LISFE - Leiden International Short Film Experience

Bars and cafés have always been an important part of our lives. Across the globe, these spaces are recognized for their social value as places where people of all backgrounds can come together, indulge, and find solace and inspiration in each other’s company. But during these challenging times of the COVID-19 crisis, most of our beloved bars and cafés are facing financial difficulties that threaten their very existence.

The LISFE team believes it is essential that we give back to our community, and support those who we depend on in our daily lives. As a festival that supports burgeoning artists, it is our responsibility to assist these businesses in any way possible to ensure that they will be there for future patrons to enjoy.

That is why we are asking for your support. We hope that you will join us in this act of solidarity in donating to these independent businesses in any capacity that you can. Whatever you are able to spare would be greatly appreciated.

Here is the list of cafés and/or bars to which the donations will go: Koffiehuisje, Old School, I Scream Coffee, Meneer Jansen, De Paradijsvogel, Kleine Planeet, De Bonte Koe.

If you also are an independent business and aren’t on the list yet/would like to be one of the recipients, please contact us at anastasia@lisfe.nl

LISFE 2020 POSTPONED

Dear Friends,

In response to the measures taken by the Dutch government with regards to the COVID-19 virus, LISFE will postpone its 2020 edition. The exact date is yet to be determined.
In the meantime, we are working hard on finalising the program in order to offer you an exciting film festival experience!

Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this situation. Please take care of yourselves and each other!

The LISFE team

Leiden International Short Film Experience (LISFE) is the second largest short film festival in the Netherlands. The 12th edition will take place from the 7th to the 10th of May 2020 in several cultural spaces in Leiden. The program entails short films from all genres as well as talks, workshops and multimedia events.

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“I can’t breathe.” These are words that have

“I can’t breathe.” These are words that have reverberated around the world in recent weeks. They capture the suffocating influence of racism, climate injustice and isolationist politics.

Today on #WorldRefugeeDay we would like to share a short film in which these same words are spoken by a young boy, Ahmad. Ahmad is a refugee who is smuggled into the UK in the back of a lorry, disoriented, overheated and gasping for breath. His search for a home leaves him imprisoned in an airless box.

The film is based on a true story: not only was Ahmad a real boy with hopes and dreams, but there are more than 27 million refugees in the world in a similar position, many of them children. And there are faces in the numbers–human beings with talents and passions. They are artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers. You can watch Oksijan, directed by Edward Watts, on Youtube through the link in our bio.

We also encourage you to consider donating to Medecins Sans Frontieres today, who continue to do amazing work helping those who are displaced in areas affected by conflict, epidemics, natural disasters, and more.

On June 1st, after more than two months of lockdow

On June 1st, after more than two months of lockdown, cafés and bars opened their doors again. LISFE is officially ending our "Help de horeca in Leiden" fundraiser.

Together we raised over 2.000 euros! We are so grateful for your support and contributions, and we thank everyone who joined us in this act of solidarity to help keep these independent businesses alive. THANK YOU!
@kleineplaneet @cafemeneerjansen @koffiehuisjeleiden @deparadijsvogelleiden @oldschoolleiden @iscreamcoffee De Bonte Koe ❤️

We at LISFE would like to express our solidarity w

We at LISFE would like to express our solidarity with the #blacklivesmatter movement and the protestors around the world who are putting their bodies on the line in a fight against racism and systemic oppression. Racism and anti-blackness are not only “American problems”, but are structural within the global system of power. Here in the Netherlands, Zwarte Piet continues to perpetuate racist stereotypes year after year, and has a direct, negative impact on the black community. This behaviour can no longer be tolerated. It’s time to #kickoutzwartepiet.

We encourage you to consider donating to anti-racist groups such as @blackqueertransresistance @kozwartepiet @stopblackface, to participate in protests (while taking the necessary safety and social distancing precautions), or simply to inform yourself about the structures of systemic oppression that across the world.

