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While annual events like the Catalyst Film Awards highlight student film and acting projects internally, films screened at Signals Festival sit within the larger community: alongside the industry’s rising stars, tutors and award winning teams. Screenings included the Catalyst Presents sessions, in which tutors and alumni submitted work that addressed the festival’s theme, such as Stephanie LeBolt’s dance film “Lady in White”, that put a feminist twist on a classic German fairytale or “Vaugahyde”, Adam Munning’s portal into the Berlin underground queer scene. Two independent festivals with international audiences - the Berlin Student Film Festival and LA Fashion Festival - both turned up with full programmes of prizewinning films from their festivals. A Signals Festival first this year was the addition of performing arts to the roster - Shanice Trustfull‘s live monologue Digital Flora unfolded the growth of social disconnection caused by the increased use of social media.

"The audience was both curious in the process and engaged in the message of the film" 

A key moment from the screenings was the Portuguese feature length film HARD PAINT by Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon. The intimate and erotic narrative of a cam boy’s online and offline personas was followed by a Q&A session with the writer/directors. The session brought light to the motivations and some challenges faced by them in producing this highly acclaimed film. “The audience was very present and were asking questions up to the last minute. They were both curious in the process and engaged in the message of the film. It was a delight to discuss the film like this”

Eight site-specific installations probed this year's theme from different angles. John Waldron used a pre-digital collection of artefacts to grieve the passing of a medium in “Gitti’s Wake” and drawing connections to human behaviour in pre-digital times. The festival chill-out zone was enhanced by Inphloxication and Bureau Klas Alman’s living sculpture that combined CGI and floral art. Meanwhile, on the first floor people queued throughout the festival to experience their body becoming a stage on which a concert is played in Nina Pixel and Ground Tactics’ Vibrational Hyper-Stimulations. 

Tamas Marquetant teamed up with Sebastian Dürer to present Haze Shifting - open ended and interactive, Haze Shifting was a meditative practice, a critical listening tool and a play with functions, roles and hierarchies within a studio environment. Full of contemporary references for an internet savvy audience, this installation captured the imagination of first year student Pedro Freitas, “I feel I’ve discovered new boundaries by seeing how creative the audio scene can be. Looking at [Haze Shifting], it’s like I have permission to just do crazy things and experiment with audio”.

Over both days, industry heads and recognised organisations hosted eight separate workshops. Covering a range of topics including; “Art of DJing” with Un:seen collective, “Sound for FMOD” with the creators of Harold Hailbut, and “Introduction to spatial sound” delivered by our Funkhaus neighbours Monom. We were glad to welcome back alumni Felipe Vareschi and Enyang Urbiks for sold out workshops, addressing workflows in field recordings [Vareschi] and mastering [Urbik]. “Most of all I enjoyed learning about the mindset and philosophy behind mastering. The workshop has helped me give words to concepts”, said Nilgün Gül, a music student and Signals team member who attended Enyang’s workshop. 

Another workshop that filled all the available spots was “Improvising Live with Lady Starlight”, in which live techno icon Lady Starlight returned to Catalyst to join alum Sarah Kivi to lead a live improvised jam session featuring a Theremini and Grandmother from Moog alongside a host of Elektron and Korg equipment. Also in the jam were Akkamiau, Peter Kirn, The Allegorist and Catalyst alum VIBKO. While there were many moments of note, watching the room of engaged musicians enjoying themselves made the workshop a very special experience.

The Allegorist turned up for more than just the session with Lady Starlight - the multidisciplinary artist also talked through her far reaching artistic vision during an open discussion into her creative process, hosted by Peter Kirn of CDM. A musician and visual artist with training in oil painting, the talk was essential listening for artists who move between disciplines. In the early afternoon on the following day, the floor opened to a panel discussion that put the festival’s theme at the centre of discussion. Over the course of the chat, Gozi, Portrait XO, Sam Madhu and moderator Caren Miesenberger talked about going viral, battling mental health issues within social media and much more. 

Ahead of her phenomenal “New Music Syntax (in testing)” live set, techno artist Kyoka had a deeply insightful conversation hosted by Beate Kunath. The talk was framed by Kunath’s documentary RAW CHICKS.BERLIN about womxn in electronic music, which came out seven years ago. Very fittingly, Kyoka spoke about how taking time to reflect was an essential part of her process. With the hindsight of the past years, Kyoka discussed how earlier in her career she worked more intuitively, following a rather emotional response to noise. Lately, however, she has taken steps towards rationalising the emotion, diving into neuroscience to support her creative endeavours. You can read part of the interview in Attack Magazine. 

Third year Creative Audio Production student JD Alvarado played many vital roles at the festival, including the technical support during the Kyoka dialogue. He said, “It was really amazing to see the research behind Kyokas's productions, but also the reasoning and the concepts behind them. Once you understand where it is coming from, you begin to perceive it differently, which makes her music more approachable. It’s not usually my style, but knowing the background allowed me to fully enjoy the performance later and has given me the drive to explore more of it.”

Catalyst’s cavernous performance area - known on a school-day as ‘The Void’ - was the centre for live acts and DJ sets and as the October sun went down, the acts began. Across 17 wide-ranging and diverse performances the audience was invited into a new and at times deeply personal world - using the space to test an idea, finesse a skill or gauge a reaction. 

After setting the scene during her dialogue, saying how each piece of equipment for her live sets brings a different character, Kyoka wowed a full room with a set that travelled through different emotional states. With a strong feeling of empathy towards the audience, in her performance Kyoka reflected the overriding emotions of the listeners. A heartfelt thank you to Elektron who made this techno emotional joyride possible at Signals Festival On the screen behind Kyoka, Catalyst Electronic Music Production and Performance alum Wei Kang Bei programmed live visuals that mimicked and danced with Kyoka’s eclectic sound. 

