Sylvain George
Biofilmography
Filmmaker with degrees in philosophy, law, and political science, as well as in cinema (PARIS I, PARIS IX, EHESS), he has been making poetic, political, and experimental films since 2006, particularly on the themes of immigration and social movements.
He collaborates with artists renowned for their artistry and commitment: Archie Shepp, William Parker, Valérie Dréville, Okkyung Lee, John Edwards, John Butcher, Serge Teyssot-Gay, Sylvain Luc, and others.
His work is featured in major festivals, institutions, and avant-garde venues (Locarno Film Festival, Viennale, IFFR, Jeonju Film Festival, Centre Pompidou, Pacific Film Archive, Anthology Film Archive, etc.), where he regularly receives awards (FIPRESCI Prize, Best Films, etc.). Since 2008, several retrospectives of his work have been held around the world, including Cinémathèque Française, Doc’s Kingdom, Festival Courtisane, Musea Reina Sofia, Muestra de Sao Paulo, and more.
In 2012, he was invited to the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar in upstate New York.
In 2023, the 47th Sao Paulo International Film Festival paid tribute to him, and he was awarded the “Premio Humanidade” for his lifetime achievement.
In 2023, he was awarded the “Efebo d’Oro Nuovi Linguaggi – Città di Palermo” prize by the Efebod’Oro Film Festival for his lifetime achievement.
He teaches at the Paris Institute of Political Sciences (IEP), gives masterclasses and workshops around the world (FEMIS, Punto de Vista, Instituto Politécnico de Tomar, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon (ENS Lyon), Lima Independente Film Festival, Filmmaker Film Festival/Milano Film Festival, FIDBA, etc.
Among his cinematic works are:
The Impossible – Pieces of fury (104’ – 2009)
World Premiere : FID Marseille – Official sélection International National Compétition
May they rest in revolt (Figures of wars I) (146’-2010)
World Premiere : FID Marseille – Official sélection International Compétition
2010 | Award of the best film at the Filmmaker Film Festival 2010
2010 | Award of the jury Valdivia International Film Festival
2011 | Award of the best film International Competition at the Bafici
2011 | FIPRESCI Award Bafici
2011 | Mention of Honora at Pesaro Film Festival
The outbursts (my mouth, my revolt, my name) (100’-2011)
World Premiere: Torino Film Festival – Official selection International Competition
2011 | Award best film at the Torino Film Festival
Vers Madrid-The burning bright (105’- 2012-2014)
World Premiere: DocLisboa – Official selection International Competition
2013 | Award Audience at Subversive Film Festival
2013 | Mention of the jury MedFilmFestival
Paris est une fête- Un film en 18 vagues (90’- 2017)
World Premiere: Cinéma du Réel – Official sélection International Compétition
2017 | Award of Mention of the jury at Lima Independiente International Film Festival
2017 | Prize of Youth at the Filmmaker Film Festival
Obscure night – Wild leaves (256’- 2022)
World Premiere : Locarno Film Festival– Official sélection International Compétition
2022 | Award of the best film at the Filmmaker Film Festival
Obscure night – Goodbye here, anywhere (183’ – 2023)
World Premiere : Locarno Film Festival – Official sélection International Compétition
2023 | Special mention International Competition at 76 Locarno Film Festival
2023 | Award “Environment is Quality of Life Prize”, Jury Youth, at 76 Locarno Film Festival
2023 | Grand Prize International Competition at 15 DMZ Film Festival
2023 | Grand Prize International Competition XV Festival Internacional de Cine de Cali (FICCALI)
2023 | Award Best Film International Competition Youth Jury at Muestra de Cine de Lanzerote
2024 | Award Best Film International Competition Mission2Man Film Festival
Obscure night – “Ain’t I a child?” (164’ – 2024)
Festivals : 2025
Préproduction
Sealand
Noir Production/WeltFilm/Kintop Film, 2025
24 JUIN 2024
Noir Production/WeltFilm/KINTOP, 2025
Shorts films
Série des contrefeux (5 films, ciné-tracts et fables didactiques).
Video, celle phone. Black and White/color. 70 min. Noir Production. 2006-2008.