Changing behaviour starts with raising awareness, and for us that’s achieved through film. We are so thankful for all of the black-produced content that is available online right now, and we will strive to ensure that LISFE remains a platform that helps to highlight the incredible work being done around the globe.

Check out the link in our bio to view some activist shorts from BLM Global Network!

Het mooie @koffiehuisjeleiden deelt ook mee in

Het mooie @koffiehuisjeleiden deelt ook mee in de donaties! Klik link in bio om te doneren!
𝐇𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐧:

Sinds we de deuren van het Koffiehuisje moesten sluiten wegens het gevaar voor besmetting met het Corona virus, hebben we met z’n allen niet stil gezeten. Er was in 20 jaar eigenlijk amper wat aan het interieur gedaan wat schilderen betreft. Het plafond was zwart/bruin geworden terwijl het oorspronkelijk licht groen was! Er zat een dikke laag teer en nicotine op dat zich er gedurende al die tijd lekker op heeft kunnen vastzetten. Maar met hulp van mijn personeel een één zeer gemotiveerde en gewaardeerde vaste klant is alles weer schoon geworden en hebben we het een mooie nieuwe laag verf gegeven. We hebben samen veel schoongemaakt en geschilderd maar het was daarnaast ook nog eens erg gezellig om zo samen te werken. Vaak kwamen vaste klanten even poolshoogste nemen en vroegen dan wanneer we weer open gingen. Gelukkig kunnen we nu zeggen dat we het weer gaan proberen per 1 juni. Dan hopen we iedereen weer in ons Koffiehuisje te mogen begroeten!

LISFE #Mothersday2019 #throwback ⠀ Last year in

LISFE #Mothersday2019 #throwback ⠀
Last year in occasion of mother's day we tailored a special program for children and their mothers.
After a dedicated session curated by CINEKID, the @animatiebus team taught kids how to make their own stopmotion animations. This short video is an excerpt of their wonderful creations.
Thank you @cinekidfestival and @animatiebus for making Mother's day special last year.
We wish all the mothers out there, near or far from their beloved children, a very special day!
⠀
#LISFE2019 #leidenCity #shortfilms #filmsforkids #lisfeteam #filmfestivals #deanimatiebus #cinekids #mothersday

To our beloved audience, None of us could have im

To our beloved audience,

None of us could have imagined that we’d all be spending this weekend at home. We had hoped that we would be together in Leiden experiencing LISFE together. Though we’re all spending our fair share of time behind a screen, video calling family and friends, in Zoom meetings, and of course, compulsively watching films, nothing compares to the big screen with an audience.

We can’t help but miss the sounds of our fellow audience members shuffling in their seats–sighing, gasping, laughing. Truth be told, we even miss the chewers and the flickering light of a rogue mobile phone. We miss plurality, divergent opinions, debate, chance encounters. We miss sharing this time with strangers in the intimacy of the screening room, collectively experiencing that which the film ignites in us.

Yet, we should not get lost in nostalgia, for Corona has awakened us to new possibilities for connectivity. It has been so exciting to watch as film festivals, filmmakers, cineclubs, collectives and many others pioneer a new form of curation and screening, adapting swiftly to a now unmistakably matured digital era.

Therefore, LISFE is proud to announce that we plan to host a limited capacity in-theatre festival in September, and are also working towards having a digital presence!

The precise shape that the future of cinema will take is still opaque, but one thing is for certain: whether sitting together in a theatre or sharing these films with others viewing miles away, we are so excited to unite with you once again!

Lots of love,

LISFE

Onze geliefde partner koffiebar en galerie @oldsch

Onze geliefde partner koffiebar en galerie @oldschoolleiden deelt ook mee in de donaties! Klik link in bio om te doneren!⠀
𝐇𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐧:⠀
"We houden van het gebouw, maar we houden nog meer van dit gebouw met mensen erin! We hopen dat we in de toekomst weer kunnen genieten van maandelijkse exposities, goeie koffie, huisgemaakte taart en unieke programmering. Volg ons op sociale media of via onze website, dan houden wij je op de hoogte van onze ontwikkelingen. Blijf gezond!"⠀
#helpdehoreca #leiden

May Day always reminds us of one our favourite fil

May Day always reminds us of one our favourite films from our 10th edition - the aptly titled May Day. This Belgian comedy highlights the absurdity of the labour-market today, pitting neighbours against one another in a rat-race for a mere steady job.