In stark contrast to Kyoka, who faced the audience and moved with them, in Dana Reason, AudeRrose and Renée T. Coulombe’s live and improvised scores to “Cinema’s First Nasty Women”, the focus of their performance was on the century old recordings projected on the wall. The trio’s performance temporarily transformed the dancefloor into a cinema with a strongly feminist stance. “I think it was a little different to other acts at the festival”, Renée said later with a wink.

On Friday night, wearing a boiler-suit and armed with a bass guitar, violin bow, strega and a host of other gear, Ireen Amnes stepped onto the stage drenched in red light. Anyone who has seen Ireen Amnes DJ would associate the red with a warning - industrial techno ahead. Signals Festival, however, was treated to a live set. Yes, at times the red glow in The Void fed into an overall atmosphere of rising tensions, as Amnes stood in a powerful pose and pulled the violin bow across the bass or bounced from instrument to instrument, but using the strega for a process called “wave shaping” Ireen Amnes was able to manipulate and tame the audio into a set of ambient and highly experimental electronic music. Satisfied with the huge applause at the end of her performance, she later reported with a smile, “this is the first time I’ve used my bass in this way”.

At first, Sofi Paez’s performance seemed similar, as she used a classical instrument in an innovative way alongside live and cutting edge digital processing. But where Amnes bought an ambient drone founded on a training in prog-rock, Paez’s “contemporary classic” took festival attendees on a beautifully different journey. Student and team member Laura Lengua agreed, “Sofi’s performance was a highlight for me. I assisted Sofi in setting up her Ableton sessions in the weeks before the show - while doing that she explained her approach to the performance. This combination of live performances with pre-recording is not something I see often within neoclassical music. Seeing the full picture come together in her live performance was very inspiring.”

The expansion of this year's festival added many new faces to the Catalyst community; over 40% of the artists have not studied or taught at Catalyst. Many thanks to all performers who wern’t mentioned in this article, you can find the full programme and more detailed profiles of each artists submission here. As well as artists who participated - travelling in some cases from other countries for the event - there was a whole host of team members and without them the event wouldn’t have been possible. From transforming the space for all the festival guests and working essential roles throughout the weekend to preparing our halls and classrooms for lessons on Monday, many Catalyst students pitched in to make this event a success. For some, this was the first time seeing the kind of work that goes on behind the scenes of an arts and music festival, others took on organisational roles to develop their understanding. A big moment on the yearly calendar with over 1,000 people, Signals Festival was a highly social event. Nilgün Gül Özer said during the Saturday evening “More than anything I enjoyed meeting other students. Getting to know my peers has been a big plus - I’ve already set up studio sessions with some of them!”

Signals Festival 22 had a place for everyone. With support from Orchestral Tools, the event, along with the crafted worlds presented by the artists, were made accessible to attendees with modest incomes. Whether you were a Catalyst alum, returning to share some of your creative labour or an established artist adding your ideas to an audience  hungry for new perspectives. An enterprising student eager for events experience or a budding performer passionate for having their art experienced by others. Or simply a reveller hearing what magic is being cooked up at Catalyst.

Read all about our highlights from Signals Festival arts and technology festival

Signals Festival 22 broadened our horizons

Broadening horizons at Signals Festival 22

During Fall 2021 Catalyst acquired a collection of Super8 equipment for specific workshops in the first year of Film Production. This includes a Super8 projector, Super8 cameras and some basic Super8 development equipment. We caught up with Juli Saragosa, Certificate Lead for Film Production, who talked us through some finer details of Super8 at Catalyst.

Super8 is motion recording technology which has now been superseded. At one time however, they were ubiquitous. So what is Super8? The “8” in Super8 refers to the width of the film. While the 8mm format has existed since the 1930s, and was much more affordable than its predecessor 16mm, the Super8 film was introduced in 1964. It was designed to remove barriers for everyday filmmakers. While 8mm film requires manual rolling, Super8 is packaged more conveniently. Increasing accessibility was an essential aspect of the Super8 product design. More often than not, software is designed to replicate physical realities. By engaging in the technology that defined these realities, makers can uncover new insights into their craft.

How wide is 8mm? see in the photo above, as some film students inspect their freshly developed film. One is holding it up to the light to see the recording better, another is using a magnifying glass to see their recording.

What do we stand to gain from engaging with analog film processes?

The fact that we can touch the film with our hands, and see the frames by holding it up to the light, gives students a deeper understanding of how moving images work - the concept of frames per second becomes material, less abstract. Digital editing can function much like online teaching. Everything is two-dimensional and disconnected from the body. Working with film is a tactile process that involves the whole body. The filmmaking process is alive and in person.

Can you tell us a bit about the history of analog video?

Filmmaking started out with celluloid material in the late 1800s. In the 1970s, analog video made filmmaking and video art much more accessible to lower income groups. Those who felt disenfranchised or oppressed were enabled to get their voice heard through a less cumbersome, more affordable medium. In the late 1990s, digital video took over the analog video practice and became even more accessible - finding wide use with smartphone technology. 

Working with celluloid film was - and still is - expensive compared to analog and digital video. 

So does Super8 use analog or celluloid film?

What people call “analog film” is technically not analog. Analog refers to “information represented by a continuously variable physical quantity such as spatial position.” Celluloid film does not have a continuous stream, there are frames and within those frames individual grains of silver halide (which is the magic of photosensitive image making). Analog video, on the other hand, does transmit and record a continuous electromagnetic stream to and from magnetic material.

Sounds like there is a whole world to explore. Where can I meet like minded people?

Filmmaking of all kinds exists all over the world. As digital video is more affordable and accessible, the use of celluloid material has become rarer and therefore even more expensive - both the material and the processing of it. Access to celluloid material is limited to areas of the world where hobbyists can afford it, and artists with DIY practices share skills and resources.

