Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Billy (Zachary Epcar)
An emerging experimental filmmaker uses a series of 16mm close-ups to capture the textures and objects that characterize suburban life in this short horror film inspired by the ‘90s soap opera Melrose Place. Zachary Epcar’s approach to presenting household items––plastic Fiji water bottles, Nespresso pods, Amazon packages––using a combination of sharp visuals and eerie sounds produces a nightmarish thrill-ride through the suburbs that renders commodity culture itself as a movie monster.
Where to Stream: Le Cinéma Club
Blackout (Larry Fessenden)
As with Depraved, writer-director Larry Fessenden returns to the world of classic, Universal-inspired monsters in Blackout. Whereas that title brought the mythos of Frankenstein’s monster (and its ample room for social commentary) into the present-day,...
Billy (Zachary Epcar)
An emerging experimental filmmaker uses a series of 16mm close-ups to capture the textures and objects that characterize suburban life in this short horror film inspired by the ‘90s soap opera Melrose Place. Zachary Epcar’s approach to presenting household items––plastic Fiji water bottles, Nespresso pods, Amazon packages––using a combination of sharp visuals and eerie sounds produces a nightmarish thrill-ride through the suburbs that renders commodity culture itself as a movie monster.
Where to Stream: Le Cinéma Club
Blackout (Larry Fessenden)
As with Depraved, writer-director Larry Fessenden returns to the world of classic, Universal-inspired monsters in Blackout. Whereas that title brought the mythos of Frankenstein’s monster (and its ample room for social commentary) into the present-day,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The fourth, and final, of this year’s Wavelengths shorts programs returned to the curatorial logic of the opening night, bringing together half a dozen disparate sensibilities based on formal, rather than thematic, common ground—in this case, their shared interest in performance. With one exception, the coherence here was more immediate than in the first slate’s buried interest in image production, though the styles of performance deployed across these works bear little resemblance to one another. The program began with Zachary Epcar’s Billy, a quick, cool sip of Michael Robinson-aid recounting the domestic unease experienced by its eponymous male lead (Peter […]...
- 10/3/2019
- by Phil Coldiron
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The fourth, and final, of this year’s Wavelengths shorts programs returned to the curatorial logic of the opening night, bringing together half a dozen disparate sensibilities based on formal, rather than thematic, common ground—in this case, their shared interest in performance. With one exception, the coherence here was more immediate than in the first slate’s buried interest in image production, though the styles of performance deployed across these works bear little resemblance to one another. The program began with Zachary Epcar’s Billy, a quick, cool sip of Michael Robinson-aid recounting the domestic unease experienced by its eponymous male lead (Peter […]...
- 10/3/2019
- by Phil Coldiron
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The dominant theme with this selection of short films seems a bit off the mark since, as I’ve remarked elsewhere, this year’s selection has more narrative and narrative-adjacent works than I’ve noticed in past iterations. But it’s true, Wavelengths 4 does focus on aspects of performance, and this is the first time that overt humor has reared its head, which is something. In previous years I might have used this space to talk about the series as a whole, or make some kind of assessment about where the field looks like it may be going. But as someone who is now attempting (clunkily) to do programming myself, I will only say, it’s a hard job, and as always, Andréa Picard is to be congratulated for pulling it all together. Oh, I have included an extra review, of a Wavelengths short playing elsewhere in the festival. Enjoy.
- 9/10/2019
- MUBI
A Room with a Coconut ViewThere’s always a pang of irony when noting the milestones accomplished by venerable avant-garde institutions. Some seem to hold fast to the idea that institutionality itself is the enemy of experimentation, and that a “true” avant-garde showcase or entity ought to burn hot, bright, and fast, and then fizzle out before it is invaded by the mundanes. This is the Jack Smith Theory of Art, and while I am certainly sympathetic, I am not a subscriber. I, alas, am much more of an Uncle Fishhook. I compile lists, hoard tapes and digital files, keep manila folders full of old program notes, and generally try to think both historically—noting what develops from the ongoing wreckage of the past—and geometrically—observing how forms and concepts can develop webs of connection through time and across culture and nation. Institutions, or at least archives of one sort or another,...
