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ALLA'S BIOGRAPHY CONTINUED

Submitted by kinodance on Thu, 04/05/2012 - 16:17

This site is a portal for all the projects by Alla Kovgan. Born in Moscow, Alla has been sharing her time between Russia, Europe and the US since 1996, making films, installations, and stage intermedia performances, as well as teaching and curating dance film and avant-garde cinema around the world.
 

(photo:  Luis Mora shot at the TIFF x Samsung Studio, courtesy of the Toronto International Film Festival (2019))

Download a PDF of Alla's full bio and resume.

ALLA'S PHOTO

Submitted by kinodance on Thu, 04/05/2012 - 16:06
Film Festival Awards

“CUNNINGHAM" 3D (anticipated release 2018)

  • OFFICIAL SELECTION 2015, Film London Production Finance Market, London, UK
  • OFFICIAL SELECTION CINEMART 2014, Rotterdam Film Festival, Rotterdam, Netherlands
  • THE MOST PROMISING FILM OF THE YEAR, 3D Film Festival and Market 2013, Liege, Belgium

"NEW LONDON CALLING" (2010):

  • Director's Choice Award", Black Maria Festival, Jersey City, USA
  • GRAND PRIX, Sports and TV Festival, Cinema Category, Milan, Italy
  • Applauses from the Adult Jury Award, Young About Film Festival, Bologna, Italy
  • NOMINATED FOR THE Peer Raben Music Award , SoundTrack_Cologne Festival, Germany
  • Honorable Mention, Napolidanza, Italy

"NORA" (2008):

  • GRAND PRIX Black Maria Festival, Jersey City, USA
  • GRAND JURY PRIX – CUTTING EDGE Miami Film Festival, USA
  • GRAND PRIX and BEST FILM on ART, Asolo Film Festival, Italy
  • GRAND PRIX, IMZ Dancescreen, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • GRAND PRIX, St. Petersburg Intl. Short Film and Animation Festival "OPEN CINEMA", St. Petersburg, Russia
  • GRAND PRIX, Golden Eye Festival, Tbilisi, Georgia
  • GRAND PRIX Napolidanza Film Festival, Napoli, Italy
  • AFROPOP AWARD The Real Life Documentary Festival, Accra, Ghana
  • BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT Africa World Documentary FF, USA
  • CREATIVITY AWARD FIFA Festival of Films on Arts, Montreal, Canada
  • MAITLAND AWARD, Ann Arbor Film Festival, USA
  • MOST ORIGINAL VOICE AWARD Roxbury Film Festival, Boston, USA
  • BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT, Montreal Black Film Festival, Canada
  • BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT - REFLECTION Janela Intl. Festival de Cinema do Recife, Brazil
  • FIRST PRIZE - METROVISION, CineMigrante, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • BEST DANCE SHORT Tiburon Film Festival, USA
  • SPECIAL PRIZE for CINEMATOGRAPHY Newport Beach FF, USA
  • AUDIENCE AWARD Dance on Camera Film Festival, New York
  • SECOND PRIZE – DOCUMENTARY Athens Intl. Film Festival, USA
  • THIRD PRIZE Cinema D’Arte Film Festival, Bergamo, Italy
  • GOLD KAHUNA and ALOHA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN FILMMAKING Honolulu Film Festival
  • NOMINATION FOR BARCELONA INTL. PRIZE, VideoDansa, Spain
  • SPECIAL JURY MENTION Cinedans, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • SPECIAL JURY MENTION Intl. Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Germany

"TRACES OF THE TRADE: A STORY FROM THE DEEP NORTH " (2007) :

  • Best Documentary, Bahamas Film Festival
  • Henry Hampton Award for Excellence in Film & Digital Media, Council on Foundations Film Festival
  • BEST DOCUMENTARY, Black International Cinema, Berlin, Germany

"MOVEMENT REVOLUTION AFRICA" (2007)

  • Best Dance Film Award, Cyprus International Film Festival
  • BEST FILM - FINE ARTS, Black International Cinema, Berlin, Germany

"ARCUS" (2003)

  • Honorable Mention, Napolidanza, Italy
  • Honorable Mention, Dance on Camera Festival, New York, USA

"BELONGINGS" (1998)