For instance, here in Berlin there is a collective of filmmakers called Labor Berlin that share resources in working with celluloid material - processing and re-printing their own film. There are numerous artist-run collectives such as this one. On this site you can see how they are spread throughout the world.

What do I need to record and develop Super8 films?

We have a couple of Super8 cameras and some hand-processing supplies in the Film Tech shop. Super8 camera models are not like digital cameras. They were invented for ease of use for hobbyists, those filming family vacations and home movies, so the cameras range from having very automatic to more manual functions. The brand does not always reveal anything about what the camera’s functions might be. The camera itself doesn’t tell you much about the quality of the images you will get. The lens, sometimes more, but it also depends on how well maintained the cameras are. They stopped making Super8 cameras in the 1990s. There is one that Kodak has released that is half-digital, but it’s not that popular amongst DIY artists. They use it in Hollywood as a gimmick.

Catalyst film tech shop is well equipped for experimenting with this media. We have a Bauer C Royal 6E, a Braun Nizo s560 and an Elmo 103T to make use of. We also have two film stocks to experiment with and during the induction, students will learn DIY film processing techniques as well as how to properly handle the necessary chemicals.

How has the experience of Project8 informed your teaching practice, given how the place of Super8 has changed radically since then (along with other celluloid film technology)?

In addition to teaching at media arts schools, I’ve given a few DIY filmmaking workshops at various community-run spaces before I started working at Catalyst. I also teach some workshops at the FilmArche eV, a self-organized film school here in Berlin. I try to approach all of my teaching without assumptions of what resources people have access to, and encourage people to tell stories that are underrepresented by the mainstream.

The expertise and approach that Juli adds to Catalyst adds directly to an idea we weave throughout Catalyst, building it from the ground up as a safe space to dream big. You can find more information about super8 on this expansive wiki, or nerd out on this super8 database hosted on filmkorn.org. To finish off this article, we’ve added a few projects Juli believes to be exemplary.

Photos by “Toronto Super8 legend” John Porter of “Splice This!” Super8 festival. Juli was commissioned by Splice This! on various occasions. 

"I feel that community spirit and fun we had in making it comes across in the film and for me, that's what Super8 filmmaking is all about."

The film Juli made for the 2005 festival is a silent remake of “The Outsiders” played by all women.

Foundational filming techniques on the Film Production course

Super8 at Catalyst

Super8 at Catalyst: analogue techniques in modern filmmaking with Juli Saragosa

Applications for the 2023/24 academic year are now open. Here’s everything you need to know.

“Next year is going to be my year.” The last couple of years made it pretty hard to keep faith in that statement. Yet, if you ask some of our thriving current students, who plunged head-first into courses at Catalyst despite the uncertainty of the pandemic, they’ll tell you that next year can always be your year – if you make it happen. So allow us to add a huge opportunity to your horizon: 2023 applications are now open!

If you’re ready to kick-start your career in audio or music production, sound for media, filmmaking, screenwriting, visual effects, digital arts and animation, or screen acting, apply by our Standard Deadline of the 31 March, 2023, to secure your spot. Keep reading for more information.

[Header photo: Screen Acting Bachelor alumnus Daniel Straube by Aurélie Nydegger]

Now is the time to apply for Catalyst Berlin's 2023 course year . Here’s everything you need to know about the process.

Information About the 2023 Application Process

Make 2023 Your Year: Applications Now Open

Catalyst artists Doron Sadja and Samaquias Lorta will be joining Berlin's Radio Symphony Orchestra for the first collaborative concert of the Mensch, Musik! series on October 7th. 

The first concert of the season, titled Grenzfragen: Eine Erkundung (Border Issues: An Exploration) will be led by conductor Tarmo Peltokoski, performing the work of composers who touched the boundaries of their respective times. It will feature our first two Catalyst creatives on the roster - Samaquias Lorta and Doron Sadja. Inviting artists to electronically, videographically and philosophically push the boundaries of classical performance practice, the orchestral event promises to cross the borders of symphonic music. Expect new and resolutely contemporary perspectives.

Mensch, Musik! #5 Border Issues – an Exploration

Catalyst alum Samaquias Lorta will be following Kagel’s pieces with four interludes throughout the evening, reinterpreting Kagel’s parody of authoritarianism in a contemporary setting. Lorta samples the sounds of social media, placing his analysis of authoritarian abuse of power and populist ideas firmly in the 21st century. The compositions will be varied; one looking at political leaders around the globe who promote divise rhetoric and racist ideas, the next commenting on social media as an unnerving link between refugees struggling to survive and detached privileged influencers. While one interlude might seek to break through the noise of border constructs, the closing interlude will give space in which to contemplate political divide. The most pertinent issue Lorta wants to address is the social, cultural and political divides that exist today bringing contemporary flavour to ideas which have been expressed musically much further back into the past, integrated with music from the past 200 years.

In the foyer of the legendary Haus des Rundfunks, artist, composer, instrument designer and Catalyst tutor Doron Sadja will be presenting "Silent Whispers". The centrepiece of Sadja’s kinetic sound installation at Mensch, Musik! is an extra-high stand with custom-built motorised ultrasonic speakers that emit a highly directional laser beam - potentially only one person at a time in the foyer will hear the sounds, words and phrases being broadcast. The central idea is that people can interpret the same information in radically different ways and have very different experiences. In this way, Sadja will explore the invisible boundaries between people.

Many composers featured on the programme are writing at a time of war, in response to dictators or migration. Much of Schostakowitsch’s work for example, was written under the pressures of government-imposed standards of Soviet art. Romanian-born Greek-French Iannis Xenakis was an avant-garde composer whose ideas often crossed interdisciplinary borders. German-Argentinian composer Mauricio Kagel’s "10 Märsche, um den Sieg zu verfehlen” (10 marches to miss the victory) is a radio play that processes the typical rhetoric of a political demagogue. Segments will be played from the ten part score, which uses satire to take a highly critical stance of an anonymous dictator. 