- 6/19/2019
- MUBI
The 22nd annual Chicago Underground Film Festival presents five days of devastating celluloid provocations on May 13-17 at the Logan Theatre.
The fest kicks off on May 13 with the incredibly haunting short film Echoes by Jaimz Asmundson and the Filipino romantic crime drama Ruined Heart: Another Lovestory Between a Criminal and a Whore by the single-named director Khavn.
Highlights of the fest include the new slacker-ific comedy by Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn, L for Leisure; the Spanish socio-political documentary Speculation Nation by Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat; the pastoral friendship drama For the Plasma by Bingham Bryant & Kyle Molzan; and the joyful pop doc Living Stars by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn.
There are also loads of un-missable short films, such as the gritty modern film noir Bite Radius by Spencer Parsons; and amazing new films by Jennifer Reeder (Blood Below the Skin), Zachary Epcar (Under the Heat Lamp...
The fest kicks off on May 13 with the incredibly haunting short film Echoes by Jaimz Asmundson and the Filipino romantic crime drama Ruined Heart: Another Lovestory Between a Criminal and a Whore by the single-named director Khavn.
Highlights of the fest include the new slacker-ific comedy by Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn, L for Leisure; the Spanish socio-political documentary Speculation Nation by Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat; the pastoral friendship drama For the Plasma by Bingham Bryant & Kyle Molzan; and the joyful pop doc Living Stars by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn.
There are also loads of un-missable short films, such as the gritty modern film noir Bite Radius by Spencer Parsons; and amazing new films by Jennifer Reeder (Blood Below the Skin), Zachary Epcar (Under the Heat Lamp...
- 5/11/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This year’s student-run Milwaukee Underground Film Festival runs four days on April 30-May 3 at the Union Theater on the campus of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and at the Microlights Cinema.
The fest kicks off on April 30 with two films by one of this year’s jurors, Marika Borgeson: The Starry Messenger, which used the sun as it’s only developing agent; and the work-in-progress Excerpt From Arcanam Terra Lacrimarum; plus films by other artists selected by Borgeson.
On the following afternoon, May 1, there will be a presentation by this year’s other two jurors, Kelly Gallagher and Ben Balcom, which will include their own films, plus others selected from the Uwm Archives.
The rest of the festival features an explosion of terrific experimental films, including work by Lori Felker, Turn on the Hill; Zachary Epcar, Under the Heat Lamp an Opening; Mike Olenick, Beautiful Things; Josh Weissbach, Model Fifty-One Fifty-Six; Clint Enns,...
The fest kicks off on April 30 with two films by one of this year’s jurors, Marika Borgeson: The Starry Messenger, which used the sun as it’s only developing agent; and the work-in-progress Excerpt From Arcanam Terra Lacrimarum; plus films by other artists selected by Borgeson.
On the following afternoon, May 1, there will be a presentation by this year’s other two jurors, Kelly Gallagher and Ben Balcom, which will include their own films, plus others selected from the Uwm Archives.
The rest of the festival features an explosion of terrific experimental films, including work by Lori Felker, Turn on the Hill; Zachary Epcar, Under the Heat Lamp an Opening; Mike Olenick, Beautiful Things; Josh Weissbach, Model Fifty-One Fifty-Six; Clint Enns,...
- 4/30/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The KissMuch of my problem with so-called experimental cinema is a matter of language, and my marriage to it as both a viewer and a critic, despite language’s inevitable failure in the face of other forms of meaning. Some of my difficulty is based on background and affinities, some of it exposure and/or familiarity; most is plain obduracy. For whatever reason we may chose to fixate on, I have a hard time letting non-narrative films tell me how to read them beyond the sense I can put into words. After all, I am inarticulate without them.One friend says the trick is to bring the films “down” to the most fundamental ways in which they work, how the pieces may “add up”—but again this is a metaphor, which is of course the premise of language—an arbitrary equation of different things—and awfully teleological in a realm...
- 4/27/2015
- by Ryland Walker Knight
- MUBI
Believe it or not, but Albuquerque, New Mexico’s essential Experiments in Cinema is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. Masterminded by the indomitable Bryan Konefsky, EiC v. 10.T.36 features a massive lineup of experimental films and special programs on April 15-19.
