Arkansas Underground Film Festival July 17-19, 2009
Malco Theater 819 Central Avenue Hot Springs Nat’l Park, AR
(!) - denotes films which may be explicit or otherwise offensive to sensitive viewers.
Friday, July 17 “Focus on Surrealism”
5:00 opening reception rare and unusual small-gauge projection exhibit, curated by David Nelson, Shreveport, LA
David Nelson is the founder of mini-cine, Shreveport’s longstanding alternative cinema, and has been collecting unusual projectors for decades. He has amassed what may be the most complete collection of small-gauge projectors in the country, and will be displaying a small sampling of his collection for the first time.
On installation:
Light 3m by Lee Bishop, Carrboro, NC
(Just beyond the screen) the universe - as we know it - is ending 3m30s by Christine Lucy Latimer, Toronto, ON, CANADA
6:00 George Melies program
George Melies (1861-1938) was a magician by trade, and is credited as the first to fully use film to explore its trick properties. Although he made some 500 films, he never realized the full value of his films, and many no longer exist. The following films represent a small sampling of Melies’ magically bizarre films, which have remained completely unique and unlike anything to follow.
film include: The Conjurer 1m, 1899 A Trip to the Moon 11m, 1902 The Palace of the Arabian Nights 19m, 1905 The Doctor Secret 9m, 1910 The Conquest of the Pole 7m, 1912
7:00 Surrealist Classics
Un Chien Andalou 16m, 1929 by Salvador Dali/Luis Bunuel, France
The first film by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, Un Chien Andalou was made during the heart of the Surrealist movement, and is regarded as one of the most influential art films by many film scholars.
A Page of Madness 60m, 1926 by Kinugasa Teinosuke, Japan
Filmed from the mental perspective of an institutionalized mental patient, this extremely rare film was thought lost during World War II. It was rediscovered by the filmmaker in a forgotten rice barrow in the 1970s, and received a limited re-release at that time. Screened with live electronic musical accompaniment by Shane English.
9:00 Surrealist Short Film Program
Infiltration 4.5m by Charles Chadwick, Los Gatos, CA -A film that portrays death as time travel, altered space-time, and hypnotic resonance.
The Salariat in Parts 11m by Zachary Epcar, San Francisco, CA -An office comedy of sorts, describing several points of correspondence between the material space of the office and the gastro-intestinal movements of its inhabitants, located somewhere under the belly of the underbelly of the economic collapse.
The Land Beyond Explanation 13m30s by Madam X, Los Angeles, CA -This film is a metaphor of the internal reality of experience and the incessance of evolution to question and discover itself.
Ichthyopolis 9m22s by Andre Silva, Wilmington, NC -The Fish Quenn and Fish Wrangler manage their worlds with routine precision until a disturbance in the order leaves them helpless.
(!) Donkey Harvest 11m by Allan Brown, Montreal, QC, CANADA -A factory worker loses his job. On his return home to his family, he embarks on a surreal journey where he is confronted with an environment at odds with his social reality. (!) Un cadavre Exquis 10m by Volatile Works collective, Montreal, QC, CANADA -Adapted from the Surrealist parlor game of the same name, the Exquisite Corpse or Cadavre exquis manifests itself in the hands of five Volatile members. Operating independently over a period of months with only three seconds of film/video footage to elaborate upon, each member, in succession constructed the ‘corpse,’ the sum of our collective monster, piece by piece... it’s alive, Alive!!
(!)The Presentation Theme 14m by Jim Trainor Chicago, IL -A Peruvian prisoner of war finds himself outmaneuvered by a hematophagous priestess. Based on a true story.
(!) Running Sushi 30m by Mara Mattuschka & Chris Haring, AUSTRIA -A film made up of dialogue between two people. Steffi and Johnny are in a running sushi restaurant. The first conversation soon explodes into a performance parallel world of unspoken thoughts and emotions. Every coming sushi evokes a story from the unconscious repertoire of the chaos of human relationships. Wish-machines are cranked up, creating grotesque parallel worlds and extreme situations.
