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Posts Tagged ‘NYFF 2011’

15 scenes: 254 shots Gobolux, U.S., 2011, 15m
Well Then There Now Lewis Klahr, U.S., 2011, 19m 30s
Bare Room Joey Izzo, U.S., 2011, 31m 33s
arcana Henry Hills, U.S./Austria, 2011, 33m

Premise: 4 filmmakers are provides with a script made up of 254 shots in 15 scenes by Mr Zorn.

It was interesting to see the developing similarities between the images selected to make the shot list from each of the artists as the films progressed through the program. Having seen some of Mr Klhar’s work before, you can almost feel where the rules overtook his natural artistic impulse – scavenger hunt of sorts. And while there was some interesting assemblages the real value was in the exercise rather than the output. There should be more collaborations like this. I would hope that Mr Zorn would publish the full shot list so others can play along.

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I was glad that this program allowed extended time with both Mr Hiler and Mr Dorsky. Coming in to this afternoon’s screening my own tastes limited my appreciation for work like this. However getting to understand the film makers as people and artists allowed me another way of approaching the work. Mr Hiler’s simple enjoyment of movie making and the articulate and accessible Mr Dorsky made me fans of these artists. I will need to spend more time with their work and Mr. Dorsky’s book “Devotional Cinema”.

Words of Mercury, Jerome Hiler, U.S., 2011, 25m

The Return, Nathaniel Dorsky, U.S., 2011, 27m

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I am at the half way point of my Festival viewing. Six screenings down and after this there will be six more to go. I did not use my tickets to the screenings of Messers Eisenberg and Everson on Saturday as some family commitments required me to be elsewhere. I also bought a ticket to The Red and the Black screening which means I will pass on seeing Mr. Benning’s work again.

I have included links to the artists sites or galleries where I could find them. I’ll go back over time and add links to the prior posts.

Again these are my viewing observations.

Baptismal Sticks and Stones, April Simmons, U.S., 2011, 6m 50s
A spooky little dreamlike film of child voiced whispers in a mix of innocence and a touch of menace.

Devil’s Gate, Laura Kraning, U.S., 2011, 20m
Weaving the tales of Jack Parsons, Devil’s Gate Dam and California wildfires – this was really well done. An imaginative approach to the storytelling with the three narratives balancing and complimenting each other over 20 minutes.

Twice Removed, Leslie Thornton, U.S., 2011, 9m
Ms. Thorton’s work appealed to me more in the amphitheater where another similar work was showing. It seemed more observational and made me want to look. The spectacle version in the Walter Reade seemed forced particularly with the soundtrack.

Ricky, Janie Geiser, U.S., 2011, 11m
I wanted to go out and make something after seeing this! Ms, Geiser’s work is magical and inspiring. I was glad to be able to find clips that she has posted to YouTube of her other films so I could linger over her work in an extended way.

Silent Springs, Erin Espelie, U.S., 2011, 12m 57s
In this film, Ms. Espelie seemed to be on an assignment – tugging us in the three directions of her professional practice: documentary, advocacy and experimental. I came away feeling that the scales tipped to documentary and advocacy in this one.

Gazette, Eléonore de Montesquiou, Russia/Estonia, 2009, 4m 12s
A charming and reductive view of consumer publishing in the old Soviet Union. Ms. de Montesquiou is an artist who I will seek out. I think the material and subject matter she is working with is as interesting as her approach.

Kudzu Vine, Josh Gibson, U.S., 2011, 19.52m
Apologies to Mr. Gibson, I left before seeing his film.

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In the comments prior to screening Mr. McEllhatten discussed reviewing some of these as works “in progress” during the selection process and giving the impression that some still may be less than “done” evolving. Added to this screening was a rough mix of film/video changes that needed start/stop/restart. a reminder of the experimental nature of the program and that a state of the art facility can succumb to the human touch.

This also makes 42 works in the last four screenings, so I hope the artists and curators appreciate that at this point the program elements start to blur and my notes may need some further review.

Passage Upon the Plume, Fern Silva, U.S., 2011, 6m 46s
Problems with projecting this moved it to the end of the screening session. Mr. Silva’s contribution was more of sketch of work that fell out of another project. I appreciated the idea of the fragment of film, taken as is.

Shayne’s Rectangle, Dani Leventhal, U.S., 2011, 5m 4s
This will be the third piece of Ms. Leventahl to screened as part of the 4 day program and the 5th work of hers I have seen over the two festivals 10 and 11. I am ready to spend time for a deeper dive in to more of her work.