The special programs this year include a retrospective of the films by British media artist Julia Dogra-Brazell; EiC’s annual Regional Youth Outreach program, featuring films by young local filmmakers presented at a free screening; a presentation of 1990s Argentine videos; work by Artist in Residence Caryn Cline; and the results of a filmmaking workshop led by Kerry Laitala.
Some films screening during the regular programs to look out for include the World Premiere of the new analog/digital hybrid from Christine Lucy Latimer, Physics and Metaphysics in Modern Photography; a new “erased” film by Salise Hughes, Lucky; Jen Proctor‘s Troubling Your Horizons, which requires audience participation...
The special programs this year include a retrospective of the films by British media artist Julia Dogra-Brazell; EiC’s annual Regional Youth Outreach program, featuring films by young local filmmakers presented at a free screening; a presentation of 1990s Argentine videos; work by Artist in Residence Caryn Cline; and the results of a filmmaking workshop led by Kerry Laitala.
Some films screening during the regular programs to look out for include the World Premiere of the new analog/digital hybrid from Christine Lucy Latimer, Physics and Metaphysics in Modern Photography; a new “erased” film by Salise Hughes, Lucky; Jen Proctor‘s Troubling Your Horizons, which requires audience participation...
- 4/15/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The Ann Arbor Film Festival celebrates its epic 53rd annual edition on March 24-29 with a colossal selection of experimental short films and features.
Feature film highlights include the documentary Speculation Nation by regular collaborators Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat, which examines the recent Spanish housing crisis; a new ethnographic doc by Ben Russell, Greetings to the Ancestors, which plunges deep into the culture of South Africa; and Jenni Olson’s grand California study The Royal Road.
Short film highlights include the much anticipated new film by Jennifer Reeder, Blood Below the Skin, a narrative following a week in the dramatic and romantic lives of three teenage girls; a new music video by Mike Olenick called Beautiful Things with music by The Wet Things; new animations by Don Hertzfeldt, World of Tomorrow, and Lewis Klahr, Mars Garden; plus new experimental work by Vanessa Renwick, Peggy Ahwesh and Zachary Epcar.
Special...
Feature film highlights include the documentary Speculation Nation by regular collaborators Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat, which examines the recent Spanish housing crisis; a new ethnographic doc by Ben Russell, Greetings to the Ancestors, which plunges deep into the culture of South Africa; and Jenni Olson’s grand California study The Royal Road.
Short film highlights include the much anticipated new film by Jennifer Reeder, Blood Below the Skin, a narrative following a week in the dramatic and romantic lives of three teenage girls; a new music video by Mike Olenick called Beautiful Things with music by The Wet Things; new animations by Don Hertzfeldt, World of Tomorrow, and Lewis Klahr, Mars Garden; plus new experimental work by Vanessa Renwick, Peggy Ahwesh and Zachary Epcar.
Special...
- 3/24/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
With so few events during which to premiere new and important avant-garde films in North America—among them, the recently wrapped Wavelengths section of the Toronto International Film Festival, the Ann Arbor Film Fest, and the San Francisco Cinematheque's Crossroads series—the shift that has occurred at this year's New York Film Festival is one well worth noting. This weekend, the inaugural Projects program will debut. Previously known as "Views from the Avant-Garde" and programmed by Mark McElhatten and Gavin Smith (though last year's titanic program was done by McElhatten alone), this sidebar more akin to a festival-inside-a-festival of film and video works has been re-named "Projections" and in its first year is programmed by a returned Smith, Film Society of Lincoln Center's Director of Programming Dennis Lim, and Aily Nash.
The section encompasses 13 programs over a single weekend during the festival, including a handful of feature length films and numerous shorts,...
The section encompasses 13 programs over a single weekend during the festival, including a handful of feature length films and numerous shorts,...
