Press

 

 

“A remarkable hybrid of art and life almost requires an entirely new definition of filmmaking.” 

—Vancouver International Film Festival-Catalog Descriptions                 

 

“Fluid, dreamy and beautiful.”

—Robert Kohler, Varitey

 

“Harrowingly intimmate... profoundly rethinks documentary.”    

—David Kehr, New York Times

 

“his editing strategy is a marvel to behold.” 

—IndieWire-Eric Kohn

 

2000 Whitney Biennial - Cinematic Arts

—Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

 

“A marvelous strange world from the most banal elements”

—J.J. Chicago Reader

 

“Defies categorization but certainly emotionally powerful”

—Hank Sartin, Time Out Chicago

 

"The juxtaposition of everything from Luis Bunuel to National Geographic creates a curious fission; infinitely mysterious and unfathomably lovely.”

—Vancouver International Film Festival-Catalog Descriptions

 

“Startlingly Original”

—Peter Scholetes, Minneapolis City Pages

 

“Only Scorsese’s King of Comedy digs deeper into the flailing artist’s delusions of grandeur and thats a work of fiction.”

—Village Voice

 

“Wonderful...Maybe the best example of post technology cinematic Americana.”

—Columbus Alive

 

“Literally a one of a kind film.”

Wexner Center for the Arts (New Documentary series)

 

“...one of the most arresting rockumentaries ever made.”

—The Oregonian

 

“Poignant”

—Bomb Magazine

 

“Terrific... among my all time great movie moments.”

—John Pierson, Split Screen Independent film channel

 

“Regardless of genre this is the quintessential story of the struggling  musician...Cassavetes-esque candor”

—Minneapolis City Pages “A” list Voted Best Film of 1999

 

Voted “Best Film”

—1998 Minneapolis/St.Paul International Film Festival

 

“Mavelously gutsy”

—Pulse Magazine

 

“A startling piece of visual poetry."

—Vancouver International Film Festival-Catalog Descriptions

 

 Creative Narrative back to top

 

In narrative film, natural elements (fields, deer, wind, birds, bees) typically have been used as shorthand filler until the scene really begins, leaving them with a sense of detachment from the narrative itself.  Nature films, on the other hand, have been entities unto themselves, generally devoid of human or narrative with the exception of sensationalized debauchery. This separation doesn’t seem to exist as dramatically and destructively in other artistic endeavors.  I believe in the primacy of nature, the truth telling of the bodies, (animal and human) through gesture, movement and posture, and the inseparability of natural elements from our stories. A common belief is that in order to experience nature one needs to “get away.”  My desire is to discover the nature film inside the fiction film and to document this discovery.

 

Professional Background

 

After screening his film She Unfolds by Day in Buenos Aires in 2009, he as was asked to be a jury member for the 2012 BAFACI festival.  HI First feature,  Driver 23 is the lowest budget film ever purchased by a major network and aired on the Sundance Channel from 2001-2003.  His work has been reviewed in The New York Times, Village Voice, Art In America, and Bomb magazine and been translated into Spanish and Polish and screened at festivals around the world.  Belgum was selected as one of five feature length filmmakers for the 2000 Whitney Biennial along with Errol Morris and Harmony Korine.  Rolf lives and works in Minneapolis.

 

 Resume back to top

 

EDUCATION

1992 University of California at San Diego - MFA Filmmaking 

Advisors:  Jean-Pierre Gorin and Babette Mangolte.  JACOB JAVITS FELLOW

 

University of Minnesota - BA Visual Arts  SUMMA CUM LAUDE-PHI BETA KAPPA 

 

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2008-Present  University of Minnesota Visual Art Department.  University of Minnesota Visual Art Department.  Develop and teach course Fundamentals of the Moving Image.Develop and teach course Concepts in Visual Art.  Lecture and studio class for approximately 45 incoming art majors and 35 students taking class as an elective.

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2022-Present St. Olaf College.  Teaching  Introduction to Filmmaking and

Advanced Filmmaking 

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1997-2018  The Art Institutes International Minnesota-Teaching: Cinematography • Digital Editing • Advanced Editing • Fundamentals of Design • Storyboarding • Character Design • Color Theory • Conceptual Storytelling • Survey of Digital Media  (Chair of Curriculum Committee, mentor to new faculty)

 

1994 and 2005 Guest Lecturer at University of Minnesota

 

1994-1996 Childhood Development Technician, Anderson Open School Minneapolis 

 

1989-92 Teaching assistant to Jean-Pierre Gorin and David Antin UCSD Visual Art Dept. Babette Mangolte Advisor.