Saturday, July 18 “Pop Culture and Outsider Film”
1:00 opening reception 16mm installation by Projexorcism of Hickory, North Carolina.
On installation:
Video Art 5m by Jon Clark, Los Angeles, CA
Lake 4m by Jake Barningham, Chicago, IL
2:00 The Films of Andy Warhol
Superstar: The Life and Times of Andy Warhol 87m by Chuck Workman, 1990
This documentary focuses on Warhol’s modest upbringing and his eventual rise to stardom. Few people realize that Warhol’s Factory was technically a film production studio, while the films were screened to select audiences in the New York underground.
Outer and Inner Space 33m, double projection by Andy Warhol -A double projection film starring Edie Segwick, Warhol “superstar”. (!) Haircut (no.1) 24m, by Andy Warhol -A film depiction of an infamous Warhol “haircut party.”
5:15 “FluxFilm Program” 40m
Often called the ‘anti-art,’ Fluxus artists focused on minimalism to highlight the perceived connection between art and everyday objects.
In 1963, George Maciunas, leader of the Fluxus movement, composed the first Fluxus Manifesto, which called upon its readers to: "...purge the world of bourgeois sickness, ‘intellectual’, professional & commercialized culture ... PROMOTE A REVOLUTIONARY FLOOD AND TIDE IN ART, ... promote NON ART REALITY to be grasped by all peoples, not only critics, dilettantes and professionals ... FUSE the cadres of cultural, social & political revolutionaries into united front & action.”
The following films were curated by George Maciumas in the 1970.
works include: George Brecht -- 'Entry-Exit' Anonymous -- 'Eyeblink' George Maciumas -- 'Artype' Eric Andersen -- 'Opus 74, version 2' Chieko Shiomi -- 'Disappearing Music for Face' George Maciunas -- '10 Feet' Robert Watts -- 'Trace' Albert Fine -- 'Readymade' Paul Sharits -- 'Sears Catalogue 1-3', 'Dots 1 & 3', 'Wrist Trick', 'Unrolling Event' Yoko Ono -- 'Number 4' John Cale -- 'Police Car' Joe Jones -- 'Smoke' Paul Sharits -- 'Word Movie'
6:15 William S. Burroughs Program (35 minutes)
The the films of writer William S. Burroughs were never widely shown, but were recently rediscovered by Psychic TV in a private collection. Made with Byron Gysin and Anthony Balch at the infamous “Beat Hotel” in Paris, the films attempt to project the same intensity and disoriented consciousness of Burrough’s literature. Curtasy of Cherry Red Records, London.
“Towers Open Fire” 10m “The Cut Ups” 20m “Bill and Tony” 5m
7:00 Projexorcism from Hickory, NC, live multi-projection film performance.
8:00 Freezer Fright
Freezer Fright 56m by Nancy Silver, Bonnerdale, AR -Everybody’s seen a home refrigerator freezer. Most people do not routinely clean it. This shows seven freezers and their old smelly contents. Most people were too embarrassed to show their faces so masks were suggested. Laughter helped them move thru the bacteria.
9:00 “Catfish With Falcon Wings” films by Jason Laray Keener and Jeremiah Ledbetter, Anniston, AL
Athazagoraphobia 3m
I Don’t Love Anyone Anymore 2m
Hail Cracking Cobra Eggs 5m
Hallelujah! Gorilla Revival 5m
Hollow Porcelain Fish Chamber 4.5m
9:30 Outsider Short Film Program
These films represent the vast underbelly of North American film culture. Screening made possible by the Bearded Child Film Festival, Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
Programer’s Note: The following films are “indescribable,” and thus listed without description blurbs. A brief introduction about the films and their makers will precede the screening.