- 10/4/2014
- by Daniel Kasman
- MUBI
In place of the formerly titled "Views from the Avant-Garde", The Film Society of Lincoln Center has announced the lineup for Nyff's new "Projections" section. Dennis Lim and Aily Nash join Gavin Smith in curating an international selection of experimental short, medium and feature length films:
Old Growth (Ryan Marino, USA)
Babash (Lisa Truttmann & Behrouz Rae, USA/Austria/Iran)
Wayward Fronds (Fern Silva, USA)
Theoretical Architectures (Josh Gibson, USA)
Canopy (Ken Jacobs, USA)
Under the Heat Lamp an Opening (Zachary Epcar, USA)
Against Landscape (Joshua Gen Solondz, USA)
Night Noon (Shambhavi Kaul, Mexico/USA)
Ming of Harlem: Twenty One Storeys in the Air (Phillip Warnell, UK/Belgium/USA)
Berlin or a Dream with Cream (Marcel Broodthaers, Germany)
Mr. Teste et la Lune (Marcles Broodthaers, Belgium)
Things (Ben Rivers, UK)
Depositions (Luke Fowler, UK)
a certain worry (Jonathan Schwartz, USA)
The Dragon is the Frame (Mary Helena Clark, USA)
Fe26 (Kevin Jerome Everson,...
Old Growth (Ryan Marino, USA)
Babash (Lisa Truttmann & Behrouz Rae, USA/Austria/Iran)
Wayward Fronds (Fern Silva, USA)
Theoretical Architectures (Josh Gibson, USA)
Canopy (Ken Jacobs, USA)
Under the Heat Lamp an Opening (Zachary Epcar, USA)
Against Landscape (Joshua Gen Solondz, USA)
Night Noon (Shambhavi Kaul, Mexico/USA)
Ming of Harlem: Twenty One Storeys in the Air (Phillip Warnell, UK/Belgium/USA)
Berlin or a Dream with Cream (Marcel Broodthaers, Germany)
Mr. Teste et la Lune (Marcles Broodthaers, Belgium)
Things (Ben Rivers, UK)
Depositions (Luke Fowler, UK)
a certain worry (Jonathan Schwartz, USA)
The Dragon is the Frame (Mary Helena Clark, USA)
Fe26 (Kevin Jerome Everson,...
- 8/21/2014
- by Notebook
- MUBI
The Experimental Film Festival Portland will host its 3rd annual edition on May 28-June 1 at various locations around the city, including the Hollywood Theatre, the Clinton Street Theater, Disjecta and more.
The Opening Night festivities at the historic Hollywood Theatre features a massive lineup of short films, including Kent Lambert‘s award-winning Reckoning 3 and films by Clint Enns, Stephen Broomer, Jb Mabe, Cornelia Abrecht and Michelle Mellor.
Some special events to keep an eye out for throughout the fest include the EFFPortland Throwdown, a series of showcases where local Portland filmmakers battle it out for bragging rights and supreme galactic superiority. The first event is on May 29 featuring work by Bob Moricz, Julie Perini, Karl Lind and more.
In addition to the Throwdowns, there are just an absolute ton of short experimental films, including work by Christine Lucy Latimer, Andrew Rosinski, Bryan Konefsky, Sara Koppel, Zachary Epcar and loads more.
The Opening Night festivities at the historic Hollywood Theatre features a massive lineup of short films, including Kent Lambert‘s award-winning Reckoning 3 and films by Clint Enns, Stephen Broomer, Jb Mabe, Cornelia Abrecht and Michelle Mellor.
Some special events to keep an eye out for throughout the fest include the EFFPortland Throwdown, a series of showcases where local Portland filmmakers battle it out for bragging rights and supreme galactic superiority. The first event is on May 29 featuring work by Bob Moricz, Julie Perini, Karl Lind and more.
In addition to the Throwdowns, there are just an absolute ton of short experimental films, including work by Christine Lucy Latimer, Andrew Rosinski, Bryan Konefsky, Sara Koppel, Zachary Epcar and loads more.
- 5/28/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 14th annual Antimatter Film Festival in Vancouver, BC, Canada is an epic 9-day event of expanded cinema performances, feature-length documentaries an a ton of experimental short films and festivals.
There are seven feature documentaries screening including Marie Losier‘s hit The Ballad of Genesis & Lady Jaye, a profile of the pandrogenous entity, Breyer P-Orridge; and Chris Metzler & Lev Kalman’s popular Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, about the legendary ska punk band. Plus, there’s Adele Horne’s And Again and more.