  • BEST OF THE FESTIVAL, Boston Underground Film Festival, USA
Selected Festival Screenings
  • Sundance Film Festival, Salt Lake City, USA
  • Rotterdam Film Festival, Netherlands
  • Toronto Film Festival, Toronto, Canada
  • Melbourne Film Festival, Melbourne, Australia
  • Durban Film Festival, Durban, South Africa
  • FESPACO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
  • Montreal Film Festival, Montreal, Canada
  • Vancouver Film Festival, Vancouver, Canada
  • Cinema du Reel Film Festival, Paris, France
  • Festival of Films on Arts, Montreal, Canada
  • Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival, France
  • Oberhausen Film Festival, Germany
  • Palm Springs Film Festival, Palm Springs, USA
  • Ann Arbor Film Festival, Ann Arbor, USA
  • Black Maria Festival, Jersey City, USA
  • Tiburon Film Festival, Tiburon, USA
  • Human Rights Watch Film Festival, USA
  • Films de Femmes de Créteil, Paris, France
  • Documenta Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • Milano Documentary Film Festival, Milan, Italy
  • DOCAVIV, Tel Aviv, Israel
  • New York African Film Festival, New York, USA
  • MEDIAWAVE International Film and Music Festival, Hungary
  • Message to Man Film Festival, St. Petersburg, Russia
  • Gulf Film Festival, Dubai, The UAE
Selected Screenings at Other Venues
  • National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, USA
  • Louvre Museum, Paris, France
  • Tate Modern Museum, London, UK
  • Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
  • Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
  • Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley, CA, USA
  • Anthology Film Archive, New York, USA
  • Brooklyn Academy of Music, USA
  • Institute of Contemporary Art, Chicago, USA
  • Museum of Civilizations, Quebec City, Canada
  • KIASMA, Contemporary Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Broadcast
  • PBS, P.O.V ("Traces of the trade"; "My perestroika") & AFROPOP ("NORA")
  • ARTE/ZDF, France ("Movement Revolution Africa"; "NORA")
  • NRK, Norway ("NORA")
  • LINK TV, USA ("NORA")
  • TV3, Catalanuya, Spain ("NORA")
  • SVT, Sweden ("NORA")
Selected Performances and Installations
  • 2015 The Digital Image Summit, Centre des Arts d'Enghien, Paris  ("SUMMERSPACE 3D")
  • 2015 Lyon Opera, France ("SUMMERSPACE 3D")
  • 2015 CNDC, Angers, France ("SUMMERSPACE 3D")
  • 2015 ICA, Boston ("SUMMERSPACE 3D")
  • 2011 ATLANTIC WARF Gallery, Boston ("SEEKERS")
  • 2010 PALMER Theatre, Connecticut College ("DENIZEN", "FUSE")
  • 2010 REDFERN Theatre, Keene State College ("DENIZEN", "FUSE")
  • 2009 MCLA Gallery Annex, North Adams, MA ("Refractive Kinescope")
  • 2008 ICA, Boston ("FUSE", "BEHEMOTH")
  • 2008 Dance New Amsterdam, New York ("SECRET STREAMS')
  • 2007 TSAI Theatre, Boston ("DENIZEN")
  • 2007 NEFA Lab, Connecticut College ("SECRET STREAMS')
  • 2006 HIGH FESTIVAL, Armenia ("SECRET STREAMS')
  • 2006 Summer Stages Dance, Concord, MA ("SECRET STREAMS')
  • 2005 Boston Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts ("CROW'S NEST")
  • 2005 APE Thorne Art Center, Northampton, MA ("SECRET STREAMS')
  • 2005 New Dance Theatre, Boston University ("SECRET STREAMS')
  • 2005 Berkshire Fringe Festival, Great Barrington, MA ("SECRET STREAMS')
  • 2004 Monaco Dance Forum, Monaco ("SECRET STREAMS')
  • 1999 Mobius Gallery, Boston, MA ("MISGUIDED AGAIN", "BODY TALES")
Grants, Fellowships, and Commissions
  • 2019 Artist-in-residence, Museum Quarter 21, Vienna, Austria
  • 2019 Andy Warhol Foundation “CUNNINGHAM”
  • 2018 National Endowment for the Arts “CUNNINGHAM”
  • 2017 Finnish Film Foundation “DEVIL’S LUNGS”
  • 2017 AVEK New Technology Fund (Finland) “DEVIL’S LUNGS”
  • 2017 NRW Fund “CUNNINGHAM”
  • 2017 Baden-Wüttermberg Fund “CUNNINGHAM”
  • 2017 FFA Federal German Fund “CUNNINGHAM”
  • 2017 French-German Mini-treaty “CUNNINGHAM”
  • 2016 BKM Federal German Fund for “CUNNINGHAM”
  • 2016 Hamburg Film Fund for “CUNNINGHAM”
  • 2016 Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Grant for “CUNNINGHAM”
  • 2015, 2016 National Cinematography Center (CNC), New Technology Award, Paris, France “CUNNINGHAM”
  • 2014 Arts Council of Finland Grant for “INKA”
  • 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 Kone Foundation, Finland for “INKA”
  • 2012-2013 Rockefeller Foundation NYC Cultural Innovation Grant for “CUNNINGHAM” 3D
  • 2012 NEA Arts in Media Grant for “THE FIRST FIVE LADIES OF DANCE”
  • 2012 Poynter Fellowship at Yale University
  • 2012 Bogliasco Foundation Fellowship
  • 2010 Seoul Film Commission, South Korea
  • 2009 Brother Thomas Fellowship, Boston Foundation
  • 2009 Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship
  • 2009 Connecticut College Commission for "NEW LONDON CALLING"
  • 2009 Downstreet Arts Commission for "REFRACTIVE KINESCOPE"
  • 2008, 2006, 2004 Trust for Mutual Understanding for KINODANCE Festival
  • 2008 CEC Artslink “Choreography for the Camera” initiative in the Caucuses & Central Asia
  • 2008 “25 to WATCH” by Dance Magazine for Kinodance Company
  • 2008 Soros Foundation for “Choreography for the Camera” initiative in the Caucuses & Central Asia
  • 2008 Meet the Composer Grant, NEFA, for "FUSE" and "BEHEMOTH"
  • 2007 LEF Foundation for “Experiments in Visual music” by Kinodance Company
  • 2007 Crash Arts for “Experiments in Visual music” by Kinodance Company
  • 2007 Capture Foundation (UK) for “Nora”
  • 2007 EMPAC Commission for “Nora”
  • 2007 LEF Foundation for “DENIZEN”
  • 2006 Bank of America Celebrity Series for "DENIZEN"
  • 2006 Trust for Mutual Understanding for “DENIZEN”
  • 2005 LEF Foundation for “Terpsychore’s Captives II”
  • 2003-2005 Filmmaker –in –residence, WGBH, Boston
  • 2004 Trust for Mutual Understanding for “Secret Streams”
  • 2003 Somerville Arts Council Artist Fellowship Grant
  • 2002 Dance Film Association Finishing Funds grant for “African Dance: Sand, Drum and Shostakovich”
  • 2002 LEF Foundation Grant for “Balagan Experimental Film & Video Series”
  • 2002 Brookline Commission for the Arts Grant for “Balagan Film & Video Series”
  • 2001 Boston First Night 2002 Grant for “Balaganchik”, a site-specific performance
  • 1996-1998 Russian European Award Program, two-year Graduate Scholarship
Teaching
  • “The Dance Studies Association” Conference, 2019, Presenter
  • “Immersive Portraits” Conference Keynote Presenter, 2017, Cologne Film Festival