Samaquias Lorta and Doron Sadja at RSB X Catalyst /// Mensch, Musik! on October 7, 2022

Now located in Haus des Rundfunks (Funk in German meaning radio), Berlin’s historic radio symphony orchestra and Catalyst share a little piece of history. During the GDR, the RSB moved from its early home in Haus des Rundfunks to the Nalepastrasse Funkhaus on the East side of Berlin - on the same site our school calls home. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Haus des Rundfunks has been regenerated and the RSB returned to their original home. Fast-forward 30 years and the historic institutes have reconnected. Today we are exploring new ground by bridging old and new music practices.

The partnership between Catalyst and the RSB focuses on the role of technological interaction between established and contemporary art institutions. The goal is to develop new artworks, foster interdisciplinary collaborations, and bring life to music educational advancements. The partnership includes the projects HyperSynth:Orchestra and Mensch, Musik! which roll out over the 2022/23 season.

Our collaboration is going live with it's first installment of Mensch, Musik! which will cross examine the idea of borders

Mensch, Musik! - Catalyst x RSB collaboration

Catalyst at Mensch, Musik! First concert with Samaquias Lorta and Doron Sadja

Citizens of the EU, migrants and refugees can now apply for German state funding. Options for Scandinavian residents are also available via the respective nations’ funding organisations. Here’s everything you need to know about applying for student grants and loans. 

Further opening up our institute to creatives of all backgrounds, eligible citizens of the European Union, migrants and refugees who live (or have the prospect of living) in Germany can now apply for student funding at Catalyst via BAföG. 

Support for residents of Sweden, Norway, Iceland and The Netherlands, via the nations’ respective funding organisations, is also available. 

Read on to find out all you need to know about funding options for BA and MA study at Catalyst. 

A word to the wise: we recommend that you submit your application to Catalyst by 31 March 2023 latest to allow yourself plenty of time to apply for funding or a visa.

1. Germany & EU citizens (non-EU citizens subject to prerequisites): BAföG

BAföG is a needs-based German state funding, granted if a student, their parent, or their spouse, do not have the financial means to pay for living expenses during their studies (tuition fees are not covered). Half of the financial support is usually a grant and the other half is an interest-free loan that needs to be repaid. Successful application of BAföG funding also allows you to apply for an exemption from paying Rundfunk­beitrag (radio tax). See a further breakdown of BAföG financial eligibility and potential funding options for students here. 

Note: the below information is not exhaustive. If you have any questions about BAföG, you can reach out to studierendenWERK BERLIN on 030 93939 - 6000. They handle the processing of applications. For any questions related to Catalyst, please contact Jennifer Vaz at payments@catalyst-berlin.com. 

German citizens studying a full-time Bachelors or Masters course at Catalyst.

EU citizens (including Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland) studying a full-time Bachelors or Masters course at Catalyst can also apply, subject to any one of the conditions below:

You have worked in Germany for at least 10 weeks at 12h/week at a minimum (you must hold on to the job during the course of study)

Your spouse or parent is an EU citizen who is currently employed

You are in possession of permanent residence permit in Germany (usually granted after living here for 5 years)

One of your parents worked in Germany for at least 3 of the last 6 years

Citizens of other countries can qualify for BAföG funding if:

You are officially recognized as a refugee or asylum seeker

You are married to a German citizen or the child of a German citizen

You, your parent or your spouse has permanent residence from working in the EU for at least 5 years

You must apply on the BAföG digital portal. To find the unique identifier number of your course, click here and look for Catalyst under AUSBILDUNGSSTÄTTE. 

During the BAföG application process, you will be prompted to search for your desired programme of study. As shown in the picture above, do not search for “Catalyst.” You must instead search for one of the following Catalyst course names:

Electronic Music Production & Performance 

Creative Music Production & Sound Engineering 

(*Although our course is VFX, Digital Arts & Animation, you need to select "Visual Effects")

If you have any questions about the BAföG application process, you can make an appointment with studierendenWERK, here. It takes 2-3 months to process applications, with summer being the busiest season. So do plan in advance, keeping in mind the tuition fee deadlines in August.

Funding options for EU and international students to study in Germany via BAföG, CSN, Lín, Lånekassen and DUO.

Student Funding Options Available at Catalyst

Our Definitive Guide to Student Funding at Catalyst

Rising stars from all schools at the Catalyst Film Awards

The inside scoop on who took which prizes home at the fourth Film Awards

Sure, you’ve heard of the Oscars. And if you’re reading this, you’ve most likely also heard of the Golden Globe Awards and the BAFTAs. Hopefully you’re familiar with the Razzie Award in the States and Berlin’s very own Teddy Awards. Another that needs no introduction: Catalyst’s very own Annual Film Awards, which returned in June 2022 for its 4th edition. The night was an opportunity to dress smart and indulge in some red carpet activity. But above all, it was a celebration of another year of really astounding talent training their creative muscles in our Film Production, Screen Acting and Visual Effects, Digital Arts & Animation degree courses at Catalyst. 

Some of the Catalyst Film Awards were prestigious, such as Best Film (3rd year BA & MA courses category), which landed a €500 distribution prize from Catalyst - awarded to Álfgerður Malmquist Baldursdóttir’s “Guts”. Baldursdóttir was also awarded Best Director, which landed a one year VIP subscription to MUBI 

Best Film (1st & 2nd year category) was sponsored by 25p Cine Support, a digital film equipment rental here in Berlin. This award came with a €500 equipment voucher to use in their Prenzlauer Berg store, and was awarded to “Il Profumo di Casa - The Scent of Home”  by Francesca Rotundo. Rotundo’s film also received a nomination for Best Documentary. 