On the expanded cinema front, Antimatter welcomes retrospectives of Kerry Laitala, who will be presenting a selection of her 3D light and motion experiments; and Roger Beebe will screen a series of multi-projector performances.
As for the short films, the real highlight of the fest is a screening of Jaimz Asmundson‘s trippy and powerful The Magus, a fictional/documentary hybrid of his father’s Satanic painting process.
There are seven feature documentaries screening including Marie Losier‘s hit The Ballad of Genesis & Lady Jaye, a profile of the pandrogenous entity, Breyer P-Orridge; and Chris Metzler & Lev Kalman’s popular Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, about the legendary ska punk band. Plus, there’s Adele Horne’s And Again and more.
On the expanded cinema front, Antimatter welcomes retrospectives of Kerry Laitala, who will be presenting a selection of her 3D light and motion experiments; and Roger Beebe will screen a series of multi-projector performances.
As for the short films, the real highlight of the fest is a screening of Jaimz Asmundson‘s trippy and powerful The Magus, a fictional/documentary hybrid of his father’s Satanic painting process.
- 10/12/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Once again, the Wndx Festival of Film and Video Art will be celebrating the best in new and classic Canadian avant-garde, experimental and underground filmmaking with a little flair for the international thrown in. Wndx’s 6th annual edition is set to run on Sep. 29 to Oct. 2 in the city of Winnipeg.
This year, Wndx is paying special homage to two great Canadian artistic filmmakers: The late Joyce Wieland and Guy Maddin. For Wieland, the fest is holding two special retrospectives of the experimental filmmaker’s works spanning from 1965 to 1984. (Wieland passed away in 1998.) The first retrospective on Oct. 1 is a collection of all short films, such as Cat Food (1969) and A&B in Ontario (1984), which was co-directed with he contemporary Hollis Frampton. The second retrospective on Oct. 2 includes Wieland’s feature film Reason Over Passion (1969), plus two shorts.
From Sep. 2 to Oct. 1, Wndx is hosting Guy Maddin‘s Hauntings installation at the Platform Gallery.
This year, Wndx is paying special homage to two great Canadian artistic filmmakers: The late Joyce Wieland and Guy Maddin. For Wieland, the fest is holding two special retrospectives of the experimental filmmaker’s works spanning from 1965 to 1984. (Wieland passed away in 1998.) The first retrospective on Oct. 1 is a collection of all short films, such as Cat Food (1969) and A&B in Ontario (1984), which was co-directed with he contemporary Hollis Frampton. The second retrospective on Oct. 2 includes Wieland’s feature film Reason Over Passion (1969), plus two shorts.
From Sep. 2 to Oct. 1, Wndx is hosting Guy Maddin‘s Hauntings installation at the Platform Gallery.
- 8/23/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 18th annual Chicago Underground Film Festival is ready to have another monumental year at the Gene Siskel Film Center on June 2-9, featuring a killer lineup with new films from some true underground legends.
First, Usama Alshaibi will screen his latest, most visually stunning and conceptually innovative feature Profane, about a spiritually confused Muslim sex worker trying to recapture her lost jinn — a demon of smokeless fire — on streets of the Windy City.
Then, documentary filmmakers Jeff Krulik and John Heyn return to their hard rockin’ roots with Heavy Metal Picnic, which relives one of the most notorious ’80s weekend parties in the history of Maryland and the world — the Full Moon Jamboree, which if you can remember it means you weren’t there. Plus, Hmp will be screened with Heyn and Krulik’s underground classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot.
Also in the documentary vein, are Marie Losier‘s...
First, Usama Alshaibi will screen his latest, most visually stunning and conceptually innovative feature Profane, about a spiritually confused Muslim sex worker trying to recapture her lost jinn — a demon of smokeless fire — on streets of the Windy City.
Then, documentary filmmakers Jeff Krulik and John Heyn return to their hard rockin’ roots with Heavy Metal Picnic, which relives one of the most notorious ’80s weekend parties in the history of Maryland and the world — the Full Moon Jamboree, which if you can remember it means you weren’t there. Plus, Hmp will be screened with Heyn and Krulik’s underground classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot.
Also in the documentary vein, are Marie Losier‘s...
