Helluva Town: New York Shorts
Experimental films by New York based filmmakers including Peter Hutton, Robert Todd, Darrell Wilson, Jem Cohen and Rudy Burckhardt

New York has long been home to premiere figures in the world of experimental and independent cinema. This evening features a collection of film and video that document person, place, and what lies between the two; all seen through the lens of artists residing in New York. This screening marks the beginning of an ongoing series in the informal spirit of the artistic cooperatives of late 20th century New York City.

Andy at Work
dir. Jonas Mekas, 2007, color, video, 5 mins.

Andy Warhol at the Village Gate in 1966
Videotaping John Kennedy, Jr. on Long Island in 1971 and at work at The Factory in 1976.

This is a History of New York
dir. Jem Cohen,1988, b&w, video, 22 mins.
"A history of New York City from Prehistoric times through the Space Age, composed entirely from documentary street footage" - Jem Cohen

We are Going Home
dir. Jennifer Reeves, 1998, color/b&w, 16mm, 10 mins.
"Solarized, tinted, and optically-printed; this is a surreal portrait of desire, ghosts and pursuit of the sensual as experienced by three women in parallel universes which never quite intersect." – Jennifer Reeves

Carl G. Jung or Lapis Philosophorum
dir. Jerome Hill, 1991, color, video, 4 mins.
A portrait of Dr. Carl Jung at work in his yard filmed by Jerome Hill in 1950 and edited by Jonas Mekas in 1991.

New York Portrait Part 1
dir. Peter Hutton, 1978-1979, b&w, 16mm, 16 mins.
The first portrait of a three part impressionistic, filmic sketchbook of New York in the late 1970's.

Evergreen
dir. Robert Todd, 2005, color/b&w, 16mm, 15 mins.
"This film looks at the nature of viewing nature and the problems we've created for ourselves in defining useful space: the contemporary act of viewing "landscape" requires an effort of willful ignorance or our own position as present and influencial, and what it takes to get to the point of being in a position to view it." – Robert Todd

The Small Ones
dir. Lynne Sachs, 2007, color, video, 3 mins.
During WWII, the US Army hired the filmmaker's cousin, Dr. Sandor Lenard, to reconstruct the bones of dead American soldiers. This elliptical work, which resonates as an anti-war meditation, is composed of highly abstracted war imagery and home movies of children at a birthday party.

La Cour Miraculeuse
dir. Darrell Wilson, 2007, color, video, 3 mins.
A cine-poem portrait of a Parisian fire-eater in the courtyard of Notre Dame.

Russian Close-Up (excerpt)
dir. Albert Maysles, 1957, color, video, 5 mins.
Albert Maysles' first foray into independent filmmaking, a visual diary of the faces and places encountered during a motorscooter ride across the Soviet Union in late 1956.

Counterfeit Music Video #14 – Before
dir. Robert Attanasio, 2005, video, 4 mins.
A film from a series of anti-music video music videos.

NEW YORK(ER) SHORTS: PROGRAM 2

The second program of experimental shorts in an ongoing series of screenings in homage to the artistic cooperatives of late 20th Century New York City.

Featuring work by:

Ross McLaren
David Baker
Seth Fragomen
Jon Jost
Jacob Burckhardt
Gregory Jamie
Albert Maysles
Taylor Dunne
Diane Bonder
Ken Jacobs

New York(er) Shorts Program 3: Emerging Artists

New York has long been home to premiere figures in experimental and independent cinema. This is the third evening in a series of screenings celebrating work by New Yorkers. In past screenings, we have shown films by Jonas Mekas, Peter Hutton, Jem Cohen, Jerome Hill, Ken Jacobs, Jennifer Reeves and many other noted artists. This time around, the screening is curated with a focus on young, unknown, or emerging artists. There will be upwards of twenty artists showcased in a unique screening environment that utilizes both floors of the Maysles Cinema to achieve different screening environments: one in the more traditional cinema setting and one in the installation/open-door style of a gallery showing. Through this apprach we hope to exhibit a large amount of work in a relaxing environment that allows the viewers to create their own program and experience.

New York(er) Shorts screenings are styled in remembrance of the many artist collectives that New York City was known for in the late 20th century. There will be food, drinks, time and a casual setting to meet filmmakers, film enthusiasts and the like.

Featured Artists:
Ryan O'toole, Marie Losier, Andres Laracuente, Sean Berman, Micheal Nason, Matt Black, James Cole, Gregory Jamie, Jon Jost, Seth Fragomen, James Woodward, Jay Hudson, Peter Buntaine, Lorenzo Gattorna