Alternative Film/Video Festival

My films are well represented in this years Alternative Film/ Video Festival in Belgrade. Charade is in the competition program and screening opening night in Program #1, December 10th., with another screening the next day.  And Bryan Konefsky was invited to bring a selection of films from his Experiments in Cinema Festival, Happiness is a Warm Projector, which includes How to Draw Clouds on December 14th. In addition to this the festival begins with a screening of the award winners from last years festival which includes The Swimmer. Festival Programmer Greg deCuir will then bring the award program to International House Philadelphia on December 20th, and in spring next year bring programs of vintage Yugoslav films to New Mexico's Experiments in Cinema and hopefully  Seattle's Northwest Film Forum.

Film Review

Here is a link to a review of my films by curator Greg de Cuir. The review was the result of a screening at the Academic Film Center in Belgrade Serbia. I was there for a film residency, an award given during their 2012 Alternative Film and Video Festival. On December 20th a program of the 2012 award winners will screen in Philadelphia at International House Philadelphia.

Future Films

I have just been awarded a grant from Seattle Office of Arts & Culture to begin a series I’m calling Erasure Films. This series is based on themes begun in my film Nothing to Fear but Nothing Itself. In that film I took footage from the 60’s spy genre, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and erased the threats. In this new series I plan on extending this theme to other film genres: rogue cop, film noir romances, horror, etc… films that have a clearly definded Other. At the same time I have a lot of “found footage” that I brought back with me from Belgrade Serbia. This footage ranges from Yugoslavian home movies from the 60’s & 70’s, 60’s military educational films, and TV coverage of student rebellions in the 60’s and anti-war demonstrations in the 90’s. The wealth of this footage will probable create another series of films. There are obvious themes between these two series that may keep me busy for years.

More Screenings of Charade

There are a couple more screening of Charade in the next few weeks on the west coast. On Wednesday, October 23rd, at 9pm Victoria BC's Antimatter Film Festival will include it in a program called Bone Ghost. Then Portland's Northwest Filmmaker's Festival will include it in a program Saturday November 9th at 7pm. I'll only be able to attend the Portland festival. If you live in the area, it would be really nice to see you.

Filmmaker Residency in Belgrade Serbia

I am currently in residence at The Academic Film Center in Belgrade Serbia. I was awarded this residency last year through their Alternative Film and Video Festival. I arrived on September 5th and promptly got to work looking through their collections of found footage material. The plan is to take some digitized copies of this footage back with me to make a new film. The filmmakers here in Belgrade have been very gracious, and I am having a wonderful time. On Wednesday September 18th I will screen a collection of my short films in their cinema. If you happen to live close by I hope you will join me. I will be staying here through September 22rd. More info on the screening here.

CHARADE IN MARSEILLE

My film Charade, originally shot in 1963 Paris, will be screening closer to that neighborhood in Marseille, part of Festival Images Contre Nature,  July 11th & 13th.  If you're lucky enough to be spending your summer nearby I hope you'll check it out. This link to their site has a short clip of the film.

Erasable Cities in Winnipeg

Next week, Friday June 14th, Erasable Cities will have another Canadian screening at the Winnipeg Underground Film Festival. It's included in a section titled Cinema Studies: Hollywood Repurposed.