Thursday 29.10, 21:00 Cinematheque 1
Opening ceremony

Saturday 31.10, 13:00 ZOA 1
In the presence of the director


In 2008, Ben Lewis had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: he was in the process of making a film about the craze for contemporary art, when the global financial crisis climaxed and the art market collapsed.

Just a month before the big fall, Damien Hirst had sold some of his works for 111m pounds at an auction at Sotheby's. And then the bubble burst and the price of contemporary art dropped by up to 50 per cent.

Lewis, an art critic and a filmmaker, presents the story in his usual funny-but-serious way. He visits auction houses, art fairs, galleries and the homes of billionaires across the world. He interviews leading dealers, art collectors and art market analysts and discovers some unusual market practices, speculation, secrecy and a passionate enthusiasm for art.

The result is a fascinating and enjoyable film about art, economics and the stupidity of some very rich men.

Ben Lewis's website