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SELECT SCREENINGS

2023 Re-release of Driver 23 and The Atlas Moth on Blu-ray

Found Footage Filmfestival.  NY NY  National Tour

2017 Minneapolis/St Paul Int. Film Fest (Best Film-Frame Forward)

2016 Cinevegas, Defy Film Festival, Nashville, Mpls/St Paul Int. Film Fest

2015 New York New York Micro Cinema

2010 Cinema La Enana Marron-Madrid 8 week run (one per week)  Portugal 

 

2009 Buenos Aires International Film Festival • Beloit WI Int. film Fest • Barcelona Independent International Film Festival • Valdivia Chile International film Fest • Itinerant Exhibition Buenos Aires (touring BAIFF)

2008 Cinevegas-(Grand Jury Prize) • Vancouver (British Columbia) International Film Festival  • Leeds, England International Film Festival • Off Camera-Krakow, Poland • Royal Ontario Museum of Natural History-Biodiversity: Life in Crisis (selections from She Unfolds by Day)

2006 Chicago Underground Film Festival (Special Jury Prize)

 

2005 Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival

 

2003 Image Entertainment -National release of Driver 23 and The Atlas Moth on DVD • Scope-NY NY • Show Time Network (Sundance Film Channel)  • The Proposition Gallery-NY NY Show Time Network (Sundance Film Channel) • Northwest Film Center-Portland OR • Noise Pop Festival-San Francisco • New York Underground Film Fest. • Suburban World Mpls. •  Mpls./St. Paul International Film Festival (special screening D.L. Maberry) Blue Star Art Space-San Antonio TX • New York Underground Film Fest. • Donahue/Sosinski Art Gallery-NY NY

2001 Northwest Film Forum-Seattle • Pacific Film Archives-Berkley California • Mpls/St Paul International Film Festival • Chicago Underground Film Festival • Sound Unseen -Music/Film Festival Minneapolis • Landmark’s Uptown Theater-Minneapolis

2000 Whitney Museum of American Art 2000 Biennial-Cinematic Arts • Art Institute of Chicago • Nelson Atkins Museum • California College of Arts and Crafts • Houston Museum of Fine Art  • The Den-New York City • Dallas Video Festival • Northwest Film Center-Portland Museum of Art • Sound Unseen-Music/Film Festival Minneapolis

1999 Wexner Center for the Arts-Columbus, Ohio •  Double Take Documentary Film Festival-Durham, North Carolina • KTCA Minnesota Public Television-Minneapolis • Seattle Underground Film Festival-Seattle, WA • Cleveland Cinematheque-Cleveland, Ohio • Pacific Film Archives-Berkley, CA • The Skinny-Portland, Maine

1998 Bravo-Independent Film Channel-Split Screen (excerpt) • New York Underground    Film Festival • Olympia Film Festival, Olympia-Washington • Rifle Sport Art Gallery 10-year Retrospective • Intermedia Arts-Minneapolis MN • U Film Society Minneapolis • Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival • Skyway Theater, Minneapolis • Rochester (Minnesota) International Film Festival 

 

1989-1997 Chicago Underground Film Festival • Tampa Festival of New Music • 1993 Walker Art Center-Minn. Film Showcase • 1991 San Diego Film Festival • 1989 Kansas City International Video Festival • San Diego Video Expose

 

JURY EXPERIENCE

2012 Jury Member-Buenos Aries Festival of International Cinema Independent  (Cinema of the Future) One of three jury members to give out $15,000 ward and screening on Argentine Television for best new cinema.

 

FILMOGRAPHY

2016 in the wake of a second cook-Camera, Editor, Director, Prod. 70 min

2008 She Unfolds by Day- Camera, Editor, Director, Producer (remake of The Wild Condition)  72 min. Dig Video

2005 The Wild Condition-Camera, Editor, Director, Producer. 72 min. Dig Video

 

2002 Kids In The Hall-Documentary (Camera Mpls. only) 90 min. Video to film

 

2001 The Atlas Moth-Camera, Editor, Director, Producer. 75 min. Digital Video

 

Driver 23-Camera, Editor, Director, Producer. 72 min. Hi-8-35mm col. film

The Trappings of Success-Writer, Director, Editor. 45min. 16mm col. film 

In the Rough-Camera, Editor, Director, Writer. 28 min 16mm b/w film

Thee Attacker-Camera, Editor, Director, Writer. 12 min. 8-video

 