The Distribution prize is not just the money. It is also special guidance on the process of how to submit the movie to relevant Film Festivals worldwide.

Other awards, such as the Golden Gorilla Award, celebrated the profound - given to the most adventurous, audacious or bold film maker. It was awarded to Karun Gill. Special thanks to Dino Berlin, a Kreuzberg based film equipment rental service, who granted three 50% discount vouchers. The Golden Gorilla Award, Best Producer was awarded to Miranda Siegel and Best Cinematographer, to Emma Guiliani for “The Birdcage”. “The Birdcage” also took home the award of Best Experimental Film, which came with a year subscription to Celtx - a cloud based collaborative and project management software for creative films. “The Birdcage” also received nominations for Best Film (3rd year & MA category), Best Director, Best Editor and Best Original Music. 

Freelance photographer Caroline Wimmer bestowed the Best Lead Performance winner a €250 headshot package, which was awarded to Ruut Ahonen for “The Tale of Vasalisa”. Former Catalyst Film programme lead Malachi Rempen provided a copy of his “Roll Camera Board Game” as a prize for the Spirit Award, given to Viktorja Baltusyte for personifying the Catalyst spirit of collaboration and community. 

"Making a movie is not enough. It’s not the end of a process, it’s just the beginning of the journey. You are not an artist until you have an audience, and the festival recognition is the first step to starting a filmmaking career. Alfie and her movie “Guts” are also a great example of the level of artistic quality we want in our Film school and we are proud to have this beautiful piece of work representing Catalyst," said  Leandro Goddinho, Programme Lead of Film Production. 

While the Spirit Award, Best Producer and Kids Choice Award were decided by a student vote, a Guest Jury of 11 Film Industry hotshots deliberated over who took home which award. Many thanks to Easton West, Dominga Ortuzar, Renee Coulombe, Elinor Lewy, Gaby Szambelan, Silvia Cannarozzi, Adam Munnings, João Pedro Prado, Yosuke Hosoi, Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon who devoted time, effort and energy to choosing the 2022 winners, who may go on to define the Berlin film scene in the coming years.

Woven throughout the night were performances and entertainment by a curated selection of Catalyst alumni and students. The opening act was singer songwriter Olivia Mamberti , who gave a live performance of acoustic sweetness and depth.  Olivia was also present for a nomination for Best Original Music.

Across 23 awards given that night, students were recognised for outstanding music & sound, direction & performance, storyline & script and Best Death. Long after the gold champagne bottle that each winner received is drunk and gone, the glory will remain. The rights to the films remain with the makers, so to see the films first hand, keep an eye out at film festivals, and of course Catalyst will relay any future premieres or screenings nearby. 

To learn more about our hands-on and collaborative film, visual effects and acting courses in Berlin, join any one of our taster workshops or Virtual Open days!  

A run down of the evening events. Find out who won which prizes this year.

Catalyst Film Awards 2022

Berlin-based techno artist, Lady Starlight, joined us for a workshop on her live setup, featuring the Elektron Analog Rytm. Watch our interview to find out more about what catalyses her creativity.


Lady Starlight is a musician after our own hearts. The bundle of creativity that burns within her is not confined to a single genre, nor a single artform. With her wormhole-opening techno, the artist has illuminated diverse corners of the musical cosmos – from the dark matter of Berghain, to Lady Gaga’s surreal pop planet, to an asteroid belt of legendary metal bands, including Iron Maiden, Slayer and Megadeth. Her brilliance, as she confirmed during her visit to Catalyst in early 2022, is a nuclear reaction of curiosity, collaboration and authenticity.

“I would describe my musical style as hypnotic through repetition and atmosphere. Keep hammering away at this one idea until you’re in another dimension.”

We were honoured to host Lady Starlight for an intimate workshop with our Electronic Music Production & Performance [EMP], Creative Audio Production [CAP] and Creative Music Production MA [CPM] students in our Electronic Music Production Lab. We learned about her workflow when approaching new instruments, her creative process, as well as the inspirations, motivations and goals behind her iconic live-sets. 

"I have followed Lady Starlight’s music for a while now and was intrigued to know more about her musical processes. I also own a Digitakt and it follows a similar workflow as the Analog Rytm, so I was interested to learn its workflow in a techno related setting." said Gloria Le Hodey, artist and Catalyst music student. 

Lady Starlight introduced us to her live setup - simple and powerful – including her analog dream machine, the Elektron Analog Rytm MKII, an eight voice analog drum computer and sampler. As Lady Starlight walked us through her workflow, we gained an understanding of her instrument selection and creative process. Lady Starlight shared how much she enjoyed the addition of a digital sample layer on the Elektron's Analog Rytm, as well as the depth of the kick drums, snares, toms, and hi-hats, which she took to the next level with some extra distortion from her favourite pedals. 

"I've been producing techno, IDM and ambient for 4 years now and since the beginning Elektron Analog Rytm was my main piece of hardware" said musician and Catalyst student Jaime Mancha, "It is an endless device and for that my main tool in the studio. Also Lady Starlight is one of my all time favourites… it is a dream come true to learn from her. "

She also explained how her simple yet punchy set-up was perfect for touring live, as having more instruments won't necessarily make your set more interesting, and it may cause a few more hiccups than needed once you're in front of a crowd the size of a Lady Gaga concert!  

After the workshop, Lady Starlight gifted us with a short live set so we could experience how smoothly the new instrument tied in with the rest of her set-up. The Analog Rytm allowed her to build the playful, expansive and hypnotic percussion and rhythms that characterise her sets. You can listen to a few snippets in the video below.

Following the workshop, we chatted to her to dive deeper into her artistry; touching on her pandemic passion project, DIALOGUE, her favourite Analog Rytm features, and her advice to the emerging artists in our community. 