- 5/13/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 6th annual Montreal Underground Film Festival presents 3 nights of wild and wooly short films from around the world at various venues around the city on May 12-14.
The fest kicks off with a lineup of 8 short films, plus the World Premiere of Mario DeGiglio-Bellemare’s Main Attraction, about a magician and his resident freaks fending off an eviction from their home. DeGiglio-Bellemare is a member of the Montreal media arts collective Volatile Works and features special effects by underground artist Rick Trembles and Andy Mauro. Also in the Opening Night kick-off is the not-to-be-missed hilarious music video Goths! On the Bus by Karen & Jaimz Asmundson.
Then, the fest continues on the 13th and the 14th with several programming blocks of short films hailing from Canada, the U.S., Germany, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Finland, the U.K. and other countries.
Some standouts in the fest include Zachary Epcar‘s...
The fest kicks off with a lineup of 8 short films, plus the World Premiere of Mario DeGiglio-Bellemare’s Main Attraction, about a magician and his resident freaks fending off an eviction from their home. DeGiglio-Bellemare is a member of the Montreal media arts collective Volatile Works and features special effects by underground artist Rick Trembles and Andy Mauro. Also in the Opening Night kick-off is the not-to-be-missed hilarious music video Goths! On the Bus by Karen & Jaimz Asmundson.
Then, the fest continues on the 13th and the 14th with several programming blocks of short films hailing from Canada, the U.S., Germany, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Finland, the U.K. and other countries.
Some standouts in the fest include Zachary Epcar‘s...
- 5/11/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Every year, the student-run Milwaukee Underground Film Festival shows off a collection of world-class experimental and avant-garde films, screening work from some of today’s most acclaimed filmmakers. This year’s stellar event will take place on May 6-8 and will screen at several venues, including Uwm’s Union Theatre, the Walker’s Point Center for the Arts and Uwm/Psoa Kenilworth Square East.
Included in the lineup, which is printed in full below, are two films by prolific experimental animator Jodie Mack, Unsubscribe #1: Special Offer Inside and Unsubscribe #4: The Saddest Song in the World; Kerry Laitala‘s eye-popping ChromaDepth experiment Afterimage: A Flicker of Life (Version 2); Self Improvement by Clint Enns, one of Canada’s finest filmmakers; Zachary Epcar‘s haunting architecture study, A Time Shared Unlimited; and Steve Cossman‘s Jive.
Serving on this year’s jury are film professor at the University of Florida, Roger Beebe...
Included in the lineup, which is printed in full below, are two films by prolific experimental animator Jodie Mack, Unsubscribe #1: Special Offer Inside and Unsubscribe #4: The Saddest Song in the World; Kerry Laitala‘s eye-popping ChromaDepth experiment Afterimage: A Flicker of Life (Version 2); Self Improvement by Clint Enns, one of Canada’s finest filmmakers; Zachary Epcar‘s haunting architecture study, A Time Shared Unlimited; and Steve Cossman‘s Jive.
Serving on this year’s jury are film professor at the University of Florida, Roger Beebe...
- 5/3/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
On April 19 at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, the Ata Film & Video Festival will be hosting a special springtime retrospective screening celebrating their 5th anniversary, pulling together films from each year they’ve been in operation. The festivities start at 7:30 p.m.
As a program of the Artists’ Television Access non-profit center, which began in the early ’80s, the Film & Video Festival was founded in 2006 and has always been run by co-directors and programmers Isabel Fondevila and Shae Green. In it’s brief history, the fest has quickly become one of the most significant experimental media events in the world. Each year, they screen a diverse range of cutting edge, avant-garde, playful and artistic short films and videos from an international pool of filmmakers.
In addition to the annual festival in San Francisco, held in October of every year, Fondevila and Green have also toured the world with...
As a program of the Artists’ Television Access non-profit center, which began in the early ’80s, the Film & Video Festival was founded in 2006 and has always been run by co-directors and programmers Isabel Fondevila and Shae Green. In it’s brief history, the fest has quickly become one of the most significant experimental media events in the world. Each year, they screen a diverse range of cutting edge, avant-garde, playful and artistic short films and videos from an international pool of filmmakers.