La Gallina Matadora 4m Matthew Silver & Manuel Pimentel, Bergenfield, NJ
Everything You Need 3m by Luke Holden, Bemidji, MN
Unless You’ve Tried It, You Have No Idea How Hard It Is to Bury a Horse 3m by Luke Holden, Bemidji, MN
Flesh Orgy of the Zombie Totem 14m by James W. Harris, Rydal, GA
Time for Bed 10m by Montgomery Klinefelter, Rauch, MN
The Spanky Monkey Movie -, 20m by Micki Tschur, Colorado Springs, CO
Miss Edmonton Teen Burger 1983 in: It’s Party Time! 20m by Amy Lockhart, CANADA
Royalty and Catass 20m by The Vititoe Brothers, Louisville, KY
(!) The Milkman 8m by Ken Takahashi, CANADA
Sunday, July 19 “Experimental Cinema”
12:30 Doors Open
On installation: Bold Stories 15m30s by Gennaro De Pasquale, Montreal, QC, CANADA
Window 1m by Jeremy Newman, Mt. Laurel, NJ
1:00 Stan Brakhage Retrospective
Stan Brakhage completed over 400 films during a 50 year period, and is widely regarded as the godfather of experimental film. The films range from his very first film, Interim (1952), made at age 19, to his very last creation, The Chinese Series (2003), made at age 70. Interim is rarely shown publicly and may be his most narrative film, while The Chinese Series was literally made on his death bed by scratching with his finger nails onto film strips. Brakhage lived his life through film, and this program will provide a small sampling of his poignant first-person films.
Documentaries about Stan Brakhage include:
Brakhage 22m excerpt, 1999, by Jim Shedden Stan Brakhage 15m, 2003, by Pip Chodorov Garden Path 8m, 2001, by Mary Beth Reed
Brakhage shorts include:
Interim 25.5, 1952 Mothlight 4m, 1963 The Stars are Beautiful 19m, 1974 The Dante Quartet 8m, 1987 I... Dreaming 8m, 1988 Lovesong 7m, 2001 Chinese Series 2m, 2003
The Jesus Trilogy and Coda 2001, 20m presented with live sound accompaniment
4:30 Avant-Garde Classics
*Oscar Fischinger “Radio Dynamics” 4m, 1942
An early pioneer of experimental geometric animation, Fischinger (1900-67) created an artistic foundation for Stan Brakhage, Len Lye and others. Fischinger struggled throughout his life to balance his artistic and commercial work, and quit Walt Disney’s Fantasia after a dispute over artistic content.
*Len Lye Retrospective 13.5m
Another Brakhage influence, New Zealand-born Len Lye (1901-1980) pioneered a technique known as “direct animation,” a method of painting, scratching and stenciling directly onto motion picture film.
films include: Color Cry (1952), Particles in Space (1979), Tal Farlow (1980), Rhythm (1957), Free Radicals (1958)
*Joseph Cornell Retrospective 25m
Joseph Cornell (1903-1972) is thought to be the pioneer of “found footage” collage filmmaking. The films in this program were originally made as entertainment for his invalid brother, and never intended to be shown publicly.
films include: Cotillion (1940), The Midnight Party (1940), Children’s Party (1940)
*Maya Deren “Meshes in the Afternoon” 14m, 1942
Maya Deren (1917-1961) was known as a choreographer, dancer, poet, writer and filmmaker, and was a major figure in the 1940s and 1950s avant-garde art scene. Meshes in the Afternoon is her best known film, and is widely considered one of the most influential short films in avant-garde film history.
*Norman McLaren “Neighbors” 8m, 1952
Norman McLaren (1914-1987) was an animator best know for his work for the National Film Board of Canada. Neighbors was his most famous film, incorporating the live-object animation technique of pixilation to create a surreal, comic effect.
