Updates on the 20th Dallas Video Festival

Here are some videos from Day Two, i.e., Wed., August 1, featuring Ben Britt, Laura Neitzel, A.C. Abbott, Katie Giminez, Katie & Andy Colvin, Mark Birnbaum, Bart Weiss, Cynthia Salzman Mondell, Meharvan, and Alex Karpovski. I'd been lucky enough to see Viva previously (which I loved), so I skipped that to see Karpovsky's excellent The Hole Story, which might be roughly described as a "slackers" update of Moby Dick. Can't wait to see more from this director.

Here are some videos and a pic from Day Three, i.e., Thurs., August 2, featuring Ben Britt, Danette Dufilho, Dee Mitchell (obscurely), and Bart Weiss. A Pervert's Guide to Cinema was fascinating; hope to see it again somehow; but I missed El Automóvil Gris (The Grey Automobile), which I hear was brilliant, and most of the I Am/Am Not My Job Compilation, which I also heard was wonderful.

Here are some vidis and pics from Day Four, i.e., Fri., August 3, featuring Kevin Nash, Festival merch, Wendy Golman, Katie Giminez, Nathan, Dee Mitchell, Mike Henderson, Lisa Taylor, Tammy Mcnary, the men's restroom at KHT, & work by Adam Bork. (Thanks to Ben Britt for some of the photos.) Saw again and still loved the Tech-Art Activism stuff -- thanks for turning out! Missed most of We Are the Strange -- hope to see the whole thing somehow; and the Guy Maddin, damn!; saw and loved the David Lynch shorts. I missed Jan Baxter's Graphic Activism Compilation, my sig. other loved it, hope to see that somehow, too; and everyone loved Bork's installation at the after-party (pic above right).

Several people have asked, where can I find out how to make the stuff in the Tech-Art Activism Compilation? The Graffiti Research Lab website has lots more videos, many showing how to DIY. Another resource I just came across is Gearbox's free-media toolkit, co-authored by Mediashed and Eyebeam.

Here are some vidis and pics from Day Five, Sat., Aug. 4, featuring Andy Streitfeld, Jerod Costa, Albert Maysles, Manny Mendoza, Allen Mondell, and Paul Slocum. Thanks for turning out for Idiot Joy Showland! Smells Like Teen Spirit, Black White + Gray, and A Walk Into the Sea were all wonderful and led from one to the next beautifully; and I really enjoyed Hell on Wheels, not just because grrls' roller derby rocks, but also for its portrayal of the grrls' initiative and the process of their maturation as neo-feminist businesswomen.

Here are some vidis and pics from Day Six, Sun., Aug. 5, featuring Deven James Langston, Tom Sime, Brad Ford Smith, Tim Evans, Tina Syring, Barry Whistler, Wendy Golman, Jin Ya Huang, Sheryl Ingram, Katja Straub, Mary Hestand & Alan Tubbs, and a few shots of the Festival crew during the closing nite thanks. Air Guitar Nation was totally fun; I enjoyed Daydream Nation featuring animations from Sweden and loved Bill Daniel's amazing Who is Texas Bozino?; and I heard DFW Punk was great.

I want to cry as I confirm what many of you already know: Laura Neitzel is leaving VAD, after doing a truly tremendous job for nine years. At The Texas Show, Bart and Andy Streitfeld gave eloquent thanks, but they clearly felt as we all do that nothing can thank her adequately for all she's given us.

In conjunction with the Festival, an installation by Bob Paris entitled Disturbance was exhibited at Conduit Gallery. Three monitors in a severely darkened room displayed highly-choreographed, manipulated clips from a single tape of television footage haphazardly recorded by the artist over a two-day period during the L.A. riots -- complete with violence, newscasts, Bush Sr.'s Presidential comments, and commercials.

Here's my previous post on DVF 20, with my original recommendations for the art-oriented plus a link to the full schedule.