Line Describing Your Mom, Michael Robinson, U.S., 2011, 5m 50s
I struggled with this one.

from Jhana and the Rats of James Olds: Stephanie Barber
Tatum’s Ghost, 3m 45s

A mash-up of YouTube comments and an episode of Unsolved Mysteries provides an unlikely combination of hi and low brow interactions – a document or indcitment of UGC culture?

The Death of the Gorilla, Peter Mays, U.S., 1966, 16m (new restoration by the Academy Film Archive)
The most complex visually of the films on this program. Blown away that this was done all in camera. An early counterpoint to TV culture as expressed in Ms. Barber’s Tatum’s Ghost.

By foot-candle light, Mary Helena Clark, U.S., 2011, 9m
I was glad to be able to find this online at Vimeo as I have lost my last page of notes for this program and my memory of this was thin.

A Lax Riddle Unit, Laida Lertxundi, Spain, 2011, 6m
From what was said at the beginning of the session Ms. Lertxundi was one on the films described as accepted for the festival while still in progress of being made. Continuation of previous work or personal formula? Female + old song.

Sounding Glass, Sylvia Schedelbauer, Germany, 2011, 7m
Apologies to Ms. Schedelbauer, I stepped out of the theater during this video.

Gossip, Bobby Abate, U.S., 2011, 8m 19s
The Evil Eyes, Bobby Abate, U.S., 2010, 18m

With two pieces on the schedule Mr. Abate dominated this program with 27 of 89 minutes. The production effort that went into these put Mr. Abate at interesting juncture of too professional for experimental or too experimental for mainstream. Gossip was one film that will linger with me for some time. I would like to see both Love rose and Gossip in one program. The Evil Eyes brought back memories of the referenced Dark Shadows. Hope to more episodes like this from Mr. Abate.

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Between Gold, Jonathan Schwartz, U.S., 2011, 10m 42s
Mr. Schwatrz’s between Gold was created around (if my notes are right) a single take audio clip. One of the most haunting sounds of the festival was the dogs barking throughout this piece.

Tin Pressed, Dani Leventhal, U.S., 2011, 6m 23s
The program notes indicated that it would open with “jarring violence” and maybe that told too much. Ms. Leventhal seemed reticent to discuss her work before the audience saw it when given a chance prior to the program and she is probably right. One of the pleasures watching her work is to be surprised about where she will take us.

Fifteen an Hour, Kevin Jerome Everson, U.S., 2011, 6m
Fifteen an Hour annualized is 31,200 USD. That’s little less than double the state minimum in Florida of 7.31 USD an hour.

Tableaux Vivants, Vincent Grenier, U.S., 2011, 10m 20s
I drifted in an out of the this. Some films force you to concentrate, some films allow you to wander.

Curious Light, Charlotte Pryce, U.S., 2011, 4m 12s
I was looking forward to Ms. Pryce’s work since reading the description in the program. Turning the camera into a way of visually sculpting an object opens up the possibilities to many further discoveries and illuminations.

Forms Are Not Self-Subsistent Substances, Samantha Rebello, U.K., 2010, 22m
This came out of nowhere. Wow. Wish I could have seen this a few more times. Ms. Rebello’s work was edgy but accessible and did not feel formal or academic.

The Matter Propounded, of its Possibility or Impossibility, treated in four Parts, David Gatten, U.S., 2011, 13m
Interesting presentation. Avant-garde meets power point. Although silent, reading the text made a lot of noise in my head.

(3 more) from Jhana and the Rats of James Olds: Stephanie Barber, U.S., 2011
Miniatures, 2m
Degas, 58s
The Eclipse, 33s

Ms. Barber’s second series in the festival, were short and clever. I would like to see all the work from this project in one sitting.

ransom notes, Kelly Egan, Canada, 2011, 4m

A process film. Ms. Egan put words and letters directly on the optical soundtrack. It is the type of experimental film that is “inside the game” and given the opportunity at Views to be seen in the context of the current state of the general experimental film and video practices. Messers Smith and McElhatten do a remarkable job of sampling and organizing a wide variety of visual experiences here.

Conjuror’s Box, Kerry Laitala, U.S., 2011, 4m
I liked the images in the film and wanted to see more of the work. I will look to purchase Ms. Laitala’s work on DVD.

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