BISTOURY PHYSICAL THEATRE AND FILM
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Choreographer Alexey Taran and filmmaker Carla Forte founded BISTOURY PHYSICAL THEATRE AND FILM in Caracas, Venezuela, in 2005, as an avant-garde creative platform for dance, theater, and film.
In 2007, BFTF presented the play "BOLO" with the support of Taran's Guggenheim Fellowship, marking the relocation of BISTOURY to Miami, Florida. Showcasing their work at various festivals, galleries, theaters, and auditoriums both locally and internationally, such as the Miami Science Museum and Movement Research Judson Church in New York, BFTF carved a path by presenting groundbreaking interdisciplinary works that interweave film, dance, and theater. In 2009, BFTF was commissioned by Miami Light Project and the Adrienne Arsht Center to create a multimedia play titled "SYMBOL," which was performed at the Carnival Studio Theater in Miami and in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as part of the "Art of Uncertainty" event. Additionally, the video-art piece "Schizo Bolo" was exhibited at Edge Zones in Miami and at the "Loft Into Theater Performance Festival" in New York City. In 2010, BFTF produced "Assassins for One Night," commissioned by FUNDarte, Music USA, and the Miami Choreographers Fellowship Program. "Assassins for One Night" was presented in Venice, Italy, at "La Biennale di Venezia" and also at the Black-Box Theatre of the Miami-Dade Auditorium in Miami, Florida. In 2011, BFTF expanded their research and experimentation to include other techniques for projecting moving images, leading to the production of cinematographic works. The feature film "Urban Stories" received awards for Best Movie, Best Screenplay, and Best Cinematography at the Bootleg International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada, as well as Best Movie and Best Actress at the Miami Life Awards, and an Award of Merit at the Lucerne International Film Festival in Switzerland. Furthermore, "Urban Stories" was screened at the Miami Beach Cinematheque, the Venezuelan Film Festival in Merida, Venezuela, and the Marbella International Film Festival in Marbella, Spain. The short film "RESET" was also selected for "Cannes Court Métrage" at the Cannes Film Festival. |
The performance "Imaginarium Life" was commissioned by the MTC SandBox Series and was also presented at the "Miami Beach Cinematheque" in Miami, Florida. The short film "Imaginarium" was chosen for participation in the Leiden International Short Film Experience in the Netherlands. The dance film "Interrupta" was selected for various international festivals, including "Created for Dances Made to Order Edition 21" in Seattle, "21st Quinzena de Danca de Almada Contemporary Dance Festival Portugal" in Almada, Portugal, "International Dance Film Festival Uruguay" in San Salvador, Uruguay, "Screen Dance Miami" in Miami, FL, "Index Internacional Arts Festival" in the Dominican Republic, "Art Screening at Trestle Gallery" in Brooklyn, NY, "POOL 14 – INTERNATIONALE TanzFilmPlattform" in Berlin, Germany, and most recently at the "27th Festival Les Instants Vidéo" in Marseille, France.
The performance "TRIBE" was presented at the XX International Dance Festival in Urban Landscapes, Habana Vieja, Ciudad en Movimiento, Havana, Cuba. Additionally, BFTF's documentary "The Holders" was selected for the 32nd Miami International Film Festival in Miami. BFTF received the Miami New Times "MasterMind Award." BFTF produced and presented the V Edition of the 305 & HAVANA INTERNATIONAL IMPROV FEST. Partnering venues included the Miami-Dade County Auditorium On.Stage Black Box Theatre (Miami, Florida) and Workshops at Miami Light Center (Miami, Florida) and Fabrica de Arte Cubano (Havana, Cuba). |
BFTF BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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ALEXEY TARAN | President
Artistic Director and Director of the Department for Artistic Creation CARLA FORTE | Vice President Executive Director and Director of the Department of Author's Cinema CARLOS ORTIZ Grant Writer |
VICENTE FORTE
Director of the Literature Department VIVIAN MARTHELL Board Member HEATHER MALONEY Board Member |
ALEXEY TARAN
Alexey Taran, a native of Santa Clara, Cuba, graduated from the Cuban National School of Dance, National Art School, Havana, Cuba. Taran a 2007 Guggenheim Fellow, is the Co-Founder Artistic Director and choreographer for Bistoury Physical Theatre and Film. Taran was awarded for the six time the Miami Dade Choreographer’s Fellowship from the Miami Dade Department of Cultural Affairs. In 2017, he was awarded the prestigious Knight Arts Challenge Grant. Also in 2017, he was awarded the New Music USA Project Grant Award, New York, and the NALAC Transnational Cultural Remittance Travel Award, San Antonio, TX. Other awards and artistic residences include: NALAC Fund for the Arts Artist/Ensemble Grant, San Antonio, TX, US. National Performance Network (NPN) Performance Residency Program, Valledupar, Colombia. Winner of the US Platform VIth International Choreographic Encounters, 1997 “Austin International Platforms” Austin, TX, US. Artistic Residency Kapnagel, Internationales Summer Theater Festival Hamburg Hamburg, Germany.
CARLA FORTE
Carla Forte was born in Caracas, Venezuela and lives and works in Miami, Florida. Forte, first trained as a contemporary dancer, received a bachelor degree, earning the highest GPA at the Dance University Institute in Caracas - Venezuela (2000-2004). Forte incorpore on her practice dance, film and performance, focusing on the Latin-American community. Best Film Director by the Miami New Times 2023. She is the co-founder of the Bistoury Physical Theatre and Film. Her films and performances have been screened at prominent festivals and galleries such as: Festival Internazionale del Cinema di Salerno, Italy (2021); The University Galleries of Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton (2021); CICA Museum, South Korea (2021); SANFIC Santiago Festival Internacional de Cine Chile (2021); Rochester International Film Festival (2020); Miami International Film Festival, Florida (2020); Atlanta Film Festival, Georgia (2017); Cube Art Project, Nebraska (2017); Les Instants Video, France (2014), among others. Her works have been acquired by Gravitas Adventures and South Florida PBS. Forte has won commissions, awards and artistic residencies from prestigious dance and film programs such as: National Performance Network Documentation & Storytelling Fund award (2023); PAM CUT’s Sustainability Labs (2022); South Florida Cultural Consortium, Miami - Florida (2021); Artist Access award recipients (Spring 2021); Dance Miami Choreographers (2020); Certificate of Artistic Achievement Luxembourg Art Prize (2020); Knight Arts Challenge Miami- Florida (2019); En Residencia Koubek Center Miami- Florida (2019); FONLAD Residency Program Coimbra- Portugal (2018); Berlinale Talent Berlin-Germany (2017); Cucalorus Dance-makers Retreat Wilmington, North Caroline (2017); Artistic Residence, Dance -Tech AIR @ Lake Studios Berlin, Germany (2014).