RECENT PHOTOGRAHPIC EXHIBITIONS

2009 White Flag Project St. Louis MS.  Prethunderdome

 

2004 Hot Cool Summer- 52nd St. Gallery NY NY. (group exhibit  with John Baldessari, Jennifer Bartlett, Edward Ruscha) • The Proposition Gallery-NY NY

 

2003 Sheboygan Center for the Arts-WI • The Proposition Gallery-NY NY  (solo) •  Bark Magazine (6 page photo essay and article) vol. #23 Berkeley CA  • Bark Magazine (2 page photo essay and article) vol. #25 Berkeley CA 

 

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 

 

2008 Kohler, Robert, “She Unfolds by Day,” Variety Magazine (June 23-29)

Kohn, Eric, “Dispatch from Vegas,”  IndieWire

Korn, Jon Festival Coverage Filmmaker Magazine (July 8th)

Marino, Jennifer “Saints Sinners Jackpot Winners” UpDate-P3 Magazine (Aug-8)

 

2006   J.J, , Chicago Underground Film Festival Chicago Reader (August 18)

Sartin, Hank “Lucky 13-Chicago Underground Film Festival” (August 18  Issue 77)

 

2005 Scholtes, Peter.  “The Mother of All Movies.”  City Pages cover story (April 1)

Foyston, John. “Struggle toward stardom is waiting game in pair of films.” Portland    Oregonian (Oct.10)

Scholtes, Peter. “The Atlas Moth.” City Pages Minneapolis (April 4)

 

2001 Cromelin, Richard. “A Band in a VW Bus and other Music Tales.” LosAngeles Times (Sept. 21)

Covert, Colin.  “Northern Lights.”  Minneapolis Star and Tribune  (Cover Story April 6)

Pagano, Jason.  “Driver 23,”  The Stranger  Seattle (March 22)

Bo, Charles.  “The Atlas Mother Soars at Festival,”  Pulse Magazine  (April 4)

Huston, Johnny.  “The HIQI Film Series,” Critic’s Choice San Francisco Guardian  (Oct 19)

2001 Strachota, Dan. “Pop Philosopy.”  San Francisco Weekly (Oct. 19)

Dumpert, Hazel. “The HIQI Film Series.” LA weekly (Oct. 4)

Nelson, Rob.   “Tommy (motola) Can You hear me.”  Village Voice (Sept.5)

 

2000  Kehr, David.  “Taking Chances With Emerging Film and Video Artist,” The New York Times  (March 24)

Lang, Steve.  “Almost Infamous,” Pulse Magazine  (October 4)

Nelson, Rob.  “First Annual Film Critics Poll” The Village Voice  (Jan 4)

1999 “Best of the Twin Cities,”  City Pages  (May 5)

Lindamood, Brian.  “Disorder: The Dark Horse Basement Tapes Columbus Alive

Gabrenya, Frank.  “Documentary Follows Courier Chasing His Star,” Columbus Dispatch

Putre, Laura.  “Put it in Park,” Cleveland Scene Magazine. Volume  30 Number 33 (August 19)

Marshall, Rogan.  “Driver 23,”  Alternative Cinema  (N0. 16)

1998 Schulz, David.  “Editor’s Choice,”  Bomb  (summer 1998)

Covert, Colin.  “Guitarist’s Dream Feuls Belgum’s Driver 23,”  Minneapolis Star and Tribune (May 29)

Sisk, Ellen.  “The Disorder, it’s always boiling,”  Spin Online

 

SELECT AWARDS AND HONORS

2017 Frame Forward Award Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival

2014 McKnight Fellowship-Filmmaking

2009 Best Films of 2008-World Cinema In Los Angeles and Beyond.org 

2009 McKnight Fellowhip-Filmmaking

2008 Grand Jury Prize-Cinevegas 

2006 Special Jury Prize-Chicago Underground Film Festival 

2005 Bush Artist Fellowship-Filmmaking 

2001 Best Documentary Feature-D.L. Mabery Award-MN Film/Television Board

2001 Grand Jury Prize -Chicago Underground Film Festival

2001 Best Documentary Feature Emerging Filmmaker-Mpls/St.Paul Int. Film Festival 

2000 Whitney Biennial Cinematic Arts 

2000 Critics Choice-Village Voice Cinema Special

1999 Best Minneapolis Film-City Pages 

1998 Voted Best Film-Driver 23 Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival, 

1998 Special Jury Award-D. L. Mabery Award-MN Film Board