Contre-feux 1 et 2: contre le projet de loi ceseda
Contrefeux 3: Europe Année 06 (Fragments Ceuta)
Contrefeux 4: Un Homme Idéal (Fragments K.)
Contrefeux 6: Comment détruire les consciences: Frapper!
Série Vue d’ici, Vues d’ailleurs
Video. Black and White/color. 60 mn. Noir Production. 2010-2015.
Ombres blanches
Neige
Le silence
Melancholia
We destroy the detention camp
Africans dogs
Une chambre pour dormir
Le sweat-shirt 1, 2, 3.
No Border (Aspettavo Che scendesse la sera)
Super 8. Black and white. 23 min. Noir Production. 2005-2008
N’entre pas sans violence dans la nuit
Video. Black and white. 20 min. Noir Production. 2005-2008
Ils nous tueront tous…
Video. Black and white. 10 min. Noir Production. 2009
Les Nuées (My black mama’s face)
Video. Black and white. 6,20 min. Noir Production. 2012
Nocturne Blanc-Chasseur
Video. Black and White. 23 min. Noir Production. 2015
Joli Mai (Celui qui ont tué moins de cent fois, qu’il me jettent la première pierre)
Video. Black and White. 8min. Noir Production. 2017
Un peu de feu que vole
Video. Black and White. 11min. Noir Production. 2017
Youssef, le vent, la rage, avant l’existence.
Video. Black and White. 6 min. Noir Production. 2017
PUBLICATIONS
Books:
– TIME BOMB – Program on upcoming cinema. Paris. NP Editions, 2016.
– LA VITA BRUTA – An address to Pier Paolo Pasolini. Paris, NP Editions, 2016.
– AD NAUSEAM. Paris, NP Editions, 2016.
– BLACK POEM. Paris, NP Editions, 2016.
– NOIR INCONNU-WANDERER, Bordeaux, De L’Incidence Editeur, 2019.
Articles:
– “The people who come, gestures of prophetic cinema”, in Critical Cinema: from film to digital, ways and forms of visual objection, under the direction of Nicole Brenez and Bidhan Jacobs, Editions Presse de la Sorbonne Nouvelle, coll. HISTO.ART, 2010.
– “Fugitive notes / Cannibal gestures”, in Trafic, n°86, June 2013, Paris, Editions P.O.L., pp. 83-99 2012
– “Cruel blue, Wild immanence (A letter to Marc Hurtado)”, in La Furia Umana Paper #7
– “La vita bruta – An address to Pier Paolo Pasolini”, in La Furia Umana Paper #8
– “The cannibal angels. Sketch for a democratic cinematography (About Vers Madrid-the burning bright by Sylvain George)”, co-signed with Chloé Belloc, in La Furia Umana Paper #6
– “Three extracts from a logbook” in DECAMPER, under the direction of Samuel Lequette and Delphine Le Vergos Paris, Ed. La Découverte, 2016.
– “Andrea Tonacci, the cinema of disorder and infinity”, in La Furia Umana # 30. 2017.
– “Farewell/Salute to language or cinema as an experiment with nothingness (About Farewell to language by Jean-Luc Godard)” in La Furia Umana # 33. 2018.
– “On cinematic erethism: Robert Kramer or cinema as absolute deviation. A postcard”, La Furia Umana #35. 2018
– “Violent Image, Migrant Image” in What is a political gesture in cinema? under the direction of Véronique Campan, Marie Martin and Sylvie Rollet, Rennes, Ed. PUR, 2019.
– “Ain’t I a child ? ” » (Cinema, Childhood, Revolution), in La Furia Umana # 44 “Around Donna Haraway”, 2022.
– “Lo Zio di Brooklyn”, in Controcampo italiano – Cinque registi per immaginare un paese, A cura di Daniela Persico, Roma, Ed. Minimum Fax, 2024.
– “Une autre musique. Notes pour une cinématographie de la catastrophe” in ÉCLIPSES N°75 : Jean-Luc GODARD, que peut le cinéma ? Sous la direction de Alexia ROUX et Saad CHAKALI, 2025.