You can read the Mixmag article 'Watch Lady Starlight explain the inner workings of her ferocious live techno sets' here.

Lady Starlight at Catalyst

The video was directed and edited by photographer, filmmaker and Catalyst alumni Roman Koblov, with the support of Catalyst film student Leo Bonmati, as camera operator (Leo moonlights as a drone pilot).  

The live-set and workshop recordings were managed by Ole-Jacob Sand (read about Creative Production MA alumnus aka VIBKO's, final project, titled ‘Making Music in Time,’ focusing on the creative potential of live performance through practice-based research here); and highly talented, soon to graduate EMP student Alex Penate, who's recently released a dance-provoking EP on Bandcamp. 

The video's sound design was created by EMP student Surrealich, and KwokPiu Poon, experimenting with Elektron machines, modular for atmospheres and space, combining vocals and guitars through pedals to create samples, to use along with Elektron's Digitak and Analog Heat. 

Photography and portraits were mady by Ian Margio, audiovisual creative and EMP diploma graduate. 

A warm thank you to Lady Starlight for coming to our school and participating in this educational and inspiring event. You can find out about her upcoming sets in Berlin and beyond on RA and follow her on Soundcloud and Instagram. 

Thank you to Elektron and Your Mom's Agency for facilitating the experience. And finally thank you to all workshop participants and our very own film production, sound engineering and sound design crew.

Techno artist runs an intimate workshop for Electronic Music Production & Performance students. Watch the interview here.

Lady Starlight dazzles Catalyst students

Performing artist Lady Starlight enlightens us with her live setup

“The students instantly understand. Similar to putting a football in front of a small child, they don’t ask questions, they just do”

Guest artist Nicolas Collins is a composer, improviser & master-hacker. He wrote Handmade Electronic Music (Routledge) which combines an accessible guide to building personal electronic instruments with an overview of contributors to the field. Nic has taught at top universities and schools all around the world, but has never strayed far from his electronic music roots and has both performed and presented installations over 1,000 times around the globe. In June he returned to the Catalyst hallways, bringing his wealth of knowledge and experience to run a well attended workshop for our Music MA students.

Nic Collins at Catalyst

“It’s very intuitive” he explained after the class, “within an hour and a half, everyone is making noise”. Nic bought with him a prepackaged module for each participating student, containing all the necessary parts to build a tangible electronic instrument. Which is exactly what the students did for the next 3 hours. By the end of the workshop, the Electronic Music Production Lab was full of 12 hand-built machines producing squeaks, vrooms and bjow noises (video will be attached). The innovative instruments, called a “cracklebox”, responded to student’s skin depending on where and how hard the player touched their recently soldered chipboards.

“This workshop is a break from the norm for us. Normally the Creative Production Masters in Music is concerned with primarily students' own creative projects” said Richard Scott, Programme Lead for Creative Production Masters in Music. “It is a delight to have Nic here again and to introduce the students to his endless creativity, energy and good humour!”

Nic described the workshop as more akin to vocational training and comparable to some educational forms in the states, where Nic is from. “I have led similar workshops before, but this one really zoned in on one particular piece of equipment”. Students all left the classroom chatting enthusiastically, and can now process how the workshop will inform their upcoming projects and future practices. 

Luckily the Music MA students were not left wanting, and the following week Nic returned to deliver a lecture. He spoke about his understanding and misunderstandings of the work of Alvin Lucier. Lucier, who died late 2021 was a hugely influential American minimalist composer, whose work used brainwaves and many different technologies, often in unconventional ways. He was Nic's teacher and colleague, and he assisted him in the realisation of many performances. This was the first time Nic has discussed his work publicly since, and presented Catalyst students with a rare opportunity to hear from someone who was deeply engaged in this work over many years. Thanks for your generosity and time, Nic!

The Nicolas Collins workshop and lecture is part of the Creative Production Masters in Music framework. Rich in guest lecturers, seminars and workshops that provide a thorough grounding in practice-led research theory and methodology, these elements run alongside and feed into a wider range of research in sound, music and the arts. You can read all about the course and its structure here . To read more about Nicolas, you can visit his page here 

Internationally reknown musician runs workshops and lectures at Funkhaus, Berlin

Nic Collins visits Catalyst Music MA

We're pleased to announce our official partnership with Berlin's iconic Radio Symphony Orchestra (aka Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin). The groundbreaking partnership will seek to develop unprecedented artworks, interdisciplinary collaborations and new pedagogical frameworks for classical music production and performance exploration. 


At Catalyst we have fostered a reputation as rebellious outsiders, kicking against the somewhat ossified higher education system. Through progressive learning methods based on discovery and experimentation, we empower our students with critical thinking skills and the motivation to stretch boundaries and push the creative industries forward. 

The RSB x Catalyst project is an unprecedented opportunity to continue pushing our creative boundaries with the support of one of Berlin's most historically prominent institutes, the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. During the GDR era the orchestra also operated from the Funkhaus before moving to the equally legendary venue in East Berlin, the Haus des Rundfunks, which is the world’s oldest self-contained broadcasting centre. Thus, the legacies of both institutions meet in this innovative creative partnership harmonising the old with the new.

"Classical music has much to offer and also much to learn," comments Clara Marrero, RSB General Manager. "The opportunity to work in partnership with an educational institution that is a leader in teaching a range of contemporary creative practices will open up and enrich the work we each do and allow us to forge new and unexpected approaches to the way we create and perform."

The range of participants is wide-ranging, spanning from Catalyst students, alumni and faculty, to orchestral musicians, composers, and conductors. Focusing on the role of human/technological interaction in spurring innovation between traditionally established and contemporary arts institutions, the goal of the partnership is to develop new artworks, interdisciplinary collaborations, and music pedagogical frameworks. 

