; and second, Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five.” This classic piece of jazz is so popular it is instantly recognizable. And, like the video above using The Doors, this animation will change the way we imagine this music. If you already have a favorite visual associated with piece of music—maybe you saw it a concert performance (as this writer has), or maybe it was a special situation—after watching this video those memorable visuals will risk being replaced with this stunningly choreographed video.
Mike Krumlauf hails from Chicago and currently lives in Denver. He also has two videos here in the finals. The first he calls “My Life” and for good reason: this is a compilation of all his personal videos and music videos he has done in 2023. This first video is set to “Crimson” by Pogo. For many professionals they would consider this a show reel. For Mr. Krumlauf, who has created a documentary of his life with the music video, this is something more personal.
The second video here from Mike Krumlauf is set to “Down, Down, Down” by The Presets. A tasty bit of 80s style synth-pop that one of the judges said was the best music video he has seen. If you’re interested in reading more about Mike Krumlauf we recently did an artist profile on him here.
We met Optimoos (aka Jorge Dugule from Spain) when we first started this year’s film festival. It was he who did the music video to Timbuk 3, “You Gotta Wear Shades” that was to become our showpiece video. He did this Halloween video set to The Hives, “Bogus Operandi.” Our favorite Halloween video ever. You can also read our profile of him here.
From Canada is Myk Eff, or Michael Filimowicz, PhD, who is a senior lecturer at the School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University, in British Columbia. In addition to creating some incredibly beautiful AI music videos he also teaches. Here is his video to his own music he calls, “Private Worlds,” which he says is, “This is probably my most autobiographical music video, though it's not intended to convey autobiography to viewers.”
What more can we say about Kevin Bodin Films, from France, that we haven’t already said in an Artist Profile, or a podcast. Monsieur Bodin is the only person who has won three Barclay Awards, to videos that can be found on his YouTube channel. His talent and style is amazing and he has few who can equal him.
Our final video in this list comes from a collective of film makers from France called Morzhol Prod. Part of this collective is Miguel de Brito, a filmmaker we profiled in May of last year. This video features poet Bernez Tangi.