“Virtual Reality Workshop” Lecturer/Guest Artist

  • 2017 Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, USA

“Choreographing Cinema ” (5-part series), Lecturer/Guest Artist

  • 2017, 2015, 2013, 2012 Yale University, New Haven, USA
  • 2014 University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
  • 2013 Bucknell University, Lewisburg, USA
  • 2013, 2012, 2010 Massachusetts College of Art, Boston, USA
  • 2013, 2012 Dance New Amsterdam, DFA Film Lab, New York, NY
  • 2010 School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
  • 2010 Arts On The Edge Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
  • 2010 Connecticut College, New London, USA March 2010
  • 2009 Loikka Festival, Helsinki, Finland, April 2009
  • 2009 In Shadow Kinetic Arts Festival, Lisbon, Portugal
  • 2008 Marlboro College, Vermont

“Dance Film Workshop”, Lecturer/Artist-in-residence

  • 2011 Full Moon Dance Festival/Loikka, Pyhajarvi, Finland
  • 2011 University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
  • 2010 Dance Films Association, 92Y, New York
  • 2010 Loikka Pro and Muu, Helsinki, Finland
  • 2008 and 2006 KINO-PAR Festival, Yerevan, Armenia
  • 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 St. Petersburg Dance Film Festival KINODANCE, Russia
  • 2005 Velocity Dance Center, Seattle, WA
  • 2005 Summer for the Arts Festival, Fresno, CA
  • 2004 Bates Dance Festival, Lewiston, ME

“ Dance and the World of Moving Image Curator Institute”, Lecturer/Guest Artist

  • 2010 Loikka Festival, Helsinki, Finland
  • 2008 Proarte Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia

“ Sculpting with Light, Film and Movement”, Lecturer, with Deborah Lefkowitz

  • 2006 ProArte, St. Petersburg, Russia

“ Dance Video Collaboration on stage”, Lecturer

  • 2010 Connecticut College, New London, CT, USA
  • 2005 APE Performance Space, Northampton, MA