As thousands of essential workers employed at Amazon and other large corporations in the United States strike today against their employer’s failure to protect their safety in these times of Corona, we are reminded of just how high the stakes of this rat-race are.

Corona to many of us has meant home quarantine, but for many others, it has meant putting one’s own personal safety at risk to continue to feed their families and to keep our society running.
This May Day, we’d like to extend our solidarity with all those around the world who cannot quarantine. Whether stuck at home or finally returning home from work, we wish you can kick back, relax and enjoy some quality cinema.

May Day trailer:
https://vimeo.com/247118506

@Agencebelgeducourtmétrage

#LISFE2018 #shortfilms #shortfilmfestval #filmfestival #mayday #fedrikdebeul #oliviermagis #internationallabourday #firstofmay
#agencebelgeducourtmetrage #leiden #LISFE2020

@cafemeneerjansen deelt ook mee in de donaties!
𝐇𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐭 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐧:
"Meneer Jansen bestaat 30 april 38 jaar en in al die tijd is het nooit langer dicht geweest dan 3 dagen.
Ons speciaalbiercafe is nu bijna 6 weken gesloten en het eind is nog niet in zicht.
Het mag duidelijk zijn dat we voor de grootste uitdaging van de afgelopen 38 jaar staan met zijn allen.
Voor ons is het ergste van de sluiting niet alleen het financiele gemis, maar ook het persoonlijke.
We missen iedereen die bij ons kwam voor een praatje of een bordspelletje. Een koffie of een speciaalbiertje.
Maar wat wel mooi is, is dat we ons zo enorm gesteund voelen door mooie initaitiven zoals deze van het LISFE!
Dat geeft ons weer een drive om niet bij de pakken neer te zitten.

We houden de moed erin door playlists te maken voor de thuisblijvers, de zaak te schilderen en uit te dokteren hoe we straks veilig weer open kunnen.
We hopen dat dat snel weer mag en dat we jullie dan weer mogen verwelkomen!
Dus tot snel en bedankt voor jullie steun!" Klik link in bio on te doneren ❤️ #helpdehoreca #leiden #leidenCity #leidenstadvanontdekkingen #sleutelstad

#helpdehoreca @iscreamcoffee deelt ook mee in

#helpdehoreca

@iscreamcoffee deelt ook mee in de donaties. Klik link in bio om te doneren!

Hier een bericht van hen: "Ons uitgangspunt is passie. De passie voor koffie; voor smaak!
De smaak van specialty koffie maar ook de smaak van heerlijk gebak. Zo heerlijk dat je niet eens door hebt dat alles vegan is en stiekem hartstikke diervriendelijk.
Verse producten, zelf gebakken of gemaakt door een van de lokale helden waar wij gelukkig van worden. Kleine ondernemers die elkaar steunen.

Onze koffiebonen zijn van Ravott. We werken samen met Modejacht voor fijne vintage kleding en de te gekke T-shirts van de band Ciao Lucifer.

De kunst aan de muren is van lokale Leidse kunstenaars Rob Worst en Rik Speel en uiteraard ook te koop bij ons, evenals meubels en lampen van houtbewerker houtenteak.

Ook houden wij van feest! Op het moment zijn we door de getroffen maatregelen alleen open voor koffie en gebak to go, maar we kunnen niet wachten tot we weer een van onze gezellige evenementen kunnen organiseren, zoals "Pie & Lattes" met yogastudio Namasté Body & Mind, kunnen dansen op de beats van onze huis-DJ Tom Schlagwein of een live concert van ons bevriende saxofoon-kwartet.

Hopelijk tot gauw!
Heel veel liefs,
Annerie en Gerben"❤️