In addition to the annual festival in San Francisco, held in October of every year, Fondevila and Green have also toured the world with...
- 4/15/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 24th annual Images Festival is once again overstuffed with experimental and avant-garde media goodness. From March 31 to April 9, Toronto will be overrun with film & video screenings, live cinema performances, artist talks, gallery installations, forum discussions and more.
The fest opens with Rivers and My Father — a documentary and fictional narrative blend that explores the family stories of filmmaker Luo Li — and ends with a live hardcore music soundtrack accompanying Todd Brown’s classic silent movie West of Zanzibar.
In between that, there are artist talks with John Gianvito, Paul Clipson, Mario Pfeifer, Beatrice Gibson, James MacSwain, Steve Reinke and others; several programs exploring the state of cinema in Africa; live cinematic performances by Andrew Lampert, Ellie Ga, Lindsay Seers, Icaro Zorbar and more.
Plus, don’t forget the experimental film & video screenings, including John Gianvito’s documentary essay Vapor Trails (Clark); and short works by Jodie Mack, Lewis Klahr,...
The fest opens with Rivers and My Father — a documentary and fictional narrative blend that explores the family stories of filmmaker Luo Li — and ends with a live hardcore music soundtrack accompanying Todd Brown’s classic silent movie West of Zanzibar.
In between that, there are artist talks with John Gianvito, Paul Clipson, Mario Pfeifer, Beatrice Gibson, James MacSwain, Steve Reinke and others; several programs exploring the state of cinema in Africa; live cinematic performances by Andrew Lampert, Ellie Ga, Lindsay Seers, Icaro Zorbar and more.
Plus, don’t forget the experimental film & video screenings, including John Gianvito’s documentary essay Vapor Trails (Clark); and short works by Jodie Mack, Lewis Klahr,...
- 3/31/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The second night of the 5th annual Ata Film & Video Festival groups its short films under the heading “Lo-Fi Future,” which couldn’t be more apt for this selection.
Several of the films are literally just that, lo-fi visions of the future. Without any special effects whatsoever, these films tell us they take place in the future either just verbally, or through just shooting at unique locations. Other films, though, explore the “future” in a different way, by showing the effect progress has on culture, but through abstract means.
Wasteland, dir. Kathleen Quillian. Quillian brilliantly uses cut-out animation to illustrate the modern food chain, which starts from crop dusting fields and ends with automobiles blowing exhaust into the atmosphere. In between, cows are injected with hormones then are decapitated and chubby suburbanites pig out on hamburgers until they need to control their cholesterol with prescription medication that they wash down with beer.
Several of the films are literally just that, lo-fi visions of the future. Without any special effects whatsoever, these films tell us they take place in the future either just verbally, or through just shooting at unique locations. Other films, though, explore the “future” in a different way, by showing the effect progress has on culture, but through abstract means.
Wasteland, dir. Kathleen Quillian. Quillian brilliantly uses cut-out animation to illustrate the modern food chain, which starts from crop dusting fields and ends with automobiles blowing exhaust into the atmosphere. In between, cows are injected with hormones then are decapitated and chubby suburbanites pig out on hamburgers until they need to control their cholesterol with prescription medication that they wash down with beer.
- 10/21/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 9th annual Lausanne Underground Film Festival may just run for a mere five days in Switzerland on Oct. 20-24, but it hits with the force of a 10p-ton megaton bomb over that time period, packing in so much mind-boggling underground madness it’ll make your head explode.
Every year, the fest feels like 5 or 6 festivals crammed into one. There’s the fest that pays homage to the history of experimental filmmaking, there are the retrospectives of several cult festivals, a feature film competition section, a short film competition section and more.
Three filmmakers are especially getting major retrospective love this year. First, there’s legendary Canadian experimental filmmaker Michael Snow who will be in attendance at screenings of his classic films Wavelength, <–> and La région centrale, plus several of his other short films.
Also being feted are German extreme horror filmmaker Jörg Buttgereit, who will attend screenings of his classic Nekromantik,...
Every year, the fest feels like 5 or 6 festivals crammed into one. There’s the fest that pays homage to the history of experimental filmmaking, there are the retrospectives of several cult festivals, a feature film competition section, a short film competition section and more.
