Mika Taanila’s experimental short film Patent No. 314805 (2020) will be streamed at Flatpack Festival, held online from May 21–31. The film is included in the Optical Sound short film programme, available from May 27. In June, Taanila’s film will have its US premiere at San Francisco Documentary Film Festival, held online from June 3–30, and another screening at New Jersey International Film Festival, held online from June 4–13.
Finnish engineer Eric Tigerstedt solved the dilemma of sound-on-film already before World War I. All images and sounds of Patent No. 314805 are produced from the surviving test materials originally created in 1914.
Mika Taanila (s. 1965) is a filmmaker and visual artist based in Helsinki, Finland. He works with documentaries, experimental film and visual arts. Human engineering, utopias, failures and man-machines are recurring themes in his films and installations. Taanila’s works have been shown at major international group shows, such as Venice Biennale (Nordic Pavilion 2017), Aichi Triennale (2013), dOCUMENTA (2012), Shanghai Biennale (2006), Berlin Biennale (2004), Manifesta (2002) and Istanbul Biennial (2001). Solo shows include the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma in Helsinki (2013–14), Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (2013), TENT, Rotterdam (2013) and Galleria Heino, Helsinki (2010). Taanila’s short films have been screened altogether at more than 300 international film festivals and special events. In 2015, Taanila was awarded with the prestigious Ars Fennica Award, the biggest Finnish art award.
Flatpack Festival, May 21–31 2021, UK & online
San Francisco Documentary Film Festival, June 3–30 2021, US & online
New Jersey International Film Festival, June 4–13 2021, US & online