*George Kuchar “Wild Night in El Reno” 6m, 1977
George Kuchar (1942) became known for his “low-fi” underground films in the 1960s, and has garnished a reputation for eccentric personal documentaries in later years. Kuchar is also known for his obsession with weather, as seen in Wild Night in El Reno, filmed during a lightning storm in El Reno, Oklahoma.
*George Kuchar “The Mongreloid” 10m, 1978 "A man, his dog, and the regions they inhabited, each leaving his own distinctive mark on the landscape. Not even time can wash the residue of what they left behind." - G.K. *Carson Davidson “Help! My Snowman in Burning Down” 9m, 1965
This surrealist short film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Short Subject in 1965.
6:30 Experimental Short Film Program
Shade 2m by David Warren, Florida -A recent hand-made film incorporating classic experimental film techniques.
Arterial Disposition of Thought and Being 6m20s by Mason Shefa, Studio City, CA -Mason Shefa is a 15 year old filmmaker, who credits his 1st grade teacher for introducing him to the art form. In this film, an artist creates an abstract concept of individuality while painting.
What I Saw on October 32,1988 8m by Neil Ira Needleman, Katonah, NY -What a glorious day! The sunlight was intense, the depth of focus was amazing, the colors were vibrant, and the shadows were rich. Do you remember where you where on October 32, 1988? Isabell 6m by Kathleen Rugh, Ithaca, NY -This film presents views of a domestic space juxtaposed with audio from an elderly man’s discarded answering machine tapes. The tape was discovered in an abandoned automobile factory in Detroit and contains dialogue and messages centered around the loss of a dear friend, Isabell.
Spaces 4m by Josh Romphf, London, ON, CANADA - Through seemingly banal imagery, subliminal notions of “what is” and “What-should-have-been” rise fleetingly to the surface. Spaces uses a convergence of film and video technology to explore these relationships.
All the House 6m by Caroline Koebel, Brooklyn, NY -This film collects and reconfigures far-ranging source materials to ponder the November 19, 2005 killing by US Marines of 24 unarmed civilians in Haditha, Iraq. Featured is ten-year-old Iman Walid, who witnessed the slaughter of her family. The Atlantic City Massacre scene from Godfather III by Francis Ford Coppola is re-shot with a Bolex 16mm camera and then hand processed.
Destination Finale 9m15s by Philip Widmann, Berlin, GERMANY -A Man travels Europe. Shortly after, American troops enter the ground war in Vietnam.
Themes and Variations for the Naked Eye 11m by Caitlin Horsmon, Kansas City, MO -This film borrows objects from the still life and transforms them through the use of the extreme close-up. A curious character evokes sensuality through touch, taking the audience through excavations of a series of bodies and creating a reflexion on synchresis, objecthood and interiority.
Plastic Opera 6m by Matthew Perino, Boulder, CO -A metaphor of celluloid gradually drowning in our present age of cinema, this film incorporates fourth and fifth generation optical printing to exploit the silver granules that compose the image.
One Last Shock 5m30s by Adam Paradis, Boston, MA -An essayistic assemblage, using 16mm educational and industrial media as its source material. This film is a confrontational look under the surface of America’s media saturated culture, into media use and manipulation, and its influential tendencies.
Emergence 4m by Marcin Blajecki, Poland
In the Pink 3m30s by R.C. Johnson, Duluth, MN
short break
Troll Eyes 30m by Trevor Adams, Minneapolis, MN "...the twentieth-century viewed through educational films and my own amateur films, shot by me, with a Bolex." -Trevor Adams
(!) Fraunmuskel 6m by Frank Biesendorfer, Colorado Springs, CO -"Frauenmuskel is a jarring and sexually explicit film. Yet, the film holds an important dual sense of mystery that haunts long and after the film is over. Filmed during the Hermann Nitsch action of 1998, the film covers a stroll through the countryside as well as nightly impressions of the stars and clouds above Hermann Nitsch, himself" -Christopher May
(!) Lezzieflick 6m by Nana Swiczinsky, AUSTRIA |
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