"RSB are an open minded and progressive organisation who are reimagining how a 21st century orchestra creates, performs and connects to its audience," said David Louis Puttick, Catalyst Founder. "The creative learning community at Catalyst is home to the next generation of international electronic music producers and performers. Our partnership will create a crucible that fuses the strengths of each approach into an exciting new direction for classical music".  

In this two-pronged creative interplay, the Catalyst community will join the historic orchestra to curate interdisciplinary music events as part of the ‘Mensch, Musik!’ series, while classical and electronic music frameworks will unite in the unprecedented HyperSynth project.

In the fertile space between historical and progressive, the experimental partnership aims, year on year, to encourage a fruitful critical discourse between Catalyst’s students, alumni and faculty, and RSB’s orchestral musicians, composers and conductors, catalysing growth on all fronts. 

By uniting the expansive sonic innovation of electronic music with the established acoustic timbres of a classical orchestra, this groundbreaking partnership will undoubtedly kick-off a new chapter for Catalyst and provide a new realm of opportunities to grow our community's greatness. 

We look forward to sharing this exciting journey with you all. Stay tuned for details on the programme and tickets.

We're pleased to announce our official partnership with Berlin's iconic Radio Symphony Orchestra (aka Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin).

Fusing the contemporary and classical with RSB X Catalyst

What is a Master’s Research proposal? What should it contain?

Before filling in your application form we strongly advise you to get an initial overview on terms such as Artistic Research and Practice-based Research. These are contested terms, and not always simple to grasp, but you will understand what is expected  for a Masters level programme such as ours at Catalyst, which is explicitly structured around a practice-based artistic research framework.

In terms of “framework”,  the subject and contents of this framework are up to you to propose and determine, in negotiation with your MA supervisor. 

To guide you in preparing your MA project proposal and application, below you will find some useful definitions and discussions to consider. Feel free to go as far as you like! The discussions get more complex as they go down, but we will discuss such ideas in more depth on the course itself, especially at the beginning, to help you get going, design and initiate your project.

Research is: ‘a process of investigation, leading to new insights, that are effectively shared’.

According to David Gauntlett, practice-based researchers explore their research questions through practice. They have to make things and experiment, and that is a necessary and essential part of the research process. They couldn’t do their research without doing this hands-on creative work. Read more about practice-based research from Gauntlett here.  

In this short introductory video from artistic research specialist Ned McGowan, we dive deeper into the meaning of artistic research and what it means to be involved in this creative practice: 

Here is a quite sophisticated discussion of the methods and approaches you may want to consider with Dr Helen Kara from the National Centre for Research Methods (NCRM). 

Here are two more detailed discussions from peer-reviewed journals. Do you know what peer-reviewed means? If not, it is time to find out!

When asked about your inspiration we don’t just want to know that you love music or film, that is all fine but it really doesn’t tell us very much about who you are. 

We want to understand your motivation - what do you want to explore and communicate - how might this go further than your own work? 

You can engage with this how you like, but you might for example think of approaching this section as similar to a short Statement of Purpose. Here you will find some successful graduate school statement of purpose examples, expert tips, and strategies to help you create your own effective proposal.

“If you don’t know or understand yourself, your history, and your unique point of view, how can you possibly create work that is meant to explore these same themes in others?”  -Jennifer Jo Stokka, Catalyst MA student

We do want you to be creatively and practically engaged with music, sound, filmmaking or cinematography, but it is important that the project is not purely an artistic project; for example an album, film or a collection of songs. Pure artistic projects are great, but finishing a record is not the same as doing a Master’s degree. Similarly, it should not be purely an academic or technical project. So what else should it contain?

Ideally a question, or a clear point of initial focus. You can’t just say “emotion,” “film music,” "lighting" “finding my vision or sound,” "writing my story", “synaesthesia,” “improvisation”, or “using hardware for performance.'' You would need to tell us, for example, exactly what you mean by these terms, how they are useful to your project, what questions or problems you bring to the table and how you might address these questions via your artistic practice?

A research aspect. Yes, your project may itself already be a kind of research, but you would need to tell us how and why, and how you intend to take it further? 

Some idea of artistic context. E.g. what other artists or artistic currents might have explored similar ideas, can you locate your project in history? 

A broader context, for example, social, technological, philosophical, political. Music is never just music. Film is never just film. How might your project interact with the wider world of ideas? 

A proposed process of investigation - i.e. a method, a research process. Clue, don’t just say you will read a lot. What will you read? Why?

Tell us why you want to do this as a Master’s degree, rather than just something you are interested in. And why at Catalyst?


We hope that you have found these descriptions and ideas helpful! If you missed our Project Proposal workshops, you are welcome to request a recording by reaching out to our Admissions team. Once you submit your application along with your project proposal, you will receive feedback on whether your chosen direction is suitable for the framework we provide. 

Giude for Artistic Research and Practice-based Research within the framework of our Creative Production Masters (M.A) programme at Catalyst.

What is a Master’s research proposal and what should it contain?

We reflect on a powerful recent Creative Production MA guest session on Gender Dynamics in Cinema, led by award-winning Brazilian director of Êxtase, Moara Passoni. 

At Catalyst, we believe storytelling is one of the most powerful means to inspire, influence, teach, connect and ultimately drive change. And there are few storytelling mediums that can transport us into the moment and leave a lasting impression like film. Êxtase, the award-winning film by Brazilian director Moara Passoni – the co-author and producer of Petra Costa's Academy Award-nominated film The Edge of Democracy – is a striking example of how weaving personal stories into the wider societal narrative can encourage, en masse, important new perspectives on often misunderstood topics. 