Three filmmakers are especially getting major retrospective love this year. First, there’s legendary Canadian experimental filmmaker Michael Snow who will be in attendance at screenings of his classic films Wavelength, <–> and La région centrale, plus several of his other short films.
Also being feted are German extreme horror filmmaker Jörg Buttgereit, who will attend screenings of his classic Nekromantik,...
- 10/18/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 5th annual Ata Film & Video Festival in San Francisco is just a brief two-night affair, but is packed with more experimental and avant-garde filmmaking power than can be imagined. The fest explodes this year on Oct. 21-22.
Once again, the fest is a heady mix of local Bay Area favorites with filmmakers from all over the world. As for the locals, Paul Clipson will screen his newest, most epic work, Union; along with new animated weirdness from Kathleen Quillian; work by political mixologist Bryan Boyce; and an astounding Film/Video hybrid by Kerry Laitala made in Chromadepth. (In case you were worried, Chromadepth glasses will be provided.)
Other films come from nearby locations, such as Sam Barnett and Vera Brunner-Sung of Los Angeles; and Jeff Guay and Karl Lind of Portland. But others come from such far-flung places, such as The Netherland’s Maite Abella and Brooklyn’s Whitney Horn and Lev Kalman.
Once again, the fest is a heady mix of local Bay Area favorites with filmmakers from all over the world. As for the locals, Paul Clipson will screen his newest, most epic work, Union; along with new animated weirdness from Kathleen Quillian; work by political mixologist Bryan Boyce; and an astounding Film/Video hybrid by Kerry Laitala made in Chromadepth. (In case you were worried, Chromadepth glasses will be provided.)
Other films come from nearby locations, such as Sam Barnett and Vera Brunner-Sung of Los Angeles; and Jeff Guay and Karl Lind of Portland. But others come from such far-flung places, such as The Netherland’s Maite Abella and Brooklyn’s Whitney Horn and Lev Kalman.
- 10/15/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The latest edition of Toronto’s mighty Images Festival will unspool on April 1-10. The full lineup of films screening at this event is listed below and, even though that looks quite extensive as it is, it’s only a small portion of everything that’s going on during the entire event.
In addition to film screenings, Images has partnered with 15 galleries and museums across the greater Toronto area to display 32 media art installations by both Canadian and international artists. Plus, there will be eight live performances that blur the edges of cinema, sound, music and installations. And, on top of all that, there will be several panel discussions with artists and other media folk, parties, award ceremonies, tours and more. This is more art and film than should be allowed in any one city, yet Images manages to squeeze it all in into just 10 days somehow.
The film lineup...
In addition to film screenings, Images has partnered with 15 galleries and museums across the greater Toronto area to display 32 media art installations by both Canadian and international artists. Plus, there will be eight live performances that blur the edges of cinema, sound, music and installations. And, on top of all that, there will be several panel discussions with artists and other media folk, parties, award ceremonies, tours and more. This is more art and film than should be allowed in any one city, yet Images manages to squeeze it all in into just 10 days somehow.
The film lineup...
- 3/30/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The teasing is over! This here is the real deal. The moment we wait all year for: The lineup for the powerful, the mighty Boston Underground Film Festival, which is set to run March 25 to April 1. Now in its 12th year, Buff shows no sign of slowing down or taking it easy. In fact, this might be their most demented and transgressive edition yet.
There are homages to Giallo horror, tributes to the grand grindhouse tradition of sleaze and exploitation, sex and violence galore — both separately and together — plus, a resurrected ’80s slasher classic that all combine into an epic celebration of everything that is vicious and twisted in this world. But, in a fun way, ya know.
Alas, I haven’t seen any of the feature films that are playing this year, so I can’t offer any special recommendations of those. Although, there are many (most) that I...
There are homages to Giallo horror, tributes to the grand grindhouse tradition of sleaze and exploitation, sex and violence galore — both separately and together — plus, a resurrected ’80s slasher classic that all combine into an epic celebration of everything that is vicious and twisted in this world. But, in a fun way, ya know.
Alas, I haven’t seen any of the feature films that are playing this year, so I can’t offer any special recommendations of those. Although, there are many (most) that I...
- 3/12/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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