“ Dance Video Editing”, Lecturer,

  • 2003 Harvestworks, New York, USA
Jurying
  • 2012 Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival, LABO Competition, France
  • 2010 Experimental Media Performance Art Center, Dance Film Commission
  • 2008 Dance on Camera Festival
  • 2006 Black Maria Film Festival
  • 2005 Rhode Island Film Festival
Curating
  • 2012 "Dance Film Highlights", Busan International Dance Festival, Busan, Korea
  • 2012 "Selections from Clermont-Ferrand Festival: Dance and Rhythms of Life", 92Y Tribeca, NY
  • 2012-2000 Balagan Experimental Film & Video Series – a year-round bi-monthly series recognized by the Boston Film Critics Society as the “Best Film Series of 2001, 2002, 2004”
  • 2011, 2009, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001 St. Petersburg International Dance Film Festival KINODANCE, Russia
  • 2008, 2006 The Yerevan Dance Film Festival KINO-PAR, Armenia
  • 2005 “Ed Emshwiller: Cine-Dances of a Visionary Filmmaker”, Videodance Festival, Thessalonica, Greece
  • 2005 “Choreographing Cinema Series”, Boston Cyberarts Festival, MFA Boston
  • 2004 “Dance on Camera Special Arts Close-up”, WGBH-Special
  • 2004 “Dance Films from Eastern Europe”, TanzMediale, Köln, Germany
  • 2004 “In the spirit of Shirley Clarke”, Videodance Festival, Athens and Thessalonica, Greece
  • 2003 “The Mirror Films by Maya Deren”, Videodance Festival, Athens and Thessalonica, Greece
  • 2002 “Media[less] Medium”, Mills Gallery, Boston, USA
  • 2002 “Food for Thought Festival”, ArtBeat Festival, Somerville, USA
  • 2002, 2001 “Experimental Shorts”, Boston Underground Film Festival, USA
  • 2001 “Annual Student Show”, School of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA
  • 2001 "Shorts with Live Soundtrack”, Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline, USA
Publications and Conferences
  • 2019 “Women in Hollywood” Interview
    https://womenandhollywood.com/tiff-2019-women-directors-meet-alla-kovgan-cunningham/

     
  • 2017 “TEATR” Russian Theatre Magazine Feature: When Cinema Dances”  http://oteatre.info/kogda-kino-tantsuet/

     
  • 2015 “ArtFuse Visual Arts Feature: Alla Kovgan, Treasure Hunter—Merce Cunningham at the ICA”
    http://artsfuse.org/135964/fuse-visual-arts-feature-alla-kovgan-treasure-hunter-merce-cunningham-at-the-ica/

     
  • 2015 “Long-Lost Merce Cunningham Work Is Reconstructed in Boston,” New York Times, 
    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/19/arts/design/long-lost-merce-cunningham-work-is-reconstructed-in-boston.html
     
  • 2013 “KINODANCE COMPANY,” Kinebago Journal, Issue #4, 2013
  • 2011 "Case Study: "NORA", "African Dance Diaspora Symposium", Harvard University, USA
  • 2010 "Case Study: Kinodance Company", "Revolution: Technology as Change" Symposium, Connecticut College, New London, CT USA
  • 2008-2003 “The Mirror Films by Maya Deren” by Alla Kovgan, Videodance Festival Catalog (Greece), 2003, “TTV Riccione” Festival Catalog (Italy) 2004, DansCamDanse Catalog (Belgium) 2004, FIVU Festival Catalog (Uruguay) Spring 2005, Dance Screen Brighton (UK) 2007, SHOOT, Stockholm, Sweden 2008
  • 2006 “Choreography: At the Crossroads of Dance and Cinema”, “Screen Dance: State of the Art” Conference, American Dance Festival, Durham, USA
  • 2005 “Ed Emshwiller: Cine-Dances of a Visionary Filmmaker”, Videodance Festival Publication, Greece
  • 2005 “On political film”, Boston Jewish Film Festival Catalog, 2005
  • 2004 “On experimental film” Boston Jewish Film Festival Catalog, 2004
  • 2004 “Kinetic Films of Shirley Clarke”, Videodance Festival Publication, Greece
  • 2003 “Dance Film: A Variety of Perspectives”, New York University, USA
  • 2003 “Challenges in Designing Dance Film/Video Courses”, Dance Films Association, New York
Education
  • University of Massachusetts, Boston, USA, Masters in Education, 1998
  • Russian State University for Humanities, Moscow, Russia, BA in Linguistics & Information Science (magna cum laude), 1995
  • Moscow Linguistic University, Moscow, Russia, Graduate Certificate in French, 1996