Êxtase is an elliptical essay portrait of a young girl experiencing both rapture and torture, starving herself as a way to find a place in a brutal uncertain world. Moara Passoni “transmutes a young Brazilian woman's experience of anorexia into images and thoughts of almost ecstatic beauty. Against the backdrop of political and social upheaval in 1990s Brazil, and interweaving memories of her own adolescence with those of other women, Passoni goes beyond pop-culture conventions and the sensationalizing of eating disorders to meditate on the dissolution and perfection of the self, the modernist architecture of Oscar Niemeyer's Brasilia, the meaning of Humpty Dumpty, and what she calls ‘the geometry of hunger’.”

We were honoured to host Passoni for a guest session on Gender Dynamics in Cinema, as part of our Creative Production MA Modern Cinematic Perspectives Workshop. Students from all of our film courses, as well as alumni, were invited to view Êxtase and take part in a Q&A with the director. 

“Moara's film, and the discussion we shared about the film after viewing, shattered my preconceived notions and the stereotypes around women who have experienced Anorexia,” reflects MA student Jenny Jo Stokka. “Her film beautifully explores the psychological and emotional complexities of a condition that most of society overlooks as merely a problem of vanity. The way Moara wove together real-world stories of women who have lived with Anorexia –  along with her own personal story – helped to highlight the unique and varied ways that one can experience and process the trauma of an eating disorder.” 

First-year Film Production student, Mia-Maria Schanz, learnt from Êxtase how architecture can play a big part in the character’s narrative. “It was also nice to hear how the team managed to produce a hybrid documentary while still using an organic filming process,” she says.

“Passoni’s art brings a fresh way to produce, teaching us how to write not only with words but with images in a very courageous and modern way,” reflects Patricia Gomes, senior foreign correspondent at Wall Street International Magazine. “Through this session, Moara, ‘provoked’ me, woke me up and invited me to leave my comfort zone. The session was a great encouragement to restart and pursue my goal to produce and to film.”

We reflect on a Film MA guest session on Gender Dynamics in Cinema, led by Brazilian director of Êxtase, Moara Passoni. 

Gender Dynamics in Cinema With Filmmaker Moara Passoni

Exploring Gender Dynamics in Cinema With Filmmaker Moara Passoni

Just as photography is said to capture souls, film, as a moving, multi-angled, image, has the power to peer into the centre of a subject’s personality, revealing both the seen and the unseen. As Creative Production Film Masters student, Jennifer Jo Stokka, puts it, “Cinema allows the audience a direct view into the psyche.” What better way to explore the conscious and unconscious realms of the Self than through a combination of documentary and fictional film?

In her practice-based research project, Jennifer aims to capture an original version of character studies in a hybrid documentary film, by utilising Jungian methods of analysis. The project will examine three unique individuals and how they navigate their everyday realities using the documentary observational mode. Meanwhile, fictional sequences will showcase unconscious elements of each subject’s psyche – namely, dreams, fantasies and spirituality. The goal of the film is to ask the audience to reflect on their own psyches and forms of Self-expression. Jennifer is harnessing the creative autonomy afforded by our unconventional MA programme to explore her vision to the fullest.

Are you currently putting together your MA project proposal to apply to Catalyst this year? Read on to learn about Jennifer’s experience of the programme, and how she’s developing her fascinating project. 

Need some guidance on how to put together your project proposal? Reach out to our Admissions team for a recording of our latest online workshop with programme lead, Jon-Carlos Evans.

How did you come up with the idea for this project? 

I have always been interested in documentaries, as well as character studies. However, in early 2020, I happened to see two films within the same month that set me on the path to this project: Close Up by Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami; and, Whose Utopia? by Chinese visual artist Cao Fei. Viewing these films and, subsequently, learning about their constructions, presented to me a new way of seeing the documentarian-subject relationship. I was inspired by the level of autonomy given to the subjects in each film, and the ways in which the directors allowed the subjects to express themselves. I knew I wanted to make a film that followed similar principles, and I also had a strong desire to make an intimate character study. Finally, I settled on the hybrid film format, as: 1) It would give me the freedom to show the subject in various lights and facets; and, 2) it would allow me to flex multiple filmmaking muscles, as many skills are required to complete the different parts of the hybrid film. 

Why do you think that film is a good medium to explore psychological themes?

The struggle to understand one’s Self is a universal truth – every human experiences this for at least part, if not all, of life. Cinema (and I would also argue Theatre) allows the audience a direct view into the psyche of another for (roughly) two uninterrupted hours, whether it’s a real human subject in a documentary or a character in a fictional film. We all become psychologists and anthropologists when we sit down to watch a film. 

What are your influences within documentary and fictional filmmaking?

So many! To name a few: Abbas Kiarostami (doc & fiction), John Cassavettes (fiction), Agnés Varda (doc & fiction), William Greaves, (doc), Kirsten Johnson (doc), Kelly Reichhardt (fiction), and basically anyone who is trying to do something original in order to uncover a new facet of truth. 

How have you planned out your creative process?

Much of my process is improvisational, which is both a blessing and a curse. I am a meticulous planner by nature, so many of the logistical aspects of filmmaking come quite easily to me. However, there are many creative and aesthetic ideas that I simply cannot plan ahead of time and must figure out in the moment through play and collaboration. Perhaps this is one of the reasons I am so drawn to documentary filmmaking, as it allows for more spontaneity than scripted formats. 

“I was looking for something a bit outside the norm. I liked the idea of working toward my own unique vision – with some guidance from the tutors – as opposed to creating projects that had to fit certain criteria”

What tools and resources are you planning to use to explore this idea? 

The works of Carl Jung, especially his works that deal with accessing the unconscious mind through dream analysis and Active Imagination. And, of course, the subject of my film will be my most valuable resource, as we will be working quite closely together in the construction of the fictional sequences of this film. 

Catalyst Berlin Creative Production Masters in Film student Jennifer Jo Stokka shares her ideas for her Jungian character studies inspired MA project.

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