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Department of Arts, Culture and Media

Midi Onodera

Midi Onodera
Sessional Lecturer II
Email
midi.onodera@utoronto.ca
Program
Studio Art

Biography

Midi Onodera is an award-winning filmmaker and media artist who has been making films and videos for 35+ years. In 2018, Midi received the Governor General’s Award for Visual and Media Arts. Her work is laced with markers of her experiences as a feminist, lesbian, Japanese-Canadian woman. She has produced over 25 independent shorts, ranging from 16mm film to digital video to toy camera formats. Her film The Displaced View (1988) was nominated for Best Documentary at the Gemini Awards. Skin Deep (1995), her theatrical feature, screened internationally at festivals including the Rotterdam International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival. Since 2006 she has made over 500 Vidoodles (defined as bite-sized 30 second to 2 minute video doodles). Each year since 2009 she presents an annual video project addressing themes of language, media, politics and everyday life. Her online videos can be viewed at: www.midionodera.com.

 

 

 

Education

Ontario College of Art & Design University

 

 

 

Teaching Interests

The moving image and diverse exhibition frameworks; cultural community development; creative practice in the everyday.

 

 

 

Research Interests

The moving image in relationship to historical technologies and practices beyond the screen. Feminist narratives. Toy cameras and visual culture. Small format and mobile video.

 

 

 

Awards and Grants

2018 GOVERNOR GENERAL’S AWARD in Visual and Media Arts
2018 PREMIERE’S AWARD for EXCELLENCE in the ARTS, Finalist
2015 TORONTO URBAN FILM FESTIVAL, Lifetime Achievement Award
2008 TORONTO REEL ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Honourable Mention
2006 ANN ARBOR FILM FESTIVAL, Honorable Mention Award
2006 MOBIFEST, Honorable Mention Award
2001  BEST LESBIAN SHORT FILM, Sapphos 2001 Movie Award, Girlfriends magazine

 

 

 

Publications

Onodera, Midi. “Movies in Miniature: A Visual Essay.” Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media, Fall 2013, No. 55, https://ejumpcut.org/archive/jc55.2013/OnoderaMinMovies/index.html

Onodera, Midi. “Movies in Miniature” Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media, Fall 2013, No. 55, https://ejumpcut.org/archive/jc55.2013/OnoderaMinMovies/3.html
 
Onodera, Midi. Wilson, Sheena. “Dialoguing on Miniature Cinema as New Art.” Imaginations, issue 1.1, Dec. 2010, University of Alberta. https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/imaginations/index.php/imaginations/article/view/9909/7769
 
Onodera, Midi. Von Diepenbroick, Dorothée, Loist, Skadi ed. “Beer, Good Chats and More Movies: the 6th Hamburg Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.” Bildschön. 20 Jahre Lesbisch Schwule Filmtage Hamburg. Hamburg Männerschwarm-Verl. 2009. ISBN 9783939542742 3939542741
 
Fung, Richard. Onodera, Midi. Chang, Elaine ed. “Overview: Looking Back and Looking Forward.” Reel Asian: Asian Canada on Screen, Coach House Books 2007. ISBN 9781552451922
 

 

 

 

Exhibitions

Midi Onodera. TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HAND, playtime I inside my head, solo exhibition and group exhibition (online). Sept 4 – Oct. 10, 2020.Centre[3] for artistic + social practice, Hamilton, ON. 

Curated by Lesley Loksi Chan Online component: EXC-19 https://exc-19.com/
 
Midi Onodera. THE GOVERNOR GENERAL’S AWARDS IN VISUAL AND MEDIA ARTS 2018, March 29 – Aug 5, 2018. National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, ON. Curated by Rhiannon Vogl
 
Midi Onodera. VIDOODLES: INTIMATE CINEMA, , Solo Exhibition. Sept. 5 – Dec. 19, 2011
Concordia University, Department of Communication Studies’ Media Gallery, Montreal Quebec
 
Midi Onodera, collaborating artists: Kinga Araya, Louise Liliefeldt, Tanya Mars
ALPHAGIRLS, Solo Exhibition. December 6-20 2001, InterAccess, Toronto Ontatrio
Curated by Kathleen Pirrie-Adams
 

 

 

 

Performances

SELECTED SOLO SCREENINGS:
Midi Onodera. Out of Place: Spotlight on the Super 8 Films of Midi Onodera”, July 9 – 11, 2021
The 8Fest, Toronto, ON.  “curated by Milada Kovacova.
https://midionodera.com/the-14th-the8fest-out-of-place-spotlight-on-the-super-8-films-of-midi-onodera/

Midi Onodera. “Speculating on Fictions/Dreaming in Colour”, Nov. 8, 2019 . Reel Asian Film Festival,
 
Midi Onodera. “I have no memory of my direction and selected shorts”, June 25, 2018. 
Wavelengths series, TIFF Cinematheque, Toronto, Ont. Programmed by Chris Kennedy.
https://www.edvideo.org/events/gallery-events/midi-onodera
 
Midi Onodera. “I have no memory of my direction” Sept. 30, 2011. Ed Video Gallery. Guelph, Ont.
 
SELECTED FESTIVALS:
Midi Onodera, “Ville Quelle Ville” Dresdner schmalfilmtage, “Focus Canada SUPERSUPER8”, Dresden, Germany, 2020
 
Midi Onodera, “Basement Girl”. “You're Gonna Make It After All” curated by Lauren Howes, Bienal de la Imagen en Movimiento (BIM), Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2018
 
Midi Onodera. “A Performance by Jack Smith”. Jakarta International Documentary and Experimental Film Festival, Indonesia, 2018
 
Midi Onodera. Selected short films. Art Gallery of Ontario: Toronto: Tributes + Tributaries (1971-1989). Sept. 29 2016 – May 22, 2017. Curated by Wanda Nanibush. Films programmed by CFMDC.
 

 

 

 

Projects

Midi Onodera featuring Marjorie Beaucage, Christene Brown, Sylvia D. Hamilton, Maria Teresa Larrain, Dr. Michelle Mohabeer, Leila Sujir, Zainub Verjee. Project Mangers: Mikiki & Morgan Sears-Williams.  “Superwomen: Conversations with Real Action Figures.” CFMDC: The Breadth Of, online symposium. March 27 – April 30, 2021. https://www.cfmdc.tv/works/superwomen-conversations-with-the-real-action-figures